Our brand new ‘Back to School’ Tenner Week Challenge starts tomorrow morning (scroll down for the full schedule), and today’s your chance to get ahead of yourself with an optional Sunday Stocktake exercise. This only takes a few minutes, but it can save you all kinds of time and hassle, and it can also be a source of inspiration.

One of the best things about Tenner Week is that it’s a chance to prevent waste, and it’s a reminder to think about all your available resources and make the most of them.

Let’s start by looking at food and drink, as these can make or break your budget. What do you have in stock? Check the following:

Fridge
Cupboards
Freezer
Other food stores (larder, shed, under the stairs etc)
Worktop canisters
Biscuit barrel
Bread bin
Cake tin
Fruit bowl
Veg basket or trolley
Windowsill herbs
Kitchen garden or allotment
Sweet jar
Secret chocolate stash
Wine rack
Drinks cabinet

The most important thing to do is note down anything that’s likely to go off or spoil soon. Do you need to use it up right away? Can you freeze some of it?

Now have a think about other things you have at your disposal to beat the post holiday blues, or to get ready for the end of summer Back to School Challenge. That could include:

Subscriptions and memberships
Books or other material you haven’t read yet
Pampering products
Fitness equipment
Files, notepads and organisers
Vouchers or loyalty points
Art or craft materials
Library cards
Cleaning or decorating products etc.

Also, decide whether you’d like to take part in the optional TV diet. This can be quite challenging if the nights are drawing in and the weather’s miserable, but it does free up some time that you can put to good use, and you might enjoy the TV that you do watch a bit more as well.