NST Penny Pinching GoSober Stoptober

Chandelier.

Morning,

Room for one more? I've only just come across this thread but better late then never .

Organise: I shall do an inventory of the cupboards/fridge/freezer and see what we have. Through doing this, I should be able to create a rough meal plan of what we already have. I'm going to try skip a big food shop and only buy essentials. I want to run down the contents of our freezers this month, ready for Christmas. It's crazy because we have three freezers!

Regular budget: All my budget is up to date and money split into each category. I allocate funds to seperate accounts at the beginning of each month so I know where I stand and keep an eye on what I spend. All payments towards debt/savings has been made.

No Spend Days: Aiming for 15.

Improvise: I shall improvise on days out over the half term and find things to keep us busy

Exercise:!I must get back into the gym.

Christmas: I have saved money into a seperate account each month to budget for this. I have dwindled down who I'm buying for and set a budget for each person. I'm going to allocate myself a couple of days each month to do my Christmas shopping. I've planned to go on a work xmas so at the beginning of December and will set a budget for this.


Banned!Items: I have been prepared and bought items in bulk such as fizzy drinks or snack bars etc to prevent me buying from vending machines and I'm taking food to work with me. I have an allocated budget for entertainment spends or social activities each month. I do not go over this. If I can't afford it, I won't do it. I try and prioritise/organise /plan ahead things for the month.

Extra Income/Extra time: I won't be doing any over time to gain extra income but I'm going to use my time effectively and try to minimise spends accordingly.

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October is a busy month. We have my sisters wedding this weekend which is obviously a big occasion but I've budgeted for all costs/expenses.

Hopefully life should quieten down after this.

I've already managed to have 3/15 NSDs. Here is to more!

I_Want_to_be_Free

Hello Everyone :wave: Not had a chance to look at everyone's post yet, just wanted to nip on an update you all whilst I had the office to myself :shhh: Today is going well, I am on track for another NSD, I think it's my 5th but I really need to count them up :rotfl: I am off to Liverpool straight from work for my friends meal but this is budgeted for so I'm not counting it. It's not everyday your best friend goes climbing a huge mountain! :eek:

Spent this morning finding and packaging up my returns to Sp0rts D!rect. Should get £76.50 back in a couple of weeks to go off my credit cards.

I also started looking selling my £2 and 50ps which we supposed to be rare. Still no idea yet on the value of them but I'm gonna have a look at the sold prices on ebay and see if they are worth trying to sell or just whack them off my credit card. I think I must have about £100 in coins lying around so it'll make a big difference! Does anyone have any experience of selling any?

It also led me onto looking at how much stamps are worth. My mum has a large collection including Penny Blacks and Penny Reds and other very rare stamps. She took them to a friend of my dads once to see if they were worth anything and he gave them back saying that he wouldn't have enough money to buy them, they are worth a bit apparently. So I got investigating and have found a (probably) well known stamp auctioneer and collectors site and apparently I can send them photos of the pages of stamps we think are rare and they will tell us if they are worth them looking at the collection or not. We might have a pot of gold here :j At the very least if we get a few £100's then it's more towards the house. :T

Anyway, must dash but I hope you're all doing brilliantly and are being super positive! I'm loving this spend freeze challenge but I must admit I'm looking forward to my budgeted takeaway on Friday night :rotfl: Trust me, the meal tonight is WEIRD food! I'm going to ask if they do plain chicken and chips :rotfl: It'll be pretty expensive at over £11 just for chicken and chips but at least I'm likely to eat it! I'm going to order tap water to drink so hopefully it should be under budget and I can squirrel more away of my cards :A

I really want to reply to some people properly but I'm out tonight and I'm out tomorrow night (don't get excited, I'm staying in work to stock take until about 11pm :eek: - also don't get excited as I'm one of the business owners so I don't get overtime :rotfl: ) Also, please don't think I'm loaded cos I'm a business owner, my debt is caused by the business and it hasn't the funds to pay me back yet but we'll get there xxx

I_Want_to_be_Free

Sorry, didn't mean for it to be an essay :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

apple_muncher

Good luck on selling the coins and stamps I want to be free! Hope your business can start paying you properly soon.

