May Penny Pincher Challenge
dreamtruce
Posts: 101 Forumite
Creating your list
- Choose 10 every day tasks that you can do each day - Worth 1 pt each
- Choose 3 Monthly tasks to do in the month - worth 5 pt each
- Choose 2 Self care / personal development goals - worth 5 pt each
You can earn an extra 5pts for trying every task once
Rules & Guidance
- Keep count of how many times you do the tasks during the month
There isn't a limit to how many times you can do the task
but at least aim to do each item at least once! - You are more than welcome to include other challenges here
- You may choose the same tasks each month but please try one new way each month, just to help you avoid being stuck in a rut!
- Post your progress regularly & share other ways that you've found to save money and we can add it to the list
- Join in with weekly chats and challenges (some may not be focused around saving money!)
- Try your best and there is no "failures" as there is always next month to try again.
This is not a race either. - *new* You may change your lists as needed
To Join
Post your 15 tasks from the list below & act on them throughout the month.
You will get given a number and the members list will be posted below.
Be sure to keep us updated with your progress so we can add your points
Useful templates
Penny Pincher monthly task chart
Penny Pincher Master Task List
* due to change these a little soon! *
Home Deposit: £100.61|BULSFund: £50.00|EmergencyFund: £89.76 | Retirement: 5.21| Xmas 17:£10.00 |July NSD:1 / 15
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Comments
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Hi dreamtruce
Thanks for posting this early so I've got some time to think about the things I can do for the challenge in May
Wishing you all a great day!Saved Nitty Gritty £7440.75 [149%] / £5000-[Sep] £58.44:starmod: for the 'Save 12k in 2017' #157
2017 Womble #35 £3463.27 Sept NSDs 4/15:staradminCCCChl 9/12 months:DSept PPChl#002 Pts 710 -
members list
001 - Dreamtruce
002 - Jo Blogs
003 - Purplemumof2
004 - ceb1995
005 - JelllibeanzHome Deposit: £100.61|BULSFund: £50.00|EmergencyFund: £89.76 | Retirement: 5.21| Xmas 17:£10.00 |July NSD:1 / 150 -
Ways to save
- Keep a change jar
- Set up an auto-payment to put money in your saving(s) account
- Give yourself an amount each week/Month to spend on yourself.
- Get / find cheaper insurance
- Create a budget for each month
- Keep an expense log
- Pay off your debts first
- Pay with cash only / use envelope system
- Have a monthly goal of a certain amount of No Spend Days
- Have nights in / a set amount of nights in each week/month
- Buy own brands or cheaper items
- Take your meals to work
- Buy lunch items in bulk from the poundshop or on sale
- Take your own water bottle
- Keep yourself a holding pot for change that you may need in the week or month
- top up store cards such as starbucks/boots/asda with £10-£20 monthly
- Use loyalty cards or loyalty apps always - Keep receipts for those times that you forget to bring them so you can get them added next time
- Limit take-outs and fast food chains
- Walk/bike/carpool to work or buy cheaper tickets
- Don’t buy branded clothes or only buy branded and non-branded clothes in sales
- Go on a clothes shopping freeze monthly/for a certain amount of time
- Find cheaper or free ways to listen to music or watch films
- Use voucher codes
- Stop ordering coffee from coffee shops / coffee machines
- Attend free events in the city
- ONLY use free-to-use ATMs
- Make a shopping list & stick to it!
- Reuse your shopping bags
- Cancel memberships that you don’t use
- Check best before dates on things like bread & milk and get a longer date
- Buy beauty products on deals or in discount stores like Primark
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle & take care of yourself
- Don’t get paracetamol or ibuprofen from the NHS
- Check your bank account(s) regularly
- Sell unwanted items
- Do any overtime that you can
- Find cheaper or free hobbies
- Find a hobby that you can earn from
- Only go “luxury” shopping when you have 5+ items on your list or buy everything you need in one trip so you don’t have to make multiple trips to get 1-2 things.
