NST Super September Scrimping challenge

LD_13

Can I join please? Payday today and budgets mostly sorted, will post tonight.

greent

Well done on getting the family debt paid off, thrifty :T

thriftylass

Hello all, just a few hours to go and all the additional contenders have been listed.

Thanks again for posting all your goals. It's interesting to see how some people already follow some rules (like determined new ms and me who don't even spend a fiver on beauty anyway) while other rules provide a good challenge for some. That's what it is about. It's not a one size fits all but more a motivation to question the way things were (my i.e. my impulsive top up shops, giving in to DH or others needing to get back into the swing with exercise). Just try and stick to them as much as possible and and depending on your circumstance without totally changing all of them.

FurryBeastOz

Here's to my favourite month of the year.

We complete sale of our rental house tomorrow. So for about 24hrs we will be feeling flush before it gets squirrelled away for rainy days.

However, as I am losing the rental income I am going to keep a buffer, and challenge myself not to use it. I'm not sure how it will work as I am taking a pay cut by going onto a contract from temping. Fingers crossed it leads to something more permanent.

As I'm at a meeting tonight and then having coffee with my sponsor, I will do the budget tomorrow after the gym.

It's our 13th wedding anniversary on the 11th so I will have to factor in some spending money for that.

I use YNAB so the notebook is up and running.

vintagebrighton

Can I join please? Just finished paying my debt but now have no savings buffer. My goal is to build it up again. A bit tricky as we're both semi retired and I have health issues.

Will be back in a bit with my contribution!

indigowarrior

Please sign me up!

crazy_cat_lady

Hi all :hello:
Thrifty - sorry I'm almost late but I'm in for September please. It's so lovely to see all the usual lot here, plus the lovelies from the 'small things' thread, plus some lovelies from my diary as well. Brilliant. This will help me to get back on the straight and narrow as I've swanned around all over the country this month without a care in the world - enjoying life and spending cash. It's what I do exam marking for, and I've had a fabulous month but come Monday I'm back at work and by Tuesday I will have forgotten all about the summer holidays - no doubt at all.
My main targets for September will need to be related to the food and groceries, increasing nsd's and planning social stuff. Both of my kids and my bestie have their birthdays in September. :eek:

LollyPop0312

Hello, can I join too? Not in debt but majorly scrimping on one budget in the hope to one day buy our own home! Would love to pick up some scrimping tips! :T

vintagebrighton

Okay, here goes

*This challenge starts on the 1st September at 00:01 and closes on the 30th September at 00:00.

*Try and check in once a day with your progress !Will do

*Get a little notebook that you can fit in your bag, or a slip of paper! Write down everything you spend - good and bad!!Have one ready and waiting

*You will aim for 18 SFDs!(Spend Free Days). If purchases of “yellow sticker delights” are made without full price items this is an SFD. Medication and normal monthly DD’s or CC payments are exempt and you may class these days as SFD’s also.Noted

*Pay you debts and bills first, budget to live off what is left!Noted

*You must decide on a budget for food now. This must be stuck to rigidly until the last day of the month ! Consider how much you REALLY need to feed your family, make meal plans, limit snacking with the kids or tell them “when it’s gone that’s it until next week”. Mine is £350.£40pw is the budget for 2 of us plus a cat

*Try and eat everything in your cupboards and freezer BEFORE buying any more. Money spent each week will be for essentials – bread, milk and fruit & veg before buying more. Get right down to the bottom of that chest freezer, get out those nearly out of date packets of rice. Stop stock piling for Armageddon and wasting money. I don’t care if you are prepping for visitors or a “just in case” situation! (note to mainly myself: STOP SPENDING SO MUCH ON FOOD!) I need to defrost my freezer and clean my fridge so this rule will help We already rotate regularly. Very small kitchen so not much choice!

*You must bring your lunch to work every day. No coffee shops, no work canteen, no cafes, no sandwiches – NOTHING. You will waste SO many precious £££’s when something better can be created at home. If you think it doesn’t matter and I won’t find out – you are right. But you are cheating yourself.Both semi retired but will commit to not buying coffee or food out for the whole month

*Plot the course of your social life now before the beginning of September. Make sure you have a budget planned for meals that can’t be wormed out of and birthdays etc. Money placed aside for holidays can be classed as “no spend days” – anything over the budget will ruin that SFD!! Cancel something you really don’t want to go to –you HAVE to start making sacrifices now. Nothing planned so won't need to cancel anything!

