September Challenges
It’s September which means a return of rush hour traffic and even more rain for us here in the UK. August was a really positive month for me with a totally unexpected and potentially life changing opportunity that I’m still trying to decide upon. We had an excellent month financially which saw a large drop in expenses and steady increase in pensions/stock funds to give a decent overall networth increase.
August was also the first month that I’ve set myself specific challenges to help improve both my finances and lifestyle. If you’ve never done something like this before; I strongly recommend you give it a try! It doesnt have to be anything drastic, start with something easily trackable and focus on ways to achieve it within the 30 days. Even if you dont fully succeed, the benefits will still be noticeable.
August’s Challenges
No takeaways for the month – SUCCESS
We didn’t order a single takeaway last month. Normally we’re not *too* bad, however will typically have Fish&Chips once a week and order a pizza at least once a fortnight. The savings from this are only going to be around £50 total but with the added health benefits it’s been well worth doing. Another longer term positive has been that instead of ordering pizza we have tried the freshly made one from the local supermarket at 1/5th the price. This turned out to be a real winner with my partner and will hopefully replace the pizza delivery in the long run.
Repair bicycle and go on weekly rides – FAILED
I had a good crack at this and managed to repair all the punctures and breaks, however there’s something wrong with the gear mechanism that I can’t work out.
As you can see, the main gear arm is facing straight down when it should come down from the axle and turn 90 degrees to lie horizontally forward. The spring still works in the arm, when I push it upwards to lie horiztonally I can feel the spring tension to return it to facing straight down. Reading online suggested that the arm might need to be wound round 360 degrees to reset the spings however I can’t see how that would have happened in the first place as it has never been taken off of the bike and so always remained in the same sort of position being held in place by the chain. Any bike experts out there able to offer any insights?
No weekday boozing – SUCCESS
Not even a sip of wine with dinner. An excellent saving in both finances and health.
September Challenges
– 3 blog posts a week
I think we’ve been hovering between 2 and 3 posts a week for last month so I want to try and keep it consistent at 3.
– Repair the bike at last
If I cant DIY the bike this month, I’ll bite the bullet and take it into a local bike shop. I’m still keen to get out and explore some of the excellent woodland lanes near my house before the UK weather gets too bad!
– Weekly jogs
I’d like to do the local half marathon next year and always end up leaving training until the last minute.. so this month I’ll aim to get training started early with a weekly jog around the village.
What goals have you set for yourself this month/year? And how are you progressing on them? Please Contact Me or leave a comment below.
9 thoughts on “September Challenges”
The upper cog in your rear derailleur should be in front of the lower cog. Which chain ring is the front on? The large ring? Has the chain ever been off? Try moving the front to the smaller chain ring and the rear to one of the smaller gears. When you do that, does it take some tension off the rear derailleur? It is possible your chain is too short.
I am curious to hear what you decide on the new opportunity. Great job on the other goals. I should sign up for a half marathon this fall. That is good motivation.
The chain has never been taken off and actually has alot of slack due to being very old. I can move the derailer anti-clockwise so that the SIS writing is horizontal however doing so goes against a spring pressure which just snaps it back down vertically when released. It’s certainly not chain pressure as the chain is very slack :/
It might be that the rear derailleur spring has broken. This would be what keeps tension on the chain as it moves through the various gears.A broken spring might explain why it is in such an odd position. The derailleur should pivot on that top point just above the two cogs. Can you move it by hand back and forth? Maybe some good lubrication will free it up. Do you have any WD-40 type product to spray it with?
You might have to take it to a local bike shop or see if you can find a very inexpensive bike and donate yours. Do you have and thrift type stores or swap meets?
It does pivot from the point just above the writing, I can swing it round anti-clockwise but it feels like it is going against the pressure of a spring. Im unable to pivot it clockwise at all.
Congrats on achieving the takeaway and drink goals! Both sound simple but for people who work full time, sometimes, it’s just too easy to just grab a takeaway mid-week and open that bottle of wine (I know, I’ve been there!), so a big well done!
I’ve not set myself any particular goal this month, although after scoffing my Mum’s home cooking for the past couple of months, I need to shift some weight I’ve put on! Have upped my intensity in the gym and started going at weekends again. Also, I downloaded an app which gives you a 7 minute ‘workout’ – trying that in the mornings to see how I go!
Good luck with your September challenges!
Wow no takeaway and alcohol, that’s a great accomplishment… time to celebrate by having a few drinks… oh wait. ;) :)
Great goals for this month. I’ll check back later to see how you did.
Haha! I’ve allowed myself the weekends for alcohol so load up the fridge on Friday morning ready to celebrate.
I spend somewhere in the region of £150 a month on eating crap at work. The plan is to make lunches, at a fraction of the price, to take in.
We’ll see how that goes.
Hello Edmund,
£150 a month on lunches?! Wow, that can certainly be cut back loads. I spend about £5 a week on my packed lunch ones!