Bonfires and fireworks - NST November challenge

DebtFreeDuo · 12 November 2017 at 2:20PM

Day 12

A little more time to update today although I haven't been productive on many fronts. I find myself slipping in to not thinking about the little spends again, one NSD was wasted over a £1.40 spend on 2 bars of chocolate where previously I wouldn't have spent because I wouldn't want to ruin an otherwise NSD. Now that my test is out of the way and I don't have any more until January I can keep my focus a little more although I do have a lot of assignments due in now. So up to and including today:

NSD - 7/18 not doing too bad and still within reach
Food - £58.95/£100 also within reach
Exercise - 5/20 I have changed this slightly, will count either cycling or 10k steps as 1
Studying - 7/25 this should start increasing daily now
Clear out - 15/30 thanks to a great start earlier in the month I am still on target for this
Extra income - £58.93/£100 another £20 will be added at some point next week from PA

Christmas is coming along nicely, I am about 2/3s of the way there, I have even wrapped everything that I have bought so far. Double up nectar event should see this completed, I'm actually really excited for this event and I am so thankful that I have been saving up my nectar points for at least a year, maybe two.

I am grateful for the nectar double up event coming up and for beginning November with such a great start that is managing to somehow keep me on target here.

I really need to start making sure I get in the exercise at the beginning of each day, this helps so much with my mental health and I am always so much more positive about things throughout the day.

The other day I put in an order from amazon pantry, because it was my first order I got £5 off and also received free delivery (£2.99) because I ordered 4 things from the list that I needed anyway. That means that I have all my household needs (toilet roll, shampoo, detergent etc) sorted for the next month. I also put in a bottle of alcohol (£11) and a box of chocolates (£6) for presents, total spend £27.49, all of which was paid for with vouchers, I think I got some great value for money there.

laurenh1 · 12 November 2017 at 2:33PM

So i need to retract a spend day:( someone gave hub a tenner they owed him and then he bought a drink with it. So pleased on one hand but disappointed on the other. So still on 5. However Im fairly sure I can get 5 in next week so 16 is still doable.

Infact im going to attempt to stay away from all spending until Friday. & then ill only have a week until payday

finances are looking better for staying out the shops on a daily basis:)

Sun_Addict · 12 November 2017 at 4:51PM

DebtFreeDuo when is the Nectar double up happening? Been saving my points all year for it.

I've been AWOL for a week I'm afraid

NSDs only on 2/12 but have planned some more in for next week, it's just been one of those months.

Organise Not been great on this front. Going to draw a line under this month so far and get back on it.

Value for money I've been shopping around, going through TCB and taking advantage of discount days.

Exercise gym 3 times a week and walking to work every day.

Mental health ok to say I get a lot of stress.

Be Christmas Ready made a good start on this.

Eat well yes - lost another pound at WW

Report

BadBookkeeper · 12 November 2017 at 6:16PM

Day 12 #18 Checking in....
NSD - 6/12 I haven't spent anything today

Organise - Grocery budget still £140.96/£283. Written a to do list for the next week.
Value for money - Nothing here today
Exercise - nope!
Mental Health - Didn't sleep well last night. I'm realising how bad I am with money! I'm OK with monthly bills but alarmed at 12 days in how much I spend on bits & bobs. I've done a list of 'extras' needed between now and end Dec and flabbergasted to say its around £450!!! This is on top of what I estimated. I can cover £390 of it but begrudge also that this is such a chunk of money I could use elsewhere.. Easy to stay in grocery budget if just the weekly shop but the popping out for milk and spending £6 really adds up! At least I'm recognising & it may be that things get worse before they get better with it being Christmas/DS birthday but gearing up to a fresh start come January & limiting the damage as much as I can.
Xmas/DS Birthday - DS has a list of friends to invite to party =45 only 35 allowed but its a start!
Eat Well - Chicken Casserole & Jacket Potatoes cooking as I type

Be Grateful - It was a bright day and a lazy Sunday
Declutter - Eb@y items not sold so will now go in charity bag. Medicine box sorted OOD items will be taken to chemist to dispose of. Kitchen cabinets sorted nothing binned but all tidy.
O/D - £1490.04/£1500

Have a great week turtles

Toni'sfriend · 12 November 2017 at 7:06PM

Having a bit of trouble with local children, Well, when I say local some of them are not quite so local. Started this morning with lets knock the door and run away. Ok up to a point and then it gets really annoying, Escalated into banging on the windows. When I confronted the local children (who are actually lovely and just think it's fun - understandable, didn't we all do it?) it turns out that the later ones are from further away and actually released some dogs from a house nearby (lots of people trying to round them up and get them back inside). Not willing to put up with this because I know what it can lead to. A spate of windows being broken some year's ago. Need to nip it in the bud.

