NST October ORGANISE OCTOBER

Lauralozzle

I have added my comments below

mothernerd wrote: »

Ninja Savings Turtles ORGANISE OCTOBER

Several people have indicted that circumstances dictate the continuation of September's Super Scrimpers regime and the tough line instituted by Ninja Savings Kat in her challenges (see NSK).

Austerity October? Austerity with a twist because although the turtle way is difficult we always aim to have some fun along the way, provide the odd inspirational quote, offer help and advice, sympathise when things go wrong and celebrate our successes. Remember No Turtle Gets Left Behind.

Commit to the challenge, follow the rules to the best of your ability. The rules are all tools that will help you on your debt free journey, the more tools you utilise, the more you will save but if you are new, it can take a while to get up to speed with them all. Don't worry.

The Truth is out There
Question Everything
Be Stronger Than Your Excuses

Organise. Start as you mean to go on. Know the contents of your fridge, freezer and cupboards. Plan your meals around them. Cook from scratch. Don't buy anything you can make unless cost /time taken dictates otherwise. If you are new to turtle challenges or still have full cupboards you could try living from the cupboards.


Organisation of cupboards well under way. As it was pay day today we have done food shop for beginning of October and this is included in Octobers budget. Will write down menu for this weeks dinners and batch cook some bolognese for the freeer that can be easily made into Lasagne, chilli, cottage pie and such. Will also make some brownies with cupboard stores as my baking cupboard is quite full and will also make some fruity flapjacks.

Regular budget items should be set by 3rd October at the latest (extra time allowed because this is being posted later than usual). If you don't know how much you are spending on food or petrol, now is the time to find out. Question every purchase - need or want? Can you make a percentage cut to one of your budget items - 3% to 10% you decide. Most importantly, Pay To Your Debt Or savings First, Live off What Is Left.


Budget is as follows:

£850 straight into joint account (already done) which covers bills and shopping. Tom has put in the same amount.
£200 into wedding fund (a,ready done). Tom has put in same amount.
£200 grocery spend
£75 household items such as toiletries, bleach, cleaning bits and any other house bits (this is a new budget to keep these spends under control!)
£50 entertainment budget
£50 petrol budget
£10 per week personal spends out of my personal budget.

I also have my hen do on the seventh but I have a separate budget for that!



Get Ready for Winter. Checklist in separate post. You decide how and when to implement it.

My winter coat has another year in it. Might have to use my next vouchers from work and put towards some boots as I wore a hole in the sole of mine and the cobbler said they are ruined!!

ALWAYS Be Kind
This I will prioritise as I don't want to become 'bridezilla' so close to the wedding!

No Spend Days. Aim for 20 (high target) or 15 (low). You will not lose an NSD for petrol included in petrol budget, medical expenses (you don't choose when to be ill but stocking up would be cheaper), yellow sticker purchases only (no additional full price items). For regular activites where fees are paid weekly (children's clubs, window cleaner) you can set aside the money for the month on a spend day and avoid losing a spend day each week.

Will aim for 15. I always find this tough!




IMPROVISE. Make do and mend with a creative twist. think of a substitute ingredient, how to make an old/broken piece of furniture last a little longer. Looking forward to reading your stories on this one (not if they invlove sending OH to work in your pants).

This will be interesting! Will give it my best shot!

STOPTOBER Are you participating? Have you any bad habits to curb or a good one to implement or re-instate.

I am participating as I keep having the crafty cigarette every now and again.

EXERCISE Four times a week at least (20 minutes minimum but can be done 10 minutes at a time). Get outside in daylight as often as possible.

10,000 step target daily

ONE MORE TIME It is never too late for a second chance. Some of us set goals in January. last month thrifty asked us to look at where we wanted to be, why we weren't there and what was going wrong. Now you need to put in the small steps that will lead to your goal. If you have fallen off the path, start again - just because you can't do it all, doesn't mean you can't do any. New starters may like to set some goals for the next 3 months.

Whilst I'm not where I want to be my main priority was saving for the wedding. This I feel has gone well.

