NST December: Debt Destruction December

Kerry Woman - sorry to hear about your mum - take care of yourself x

Toni'sFriend - have a lovely holiday, I hope the Lakes stay dry.

Badbookkeeper - I remember teaching my kids to tie their shoes and wondered at the time how anyone ever learns how to do it, it sounds so complicated.

Up super early today, had a big bowl of porridge and two large coffees and am now ready to go cycling. I plan to drop some books in at the library this morning and also post some ebay sales.

I have sold 3 things on ebay overnight so that is 3/31 items decluttered.

Hi all

Today is a spendy day as taking kids to York :j will stop at aldi & pick up a few bits to keep me ticking over until fri. So still on 1

Keeping my savings goals in mind & fairly confident I can keep in budget next year. Big weakness is days out so i need to prioritise using passes I already have. Put money aside for sons christening think I can do it cheaper so extra funds will go to lapland UK tickets and using parents time share type thingy to go paris with them - keeping cost low but still living life with my babies

Bad habit- doing ok on my anxious thoughts:)

Clear out & remember- going to give some tins I got free to food bank

Explore & happiness- off tp York Xmas fayre and some light show I have tickets for Reviews are awful :rotfl: but I am going to be a good sport & make what I can out of it- 1st world problems!

Greatful for- friends, my son being so kind at only 2 and my super long scarf on cold days, although my toddler always takes it and snuggles it and it gets trampled on the ground. It washes though and he loves it, he doesnt trample it on purpose its just so long :) I remind myself he wont want to snuggle into my scarf forever & I must cherish my kids being so small

Massive hugs Kerry Woman, take care of both of you and make this as positive as you can and hope you get the love and support you need (family experience tells me that the palliative care staff are very good).

Sorry to be late to the party but have had two fall into bed nights. When I reported in on Thursday I was on the bed and apart from doing a bit of washing up, I stayed there.

Early start yesterday, but feeling sick and dizzy (may be tablets side effect but more likely to be the extensive bus riding and the chase to get my pills). Got ready slowly but steadily (had to stop and hold onto something if I went too fast - love that bathroom towel rail), then phoned mum. She wanted to come to town to do shopping, I wanted to go there with all my stuff (3 bags and a bin bag) and come back into town after the hairdresser had been. Phoned 4 times and got no reply so rather anxiously called the taxi and went there (I have been in this situation before). Mum had been in the shower and had not heard the phone.

Put away bread and milk (so Saturday visitor's can take some away if she is not going to use it all), rubbish in the bin (she has lots of room and we are struggling with a week and a half to go). Persuaded her to do Christmas cards for her partner's family (£10 per great-grandchild, but only a card for anyone else). I have also written the cards for mine and my brother's children but will sort them when we get back.

Hairdresser came did mum's hair and then mine. Not sure about mine (was very bouffant but after a night's sleep it's more flat with flicky up bits, more me and it's got to be better than bedraggled/ growing it out). I was expecting a spendy day but mum decided to pay for both of us. We ate, finished off the cards and travelled into town.

Also put the label on mum's suitcase, found her toiletries bag, left the case open on the table so she can pack easily, phoned to make my annula foot appointment, tried to order flowers (answering machine) and contacted the WTC people as they have sent me a letter saying they will continue to pay me (a reduced amount) when i think it should have stopped altogether and that I owe them. He fed the information into the computer and I will get another letter but he thinks it is right (treating the Carer's Allowance as income and I am still well under the threshold). Won't be spending the money yet, they can demand it back at anytime, even if they have made the errrors.

Mum sailed ahead with her walker, I followed behind with two heavy bags and more were added. Shop was widely distributed but done in a logical order. We got through mum's short list plus a few items she thought of/ saw as we went round. Slipper and shoes (look like shoes, feel like slippers), new skirt and trousers, Christmas card for the person who gave her the cards she is using, owl rucksack for me (she was looking in the shoe shop window after we came out and suggested I have a smaller rucksack - she doesn't like me using a rucksack but she wants to put her sandwiches in mine on Monday - it's much easier as it leaves me handsfree when I am helping her) which I had seen (for the past 2 years) on a stall on the market, new bag for her, tissues and finally flowers, one lot to be delivered and one lot delivered by me.

Taxi was a half an hour wait but the florist let us stay inside - mum kept offering to let me have a turn sitting on her walker but didn't get up.

Went home, ate leftover curry, went out to mum's cousin's with the flowers and her birthday card (good chat and offer of a puppy loan - they are minding their daughter's all day Mon- Fri) and posted a letter to the I.O.M. That meant when I got back in I could take off my trainers and rest my poor aching feet (back, shoulders, ankles). Fell asleep twice fully clothed, twice more before I managed to take my glasses off and turn off the light by then it was 4 minutes past midnight and still ready to keep on sleeping.

For yeaterday I am grateful for leftover curry (it was comforting every time I thought about it), for a haircut (10 years since anyone but me has done it), for my new owl bag which makes me smile, for a proper sleep and not needing to be anywhere early so that I could relax without worrying about waking up or sleeping too long.

Have my plan for the month and a report for today but may break off as there is a parcel for DS1 waiting at the post office.

NSD 0/15

Debt destruction: Checked credit card balance before the bill is due, paid it down to £100 - I am accruing M&S points for vouchers. Other credit card on £0. Went to Her0n, Ald1 and The Son of Morris and was home again before 10.30.

Exterminate one bad habit from your life for the first 10 days.
Day 2 of no Fakebook.

Clear up, clean up and take control.
Put up the tree, chucked what was broken. Asked the kids to do stuff - they have not. The tree lists to the left. It has character but I fear it is the last year it will do any kind of service. Made meal plans, shopped, spent £44 between all the shops and have £25 in my purse. Will try not to spend any more than that unless it is for a present for a person on my list.

Explore your local area – Instead of driving 3 miles up the road to go to the Ald1 near the kids school that I usually go to, I went to the one across country which is closer. I found the old Filbert St Leicester City football ground, the county cricket ground, and found out that Raw Dykes Road (snigger) is the site of a Roman Aqueduct. So there you go.

Mental health. Really good considering that everyone in my house is a bah-hum!!!!!!. Entertained myself by putting the Xmas song station on the radio before going out to do the shopping, and knowing that anyone who was not up yet would find it on when they came down for breakfast.

Budget EVERYTHING before you start the month.
Can't. Will do everything as frugally as possible but MOTs and services and car insurances and what the kids want for Xmas is all a huge unknown at the moment
Will pin them down asap.

Evaluate
Weight loss was good, but I let the gym slip and forgot to stop eating. so am back where I started. The good thing is I know how to get rid of it. I am just rubbish at keeping it off. So at least I am aware of my weaknesses, but also aware I have the tools to do the job. I just need to DO IT

Remember that l this is a difficult time for many. - My problems are nothing in the great scheme of things.

Kerry Woman - so sorry to hear of your loss. Take time and be kind to yourself xx