THE FUTURE IS ONE BIG CHALLENGE AFTER ANOTHER for 3Dogs and friends ..... PART 2

3Dogs

Well I certainly didn’t expect to be having to start a new thread so early in the year – we aren’t even at the end of February yet – chatty lot aren’t we?

For information, Part 1 of my Diary is here and Part 2 here. Those diaries dealt with how we got into the problem we were in, and how we came to get help from MSE/CCCS to deal with the debt we were, and still are, in, and I thank my friends on here for their fantastic support during that time, which really kept me going, especially with my Mam in hospital for 3 weeks and in the Continuing Care Unit in a care home up in North Tyneside since 10th November 2010

You can find Part 1 of our Challenges Thread here

I started that, as from 1st January 2011, Mr 3Dogs and I took a different look at how we approached everything, and, so, we set ourselves several challenges linked to our individual and joint debt, budgeting, spending & saving, raising extra funds, getting to grips with the house and garden, our diet and exercise. In other words, our whole way of life

You will find my list of challenges for 2011 in the next post, and those of Mr 3Dogs in the following one. I have brought my challenges up-to-date and will continue to update them as the year goes on, reflecting on how well, or otherwise, we do in the challenges we have set ourselves. Others also set there Challenges and you will see how they are getting on with them shortly.

I would still like to invite anyone to set their challenges too, on a single post which they can update too as the year goes on – that way we can encourage and support each other along the way, with lots of back-slapping for successes and (((hugs))) when things don’t always go as planned

We have made such lovely new friends during the time this thread has been running, and hope to make many more as time goes by, after all, friends are just strangers that you haven’t met yet, aren’t they?

So let’s get this thread up and running then ...................................

3Dogs

THE CHALLENGES OF 3DOGS:

1. DRO - [STRIKE]all my paperwork is completed and accepted ready for submission by CCCS just as soon as I pay my £90 fee – so that has to be my first challenge of the year[/STRIKE] - paid fee, DRO submitted 12th Jan, granted 13th Jan 2011 so DFD 13th Jan 2012 :j All contact from my creditors has now stopped - no letters or phone calls :j

2. BUDGET – set out a full budget and stick to it – properly!! - withdrawing exact money for food shopping/dog food and only using that in the week - no more sneaky topping-up from other bank account This is working very well, am really pleased with it, and with myself

3. SAVE - set up a separate account to put aside money for annual and occasional spends such as heating oil, vet bills, van repairs/MOT/Car Tax, clothing, dentists/opticians, emergencies, etc - opened eSaving a/c with Nat West and going to transfer a set amount to it every month to cover these expenses. I am also running a 'Piggy-Savings' which is money left over from weekly grocery allowance, any other bits of cash which comes my way - I currently have £9.97 after 3 weeks :T :T

4. EBAY – I haven’t done any eBaying for over 4 months now, so I must start it up again, especially as we have so much stuff around the house to sell on there - have started to sort some things out and check selling prices, but no sign yet of me actually listing anything, which I need to do very soon for extra money :mad: Listed a pair of trainers and made £46 :T and a purfume gift set for £13.50, but gotta do some more

5. SURVEYS – again, with the ill-health of my Mam up North, I have neglected my online surveys so have to get back on top of them and do them regularly. Plan is to claim the vouchers as they become available to put away for Christmas 2011, whereas the one’s that pay cash (BACS/PayPal) will be put into savings pot - now keeping more up-to-date with surveys and have joined another site too Had one P1necone Survey, so £4 to savings account

6. CASHBACK - get back into using cashback sites too, making sure that I claim any cashback going on quotes, insurance, purchases, etc and, though they are fewer of them around these days, to so some Daily clicks too to boost the amounts - made some purchases through cashback sites - wating for payment of £130 on over 50 plan from last year still waiting for that £130 but have done a few other cashback purchases incluing first order with Tatco.com for £10 cashback

7. HOUSE – to declutter and decorate the bungalow – these two have to go together as we can’t decorate until the mountains of ‘stuff’ is out of the way. Selling on eBay will help, but so will being ruthless with what we have – if we haven’t used it in almost 3 years since moving here, we don’t actually need it, so it can be eBayed, car booted or taken to charity shop/tip - nothing done yet really which is getting me down DITTO

8. GARDEN – it’s a mess, as we haven’t done very much to it at all in almost 3 years since moving in – tidy it up, keep it tidy and use it more - nothing done here yet and that is getting me down also DITTO

9. SLIMMING – I joined Sl*mm*ing W@rld in May 2008 weighing in at exactly 19 stone at 5 ft 5 ins. Quite quickly at first and then much more slowly, I got that down to 14 st 7 lbs making a loss of 4 st 7 lbs which I am delighted with, but lots more to lose, so must get on with it, especially after putting 6 lbs on over Christmas!! - 2011 lost 3, gained 2, lost 2.5, gained 1, stayed same, lost a half pound - so far in 2011, lost 3 pounds which is better than nothing but still not got rid of that Christmas gain!!!!!!!!!!