CHRISTMAS Sorry we do have to talk about it. If you love it and have been planning and saving all year, enjoy yourself.
But let us think about cutting back.
You still have time to have the 'no present pact' talk (token presents/ children only) or talk your work colleagues or other groups into only giving one card to the whole group with savings possibly going to charity.

I have got nothing yet but will be cutting back like last year as we will be paying off the final wedding costs on credit cards.

THE Challenge will run from 00.00 on 1st October until 00.00 on 31st October.

ODD - This month's inspiration is going to be slightly off the wall. Looking forward to how many of you can follow where others boldly go

BANNED Takeaways, coffee shops, chippys, pie shops, vending machines, sandwich bars etc. exemption for turtls who budget for this from personal/ social spending or who have nowhere else to meet a friend. Dispensation for support for sick friends.

EXTRA INCOME Overtime, surveys, second jobs, craftsales at Christmas fairs (Bunny tales - and tails - always welcome).


If overtime is available I will take it.

REPORT in, daily if possible (I know some people have access problems). Sometimes people slink off if they have strayed but you will not feel better until you tell your fellow turtles about it. BE STRONGER THAN YOUR EXCUSES.

mummylewis

Hello!
Please may I join in?

I'm going to try really hard to stick to budgets. We usually do well until the last week before payday and it all gets scuppered. We've debts and projects that need doing so WE WILL DO IT!

DH gets paid on 20th and me on 26th. Those inbetween days are the hardest as most of the bills come out 21st-23rd. I'm determined not to be maxed out this month.

SO - budgets:
£250 food
£80 petrol
£100 Christmas

-We just got our Sky bill down from £74.99 to £49.79 thanks to some wise words from my step dad.
-House insurance is coming up for renewal - Halifax want £498!!!!! Esure have offered £171 with free legal cover and emergency cover. Will be sorted next week.
-This month is the final repayment on the tax bill (DH got a £1k refund that they shouldn't have given him last year, he was expecting a refund so didn't question it and then they got in touch to reclaim it - grrr)
-no beauty fund this month
-I'm terrible with exercise and struggle for time with my job but will endeavor to try my best in the spirit of the challenge, it'll do me good!
-Will aim for the 20 SFD's but I do own a milk monster so we'll see.

Sorry that was longer than I anticipated, will check back in on 1st for what is hopefully my first SFD

Be good, be careful x

mothernerd

Lauralozzle when is the wedding (sorry I know I should know but have reached the age when things start to slip away, annoying when I've had the knack of being able to repeat whole conversations verbatim - months or even years after they happened).

It's just that when I got married (in September) I had all my Christmas cards written and all the presents for OH's family + wedding present for his brother and fiance bought and wrapped and made them all take them home with them - must have saved a fortune in postage alone.

I realise it may be too late for you (added stress) but just thought I would mention it.

greent

Ninja Savings Turtles ORGANISE OCTOBER


Organise. Start as you mean to go on. Know the contents of your fridge, freezer and cupboards. Plan your meals around them. Cook from scratch. Don't buy anything you can make unless cost /time taken dictates otherwise. If you are new to turtle challenges or still have full cupboards you could try living from the cupboards.

A mix this month - will still be using stuff up from cupboards/ freezer, but freezer has a lot of space in (combination of this one being slightly bigger than old one/ losing some food when old one broke and using stuff up) so need to replenish some supplies. Plan on doing this in a mindful way and using bargains/ YS/ freebies/ HG/ offers. Pretty much always cook from scratch (although Tesc0 sell Pataaak's frozen chicken tikka masal and rice for £1 - good standby quick meal for DS1 (17)) Freezer currently has HM ready meals in of chilli, bolognaise and taco mince and roast chicken in gravy. Plan on adding soups to it for lunches this month - and will also use up some of my supply of lentils in doing so!

Regular budget items should be set by 3rd October at the latest (extra time allowed because this is being posted later than usual). If you don't know how much you are spending on food or petrol, now is the time to find out. Question every purchase - need or want? Can you make a percentage cut to one of your budget items - 3% to 10% you decide. Most importantly, Pay To Your Debt Or savings First, Live off What Is Left.



