JANUARY MONEY CHALLENGE!

[Ann H]

Hi
I'm not in debt but I am trying to save to buy a car. My biggest down fall seems to be little things that add up, like buying lunch instead of taking it in to work and buying cups of tea.
When I feel low or I'm having a bad day I just want a bar of chocolate and a more interesting lunch than the one I have brought with me!! Or going into a shop to buy one thing and ending up spending £15-£20 or more. Mainly I think my downfall is being disorganised and not planning properly. Any tips?

 

[Happy Holidays]

Without wanting to state the obvious take lunch to work & put the money saved in a tin/jar. There are loads of lunch ideas on here. That saving won't buy you a car but it all helps.

 

[sparty]

And also make sure you have some 'emergency' bits in your desk drawer - like a mugshot or pack of Ainsley Harriet couscous. I always have a cereal bar or two as well for a sweet fix for low syns if I need one. I also buy little choc bars as treats for around 5 syns so you could leave some of those at work if you are disciplined enough not to eat them all at once. Got some blue ribband at the moment. Why not take some nice tea into work and make your own cups there?! I have normal tea, Assam tea and green tea at work which stops me wasting money buying them.

Lunches don't need to be boring though either - I tend to mostly take leftover dinners from the night before to reheat or home made soups. I made the kedgeree recipe from the SW magazine last night so that is my lunch today with some fruit and some low syn crisps. I always make syn free or low syn dinners so that I can use syns elsewhere so this is perfect for me to make sure I am not always having salad or a sandwich and getting bored.

 

[pixie-gem]

Hi
I'm not in debt but I am trying to save to buy a car. My biggest down fall seems to be little things that add up, like buying lunch instead of taking it in to work and buying cups of tea.
When I feel low or I'm having a bad day I just want a bar of chocolate and a more interesting lunch than the one I have brought with me!! Or going into a shop to buy one thing and ending up spending £15-£20 or more. Mainly I think my downfall is being disorganised and not planning properly. Any tips?

I do the going into the shop for one thing and spending a fortune, I haven't figured a way round it yet (other than sending hubby in instead lol) what about doing your shopping online? I find I get side tracked in the real shop because I have little willpower and therefore tend to miss the sections that have bread/cake/chocolate/cheese because these are the things I struggle to not munch my way through if they are at home, but as a consequence I end up needing bits throughout the week.
as far as work and lunches, HH and Sparty have great ideas x

on another note my mum is giving me her bread maker so I will be able to make some yummy, rubbish free, fresh bread and rolls....not sure how great it will be for my waistline but saved me lots of pennies so yay to that

 

[sparty]

Martin's money tips email was pretty good today -it has some tips on how to reduce your bills and cut down how much you spend on shopping! Well worth a read.

I got a message this morning from the butchers I helped out at over xmas asking if I would be interested in a Saturday job share - meaning I would work one Saturday in three. I work full time so a 'proper' Saturday job would be too much to keep up with but one in three is doable for me. It will be £50 every three weeks plus I get great discount on really good quality meat so win win I think!

I will have to have a think what I do with the money - My initial instinct is to save it for holiday BUT I have committed to paying off as many debts as I can this year so sensibly I guess I should put it towards that.

1. Pay credit card
2. Save for holiday
3. Save for bucket list activities
4. Pay overdraft
5. Alternate between them

Cast your votes now please

 

[pixie-gem]

Martin's money tips email was pretty good today -it has some tips on how to reduce your bills and cut down how much you spend on shopping! Well worth a read.

I got a message this morning from the butchers I helped out at over xmas asking if I would be interested in a Saturday job share - meaning I would work one Saturday in three. I work full time so a 'proper' Saturday job would be too much to keep up with but one in three is doable for me. It will be £50 every three weeks plus I get great discount on really good quality meat so win win I think!

I will have to have a think what I do with the money - My initial instinct is to save it for holiday BUT I have committed to paying off as many debts as I can this year so sensibly I guess I should put it towards that.

1. Pay credit card
2. Save for holiday
3. Save for bucket list activities
4. Pay overdraft
5. Alternate between them

Cast your votes now please

i would be inclined to use it for both holidays and bucket list, but this is purely because you spend so much of your wages on debt and also half of the money bf gives you as well for that, and I've learnt from experience you burn out, you just put so much into it (which is admirable don't get me wrong) but you also only get one life, and you deserve to live it and enjoy it x

 

[*Emsie*]

Martin's money tips email was pretty good today -it has some tips on how to reduce your bills and cut down how much you spend on shopping! Well worth a read.

I got a message this morning from the butchers I helped out at over xmas asking if I would be interested in a Saturday job share - meaning I would work one Saturday in three. I work full time so a 'proper' Saturday job would be too much to keep up with but one in three is doable for me. It will be £50 every three weeks plus I get great discount on really good quality meat so win win I think!

I will have to have a think what I do with the money - My initial instinct is to save it for holiday BUT I have committed to paying off as many debts as I can this year so sensibly I guess I should put it towards that.

1. Pay credit card
2. Save for holiday
3. Save for bucket list activities
4. Pay overdraft
5. Alternate between them

Cast your votes now please

i would be inclined to use it for both holidays and bucket list, but this is purely because you spend so much of your wages on debt and also half of the money bf gives you as well for that, and I've learnt from experience you burn out, you just put so much into it (which is admirable don't get me wrong) but you also only get one life, and you deserve to live it and enjoy it x

I think that's a good suggestion x

 

[*Emsie*]

I realised today I haven't spent any money this week apart from stuff budgeted for out the bank and milk, bananas and Apple's, I haven't actually opened my purse! Chuffed and think will put some extra money in my tin

 

[Happy Holidays]

Martin's money tips email was pretty good today -it has some tips on how to reduce your bills and cut down how much you spend on shopping! Well worth a read.