10. EXERCISE – due to arthritis and other health problems, I haven’t been able to exercise as I would like – but things have improved with my arthritis as I have lost weight, and, touching wood as I speak, I am in a much better position mobility-wise than I was, so must start some exercising to aid the weight loss. We have a Vibration Plate which you stand on to exercise and it magnifies the effects of your movements, so must get back into the routine of using it, as it does work (if my knees hold out!) - whoops, no sign of this happening yet, which is getting me down, which makes me even less like starting any exercise though, in fact, arthritis in hands and neck worse at the moment, as is my sciatica, and I am getting 'funny' dizzy/palpitation spells which are under investigation at docs Right, did a 25 min dog walk today 18th Feb - it's a start

11. MSE – to be a more active member of MSE. I must get back into this, bumping up the NTN thread and offering support and advice on the DFW forum. I did this when I first started posting, soon picking up pieces of advice and passing them on whenever I could. I did enjoy this and saw it as putting something back into the site, which has given me so much, but, recently, my heart went out of it to be honest, with various things happening on here. However, I must find that zest again, as it helps me to help others, so everyone benefits in the end - still don't feel ready to spread my wings again DITTO - I just don't feel the same about everything on MSE after all the trolling and abuse, especially with NTN

12. FINALLY - 11 is such an odd number, so I needed another challenge to round it up to a perfect dozen, and I could think of no worthier challenge than to not let things get me down, TO BE POSITIVE and TO BE HAPPY - I am HAPPY with my DRO going through and money side of things, but depressed about not getting started on certain areaas DITTO

Well, that’s my challenges for the year, and there is a lot there to be honest, but I can only do my best, and I do actually feel that they are all achievable, if I set my mind to it

So, here we go folks ....................................... what about you???

3Dogs

THE CHALLENGES OF Mr 3DOGS:


1. DRO - get 3Dogs to review my token payments to my creditors, with a view to applying for a DRO come April 2011 when the rule changes on pension funds come into effect

2. BUDGET - get 3Dogs to set out a proper budget and help her stick to it – properly!!

3. SAVE - get 3Dogs to set up a savings account to put aside money for annual and occasional spends such as heating oil, vet bills, van repairs/MOT/Car Tax, clothing, dentists/opticians, emergencies, etc and not moan when she won’t let us take money out of that fund for something else

4. CAR BOOT – I’d started this under Permitted Work Rules, so will continue with it, and hope to earn more out of it

5. EBAY - help 3Dogs to get started eBaying again, learning how to do it myself so I can do some too

6. HOUSE – to declutter and decorate the bungalow – these two have to go together as we can’t decorate until the mountains of ‘stuff’ is out of the way. Selling on eBay will help, but so will being ruthless with what we have – if we haven’t used it in almost 3 years since moving here, we don’t actually need it, so it can be eBayed, car booted or taken to charity shop/tip. I must also get the flooring, that we have had for 2 years, down in the lounge and bedroom

7. GARDEN – it’s a mess, as we haven’t done very much to it at all in almost 3 years since moving in – tidy it up, keep it tidy and use it more

8. SLIMMING – I joined Sl*mm*ing W@rld in May 2008 weighing in at 20 st 4½ lbs at 6 ft tall. Quite quickly, I got that down to 12 st 11½ lbs making a loss of 7 st 7 lbs and reaching my target, making it to the Sl*mm*ng W@rld Man of the Year Semi-Finals/Finals in 2010, which I was delighted with, but started being naughty again, especially when the Boss was away for 7 weeks up North with Mam so ill, and I am now 14st 12 lbs and 2 stone over my target weight. So my aim is to get back on track and get back down to target, as soon as I can

9. EXERCISE – other than walking the doggies, I haven’t been exercising as I should for some time now, so must start some exercising to aid the weight loss and to feel better in myself. We have a Vibration Plate which you stand on to exercise and it magnifies the effects of your movements, so must get back into the routine of using it, as it does work, plus my Iron Gym above-door kit, and TV exercise sessions too – lots to work with there

10. FINALLY – to work together with 3Dogs to achieve all our challenges, and to not let things get me down, TO BE POSITIVE and TO BE HAPPY

You may notice a common link to most of my challenges, in that I need the help and direction of my Better Half in compiling this list and in then completing the challenges – in fact, you may have already guessed that the Boss a.k.a. 3Dogs has typed these challenges up for me and posted them – well, she is the Boss after all!!! P.S. remember, she wrote this, not me!!
:beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

steviehants

Thanks for starting a new thread Susan, xx:j

Here are my challenges...
To lose some weight. :j Eat healthy
To save money :money:
Dont buy things that are not needed. :mad:

Put money aside for emergencies, I.e Dentist,

To download as many coupons/vouchers.

