My challenge for the next month
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Category: General Chat
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URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22767
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Topic: My challenge for the next month
Posted By: Paws
Subject: My challenge for the next month
Date Posted: 26 November 2008 at 9:45pm
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Well we've had a look at the state of budget and all that bad stuff and hubby and I have set ourselves the ultimate challenge leading up to Christmas....a month of anti-consumerism. We haven't been in great shape since I had to have 7 weeks off work and we really need to sort ourselves out!
We'll only be allowed to pay the bills and essentials and of course any purchases we're already committed too and that is it! So wish us luck! (guessing no one else wants to join the challenge?  )------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Replies:
Posted By: .Mel
Date Posted: 26 November 2008 at 9:49pm
Noooooooooooooooo I'll pass but I'll cheer you on from the side lines  
Good Luck  ------------- Mr Mellow (16) Miss Attitude (8) Destructa Kid (3) 
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Posted By: emz
Date Posted: 26 November 2008 at 9:50pm
So have you done your Christmas shopping or are all friends, families and kids doomed to receive recycled goods this year? 
There's a website with good tips I think... simple savings or something like that. I get weekly tips on how to save money. Good luck - we pretty much do it every week although we get $20 each for spending and buy the odd pack of lollies or block of chocolate. Other than that, we run a pretty tight ship and I don't enjoy it lol I hope the month gets you back on track - and it would be lovely to ring in the New Year without that bit of stress eh? |
Posted By: Paws
Date Posted: 26 November 2008 at 9:58pm
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We've actually got a lot of the shopping done which is good but hubby and I did figure the Christmas presents didn't really come under unnecessary spending anyway, unlike my excessive amounts of cafe coffees. *sigh*
And yes it would be loverly to ring in the New Year not being so stressed about money! ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: caraMel
Date Posted: 26 November 2008 at 10:07pm
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Good luck Gen! And good on you guys, its amazing seeing how much you can cut back when you really commit to it eh?
Hubby and I were talking the other day about all the stuff we thought was essential before we bought our house, what a joke! ------------- Mel, Mummy to E: 6, B: 4 and: 
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Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 26 November 2008 at 10:21pm
I don't really have a choice, there's no room for consumerism in my bank balance atm so I am kind of on enforced anticonsumerism (I kid you not, I am in overdraft til I get paid tomorrow  ).
But I haven't done any Xmas shopping at all yet, that has to wait till next week when himself gets paid. -------------  Maya Grace (28/02/03)
 (02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: marielb
Date Posted: 27 November 2008 at 7:48am
Good luck Paws 
We do this every 3 months and it isn't too hard
I think it saves us a heap of money! We have some very interesting meals with lots of food we find in the back of our cupboards, we swap food from the garden with our neighbours, we don't go many places to save petrol, we do fun things at home with the kids. You will have a blast ------------- Isaac is 6, Ethan is 4, Rico is 2 and Hunter is almost 1! |
Posted By: marielb
Date Posted: 27 November 2008 at 7:50am
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Oh, and I bought most of my Xmas presents for this year at the sales in January - do it every year as that is when I get my Xmas bonus. Its fun to spend and I love opening my present box next month and remembering what I bought ------------- Isaac is 6, Ethan is 4, Rico is 2 and Hunter is almost 1! |
Posted By: Paws
Date Posted: 27 November 2008 at 7:55am
Hehehe yeah I had fun doing that last night and seeing what we had. It was great!! And yeah I'm sure we will have a blast, we have done it before...just not in the silly season lead up to Christmas, still what must be done must be done! And it is always amazing how much you can do without. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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marielb wrote:Posted By: Cassie
Date Posted: 27 November 2008 at 8:25am
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I think we need to do something like this in our household. I might have a hard time convincing hubby tho lol.
I got an email today from a friend right after I read this thread about http://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd - Buy Nothing Day , it must be some kind of sign for me I think. ------------- ~Cassie~   
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Posted By: IVFGirl1111
Date Posted: 27 November 2008 at 8:47am
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Yep pick me!
Were on the tight ship until Christmas - and that is so not like us. But somehow Ive managed to rack up $800 on my credit card in 2 weeks and we didnt even take my card to Australia! So that is going to be gone by Christmas - its my mission. Going to be damn hard but its do able! So yep I will totally join you! ------------- TTC 6 years IVF it is IVF/ICSI round one 10 eggs, 8 mature, 3 fertilised BFN IVF/ICSI #2 = 22 eggs! 20 mature, 15 fertilised, 1 fresh transfer and 2 frosties BFN 2 Frosties still in freezer thank god |
Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 27 November 2008 at 8:49am
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We are doing this as well, due to me only working part time for the last 2 months, we have no money.
Christmas will be home made gifts, preserved lemons from my tree and jam I made last year. Vanilla chai spiced sugar - from the bulk bins. I haven't bought coffee for over a month! ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">   [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: ginger
Date Posted: 27 November 2008 at 9:27am
We're doing this at the moment - we're really having to watch our dollars with the OB bill, and I just got the list of costs for our birth yesterday   Bless, all the costs have not long gone up  With overtime having been cut for about 8-9 months at Air NZ, and the OT ban continuing, as well as the increase in the mortgage once we refixed in March (about $500 a month), we've really come to realise how much money we were wasting/spending unnecessarily.
