“Just Say NOvember; Batten Down the Hatches 2016”.

Toni'sfriend

End of this month's challenge (thank you for organising, Thrifty Lass).

Managed 16 NSDs, I think (got a little confused towards the end). I'm very pleased with that but what's even better is that we have £60.98 left from our £200.00 household (food, cleaning stuff etc) budget. Just goes to show that either we have far too much food in the house still to be used or we're still buying too much.

Well done, everyone. See you next month.

Seasidegal58

Thanks again thrifty.
Run down on how I did this November:

“Civilian No Spend Days: Three days this week – 13 for the month, although I will go for more! - (ended up with 18 days so broke through the ceiling!)

Monetary Outgoings– All regular monthly payments and budgeted categories accounted for in YNAB. On checking the diary I have one big day this month on Thursday to a Christmas Fair that I attend with friends each year; my bedroom carpet is being cleaned, smart winter boots to be bought and a retirement dinner with a bestie! (broke the budget at the Christmas Fair! However, retirement dinner is not happening now till next week so did not go on the November list)

Ad hoc Spending – ad hoc coffee/sandwich type occasions with friends are my big failing! (a few of these occurred, but not too bad this month!)

Food – have done big shop already for things that are essentials. Will adhere strictly to spending funds that are left for each week and try to create some surplus cash to wing over to emergency fund! My spend is £120 for month so minus 5% Civilian it comes to £114. Will be trying to batch cook more. My delivery big shop has already arrived – plenty of own brands included! (£2.81 went over to Emergency Fund – not mega, but better than nothing!)

Packed Lunches at Work – Should be able to keep to this (I was good with this!).

Travel - no car. I use public transport for work and play and walk to and from stations (Only one taxi used – and that was to get home from station with loads of shopping from Xmas show!).

Non-essential beauty items– Will do audit tonight to highlight any necessary purchases (Went over budget on this but got some offers and downsized on some cosmetics so not as much as it should have been!) .

Alcohol consumption - I will be imbibing at Christmas Fair and my friend's retirement, but should be ok for rest of month (All ok here!).

Exercise– lurgy cough still hanging around but will try and up the walking (no extra exercise but still averaged 50mins walking on workdays to and fro stations.)

C-Word! - Have been budgeting for Christmas all year so have funds in bank. I’m not a “crafty” person but will be looking for bargains out and about (so far have kept within my budget for Xmas – been saving all year!)”

Not too bad. See you all on the other side!

XSpender

Well done everyone on your achievements this month and thank you to Thrifty for running a great challenge.

I did much better on NSDs than I usually do and hit double figures Food and misc budget blown, Christmas prezzies sorted and spent much less than I normally do.

Exercise has tailed off a bit with the cold weather and work has meant I have missed some PT sessions. Healthy eating regime has been put on hold until the new year. No excuse to feed my face with rubbish in December though

DH has been better at taking lunches to work/I have been better at making sure his lunch is made

Booze - Looking back I don't seem to have had much at all.

See you all in December where I will be waving sparkly pom-poms and cheering from the side :j

FurryBeastOz

Didn't go running so another NSD today.

Smashed my Budgets for the month. Grocery £85/£300:j

Not quite as good, but lazy/fat food (coffee/cake or impulse food purchases) down from £100 to £62. Still not good enough, but better.

My second YNAB is complete. It looks much better. A couple of things over-budget, new running club, a couple of renewals I'd missed, and the new phone, but I'm really pleased.

Almost £500 out of my first pay check in 7 yrs straight into the emergency fund.:) DH is still paying all the bills, but I plan to start splitting them in January. I have hated being dependent on him.

Raring to go for December. Will do the budget tonight.

crazy_cat_lady

Thanks for November Thrifty. I am declaring 18 nsd's for the month, which I'm really pleased about.
See you all in December tomorrow :eek:

mothernerd

Thank you for running the thread Thrifty. Didn't quite make the NSD military target but I am well pleased with the result and will try to keep to 2 spending days per week going forward.

I have been to see my counsellor and to crafts this afternoon. The counsellor was very kind and helped me see this year in a more positive light (being ill is just getting me down over the last few days and lots of negative thoughts were creeping in). Normally she would urge people to motivate themselves more but I keep trying to do things and end up flat on my back again. She said it's been a very tough year and I should treat myself kindly for December and look forward to a new year.

Speaking of ending up flat on my back, I went to get the bins and as I stepped onto the back doorstep my foot turned over and I went full length across the yard. Lots of positives - my head and shoulders landed on a pile of garden bags for one but expecting bruises on my side tomorrow and ankle got a bang and is throbbing (don't think it's sprained).

Pulled myself into a 'sitting' position but had to call for DS3 as anything I could have used to pull myself up was a long crawl across rough hard ground. Clothes were wet and dirty so have had a bath and (on Ds3's instructions) I am back in bed.

Planning a very quiet December (crawling into it determinedly).

Today I am grateful for a kind and wise counsellor, for companionship and banter at craft session and just for getting through the day (and the year thus far - it could all have been a lot worse).

Eager_Elephant

apple_muncher wrote: »

E_E - we get soya milk from aldi for a good price. Have you tried it?

Thanks apple for your suggestion.


Unfortunately we don't have an Aldi in my nearest town and the one in the town where I work is way over the other side to where I actually work and not quick to get to after work.


I have tried many brands of long life soya milk and the only ones I like are Tesco, Sainsburys and Waitrose.
Some unsweetened actually taste really sweet to me - not sure if they are really but I can't get on with a lot of them. I have tried short life soya milk and that tastes awful.


Tesco is not too bad, it is usually 59p or 65p per carton and I buy 16 at a time.

apple_muncher

Ouch mothernerd! Glad ds3 was around to help. Take care.

misstara

Thanks thrifty for running the challenge. I got to 15 NSDs which I'm pretty pleased with, exercise was better than usual and groceries under budget so a pretty good month.

Slightly ruined by the fact that I spent £15ish on wine and junk food after work it's been a really !!!! day however looking ahead to tomorrow and a new months challenge.

Seasidegal58

Sorry to hear about your fall mothernerd. You've certainly been in the wars lately but have coped brilliantly.

I'm so pleased you had a positive session with your counsellor.

See you on December thread!