NST October ORGANISE OCTOBER

DancingDragons

Today's fuel spend will take me over budget by 20.
Food budget is over by 20 now thanks to tonight.
Exercise, managed to get to the gym on Sunday along with the rest of the town!
Got lots planned for the evening, but to keep costs down we've packed a picnic and soup as it might be cold where we're going. The kids don't know yet.
Drained, but positive, I think I'm collecting lurgies and also managed to pull my shoulder.
Tomorrow is a new month, a blank sheet and a fresh start.

Toni'sfriend

Will be a NSD today as I'm not going out so my total for October is 14/12.
I can't believe it's the end of the month already. So confession time.
I have done masses of decluttering. Most of it has been imposed on me but nevertheless it has been done. Unfortunately it's highlighted just how much more needs to be done.
Since we came back from holiday we have eaten almost exclusively from the freezer. Still lots in there so this will continue next month. Consequently lots left over in the food budget.
Did a bit of organising for Christmas and winter but have abandoned the ramainder until I come back from Amsterdam.
Tried to be kind - haven't always succeeded.
Exercise - least said the better
Weight loss - avoiding the scales!
Best thing of the month - discovering eating frogs. My motto is now eat a frog a day.
Thank you for all the quotes and inspiration, Mothernerd .
See you all in November

dizzyblnd

Happy Halloween turtles. Saturday and Sunday were nsds so I think I managed 15/15 which was my aim. Not much money saving planned today. I need petrol.

thriftylass

Thank you Mothernerd for running the thread and the daily inspirations.

Not done too badly on NSD and spend front especially considering it was half term. But will do better next month despite the fact that I will have to start shopping for Christmas.

f0xh0les

Thank you for keeping me on the straight and narrow this month all the NSTs and MotherNerd. It is much easier as a group effort.

Food budget came in at £10.10 per person per week - as there are 6 of us it is easier with buying in bulk and YS and using the freezer wisely. Quite happy with that but honestly feel I could do better. It is the lunchbox tat I have to address - soya yogurts x 4, five days a week, muesli bars, etc.

Frogs have been eaten, there are many jobs which have been done this month that had been put off, and I honestly don't know why I did not do them before. The two coat racks I made and put on the wall have got rid of a messy hallway and the top of the stairs that had become a dumping ground. All now much tidier and look great.
The plasterers are racked and stacked ready to come and quote, Don't hold out any hope the guy yesterday will actually quote - he was going to go away and think about the cost and email me (pouf! vanished! no email - quelle surprise!!) but I would rather he disappeared now than half way through the job. Small blessings.

Curtains shortened and are looking fabulous. Double glazing is still brilliant .

Bookcase made for DS3s room out of bits, things, and tat left over. Much tidier now.
Three metal shelving units taken down and stored in the shed, a few boxes cleared of tat, some thrown, some to charity, some to be made into something else (projects!). You can now walk into every room and easily move about the place.

Four blinds bought and two put up. They look great. Really pleased.

We manged the month with only hitting the '1 hour heating' button 5 times. Tomorrow morning I will set it to come on half an hour before the kids get up and for in the evening when DH gets home. The smalls have fluffy blankets ready for snuggling on the sofa (MR A special buy) Nice PJs on the list for next month.

Finished the month with £30 left in the budget, it is only £30 but still, I have £30 left. Yay!!

Bought a £1 2018 page a day diary from 'that cheap card shop on every high street' factory as the kids are throwing dates at me for school stuff for next year already. How organised is that????

Thanks again Mothernerd xxx

moneysavingfamilycomp

hi all back with head held in shame with school hols and blackpool trip i'd gone off the rails iv now checked my bank statement so I can update totals and repremanded myself with 'will do better next month' I have to say though I have done better than I would of had I not joined you all. heres to november

Food: 240.68 / 200
diesel: 30 / 50
school: 34 / 20
beauty: 0 / 25
clothing: 44 / 30
NSD: 10 / 15

bought a few extra christmas presents with my park voucher in m & s 3 for 2 then sparks card had 20% off so got that on top happy with that.

still plodding along with brochures but not a great time to get new customers as usually there is lots of OOS should make about 100 again this week though to come off debt.