We even made our own muesli last week as part of tryign to get our grocery bill down (and it's actually nicer than the supermarket stuff, adn more eco-friendly too because there's no packaging to throw away every single week, just the bag for the rolled oats about once a month!).
So, after I've bought my lunch (because I didn't bring any today), I'll be your anti-consumerist buddy!! (Phew that I bought my maternity stuff last night! - it's funny too, there were things I needed, and I have a list of stuff I wanted to stock up on before finishing work, and it's amazing what you can pare back when you need something essential hmm?) ------------- Cuinn Lachlan 23.1.09 - 22:00 Antonia Helene 4.8.11 - 09:41 |
Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 27 November 2008 at 9:30am
| I'll join in too. The only thing I'm allowed to spend money on is taking Daniel to the pool or lollipops and buying DH his christmas present. Nothing else! |
Posted By: weegee
Date Posted: 27 November 2008 at 9:38am
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Yup I'm in too! Any Christmas pressies I haven't already bought will have to be homemade! ------------- 
Mum to JJ, 4 July 2008 & Addie, 28 July 2010 |
Posted By: Red
Date Posted: 27 November 2008 at 9:54am
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Paws, you should make more use of that coffee machine of yours!
I am trying to be good as well, cos business has been a bit quiet the past couple of weeks - hopefully will pick up a bit more before Christmas. I just have to make sure we have things at home to make lunches out of so I don't end up at subway or getting sushi. It is hard at this time of year not only with buying prezzies but also socialising seems to be on the increase as well. Sigh. |
Posted By: Paws
Date Posted: 27 November 2008 at 10:00am
It is getting a good workout at the moment I can tell you!!! ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: ginger
Date Posted: 27 November 2008 at 10:03am
Yay for being too enormous to socialise much over here! I'm hoping that I'll expire looong before DH manages to spend money on drinks at his xmas do! (also, bless Air NZ for not paying for their dinner, or even contributing  ... but then, we have so much fun, I almost forgive them for not mucking up our plans with their own)------------- Cuinn Lachlan 23.1.09 - 22:00 Antonia Helene 4.8.11 - 09:41 |
Posted By: Paws
Date Posted: 27 November 2008 at 12:03pm
So not impressed about that!!! Stupid lack of team Christmas lunches. *sulk* ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: gemsmum
Date Posted: 27 November 2008 at 1:09pm
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LOL. Good luck.
I think I'll need to join you as mat pay stops first week in December (how did that roll around so fast??). I may need to visit family/friends with coffee machines rather than going to Starbucks (hint, hint). MIL has sent us some UK£ so will be using that to buy a zoo pass - guess what a day out in our family will consist of from now on!! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
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Posted By: Red
Date Posted: 27 November 2008 at 5:02pm
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Don't let your brother hear that you have been going to Starbucks! He hates their coffee - frappucinos are an exception of course.
I have got heaps of clothes that don't fit me anymore - so prob should try and sell some of that. |
Posted By: Glow
Date Posted: 28 November 2008 at 3:37pm
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Good on ya Gen
I'll Join the crew of living off an oily rag over xmas Here is a http://www.oilyrag.co.nz/ - site with heaps of helpful hints etc ------------- Mummy of Two Boys B: 2004 K: 2007 |
Posted By: McPloppy
Date Posted: 29 November 2008 at 3:20pm
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Yup...god idea. We have our christmas shopping done so now we only pay bills fuel and rent and a little something extra with our groceries incase we are asked to a bbq then the rest we put on an hp to get it payed off faster. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Paws
Date Posted: 29 November 2008 at 11:08pm
Well you know my little overworked coffee machine is good go anytime.
Of course if we could invade the house of someone with a plumbed in coffee machine that would be even better (hint hint ).
Seriously though...so far so good for me....I've been incredibly proud of us...there have been a few moments of thinking of going and buying something (coffee, lunch etc) but we've stopped ourselves. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: gemsmum
Date Posted: 30 November 2008 at 7:54am
Seeing as I generally only have their iced choc (yummy) I wouldn't know about their coffee - too expensive to coffee out too often now that my mat pay is over anyway!! Ouch. Not too many choices at Westgate for decent coffee, which is probably just as well.
Now that's what I'm talkin' about.....hehe. When does the tightening of the belts start Paws?? D ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Paws
Date Posted: 30 November 2008 at 9:04am
Already started last week...so far so good too for us. We're also finding we're using up the most amazing things from the pantry!!!! ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Red
Date Posted: 30 November 2008 at 10:18am
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You are most welcome to invade our house - just when J is home cos I don't know how to use it! Prob should learn .... |
Posted By: Danaj
Date Posted: 30 November 2008 at 5:34pm
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We decided a few years ago that we wouldn't do Xmas anymore. I bought one $5.00 gift last year for the SS at work but that was it.
I know things will change with Bubs but for now we have told our families not to buy for us because they will not be getting anything from us. They ignored that the first year but have now gotten used to the idea. It's taken a huge amount of pressure off. Did you know the average kiwi spends $900.00 on Xmas gifts per year? ------------- http://www.TickerFactory.com/weight-loss/wyI1oWn/"> 
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Posted By: Paws
Date Posted: 30 November 2008 at 5:48pm
OW!! That is insane!! ohhhhh what I could do with $900 right now. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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