I got a message this morning from the butchers I helped out at over xmas asking if I would be interested in a Saturday job share - meaning I would work one Saturday in three. I work full time so a 'proper' Saturday job would be too much to keep up with but one in three is doable for me. It will be £50 every three weeks plus I get great discount on really good quality meat so win win I think!

I will have to have a think what I do with the money - My initial instinct is to save it for holiday BUT I have committed to paying off as many debts as I can this year so sensibly I guess I should put it towards that.

1. Pay credit card
2. Save for holiday
3. Save for bucket list activities
4. Pay overdraft
5. Alternate between them

Cast your votes now please

My vote

Pay overdraft
pay credit card (transfer to 0%) so you can then
save for holiday at the same time
and combine bucket list with holidays where possible.

 

[Happy Holidays]

I realised today I haven't spent any money this week apart from stuff budgeted for out the bank and milk, bananas and Apple's, I haven't actually opened my purse! Chuffed and think will put some extra money in my tin

My boss is helping me not spend money so far this month

 

[*Emsie*]

My boss is helping me not spend money so far this month

Not good!

 

[flabtofit]

Well, sold a few bits on Ebay and made £131! Thats gone straight off the credit card


Sent from my SM-T210 using MiniMins.com mobile app

 

[Happy Holidays]

Not good!

No it's not, it has taken it's toll today, hopefully it will all be sorted tomorrow, but then again, I have been saying that since last Friday!

Well, sold a few bits on Ebay and made £131! Thats gone straight off the credit card


Sent from my SM-T210 using MiniMins.com mobile app

Oh how exciting, brill

 

[Rosielea]

On my way home I pass green grocers and they had reduced loads of stuff. Got following for #2

17 bananas
4 punets raspberries
4 punets of strawberries
large melon
small pineapple

Kept some in the fridge and then the rest went in the freezer.

 

[GrannieAnnie]

Personally, I`ve never been happier since I got rid of my credit card.
Had to stop the "live now and pay later" cycle!

Well done Rosilea on the reductions at the greengrocers!!
Hope they were a good bargain!!

Haven`t been out for three days in a bid to save money and am going stir crazy!!
I care for my disabled hubby so can`t work.
Limited income difficult at the moment!!

 

[sparty]

Well done rosielea and f2f!! Everyone seems pretty focused at the moment.

I can't imagine how it will feel to have paid it all off grannieanne. Must be amazing I'm feeling pretty determined this year that I will pay it off in full and have done some calculations and it is doable if I can stay focused. I have got the barnacle down before but never actually paid it off in full.

I've got my eye on a possible promotion opportunity at work as well and if it comes through I will be able to put more into paying it off so I can do it quicker! Won't know if that will come through for a month or so but fingers crossed.

 

[GrannieAnnie]

Well done rosielea and f2f!! Everyone seems pretty focused at the moment.

I can't imagine how it will feel to have paid it all off grannieanne. Must be amazing I'm feeling pretty determined this year that I will pay it off in full and have done some calculations and it is doable if I can stay focused. I have got the barnacle down before but never actually paid it off in full.

I've got my eye on a possible promotion opportunity at work as well and if it comes through I will be able to put more into paying it off so I can do it quicker! Won't know if that will come through for a month or so but fingers crossed.

A few years ago I was up to my ears in debt, not a fun place to be. All debts apart from one are paid off now. Like you, I`m planning to have it paid off this year. If I keep my nose to the grindstone there`s no reason why it shouldn`t be paid this year!!

As more debts were paid and I had more disposable income I started to feel better and better.
Hope you get your promotion!! It will def make your life easier!!

 

[sparty]

As more debts were paid and I had more disposable income I started to feel better and better. Hope you get your promotion!! It will def make your life easier!!

I see what you mean about disposable income once your debts start to go down. I'm hoping to throw as much at it as I can the first few months of the year so that I see a difference as quickly as possible.

That said it's not easy especially when those around you are going out and enjoying themselves. I'm hoping to combat this by arranging lots of girls nights in so that I don't feel I'm missing out on social events. And if I do go out, my plan is to alternate between drinking and driving to minimise wasted money on booze.

How are others getting on with debt management planning? And change jars?

 

[Happy Holidays]

I'm doing exactly what I said I would, no unnecessary money being spent, my boss is helping me out with this by not paying the wages (long story)!!!

I do need to get my brother a birthday pressie & that's it apart from the things I'd normally buy.

I'm not doing the jars as we already have a tin for 'leftover' money. I've also found out I can add a saving account to my online bank & change the name of the account, so I'm going to open two, one for birthdays, car, Christmas & the other for any leftover money which can go towards our trans Siberian holiday, I realise this holiday will be in a few years, but I'm happy with that, it will happen.

 

[sparty]

Sounds like a really smart plan HH!

I have been thinking about holidays a lot over the last few months as bf wont help me pick where to go (grr). I think that once I have my debt paid off (hopefully by the end of the year) then I will continue to put money aside here and there (and let's be honest - If I have no debts then I gain lots of 'spare' cash that I would usually spend on paying them off!!) for future holidays so it isn't always such a struggle when we decide we want to go away!