Have paid my CCs off in full, as usual. OH still to pay his main one (due 3rd Oct) but that will be paid in full. Have paid £350+ to 0% CC. When rent money comes in a £400 min OP will be paid to BTL mtge (ideally I'd like to get to £565 over the month to get down into next £000 bracket). Any fleabay monies will go to kitchen fund.
Budgets:
Food - £325. We are away for a week (abroad, so won't be taking much food with us) so have reduced. Have a stretch target of £290, if I can (but see above re re-stocking freezer)
Fuel - £60 (1 full tank for me - I won't use it all as we are away for a week but prefer to fill up fully - esp with rising costs - OH's covered by business expenses)
Clothes - £75 (between all 6 of us) - reduced after buying walking boots, hiking socks and 4 x joggers for smalls in Sept. I can't think of anything we actually need but DS2 & DS3 are growing heaps at the mo and this covers unexpecteds
Gifts - £150 - essentially towards more Xmas shopping (and a couple of bday cards needed)
Toiletries - £10 (possibly shampoo for DS1 and also more antiperspirant for him)
Social Life - £200 - we have a meal & drinks out with friends carried forward from Sept into Oct as they couldn't get a sitter (originally mooted as an idea in Aug, so we've not been hasty in arranging this!) - suspect the evening will be £60 max. It is also OH's bday which will involve either a meal out (although his fave restaurant is where we are going with friends the previous week) or a takeaway - it is his choice, as is 'tradition' in our house. The smalls also want to watch a movie (Ninjag0) so we will pick up cheap tickets and take our own drinks and snacks. Stretch target £150
Get Ready for Winter. Checklist in separate post. You decide how and when to implement it.

ALWAYS Be Kind

No Spend Days. Aim for 20 (high target) or 15 (low). You will not lose an NSD for petrol included in petrol budget, medical expenses (you don't choose when to be ill but stocking up would be cheaper), yellow sticker purchases only (no additional full price items). For regular activites where fees are paid weekly (children's clubs, window cleaner) you can set aside the money for the month on a spend day and avoid losing a spend day each week.


Special exemption for the turtle who's family drink milk by the bucketload. Any requests for special exemptions will be considered (some turtles manage their money in other ways)
Will aim for 12 with my brood which get through milk like there is no tomorrow! (thanks mothernerd!) We are also away for 8 days, so I have reduced target accordingly.

IMPROVISE. Make do and mend with a creative twist. think of a substitute ingredient, how to make an old/broken piece of furniture last a little longer. Looking forward to reading your stories on this one (not if they invlove sending OH to work in your pants).
I like substituting ingredients - although I'm not sure I can truly call it substituting when I hardly ever follow a recipe to start with! :rotfl:

STOPTOBER Are you participating? Have you any bad habits to curb or a good one to implement or re-instate.
Stoptober in original form n/a. Although I do need to get back into healthier eating and exercise.....

EXERCISE Four times a week at least (20 minutes minimum but can be done 10 minutes at a time). Get outside in daylight as often as possible.
Eek! I really need to do this in order to work towards my goals for the year....

ONE MORE TIME It is never too late for a second chance. Some of us set goals in January. last month thrifty asked us to look at where we wanted to be, why we weren't there and what was going wrong. Now you need to put in the small steps that will lead to your goal. If you have fallen off the path, start again - just because you can't do it all, doesn't mean you can't do any. New starters may like to set some goals for the next 3 months.
Will look out Jan's goals and re-visit. Need to pull up my (very) big girls pants and just do it (ETA: Goals in Jan were: By the end of the year I want to have halved the (non mtge) debt we have and have lost 20lbs - and also get fitter along the way)

