NST December Challenge

A question about : NST December Challenge

NST December Challenge – Festive and Frugal

During this festive and final month of the year, it is time to reflect on how rich we all truly are and how our lives have been enriched in the last 12 months. Our family and friends are our greatest assets, and during this festive period, it is time to take stock and appreciate everyone and everything that we have.
However, it is also time to prepare for the next 12 months and to make sure that Christmas does not leave us with a financial hangover. This month we will focus on what we have achieved, what we want to achieve and how to get there.

Rules for the challenge are below. Please do not repost all the rules in your responses as this will make the thread too long.

Rules of the challenge:

1. The challenge will run from 00:00 on 1st December to 23:59 on 31st December.

2. Set ALL your budgets at the beginning of the month – plan ahead by making a list of any Christmas events, presents, extra travel that you will be doing. Budget accordingly, be frugal but realistic.

3. Pay towards your debt first. No exceptions, just because it’s Christmas, it doesn’t mean your debt isn’t still there. If you are debt free, put aside some money for savings first.

4. Achieve 15 Spend Free Days (SFDs) – if you only purchase yellow sticker items or prescriptions/medication on a day, then it still counts as a SFD. If you have any regular expenses that must be paid on the day (e.g. kids clubs, bus tickets etc) put this money aside at the start of the month and as long as you stick to the budgeted amount, it will not lose you a SFD.

5. Ј5 in donations to your local food bank/homeless charity – perhaps you could donate food to be served at a homeless shelter over the festive period.

6. Plan all your outings for the month now and make sure you have included them in your budget, including travel. Then, resist the temptation to accept those last minute invitations (unless they are free). Think about how each outing/spend impacts on your ability to tackle your debt – I know that a cheap takeaway costs me the same as paying off about 0.1% of my debt and a night on the town can cost that same as paying off 0.5% of my debt. This always helps me turn down events!

7. Take your lunch to work every day – no exceptions.

8. Keep all spending to a minimum – no coffee shops, canteens, vending machines etc.

9. Do a good deed – maybe you have an elderly neighbour that requires help with their Christmas shopping, maybe your local school could do with an extra volunteer at one of their Christmas events – I’m sure you are more imaginative than me, so let us all know what you are planning.

10. Write down 5 achievements that you have accomplished in the last year – these can be any achievements; personal, educational, occupational, financial etc.

Everyone is welcome to join. Just let me know you want to be involved and I will assign you a number, and then let us know your budgets, achievements etc.

Best answers:

• Challengers
  1. Fmess
  2. CEW
  3. Apple muncher
  4. Piggybankshaker
  5. Coffeeandstitches
  6. Thriftylass
  7. Traveller
  8. Stewby
  9. Kaspadoc
  10. Calling14
  11. liltdiddylilt
  12. samiszel
  13. Caeraugirl
  14. LoveaDove
  15. ilovetea
  16. nannygladys
  17. Dottydaisy
  18. Missu
  19. speakingofart
  20. Maria3104
  21. shyspender
  22. sazzlebgood
  23. skintscotlass
  24. allie23
  25. Wanna Bee Free
  26. vintagebrighton
  27. aphidgirl
  28. Bex296
  29. OctoberStarter
  30. applejack07
  31. mothernerd
  32. synonymous
• Hi Fmess
  Thanks for running the December thread. Please count me in and I promise to participate fully this month
  Chez x
• Yes, yes, yes!!!!!!!!!!
  Thank you x
• Hi,
  Can I join you this month please?
• I'm in please
  Thank you all so much for letting me join late last month, looking forward to my first 'proper' full month. Is it sad that I can't wait to sit down with the calculator, tea and excel tonight and rip the month apart to make a budget?
• Oh I'm in. Thank you.
  Should be a challenging month
• Yay! I'm in Thanks for running this months FMESS.
• I followed the November challenge and you guys rock!!
  Count me in for December please
  Kaspadoc
• Sounds great Fmess throw me into the mix x
• Thanks very much for adding me in fmess!!!!!!
  Away to go and figure everything out.
• Me me me me me!!!!!!! I don't care what number, just shove me in anywhere
  And super thanks for the challenge!!! xx
• Thanks for the challenge, Fmess. I'm definitely in again!!!
• Just doing quick catch up on here - please count me in x
• Yaay! Me please! Me please!
• Can I join in again please?ilovetea xx
• Please count me in, it will keep me in check. I've done really well this month but need to keep it up, I have dd2 and family staying with me for 10 days which is lovely, so I need to think very carefully about budgets.
  Nannyg
• Please include me in the challenge. I may not succeed but I will try my best and aim to get it right by the January challenge. I am doing better than before and not just buying for want but need. Will upload on November challenge all my statistics = vital or otherwise! My month is 21st to 19th so a little awkward but nothing to stop me doing two challenges together. Dottty