December Debt Destruction!!!

PurpleJay

Hi

You have all done so well with this challenge :T Well done everyone!

Our night out was fab. M was absolutely fine and enjoyed his sleepover. Apparently he was no trouble at all and is happy to go again It felt odd him not being here but I wasn't worried really. Just wondered how he would have slept. Our friends have 2 girls 9 and 11 and one read to him and the other tucked him in. Awww.

Hubby has been feeling fragile today as he has one or two to many :rotfl: I was fine :rotfl:

Been to Morrisons today and spent 52 which taking off my 30 voucher left me with 22 to pay. Not bad. I bought some yeast and bread flour and plan to make some of my own bread in January. Also have quite a bit in the cupboards and freezer still which I will try to run down.

Will do some meal planning maybe tonight. We had hot dogs for tea so still not had the pasta sauce I made yesterday so that is tea tomorrow sorted.

I am at work tomorrow and will be taking (the dreaded) cous cous with salad for my lunch with a couple of satsumas.

Tomorrow should be a NSD so that will only be 12 in total. Forgot to say in the week I did go to Boots and buy 4 half price gifts and some wrapping paper for next year. Nothing else in the sales though :T

Not sure what we are doing tomorrow night. Might treat ourselves to Chinese. We are staying home and will watch the fireworks on telly if we are still up. We will be having some wine to toast in the new year!

Siouxsie32

I love logging on and reading everyone's posts! Well done everyone What a friendly bunch of debt busters we are! Can't wait for January, although I'm away visiting family for the first 8 days so I don't know how the next challenge will work out but I'll give it my best shot :money:

As far as DDD goes, I think I was successful-I spent £51.78 of my £70 food budget, all my Christmas presents were paid for with pre-budgeted cash, I think I managed all 20 NSDs (although, the characters in my signature are restricted so I had to delete the DDD figures, which is where I updated my NSD count. I have my own 2013 challenge figures there as I find them more motivational and I get a buzz every time I update them so, for the time being, I'll keep it this way). Exercise was okay since I spent the month running around like a lunatic-next month I'll DEFINITELY build in gym time (oh dear, it's public now, no going back :eek:). Managed to give away soup, sandwiches and coffee to a few homeless people at the beginning of the month. I've forgotten what the rest of the challenge involved but I'm sure I was angelic and didn't break any rules :A

I was at the supermarket today and bought myself a bottle of ginger beer and a pizza for tomorrow night since I get home too late to do anything-great minds think alike kat!

Only one day left of 2012 and I'm working tomorrow so no chance of me spending money :j

Thanks for all your stories, support and general cameraderie (sp? i hate bad spelling and don't have my spellcheck to rely on...hope it's right!) during DDD and I'll see you all on the next thread

abundant1972

Hi Everyone!!!

Am seriously impressed by how well everyone has done - especially those that came in under budget!!!... unlike me!!!

I've been feeling really bad because I well and truly blew my food budget towards the end of the month... Having been ill all over Christmas and not eating anything besides toast and tangerines... when my appetite started to come back it was NOT craving anything in my food cuboard and I indulged it... fish & chips... ice cream... pizza... I am a BAD BAD BAD man!!!

To add insult to injury... I stupidly gambled away £50 online!!! Am so annoyed with myself... I don't know why - other than I felt rotten and down in the dumps and it seemed like a quick fix... STUPID STUPID STUPID!!! I know gambling is NEVER the answer and I'm just angry at myself and feel like I've let everyone down.

I also got some money for Christmas and much of that has gone - in my defence - on things to try and shift this wretched cough - essential oils and the like. I did buy a 2013 calendar and diary for work too...

So... there's my confession!!! Gawd - I don't know about falling off the wagon so much as falling under it and being run over by it...


Am not going out tomorrow - am going to use the evening to reflect on where I'm at and why I came unstuck... then I'm going to draw a line under it and move forwards in 2013 with renewed determination and hope.


Today = NSD number 19... tomorrow will make NSD 20.

liltdiddylilt

Evening everybody!!

Gelmc I'm glad that you're going to the Dr's. Better to get checked out than not. Try and think of anything else that has been plagueing you recently. Tiredness? Mood swings? Anything that seems unrelated and small. (Sorry for the mother hen act - I have been following a little girls fight for survival from a brain tumour for a long while now & unfortunately she is in the last stages of losing the battle and her life. Her story is in the mail today: Amelia's Miracle I'm a bit hot on it all right now.)

Abundant: DO NOT beat yourself up. You've been ill & we all have a tendency to do whatever it takes to make ourselves feel better. I'm sorry that your doings have actually made you feel worse :( not the outcome we would have wanted for you. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off & start again. You're headed in the right direction!!

Siouxsie I hope your 8 day break with family is fantastic and frugal-ish - your debts are still disappearing faster than I can keep up with which is brilliant!!

Today is an NSD for me - even more so than usual since I spent the time in the house & had a powercut. I was thankful for all the electricity saved... until it started to get dark & I had to boil a giant saucepan of water to bath the baby before I couldn't see!! Just as I started to dry her hair after all the faffing with her enormously thick mop (I had to warm another pan on the stove just to rinse her hair properly!!) - the power came back on. Cue middle finger up at the kitchen light which suddenly sparked to life!

