Claw it Back Tenner Week Challenge: Sunday Stocktake

This Sunday Stocktake exercise is designed to get you ready and raring to go before the official start of the ‘Claw It Back!’ Tenner Week Challenge. It’s completely optional, but if you spend a few minutes running through it today then it’ll save you lots of time during the week.

If you want to get a headstart on this particular Tenner Week Challenge, let’s go. It’s broken down into three simple sections:

• A food and drink stocktake
• A ‘keep yourself entertained’ stocktake
• A short ‘Claw it Back’ checklist

Food & drink Sunday Stocktake

This Sunday, have a really good look around for any food and drink you already have. Making the most of it means fewer trips to the shops, and more left in your budget.

Where to look:

• The fridge, including the contents of the fridge door and the salad drawer
• The freezer (may also include unidentified or unlabelled items – try to work out what they are, and how long they’ve been in there)
• Food cupboards and shelves
• Fruit bowls, kitchen baskets and vegetable trolleys
• Bread bin or bread crock
• Biscuit tin or biscuit barrel
• Other worktop canisters: tea, coffee, sugar and more
• Baking box
• Herbs, spices, sauces and condiments
• Stack of soft drinks or beers
• Wine rack
• Drinks cabinet
• Stores in the cupboard under the stairs, garage or shed
• Secret chocolate stash or snack box
• Vouchers for free food or drink (if you don’t have to spend to get the freebie)

It’s helpful to write it down somewhere, and make a note of anything that needs to be used up quickly.

There’s a handy Sunday Stocktake notes section in my free printable Tenner Week spending diary, so sign up below if you’d like to help yourself to one of those.

Get a FREE Tenner Week Spending Diary!

A ‘keep yourself entertained’ stocktake

Next, have a look around your home for a quick ‘keep yourself entertained’ stocktake. What do you already have for entertainment, hobbies, and fitness activities?

This could include books and ebooks, Blu-Rays, records, musical instruments or other equipment, workout clothes, trainers, exercise mats, crosswords, puzzles, art or craft materials, or any downloaded shows, podcasts, TV shows or movies.

Those are just a few ideas to get you started, and I’m sure you can think of plenty more favourites of your own.

Your ‘Claw it Back’ checklist

Finally, it’s time for a quick specific ‘Claw it Back’ stocktake. Since this week is all about cutting your outgoings, all you need to do here is briefly collect together any records of your spending over the last few weeks or months.

That could include:

• bank statements
• credit card statements
• secure money management apps
• alternative payment methods such as PayPal or Apple Pay

If you have any paper bills or statements then tidy them into the correct order, and make sure you can log into any digital apps or files.

Useful links you might like:

• What Claw it Back Week is all about
• The Tenner Week Challenge rules
• 12 Tips for a successful Tenner Week

That’s it for the Sunday Stocktake, see you on Monday for the offical start to the budgeting challenge.

Day One of Claw it Back Tenner Week is Menu Plan Monday – see you there. Leave a message in the comments below if you’re joining in!