CHRISTMAS Sorry we do have to talk about it. If you love it and have been planning and saving all year, enjoy yourself.
But let us think about cutting back.
You still have time to have the 'no present pact' talk (token presents/ children only) or talk your work colleagues or other groups into only giving one card to the whole group with savings possibly going to charity.
I plan on some hm presents and a couple of small re-gifts to help with costs. Most cards and giftwrap bought in sales and I have a huge pile of gift bags to re-use. OH and I are not giving each other presents this Xmas (although will have small presents from the children to open - these are usually things like socks/ chocs/ smellies) - there is nothing we really need and the money would be better off put toward something nice for the kitchen refurb. I have also made just under 4 litres of blackberry liqueur - some of this will be gifted, although I have used up my small stash of pretty bottles on it already, so will keep an eye out for some bargainacious ones if I can. Could also gift some sloe gin

You still have time to make presents but may need to buy materials (may be more time for edible gifts). Involve children in making gifts particularly for grand-parents and teachers. Encourage them to have a toy clear out and pass on any that are no longer wanted to younger family memebrs or charity (or sell to make a few pennies).
My smalls have had clear out and it will be going on fleabay with their bank accounts getting any proceeds.

Finally Don't Be A Martyr For Christmas
If the works annual do is a chore (and an expensive one) opt out. Say you aren't going.
Some people have lovely families and love to gather together. Most of us have the odd awkward relative and some would try the patience of a saint. Don't let others take you for granted and don't feel obliged to welcome all and sundry.
If Christmas is a difficult time for you, take time out if you need it, treat yourself kindly .

I will be declining the 'school mums' Xmas do. I don't think I have another one!
THE Challenge will run from 00.00 on 1st October until 00.00 on 31st October.

ODD - This month's inspiration is going to be slightly off the wall. Looking forward to how many of you can follow where others boldly go

BANNED Takeaways, coffee shops, chippys, pie shops, vending machines, sandwich bars etc. exemption for turtls who budget for this from personal/ social spending or who have nowhere else to meet a friend. Dispensation for support for sick friends.
Social budget above to cover meals out and cinema.

EXTRA INCOME Overtime, surveys, second jobs, craftsales at Christmas fairs (Bunny tales - and tails - always welcome).

No extra hours in Oct, sadly (quiet time in exams) but am hopeful of selling some items I have listed on fleabay. Have toys to list but money is for children so need to find some things of mine to list on there. I also resolve to re-start youg0v and prolific surveys. I do RM surveys and use stamps for fleabay parcels And I will check cashback sites on any purchases which I *do* make in the month.
REPORT in, daily if possible (I know some people have access problems). Sometimes people slink off if they have strayed but you will not feel better until you tell your fellow turtles about it. BE STRONGER THAN YOUR EXCUSES.


Get Ready Checklist
1 Health
Illness is inevitable with the changing seasons. All kinds
of bugs flourish. Stock up on generic medicines now
(natural remedies if preferred). Buy supplements if you
know you need them. Freeze some soup and easy meals for
when you are too ill to bother. Honey? Cordial to take away
the taste of the medicine?
Do you or any member of your family need a flu jab
Paracetamol stocked up on (both tablets and liquid form for smalls) Do need to sort flu jabs. Easy foods already frozen. Need to start taking the supplements we have - I have pulled them out of cupboard and onto kitchen side


2 Travel
If children are walking or cycling to school, can they be seen.
Do you need to put anything in your car (snow shovel, warm
jacket, a torch)
The clocks change at the end of the month and the following
week has the highest incidence of road traffic accidents
I have a wind up torch in my car and a blanket in the boot (and a brolly and wet poncho) DS1 cycles to school but has good lights and a wet jacket with reflective strips. DS2 catches school bus and gets a lift to bus stop (35-40 min walk - no chance I'm letting an 11yo do that with a heavy rucksack and set off before 7am by himself)

3 Home
Put in place any measures to keep your home warm – curtain
linings, draught excluders. - new doors and windows 2 years ago have made a massive difference.
Buy fuel if you need to and have not already done so. - N/A
Buy salt for the path. - supply of salt for driveway and patios kept in garage. Large snow shovel kept in garage. Also have a snow shovel with removable handle which OH will keep in his car if weather is properly bad
We also have snuggly throws in the living room for sitting and watching tv with and microwavable wheat bags for a boost
Have cans of de-icer and antifreeze screenwash for car (and in car)


