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

SpekySquarehead

Goooooood morning one and all,

The first day of the month and I am determined to get a NSD. I've brought soup with me for lunch and I'll make something quick when I get home tonight.

We can do this!!

thriftylass

So I think I will start a motivation quote of the day thing. here is number 1:

Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.
Arthur Ashe

dolly84

Morning all.

Welcome back NSK, great to hear from you again.

My November budgets started on 26th October and are as follows:


Groceries - £330 – will try to get this to £300, I have some threshold spend vouchers which should help.


Dog Food - £20
Diesel/LPG £80 – already spent £45.32
Kids activities - £82.50
School Lunch - £10 – loaded onto ParentPay for DD who has 1 a week as a treat:eek:
Bus Travel - £35 – for DD – already paid for
Replacement light cover for my car - £30 – already bought and fitted, came in at £26.94
Shower Curtain - £10 – already bought and hung, came in at £5
Scouts Christmas outing - £9 – paid
Scout Camp - £25 – forgot about this but manged to cobble it together from kids activity money
Savings - £390 + £100 regular saver
Christmas/Birthdays savings £100
Car Expenses savings - £26
Emergency Fund - £26


I always leave £30 in our account each month for small unexpected spends, DH spent £8.40 of it yesterday on a prescription.

We have no outings planned for this month, no beauty items needed and I do lots of exercise (cycling, running and walking) so that should be no bother.


The kids went out for Halloween last night and came back with a ton of sweets which should see them stocked with treats for a good while. I have a large chicken in the slowcooker today which will do a roast dinner today, chicken quesadillas tomorrow and chicken soup on Thursday.


I called at Tesco this morning to use my Orchard vouchers and picked up a pack of 2 chicken breasts, a bag of imperfect apples and 200 extra clubcard points all for free.


Not too bad a start to the month.

FurryBeastOz

Right. After last months epic NSD fail, I am all set. Today I have prebought my train fare. It's work so deductible, but I thought I'd be good. Hopefully I can get away with out a spend, although if my friend manages to get away for coffee that will change. If that happens I will pick up some bits on the way home to avoid spending tomorrow. If she doesn't I'll get them tomorrow.

Oops. Will have to spend tomorrow. Chimney sweep. Grrr. Really not nice to be wishing I can't see my friend. I'm packing a protein shake for lunch if she isn't free.

At least Thursday should be NSD - work is a long day, then a meeting.

My new hand luggage suitcase should arrive today. Then I can pack it and hopefully be certain I have everything. I don't want a mad rush on Friday.

Good luck everybody.

thriftylass

FurryBeastOz wrote: »

Right. After last months epic NSD fail, I am all set. Today I have prebought my train fare. It's work so deductible, but I thought I'd be good. Hopefully I can get away with out a spend, although if my friend manages to get away for coffee that will change. If that happens I will pick up some bits on the way home to avoid spending tomorrow. If she doesn't I'll get them tomorrow.

Oops. Will have to spend tomorrow. Chimney sweep. Grrr. Really not nice to be wishing I can't see my friend. I'm packing a protein shake for lunch if she isn't free.

At least Thursday should be NSD - work is a long day, then a meeting.

My new hand luggage suitcase should arrive today. Then I can pack it and hopefully be certain I have everything. I don't want a mad rush on Friday.

Good luck everybody.

Are you doing military, thought you did. Trooper, pull your act together. If you go for coffee today (was it pre-planned?) and spend tomorrow that's your spend days gone for this week. Could you meet your friend for coffee and just get a water? Could you meet in a park and she can bring a coffee and you take your shake?

Sorry to sound harsh. But it is NOvember

giggleyay

Can I verytentatively and timidly put my hand up for this challenge too please? Civilianfor me.

NSDs
Week 1 (1st -6th) 3
Week 2 (7th -13th) 3
Week 3 (14th -20th) 3
Week 4 (21st -27th) 3
Week 5 (28th -30st) 1
TOTAL 13

Budget – Tight but doable.

Outings –

4Days in London - Aliens @ Royal Albert Hall, Christmas Lights and Bonfire Nightfireworks (Train and Hotel booked and paid for, hopefully 4 or less tubetrips)

4Days in Ireland - Flight booked but other travel and hotel will be booked onceI get there (Meeting American friends).

I've got money set aside for both trips.

3 Day Training Course in Kent - I have to buy mealsand then have the money reimbursed - I haven't budgeted for these as things aretight and it was last minute. May put on PIF CC so that it doesn't mess upmy budget too much and the money from work can just pay it straight back off a couple of weeks later.As this is unavoidable (although I'm trying to figure out if I can somehow takepack ups lol) I'm thinking I will not count these as Spend Days, thoughts?

Food – We desperately need to defrost the freezer so thisshould give me the kick up the bum to stop buying things to put in it and do so.I don't keep lots of food in though so I will be lucky to get a week or two outof my current stash

Food bill – Normally this is ~£270 a month which is ridiculousfor only 2 people. I have no idea why it so high... well I do and it's called bad planning. I'm going to aim to get this under £250.