Chandelier - congrats to your sister!

greent

A challenge for you - anything you could change to the positive or give up for October? My plan is to re-start bodycoach during Oct, before then I plan on cutting down to one sweet treat/ day maximum :o - .:o:o

Organise. . I'm taking the opportunity to use up those things which have been lurking in the freezer/ cupboard and are now exposed! I've been using up some slightly weird (but quite nice) meat free pieces in wraps with salad for lunches - the pretend meat stuff was free, I wouldn't normally buy it

Regular budget .Running totals Spends: Groceries £113.11. Clothing £47. Looks like we may get a refund for the extra we had to pay after flight issues - fingers crossed!

No Spend Days. Still 3. Went to the Land of Ice and the Bury of Sains today. £30 on food, £12 on clothes, Used triple Nektar points voucher and a £12 MOV - spent 29p over the required spend. Also paid deposit for g-pig boarding when we are away

Improvise. - .

Exercise Four times a week at least Nope - re cold although I do plan on using the garden vac this afternoon - will take around an hour, sort of counts as exercise!

Christmas Will plan this out this month
Still need to sort the stuff out from under my bed...

Banned Takeaways, coffee shops, chippys, etc. - have social budget. Will include a meal out for OH's bday. Running total £10.70

Extra Income Money from sending books to Z1ffit received. Running total £48.98

Report in, here

Thankful for not spending more than necessary earlier, for things on my list being on offer in BuryofSains (I hadn't checked), for finding the item of clothing I was looking for in the correct size, for a good chat with OH, for my mum finally booking an appointment to sort her will(!), for blue skies, for flowering pansies in pretty colours

Kerry_Woman

Challenge – Do more self-care. Still doing my 365 days of self care journal and 365 tiny love challenges. Having a rather chilled out day.
Organise. This I must to. Used what I had in. I am also trying to reduce the amount of toiletries I have this month. At least 3 items already used up. Have decided that some of the items I will not be replacing.
Regular budget Budget done.
No Spend Days NSD achieved today. 9/20.
Exercise Walked my usual lap around the park.
Christmas This is already sorted. Have put money into a savings account each month for the year. Immediate family all get money. Christmas will be a difficult time for me so I will concentrate on self-care. Will decide after 2nd December - my Mum's first anniversary of her death.
Banned - Was alright today.
Extra Income No surveys today.
Report - Reporting in.

lcc86

Evening all, another NSD chalked up here, woo hoo! Not much to report, glad we're past hump day, had a shocking sleep last night with back and ankle pain hope tonight is better.

Gym membership starts tomorrow, can't do as much as I'd like because of my ankle but I can at least do core/upper body. Need to get back at it.

crazy_cat_lady

Another manic day here for me - but just checking in quickly with another nsd. I've also had a payout for one of the cat's pet insurance (first time ever!) and I've put £66.50 into the emergency pot so that's good news.
Other than that - third day in arrow I didn't get any lunch at lunchtime, and have had to bring work home. Roll on half term!

Shrewbie

hi Turtles

Just to report 10 days no drinking and NSD 6/15
Today I am grateful for some lovely students, the rain holding off long enough for me to run from the metro to work, and for one of my best mates managing to get pregnant after she was told by docs she probably wouldn't be able to.

Have a wonderful evening !!

apple_muncher

Today I am gratfeul for being able to go and watch dd's assembly, for a decent day at work, for lovely colleagues, for clear roads, for liddle still having their heather plants in, for a good friend popping round for a natter, for uhu glue, for my knitting, for sorting out my clock (it randomly went back an hour, which could have really messed up tomorrow's alarm!), for being able to do 30 kettlebell swings.