- Get cheaper Water/gas/electricity/phone/internet bills
- Swap / borrow / Say yes to items from family & friends
- If there’s an item you want, put it on a list then after 30 days, get it if you still want it
- Move to a different bank that offers more for you
- Repair things if you can or buy second hand
- Only buy computer games / DVDs with replay value
- Quit an expensive bad habit such as drinking a lot or smoking etc.
- Make extra dinner for the next day
- Turn off things you don’t need on such as lights, computers and plug sockets when not in use
- Switch to energy saving lightbulbs / lightbulbs that lasts a long time
- Layer up in winter or use windows to cool down / Have a programmable thermostat
- Use price comparison sites
- Holiday shop/Gift buy in the sales
- Create a visual reminder of your goals or debt snowball
- Use work benefits
- Do regular maintenance & cleaning on appliances and tech
- Make bills & important payments online and on time!
- Internet shop
- Organise a finance ‘day’ or hour to check through all financials and to do tasks such as couponing etc.
- Meal plan
- Have a minimal wardrobe or a few items for each occasion
- Leave your card at home for a certain amount of days each month
- Don’t sign up to gyms. Watch Youtube for home exercises or utilize green areas & streets
- Limit microwave meals and sweets
- Wash clothes less - rewear clothing that isn’t dirt or smells & air dry when you can
- Eat less meat
- Create an inventory list of what’s in the freezer, move stuff that has to be eaten first at the front of the freezer and things with longer dates at the back & cross off as & when you use them
- Find a easy side job / side hustle
- Stay in the loop with news about financial things; New currency, House prices, Bill costs shifting etc.
- Check your pay & taxes
- Grow your own veg & herbs
- Only order tap water at restaurants or buy refillable soft drinks if there is the option
- Check for whoopsies first when shopping but only get things you need or what’s on your list
- Buy multipacks of household items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste,wet wipes etc.
- Sign up for freebies
- Set up an emergency fund and or keep an emergency stash of money,
- If you don’t use it in that month, put it in savings/piggy bank
- Check emails for offers/vouchers/discounts & purge unneeded emails
- Sign up for cash back sites but only use when needed & check offers/vouchers
- Use sites like swagbucks/click sense to boost money
- Stick to reliable , fuel efficient car
- Go pre-paid NHS
- Do your own nails & hair or find a friend/family member to do so for you
- Cancel the cable TV or Satellite channels you don’t watch
new - Use charity shop donations bags as bin bags
- Empty purses of change at the end of each week, keep bank coin bags and when they are filled, take them to be cashed in or when your pot is full/ after 3-6 months etc..
- Use boiled water from the kettle to use for washing up
- Use food up by the USE BY date and not best before date
- Have a free or cheap date night
- Use sites like gumtree, ebay for second hand things
- Use apps to make free calls, picture messages and text such as skype, whatsapp
- Make the most out of apps that gives you free stuff - freeprints enables you to 45 6x4” prints, Amazon for free kindle books
- Download an app to create a budget, each morning & evening look at it and add expenses or just check if you’re in budget or not
- If you want to have a nice evening out or a day trip ect… use voucher sites or discount code sites
- Buy presents in the sale or use cheap / clearence sites like everything5pounds.com or only look in the £0-£10 sections during online shopping websites such as boohoo.com. You can use the filters usually to select your prefered price range.
Challenges to save money- Save all £5/£10 notes / £2 coins
- 52 week saving challenge
- £100.00 Spending diet - Only have this amount for you each month
- Sealed pot
- No Spend Month
- 1% challenge (save percentages in savings account)
- 5% challenge (save percentages in savings account)
- 10% challenge (save percentages in savings account)
- put £1/£2/ in your savings for how ever amount of times you've done the tasks from this challenge
- £100 summer / winter / christmas / school holidays challenge - found on instagram
- Envelope challenge
- 1p saving challenge
- Bi-weekly saving challenge
- Monthly saving challenge
- Transfer a small amount of money to savings for 1,000 steps, Jog a mile,
- £10 weekly savings
Home Deposit: £100.61|BULSFund: £50.00|EmergencyFund: £89.76 | Retirement: 5.21| Xmas 17:£10.00 |July NSD:1 / 150 - Keep a change jar
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Found you again! I'd like to join for May please.