Food shopping – I am going to try and go to Aldi for my weekly shop. Ineed to get back into properly planning our menu. I've slipped back into onlythinking a day or so ahead and doing so many little shops. It's not good. Iwon't be buying lunches out.

Petrol/Travel – I pay £59 a month for a bus pass that takes meanywhere within the West Midlands. Other than this the only other travel ispart of the Ireland trip. I am a walker so walk a lot anyway.

Beauty – I have a hair appointment for a cut and root colour before my Ireland trip.I booked in at the local training academy so shouldn't be more than £25.Budgeted. Nothing further will be bought.

Alcohol – This is fine, as I don’t really drink. I willhowever have at least 2, probably 3 drinking days in Ireland. I don’t want toworry about it on my visit with my favourite people who I only get to see onceevery couple of years… so I’m not going to. I am a civilian after all

Exercise – I've recently joined a step bet (where I have to hit certainstep goals 6 days a week) so am walking at least 30 minutes a day 6 days a weekcurrently. Really loving my early morning walks

Christmas – I have money saved separately for Christmas but as yethaven't even thought about it. Hopefully I can get close to the end of Novemberbefore my sister starts nagging me for a list or provides one!

I’m starting today off strong with my first NSD :j

thriftylass

giggleyay wrote: »

Can I verytentatively and timidly put my hand up for this challenge too please? Civilianfor me.


3 Day Training Course in Kent - I have to buy mealsand then have the money reimbursed - I haven't budgeted for these as things aretight and it was last minute. May put on PIF CC so that it doesn't mess upmy budget too much and the money from work can just pay it straight back off a couple of weeks later.As this is unavoidable (although I'm trying to figure out if I can somehow takepack ups lol) I'm thinking I will not count these as Spend Days, thoughts?


Food – We desperately need to defrost the freezer so thisshould give me the kick up the bum to stop buying things to put in it and do so.I don't keep lots of food in though so I will be lucky to get a week or two outof my current stash

Normally this is ~£270 a month which is ridiculousfor only 2 people. I have no idea why it so high... well I do and it's called bad planning. I'm going to aim to get this under £250.

Food shopping – I am going to try and go to Aldi for my weekly shop. Ineed to get back into properly planning our menu. I've slipped back into onlythinking a day or so ahead and doing so many little shops. It's not good. Iwon't be buying lunches out.

You are numbered.

Re food. Try and keep a spending diary for your food this month if you're not sure where the food budget is going. As for strict meal planning, it's not for everybody. I tend not to meal plan in much detail but roughly buy 5-7 portions of meat, veg, fruit, etc. and then mix and match throughout the week. But always roughly know what I have in and decide in the morning what to take out to defrost. Towards the end of the week google is your best friend to combine the sad leftover items into a nice meal. I usually create the tastiest meals towards the end of the week/month when I do that and deviate from the bog standard.

Re training course. Don't count them as spend days if it gets reimbursed from work.

Calling14

Day 1 and I have to spend so cross with myself - friends hubby birthday - bad planning. Only buying a small gift and have a card already but losing a SFD:eek:

I am full of cold my ears are horrid, fuzzy and full of fluid probably scrambled my brain ?:(

Will get properly into this challenge tomorrow and set budgets then.:)

Happy November everyone:grouphug:

giggleyay

thriftylass wrote: »

You are numbered.

Re food. Try and keep a spending diary for your food this month if you're not sure where the food budget is going. As for strict meal planning, it's not for everybody. I tend not to meal plan in much detail but roughly buy 5-7 portions of meat, veg, fruit, etc. and then mix and match throughout the week. But always roughly know what I have in and decide in the morning what to take out to defrost. Towards the end of the week google is your best friend to combine the sad leftover items into a nice meal. I usually create the tastiest meals towards the end of the week/month when I do that and deviate from the bog standard.

Re training course. Don't count them as spend days if it gets reimbursed from work.

Thanks Thrifty!

I am just setting up a tracker for food spending in my Bullet Journal, so will see how this goes. I do track it in YNAB but think i need to drill down more into detail than just store name so will keep a little track of what I'm buying in that. I think honestly it is mostly laziness and bad planning so just by being more aware I should improve, fingers crossed.

Seasidegal58

So here goes!:


Civilian No Spend Days: Three days this week – 13 for the month, although I will go for more!

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!

Ad hoc Spending – ad hoc coffee/sandwich type occasions with friends are my big failing!

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!

Packed Lunches at Work – Should be able to keep to this.

Travel - no car. I use public transport for work and play and walk to and from stations.

Non-essential beauty items– Will do audit tonight to highlight any necessary purchases.

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

Exercise– lurgy cough still hanging around but will try and up the walking.

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.

Packed lunch brought in work today and had breakfast from porridge stores kept in work. So all set for a NSD by end of day!