NST: December 2016: A pared back Christmas

nannygladys

Hi everyone

Take it easy mothernerd, and pleased your tests are good.

Had family over in dribs and drabs to say cheerio to visitors as they go on Sunday and most people are celebrating New Year at parties etc.

So another sfd achieved, and I will have to look what is left in the fridge etc before I do a menu plan next week and visitors have gone. Think I may have post Xmas blues or just feeling a bit under the weather perhaps.
Nannyg

Fmess

Evening all

SFD here, just s bit of decorating and dog walking and my first of another round of sessions with a counsellor/therapist.

Hope you've all had a good day

Toni'sfriend

No more NSDs for me this month, I'm afraid. Didn't manage the 15 but didn't blow the budget either so not too bad.

Thanks for running the challenge, Dolly.

See you all on the January challenge.

Have a Happy New Year and enjoy Hogmanay.

apple_muncher

Thank you for December, dolly.

I managed 19 NSDs and we truly had a pared back Christmas, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We have not been anywhere near the sales and do not plan to do so!

dolly84

Hi all.

Hope everyone enjoys however they are spending this evening. I've never been a fan of NYE so will just be staying at home with family and drinking a couple of glasses of wine.

We opened our sealed tins this morning. I got one for me and DH to share and one each for the kids at Christmas last year and told the kids I would add £10 to the pot of whoever saved the most. This was done with the intention of curbing DD's spending habit which it has done. I paid the kids money into their own bank accounts to which they have access (not without problems as banks don't like taking coins). Me and DH had £123.50 in ours and are very, very pleased with that.

We enjoyed out day out walking and our picnic yesterday and didn't spend any money at all. No plans to spend today either.

mothernerd

Thank you for December, Dolly. I have had a lovely Christmas (sleeping, reading, sewing) but I am glad to see the back of this year, even though I became debt free.

greent

Round-up for the month :

NSD target of 12 (Dec is hard!!! - although have achieved 1 today ) - stopped counting. Definitely achieved at least 9.

Charity - I volunteer at least one morning a week at a small local charity (am also treasurer for it so inevitably have other stuff to do at home). I have a bag of fluffy socks and toiletries (toothbrushes, toothpastes, deodorants and hand and foot creams) for a friend's daughter who is doing a collection for the homeless (through an organised event). We donate monthly to WWT. I have a box of good quality items to drop at local CS (where I am registered for GA) I also need to send something in to school with DS3 for the local animal shelter appeal. Oh - and have bought an Oxfam unwrapped present for one relative. Think I'm ticked off for this one this month! - did all of this and more - also donated 2 carrier bag's of stuff to foodbank when they were doing a collection at Tesc0 at start of month

We actually managed to pay all of our credit cards from last month's money (had some extra) which is lovely - included a good chunk to OH's 0% card which had last of holiday costs on. Will be able to clear that this month when the statement come through. Then we can move on to he next one (new sofas coming in NY) - new sofas came around 10 days before Xmas - paid just over half the cost of them in Dec.

Will knock £20 off proposed Xmas spending - used lots of vouchers, offers, discounted vouchers (from perkbox and zeek) and cut back in general, so achieved this (one saving alone was £30 on one present)

Have declined 2 invitations! One on Thurs night and one on Sat. Total cost not huge (both cheap evenings) - around £30-40 for the 2 of us for the 2 nights but still a saving (and 2 earlier nights and less alcohol consumed!) - done

Much of the spending this month will be in retail chains. Last month we managed to buy several presents from small local (often home based) businesses. I have one present to buy which I know I can source from a small family business, so shall do that.

School holidays mean family games afternoons - free and fun (usually!! ) - haven't spent anything on entertainment in hols

Grocery budget - will increase this month as DD is home from uni for 2/3 of the month. ALso have festive spends (not much extra) and her birthday spends. I am jumping up to £500 as I plan on sending her back to uni (on 2nd Jan) with a decent amount of food to help her budget. She is very good and still has a decent amount of money left (we've not helped her with any cash - she gets full loan) but I like to top up her supplies where possible (will also make sure she goes back with some HM goodies - she's not bought any biscuits/ cakes/ sweets when away - she keeps her supermarket budget to avg £20 per week (she cant bulk buy due to lack of fridge and freezer space in her halls kitchen) and that includes alcohol purchases from there. That means I need to aim for £480 or less - sounds horrific, but not bad for 6 of us (and 3 guinea pigs) and Xmas/ school hols/ a birthday/ uni food (would like to come in at £450 if I can - super stretch target!!) - stopped monitoring this totally around 2/3 way through month:o:o. Must've come in somewhere around the figure if not under, as I still have money left! (helped by using lots of Sainsbobs money off vouchers which they sent me)


Could've been worse, could've been better but we've had a lovely Xmas See you all next year!

xx

Eager_Elephant

Just catching up with my NSD's:

Boxing Day was a spend day - spent £10.50 in total which is not bad as 5 of us played bingo with the family and each game if all cards were brought was £1.20 per turn so a fun afternoon for £10.50 and our food contribution (salad and pulled pork)

27th was a NSD so that takes me to 11

28th was a spend day, friend paid for Chinese but we got fizzy drink on the way (none at home)

29th, 30th and today are NSD's which take me to 14 for the month.:T

Think my target was 12 so pleased with that.

Eager_Elephant

Round up for December:

NSD – I will aim for 15 this month Oops missed out by 1 – must be better than other years when I would spend every day!!

Donation – I will donate to a Bull Breed Rescue Not done will do now

Debt/Savings – all debts paid by DD. Savings are moved manually and will do tomorrow. Money moved to savings

Xmas Budget – Xmas is usually about £400 for presents and then my kids have December birthdays – we usually spend about £350 each. Will reduce Xmas presents by £20 Part fail, Xmas ended up being £250 for each child (2) and then other presents for family came to £117. Have saved on the birthdays though as only spent £200 rather than £250.

Invitations – I have a work party on Saturday, this has all been paid for and as I am driving will be soft drinks only so either free (boss does a tab) or cheap. I have a team xmas meal next week which has just been organised so will cost about £30.Relative has his sheltered accommodation xmas party next weekend and he has invited us and will pay so will be free.If anything else comes in I will decline. Already mentioned that I forgot the allotment social meet up and the local panto which I did. Oops should have declined my friends invite on 28th but ended up a cheap night as only spent £5 on drinks

Spend responsibly – I use the local greengrocers for all my xmas fruit and veg. I don’t really do gifts for family – usually something cheap like socks and a scratchcard. Gifts for the children are usually clothes, trainers or computer related. Got my fruit and veg from the greengrocers – spent £42 which should see me through to mid Jan at least (except spuds which will see me through to Feb)
Most gifts were from big stores – sorry or supermarkets

Grocery budget – I still keep the same budget of £350 for December. We rear our own turkeys so that’s one big expense we don’t have plus we have pork/gammon and chickens in the freezer already. Fruit and veg will be about £50 but will last into January. Mainly it is fizzy drink and some crisps I will need to get on top of the usual shopping. Xmas desserts have been purchased already and are in the freezer. Will aim for £330. Greengrocers was £42 and other Dec spends were about £250 (difficult to say without going through my shop on 20th as did Xmas and Jan shop all in one)

Posting – will endeavour to post every day. Fail

Eager_Elephant

Thanks Dolly for running December!!