Thanks
Pmo2
x0 -
Decided to keep my list the same(ish) for this month, although I might change it from time to time
2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 16, 21, 23 ,27, 28, 35, 36, 39, and 42Saved Nitty Gritty £7440.75 [149%] / £5000-[Sep] £58.44:starmod: for the 'Save 12k in 2017' #157
2017 Womble #35 £3463.27 Sept NSDs 4/15:staradminCCCChl 9/12 months:DSept PPChl#002 Pts 710 -
Thats cool, Jo Blogs!
Change as you need to, I probably will. Depends on how this month goes...
first month in the new place.
I add ways to save money - I reworded some tasks and added challenges to help others.Home Deposit: £100.61|BULSFund: £50.00|EmergencyFund: £89.76 | Retirement: 5.21| Xmas 17:£10.00 |July NSD:1 / 150 -
Thanks for the updated list of tasks & ideas dreamtruceSaved Nitty Gritty £7440.75 [149%] / £5000-[Sep] £58.44:starmod: for the 'Save 12k in 2017' #157
2017 Womble #35 £3463.27 Sept NSDs 4/15:staradminCCCChl 9/12 months:DSept PPChl#002 Pts 710 -
No problem , should be a bit clearer hehe.
Here's my list for May!
I'm using the Habitbull app to keep in check but I can't add the tasks until Monday as it starts from the day you create the goals.
Is anyone else using an app to track? how do you track your goals?
Monthly Task:
1. New Aim for 15 NSDs
2. Create a visual reminder of your goals
3. Do regular maintenance & cleaning on appliances and tech
Everyday tasks:
1.Make a shopping list & stick to it!
2.Check your bank account(s) regularly / Each Day
3.Turn off things you don’t need or don’t need to have
4.Organise a finance ‘day’ or hour to check through all financials and to do tasks such as couponing etc.
5.Leave your card at home for a certain amount of days each month
6.Create an inventory list of what’s in the freezer, move stuff that has to be eaten first at the front of the freezer and things with longer dates at the back & cross off as & when you use them
7. Quit an expensive bad habit such as drinking a lot or smoking etc. / Stop buying sweets & coffee out
8. Reuse your shopping bags
9. Use loyalty cards or loyalty apps always - Keep receipts for those times that you forget to bring them so you can get them added next time
10. Buy lunch items & Home items in bulk from the poundshop or on sale
Self care & personal development goals
1.Have a self-date to make time for what i want to do or to destress/spa day
2.Create a to do list and stick to it as best as i can to stay organised
Ontop of this, I will be do a £10 a week challenge, if i can afford it.
I will be putting the £10 into my emergency fund.
There's so many challenges I'd like to do,
just can't do them all at onceHome Deposit: £100.61|BULSFund: £50.00|EmergencyFund: £89.76 | Retirement: 5.21| Xmas 17:£10.00 |July NSD:1 / 150 -
Bumping as It's almost may!
Come join us & have a chin wag
What are your plans for May Bank Holiday?Home Deposit: £100.61|BULSFund: £50.00|EmergencyFund: £89.76 | Retirement: 5.21| Xmas 17:£10.00 |July NSD:1 / 150 -
Mind if I join you all? I like to think i m reasonably savvy but my little spends have been adding up since I started working full time and got slightly less accountable to myself (and got a honeymoon to pay for which unfortunately has ended up £150 over budget so far because i didnt buy travel insurance and eurostar have cancelled the trains for that days so want to try to claw that back over the next couple of months) .
I think i'd like to go for 3,5,9,12,14,18,21,23,24,27,28,30 ,42,47,48.0
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