What I’ve learned from the recent Tenner Week Challenge

Last week’s Tenner Week Challenge went pretty well here, and I enjoyed the Festive Prep theme a lot. It was also very helpful to have a chance to cut right back for a few days and save some money in the run up to Christmas. Good for keeping that November budget in line before it all goes slightly hectic.

It was a lot of fun looking at decorating ideas and recipes over the last few days, and I’m definitely not feeling ‘bah humbug’ about the festivities. The dried orange slices I made look very festive already, although I won’t be making up the full decorations until next month.

We’ve decided to have a very simple, relaxed (lazy!) Christmas here, so apart from Christmas lunch it will be mostly buffet / cold cuts type of food, nice homemade breads, and a big bowl of clementines for snacking on. One thing I will push the boat out on is making a big chocolate and chestnut trifle from an American recipe I found at the weekend.

My total Tenner Week spend was £7.75, which included groceries and a glass of prosecco. Yes, I could have had a soft drink or a half of beer, but at least I stopped at just the one… Decadent though, eh? Anyway, the whole week came in under budget and I had two 50p pieces left in my purse amongst the rest of the change, so that was another £1 added to my 2015 Christmas party dress fund as well.

The TV Diet worked out just right, with 3 hours and 58 minutes of screen time in the end. I’m not one of these people who says telly totally rots your brain, but I do notice that I’m happier generally when I plan my screen time more carefully. It’s probably because you watch the things you’re most looking forward to, and the rest of the time lets you follow other interests and think about things in a less distracted way.

Speaking of which, I’ve been thinking a lot about charity donations as well in the last few days. Christmas is a time of year when certain charities become overloaded and could use little extra help, and while I’m not rolling in cash right now I still reckon I could put a few quid aside for a contribution or two out of my December budget.

How did you get on with your Tenner Week? Will you be making a festive charity donation this year, and if so, which organisations will you be supporting?