Boost Your Mood Tenner Week Challenge: Schedule & Stocktake

It’s time for a new Tenner Week budgeting challenge, and the theme this time is Boost Your Mood. The overarching aim for the week is to use a wide range of evidence-based techniques to improve general wellbeing, and feel better all round.

Today we’re having a quick look at the schedule for the week, and there’s an optional Sunday Stocktake exercise to get you off to a flying start. First though, let’s have a quick reminder about the challenge basics.

How the Tenner Week Challenge works

The two main goals of each Tenner Week are simple: you try to live on a budget of £10 (pocket money) or £25 (all in, with your personal share of household groceries) over the next seven days for your personal spending, plus you get a new activity to try each day that fits with the general theme.

[In case anyone needs a reminder, your budget doesn’t include: rent, mortgage, utility bills, prescriptions and medicines, travel to and from work, anything you need to buy for work, tickets or subscriptions you’ve already purchased, or money you need to spend on your kids / pets / partner.]

You may also like to look at the full Tenner Week rules, and our 12 Tips for a Successful Tenner Week Challenge.

The ‘Boost Your Mood’ Tenner Week Schedule

We have a new activity to try out each day, as we do for every Tenner Week. Each daily action always includes at least one completely free option too.

Here’s the schedule for all the mood boosting and money-saving ideas through the week, where we’ll be shifting towards positive thoughts, getting those endorphins going, and using some of the most powerful evidence-based techniques to improve mental health and wellbeing:

• Monday: Gratitude and/or attitude
• Tuesday: Keep on moving
• Wednesday: We like a challenge
• Thursday: Give out, not in
• Friday: Go to ‘can do’
• Saturday: Connect five
• Sunday: Mindful moment

Some of these activities only take five minutes or so, especially at the start of the week and also on Fridays when things can be hectic. Don’t worry if you have to miss a day’s activity here or there, the schedule’s designed so that you can catch up later at the weekend.

The Boost Your Mood Sunday Stocktake

If you have time today, you might like to try a stocktake exercise. Here are a few ideas for you around food and drink, keeping yourself entertained, and looking ahead to the daily activities.

The food & drink stocktake

If you’re trying to keep your spending as low as possible this week, it makes sense to use up food and drink that you already have. Make a menu if you have time too – it’s an easy way to save money and prevent food waste.

Where to check:

• The fridge, including inside the fridge door and salad drawer
• The freezer
• Food cupboards and shelves
• Fruit bowls, kitchen baskets and vegetable trolleys
• Bread bin or bread crock
• Cake tin or biscuit barrel
• Worktop canisters: tea, coffee, sugar and more
• Baking box
• Herbs, spices, sauces and condiments
• Stack of soft drinks or beers
• Wine rack or drinks cabinet
• Stores in the cupboard under the stairs, garage or shed
• Secret chocolate stash or snack box
• Allotment or kitchen garden
• Vouchers for free food or drink

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 our free printable Tenner Week spending diary, so sign up below if you’d like to help yourself to one of those.

FREE

Tenner Week Spending Diary!

The 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? There are bonus points for anything that boosts your mood or makes you laugh.

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

If you already have tickets for an event, be sure to go – don’t waste anything you already paid for. You might also like to have a quick search for free things to do near where you live.

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

The Boost Your Mood stocktake

Finally, it’s time for a quick specific ‘Boost Your Mood’ stocktake. Since this week is all about wellbeing and reasons to be cheerful, you might like to think about:

• A notebook or notes app (or use the free spending diary mentioned earlier)
• Anything exercise or fitness related
• Memberships or credit where you can learn, get fit, or do hobbies
• Tidying the bedroom, making bedtime more relaxing

If you like a bit of pampering, look through your haircare, nail care and skincare products too.

That’s it for the Sunday Stocktake, see you on Monday for the offical start of the ‘Boost Your Mood’ Tenner Week Challenge.

Leave a message in the comments below if you’re joining in!