*Decide on your DFD!– when do you want to start doing what you want to do???I want to have 5k in savings by Easter 2018

*You will accomplish some sort of exercise per week, 3 sessions of 20 minutes anyway you want. Walk someone’s pooch, walk to work, walk around your block 5 times… anything!Bit limited by my health but will absolutely commit to this


*Beauty spends are not allowed to exceed £10. That includes you boys as well. Use up all that you have in the house BEFORE spending anything more on beauty bits – seriously how many body moisturisers do you need ladies?Will have my hair cut before I go for my op ~ already budgeted for £40

*Make time for yourself this month. Even if it’s only 10 minutes a day do something for yourself whether that is going for a walk, having a bath with loads of bubbles or sitting outside with a drink – we need to make the most of the evenings.Will think of what to do. Quite fancy starting up knitting/crochet now the nights are drawing in

*Keep the heating off as long as possible, put a jumper on etc. We live in the north of Scotland in an 80s bungalow with metal windows. So it might be a challenge Will try but also live in Scotland

Think that's everything. Bring it on!

LD_13

*Try and check in once a day with your progress ! * will do

*Get a little notebook that you can fit in your bag, or a slip of paper! Write down everything you spend - good and bad!! * I’ll keep note on paper or in the notes section of my phone

*You will aim for 18 SFDs!(Spend Free Days). If purchases of “yellow sticker delights” are made without full price items this is an SFD. Medication and normal monthly DD’s or CC payments are exempt and you may class these days as SFD’s also. * game on! I will try to plan a bit better this month, only managed 8 in August

*Pay you debts and bills first, budget to live off what is left! * this is how I usually work anyway. Payday today so all my DDs will come out tomorrow and my payments will go out to my savings too.

*You must decide on a budget for food now. This must be stuck to rigidly until the last day of the month ! Consider how much you REALLY need to feed your family, make meal plans, limit snacking with the kids or tell them “when it’s gone that’s it until next week”. Mine is £350. * £100 for just me for food and cleaning products

*Try and eat everything in your cupboards and freezer BEFORE buying any more. Money spent each week will be for essentials – bread, milk and fruit & veg before buying more. Get right down to the bottom of that chest freezer, get out those nearly out of date packets of rice. Stop stock piling for Armageddon and wasting money. I don’t care if you are prepping for visitors or a “just in case” situation! (note to mainly myself: STOP SPENDING SO MUCH ON FOOD!) I need to defrost my freezer and clean my fridge so this rule will help * I must get back into meal planning. I have stuff in my freezer and cupboards to keep me going for a bit. I will do an inventory and make a meal plan / shopping list according to this.

*You must bring your lunch to work every day. No coffee shops, no work canteen, no cafes, no sandwiches – NOTHING. You will waste SO many precious £££’s when something better can be created at home. If you think it doesn’t matter and I won’t find out – you are right. But you are cheating yourself. * I usually always take lunch to work, however I will now be at college two days a week so will need to sort lunches that can be eaten cold (will still have access to a fridge and micro at work 2 days a week). I have dug out a water bottle and will sort some snacks so I don’t find myself down at the college vending machine.

*Plot the course of your social life now before the beginning of September. Make sure you have a budget planned for meals that can’t be wormed out of and birthdays etc. Money placed aside for holidays can be classed as “no spend days” – anything over the budget will ruin that SFD!! Cancel -something you really don’t want to go to –you HAVE to start making sacrifices now. * most of my activities this month revolve around fitness events that have already been paid for (a walk, a run and a mountain climb). The mountain climb involves an overnight stay, this has been paid already and I have budgeted £30 for spends – but with any luck we’ll be so shattered afterwards that we just have a drink in the room. I have an awards do with work mid month but that won't cost me anything.

*Decide on your DFD!– when do you want to start doing what you want to do??? * I really need to do some work here. I am now a student working part time until November (although I will be aiming to find another job after my current one comes to an end). I can’t really work out a date until I know how much money I will have coming in after November. Suppose I can estimate as I know how much I need to be bring in each month to live off.

*You will accomplish some sort of exercise per week, 3 sessions of 20 minutes anyway you want. Walk someone’s pooch, walk to work, walk around your block 5 times… anything! * walk a lot, run 3 times a week and do yoga once a week, my yoga pass has already been paid for in advance. I plan to join the college gym next week, this is approx £35 for a year so I feel it’s a good investment, but I will check out the class timetable before committing.


*Beauty spends are not allowed to exceed £10. That includes you boys as well. Use up all that you have in the house BEFORE spending anything more on beauty bits – seriously how many body moisturisers do you need ladies? * no problem, I have a cupboard and drawers full of stuff. I was actually thinking about selling some un-opened stuff online.

*Make time for yourself this month. Even if it’s only 10 minutes a day do something for yourself whether that is going for a walk, having a bath with loads of bubbles or sitting outside with a drink – we need to make the most of the evenings. * I must make an effort to do this, Sept is going to be a busy month with getting into a new college / work routine.

*Keep the heating off as long as possible, put a jumper on etc. We live in the north of Scotland in an 80s bungalow with metal windows. So it might be a challenge * Easy, I am too tight to put the heating on until at least late Oct!