Tomorrow is also an NSD - we are doing zilch for New Years... OH allergic to the outdoors although he has gone for a lot of walks with me & jellytot - he is a teetotaler & I only drink when out & in the right company, once or twice a year... So we shall toast it with some fizzy Vimto from his mums care package

That takes us to a grand total of 23 NSD's for the month. I've kept up with exercise some of the time but in bigger doses rather than short ones more often. 4 miles a day 3 days a week from the 9th when I go back to work :eek: - grocery budget was overspent by £34 which is bad, but actually we spent a lot less than usual at Christmas time so I will take that as a win! We made £245 in total on top of usual income via ebay/overtime Zero petrol spends is easy when you have no car/bike. Have not used any public transport got a cuppa & had a nice chat with a homeless gentleman who was lovely. Also donated to a local foodbank some of my mountains of tins (which are mostly gone now!!)

All in all an excellent challenge, well thought out & mostly kept to on our part.

Thank you NSK!!!!!!

NinjaSavingKat

Forgive me one and all - work is heavy tonight I will update and reply tomorrow. Abundant I agree with Lilt... but will post more tomorrow! And by the way folks - ENJOY tomorrow! Go easy on yourselves and get a bottle of something fizzy ( non - alcoholic )...:T

Learning2Budget

Final NSD of the month. Overspent on budget but acrued 17 NSD so feeling quite happy.x

CandyCupcake

Hi everyone and well done for how well we've all done on this challenge!

Unfortunately I won't hit the 20NSDs, but came close with 19 and only just went over my shopping budget.

Can't wait to start January's challenge, I have my calender ready to mark my NSDs and my spend days and have overtime booked for New Year's day - start the new year as I wish to continue!

Hope everyone has a fab New Year whatever you're doing :beer:

Candy
x

nannygladys

Hi all, just declaring a spend day, need some milk but only bought that and nothing else, really pleased with how everything went even though I went over/under the targets.

Really looking forwards to Jan challange, may be a little difficult until Wednesday as DD2 and family are still here, but I reckon I have enough food left over from Xmas in the freezer to feed us all without spending my food money.

Have to get the correct amounts to update sig, but will do that on Wed after family gone home to sunnier climes - lucky things

Happy New Year to everyone
Jxx

abundant1972

Hi Everyone!

Today = NSD number 20!

Hoorah! Made it...

Thanks for the words of encouragement and support. I have thought lots on what happened - and if I'm honest - I can see a few times in my life where I've attempted to self sabotage my best laid plans... I really feel I'm changing deep rooted old patterns of behaviour - I have been in debt for so long now I've forgotten what it feels like not to be... Breaking out of that 'debt mindset' has/is tough... and envisioning a life that is my own sometimes seems intangible... Sometimes it's easier to keep myself in a space that feels safe and familiar - even if that means being in debt, and feeling bad about myself. But - I realise I have to REALLY believe that a debt-free life IS where I am heading - with every £1.00 I pay back I come a little nearer to becoming financially free.

Weirdly it feels scary - like stepping off a cliff into the unknown - but am trying to see it as an adventure... and that I deserve to have a better life... one where I can afford to buy clothes... or go on holiday... and not always feel bad for spending on myself... I work hard and it's ok to want to enjoy life. So - as 2012 comes to an end - am saying a firm goodbye to that old me... thanking it for bringing me to this point - but actually his time is done - and the new me emerging is now taking the wheel! Just like the Doctor (in Doctor Who) regenerates when his old body is worn out - that's how I feel - that old me is worn out and broken... it's time for a change!!! New me - new outlook - new life!!!

Happy New Year everyone - see you tomorrow on the other side for January's Big Financial Freeze!!!

:beer:

NinjaSavingKat

Good Day to you all!!

I have been in debt for so long now I've forgotten what it feels like not to be... Breaking out of that 'debt mindset' has/is tough... and envisioning a life that is my own sometimes seems intangible... Sometimes it's easier to keep myself in a space that feels safe and familiar - even if that means being in debt, and feeling bad about myself. But - I realise I have to REALLY believe that a debt-free life IS where I am heading - with every £1.00 I pay back I come a little nearer to becoming financially free.

Weirdly it feels scary - like stepping off a cliff into the unknown - but am trying to see it as an adventure... and that I deserve to have a better life... one where I can afford to buy clothes... or go on holiday... and not always feel bad for spending on myself... I work hard and it's ok to want to enjoy life. So - as 2012 comes to an end - am saying a firm goodbye to that old me... thanking it for bringing me to this point - but actually his time is done - and the new me emerging is now taking the wheel! Just like the Doctor (in Doctor Who) regenerates when his old body is worn out - that's how I feel - that old me is worn out and broken... it's time for a change!!! New me - new outlook - new life!!!

This quote from Abundant sums up a lot! I couldn't have said it better myself in order to close DDD. We are all on this journey and I know there will be slip-ups, hardships and problems along the way. I am facing a few already and its not even January yet!

But with a little determination, support from our fellow MSE buddies we will succeed and we will be debt free. For when we don't have to save months in advance for a holiday, not feel guilty when we buy an £80 pair of shoes or those new curtains for our own house we push hard and we push forward!!!

Thank you for participating, writing, sharing and being so honest - I really appreciate each and every one of you with your separate journeys, struggles highs and lows. Especially a big thanks for the HUMOUR!!!

Now lets go Onwards and Upwards....

x