4 Maintenance Issues
Fix the drip over the front door (note to self- phone the roofer)
Check your morning and evening route for safety
Any timetable changes?
Are your driveway and garden path clear of obstacles.
Do you need more lighting
Need some electrical work done, the new shower sorting and some plastering - pledge to contact tradesmen by 10th Oct to arrange. Have lots of spare bulbs. Plastering is totally kitchen related (apart from a small patch in boxed in RSJ in family room which we would like re-done) so will come from kitchen fund. Electrical work is a combination of kitchen and some general bits which OH has tried but which are complicated (we have some weird wiring(but safe) in this house - my late uncle was a long standing well-qualified electrician and used to raise his eyebrows at some of it)
Need our outside lights changed (one was damaged by a relative's car and no longer works) but will do it in Spring - need a run of dry days to sort out the posts and wiring in the tarmac.

Think about others. Do any elderly relatives or neighbours need
a flu jab or help. Remember to check when the weather turns
nasty.

We regularly check on our neighbors on the one side - one has had a hip and knee op this year and the other had a heart attack. DS1 clears their drive if it snows and we clear off leaves from their drive (most come from our trees!) and we offer to get shopping. DS3 is getting a flu nasal vaccination through school. OH needs to get one at surgery (diabetes) and I will see if I still qualify (asthma but haven't had any massive issues for a few years) If not, I think it's worth paying for one for me, personally.

x

Purplebonnie

I am a newbie and this is my first month on getting a grips on my debts. If I can follow this challenge hopefully it will give a boost to my debt repayments. Thank you

Food Budget : £200
SFD : 15
Stoptober : No spending on eBay
October Goal : Lose 8lbs
Extra Income : £100

crazy_cat_lady

Me please :j
I fell of the radar in September but will get back up and try again for October.

Lauralozzle

mothernerd wrote: »

Lauralozzle when is the wedding (sorry I know I should know but have reached the age when things start to slip away, annoying when I've had the knack of being able to repeat whole conversations verbatim - months or even years after they happened).

It's just that when I got married (in September) I had all my Christmas cards written and all the presents for OH's family + wedding present for his brother and fiance bought and wrapped and made them all take them home with them - must have saved a fortune in postage alone.

I realise it may be too late for you (added stress) but just thought I would mention it.

Mothernerd, that's a good idea. We have purchased some of the decorations ourselves, mainly wooden table lanterns, so anyone who comments approvingly on them might find one as a Christmas present! We are keeping some but any extras will make good presents. I know my mum likes them for starters...

The wedding is 5th November, so bonfire night it's getting close and I'm now paying for everything so the card has taken a battering! I think I'll be happier once everything is paid and sorted and I don't have to think about it anymore!

Sun_Addict

Mothernerd - please can I join again? Only glitch for me will be a week in Lanzarote from 5 October but will be on board before and after. I'll go for 15 SFDs. Like greent's milk it's bananas in our house - I often wonder if Mr SA and DD have secretly set up a franchise of Monkey World in our back garden the amount I buy!

Jellybean88

Hey, please can I join?? I got a new job a few weeks ago, so I've gone from monthly to weekly pay. Which I'm finding easier to manage. I'm in debt, I really need to sort this out.

I've been eating out of the freezer and cupboards and meal planning, I have about 2 weeks worth of freezer food left. After this has been used up I am going to meal plan and only buy what I need for that week.

I'm pretty much sorted for xmas as I buy through the year, just my daughters bike to buy and a few other presents, xmas eve box etc. I have the money put aside for this.

I'm going to try and do as many NSD's as I can, Half term this month, so hopefully do some free/cheap days out.

Thanks for reading looking forward to seeing how much I can achieve this month

Tea&Kittens

Hi, October will be my first full month as a DFW here. I'd really like to join in yours challenge too. I'll be working out detailed budget today/tomorrow, so I'll update when it's complete!
Looking forward to the challenge!