Heating is still mainly off just putting it on for an hour before little ones go to bed but its now a choice between using dryer or putting heating on and using radiators to dry clothes. looking forward to joining you all in november :T

DebtFreeDuo

Day 31

NSDs: 17/15
Exercise: Cycled - 3/12
10k steps - 9/22
Food Budget: 136.48/100
Extra Income: 110.51/150 - I have £17.70 in PA (cash out at £20) and almost £5 in SB.
Study min 1 hour per day: 5/12
Frog: No frogs today but have added decluttering to my November goals

Thank you mothernerd, I have enjoyed this challenge and have loved your daily inspiration, I am feeling ready for November!

greent

Thank you, mothernerd, for this month's challenge :T

Am wrapping up now as I can't see any need to spend today. Most of today spent cleaning/ washing/ drying/ ironing after a vomiting DS2 last night


Organise/ Cook from Scratch/ Use things up - Food Stocks are reducing overall, and will continue to run down gradually. Toiletries are definitely being used up - any spends in last 2 months have been for DD (uni)

Pay your debts/ savings - Money has been transferred to kitchen fund throughout month, although a large deposit payment has been paid out. £250 to car account. £426 extra paid to mtge.

Budgets
* Food - 293.82/ 325 (stretch 290) - Almost achieved stretch - and did spend £8 on stocking up on teabags which were on offer
* Fuel 60/60
* Clothes 40.47/75 - mainly joggers for smalls!
* Gifts 103.67/150 - some Xmas, some OH's bday, 2 x bday presents for DS3's friends
* Toiletries 7.75/10 - mainly for DD - £2 for our household
* Social 180.97/200 (stretch 150) - within budget

NSD - 11/12 - but budgets all ok, so am happy with that

Improvise -

Exercise
* Week 1 - 3/4
* Week 2 - 3/4
* Week 3 - 0/4
* Week 4 - 3/4

Jan Goals - "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"
Debt at start of year more than halved.
Weight/ fitness = 2/20lb (will weigh on Weds after month end)

Extra income - some flebay items sold. Some surveys done. 2 hours of paid training at work

Christmas - some presents bought - not many

Get Ready Checklist
1 - Health -vitamins 13/31
4 - Maintenance - kitchen deposit paid/ fit date fixed
Plumbing/ bathroom - Kitchen designer is meant to be emailing me a possible one
Electrician - still to do
Plasterer - messaged him - need to send pics

Now onto November!

Kerry_Woman

Day 31
Many thank to mothernerd for doing this month's challenge.
NSD achieved 24/20
Took my lunch into work and read my book.
Walked 20 minutes.
Used up food etc already in.
Grateful for:
What I have achieved this month.
Making good bus connections to and from work.
Doing this challenge.

mothernerd

Just come home - stayed to watch the bake off final. I have taken my tools to mum's to do some diy jobs but today was working outside. Moved all the chimney pots and assorted planters onto the flagging and cleaned most of the grey composite flooring between the flagging and the side fence. Even went back out after it had rained - not ideal conditions but the cleaning stuff should continue to work over the next few days unless it buckets down (will then get diluted/ washed away).

I carefully moved the worms to a safe distance before I started. Mum came outside but I sent her back in. I had stopped to rest on a chair between batches of pots. I looked over and she was leaning against the fence and holding onto a tree. Bins put out at both houses and more Christmas present sewing done.

Thank you so much to everyone who has taken part or followed along this month.

Today I am grateful for food from the freezer (taken out at weekend and forgot to eat it, that I am relatively well (mum says my brother is struggling a lot more than me and he's 4 years younger - mind you he has broken various bits of himself over the years including his pelvis, an ankle and a wrist as well as being run over by a motorbike when he was a child) and for a good chat with mum's cousin (she used to be 'minded' by mum when she was a toddler so knows the truth when others say how calm and placid mum is - she go locked in the coal shed by mum).