To enjoy life with my friends and Family,

savingwannabe

Yes thank you. As per your instructions here are my new year's resolutions together with an update:

I have thought hard about this i would like to achieve the following by the end of 2011:

Health
1. Reduce my average blood sugars from my HBAlc of 8.6 has got worse 8.9 I have promised dr not to stress as that makes it higher. Am avoiding stress as much as i can.

Food
2. Cook food rather than buying processed at least twice a week i have only been doing it once a week must try harder. Am pants at this.
3. Try to eat some fruit everyday slipping a bit.
4. Try to drink water instead of Diet Coke (which is used as a toilet cleaner in India according to my dad) on a daily basis. i only have coke when i go out now.

Exercise
4. Try to walk to and from work every day unless weather is bad and i have lots of marking done most days
5. Use flipping trampoline maybe once a week (amended following words of wisdom from Beanielou). did it once. so ashamed. will i ever get into skinny jeans again???? Given up.

Home
6. Make my house happy and enjoy it. doing it.

MSE
7. Keep posting on MSE doing it.
8. Try to make people feel welcome on MSE Ok haven't done this for ages.
9. Save after all my money has gone to builders am saving like crazy
10. Try to have 12 NSD a month (well we shall see) so far beating targets.
11. Empty my purse into a change tin every week. using susan's money box now. I emptied it in an emergency 3 weeks ago. 3 pounds in it at the moment!
12. Start to use vouchers in my shopping i print them off but dont really use them oh dear still not using maybe cos i shop at aldi now and it is cheaper?
13. Use cashback sites for purchases not made any new purchases

Fun
14. Stalk George till i am ASBO'd (can't help it am slightly sozzled with it being new year's eve and all). meet him very soon. scared he will think i am stoopid.
15. Meet my heroes and friends from MSE (you know who you are) am doing this hooray.Meet Porge this week. blooming terrified. 20/4/11

Me
16. Try to be more assertive and put myself first and ask myself what do I want when i am confused I feel a bit more assertive with my dad and i realise that my friend was mean the other week. That is good. Dad realises he has a problem and is being good. Am avoiding one friend for a bit hope it get's better.
17. Continue to be happy and laugh at least once every day you all make me laugh and i am so happy to know you all.:D:j Apart from the odd blip (due to panicking) i am happy.

:j:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::j

boultdj

I'm Back!! Just in time for new fred, we moved in to new bungalow Thursday,took me this long to find all the wire's for the 'putor.

hantsindebt

evening all! how is everybody? Nice new place you have here 3dogs....i guess i need to update!

Marru

This is what I said in the beginning of the year:

Anyway, here are my pledges:

- Achieve my frugal challenge 2011
- Declutter, declutter, declutter
- Lose either 20 kg or to get to size 12 which ever happens first
- I used to be able to speak Swedish and I would like to find a way to revive that (and not just by watching Wallander )

And then the dream:
- to live in my dream house where I am allowed to have a cat, outskirts of nice village where I feel I am part of the community

So how have I done:

Haven't updated my spreadsheets this month. Will definitely do Tuesday the latest.

No decluttering done but hoping to get a start with shredding old paperwork

Lost 8 pounds due to bad tummy after extreme stressful situation, lets hope that I can keep it off.

Done little bit online learning but nothing focused but have been reading documents in Swedish at work and even called Swedish tax office and was able to partly communicate in Swedish. Might need to call back will see if I have courage to try talk more Swedish or ask straight away to speak to someone who can speak English.

Not going to move this year, too stressfull (unless I win lots of money in the Lotto of course)

hantsindebt

boultdj wrote: »

I'm Back!! Just in time for new fred, we moved in to new bungalow Thursday,took me this long to find all the wire's for the 'putor.

hi boultdj,

hope your comfy in the new bungalow and good to see you on :0)

steviehants

Hello Boult, Nice see your back online and that you have moved into your new home. No more stairs to climb?

savingwannabe

Hey Andy, Boult and Marru well done in finding the new thread. Marru I am sorry ex is such a poop.