.NSDs-Still on 4/12.

Organise!- I have a list so long it's frightening.

Value for money!- Don't you just love Lidl super weekends?

Exercise!- Quite a long walk - better than nothing

Mental health!-Good

Be Christmas ready!- Got some YS smoked salmon for breakfast on Christmas day and lots of antipasti for over the festive season. Think we've sorted what we're going to have on Christmas Day. It's difficult when there are only two because everything is geared to big family gatherings

Eat well!- Not too bad today

Gratitudes – Lovely walk, warm house and lovely family and friends.

DancingDragons · 12 November 2017 at 7:15PM

Feeling blurg so will keep it short as I want to make it an early night.

Yesterday turned out to be a SFD. Not planned as the birthday treat though budgeted for would require spend. We had some Mr T vouchers but have yet to manage to eat at these places without going over. Yes I know thats their aim. Itallian place messed up both main, drink and dessert order for DD2, didn't have enough staff on either. As a result of my complaint we got our entire meal free, and we get to use our vouchers again another time!

Nothing else to report, still no card, so no shopping! Today is also a NSD.

ilovetea · 12 November 2017 at 7:36PM

Another NSD makes that 9 so far.
Still eating from stores.
Still sorting stuff and putting some on e bay.
Still feeling tired but should get better.

One day I'll have something exciting to post on here :rotfl:

ilovetea xx

apple_muncher · 12 November 2017 at 7:41PM

Today I am grateful for a lovely friend driving me to and from mum's (155 miles each way), for good driving conditions, for being able to bring things home that I just cannot carry when on the trains, for having a jolly time with mum (anyone else remember gonks?), for time with big sis , for getting a lot cleared up at mum's, for finishing some cmas tree decs, for being home in time for our mini bonfire.

DawnW · 12 November 2017 at 8:04PM

Checking in: Day 12/30

NSDs: Still on 7/12. Spend day today as I went to a market in a nearby town this morning, mainly to buy some bits for my business, but also bought a couple of things for own use, including nice tomatoes for £1

Updated food /grocery spends in signature to take account of this.

Organise: Wrapped 4 ebay parcels ready to post tomorrow. Cleaned and put away new business stock. Cleaned bathroom floor, hoovered bedroom, landing and lower flight of stairs

Decluttering: Nothing here today

Value for money - Lots of nice tomatoes for £1

Exercise - Walked dog x 2, plus walking round the market, not great, but all I had time for.

Mental health - Good considering poor sleep as OH isn't well. Did me good to get out to the market on my own this morning, a bit of time for myself!

Be Christmas ready - Nothing here today

Eat well - Not bad, all home made food, porridge and fruit for breakfast, a cheese and salad sandwich for lunch and I cooked a roast chicken with lots of veg tonight. There will be enough cooked chicken for several more meals

Gratitudes - Grateful to get out of the house on my own for a couple of hours, a bright day, if cold, and the beautiful, though damaged antique majolica jug I bought at the market for only £2 - I won't be selling that one on!

greent · 12 November 2017 at 8:12PM

Clear Out - couple of random items (old bits from f/freezer) kept to ebay but not really in good enough condition, so binned

NSDs - 2 - not one yesterday or today - have been online Xmas shopping and some other bits n pieces (eg: hay for g-pigs)

Organise - set your budgets now, pay to your debt/savings first
Food - £172.37/ £400
Fuel (me) - £54.45/ £65
Social - £122.79/ £150 - OH and DS2 watched rugby yesterday and this includes drinks and food spend there (just under £10)
Toiletries - £2/ £10
Clothes - £84.48/£100
Gifts - £218.85 - bought lots of presents today/ yesterday (this amount is gross, so includes the full value of amazon vouchers used, even if I got them free/ at a discount)

Value for money - used amazon vouchers gained free from cashback where I could. Bought a top up amazon voucher for £25 and received £5 voucher free. Also bought a £25 voucher @ % discount through perkb0x. Used cashback site for order from G@me and collected my reward points (split order so I can use the reward points on the other bit next week) Checked prices elsewhere first to make sure I was getting them at best price

Exercise -

Mental health -more sleep than usual is helping here, as it's helping physical well-being. Getting some Xmas stuff sorted also helping.

Be Christmas ready - Lists done on laptop. Can now start to fill in gaps and know exactly what is still to be bought

Eat well - Yes

Veggie curry using up odds and ends for dinner

Report/ Gratitudes -
* vouchers, discount codes, reward schemes - all helpful in reducing spends
* my boys doing Remembrance activities this weekend (poppy selling/ church parades/ cathedral service) - proud mum

* a dry day today for all the parading!

Bonfires and fireworks - NST November challenge

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