NST Challenge - Spring is here!

Bobarella

Dr Carrie - it sounds like you have a lot of upheaval coming. But for something that will move you in the right direction? Really hope you can line up one work that will help you with that. Well done getting the 0% card too, they are very useful aren't they for debt slaying.

liltdiddylilt

Hi guys

Just checking in - yesterday was a spend day as I was in work 45 minutes early with the aid of a taxi, and got some lunch to take with me as I knew I would be working straight through. Long few days but have caught up a lot of work which makes me feel better.

Today also a spend day. Cardinal sin of shopping without a list whilst hungry led to much junk for the week ahead Oh well.

Jelly complained of her shoes hurting her feet today so a swift trip to Clarks saw me haemorrhage £30 on a new pair of trainers. But she chose her own for the first time, and they are purple and pink and they flash so she is very happy. I have a pot for her shoes from there so no great shakes

Bob glad to hear takings have been good. Please try and take it easy though. I know you're a one-woman whirlwind but you're cooking something very special so try and dedicate some energy to that

Fmess my feet are summer ready and with a bit of polish on them the diet hasn't been great but I have taken Jelly out to lots of places and my decluttering is going fab. Another 2 bin liners and 2 bags to the charity shop this morning after emptying my giant cupboard out and clearing the top of ym wardrobe

Hugs to all. Very quiet this month. Must be this good weather dragging everyone outside! xxx

apple_muncher

I am fairly confident that I will completely MISS the NSD target this month! I usually manage to reach it, or be very near, so this is irritating! But I know the hows and whys behind not getting there.

Anyhooooooo, still more than one whole third of the month left to keep working on my targets and not spend!

And today I am grateful for hugs with dd, for planting up my tomato plants, for eating a frog, for chats with my neighbour, for a lovely walk with dd.

Fmess

DrCarrie - well done on getting the 0% deal, it is brilliant when all your hard earned money goes to bringing down the total and doesn't get swallowed up on interest. Good luck for the job

liltdiddylilt wrote: »

Hi guys

Fmess my feet are summer ready and with a bit of polish on them the diet hasn't been great but I have taken Jelly out to lots of places and my decluttering is going fab. Another 2 bin liners and 2 bags to the charity shop this morning after emptying my giant cupboard out and clearing the top of ym wardrobe

Well done lilt, sounds like you are tackling all aspects of the challenge and you've reminded me to do me to put gels on my toe nails tomorrow, thank you


Today has been a spendy day but sods law means that I have gone over budget, after being so confident about being under budget yesterday. One of the dogs is a bit poorly so got medicine for him and OH had an ear ache, so we got some drops, and then had bleeding ears today, turns both his ear drums have burst (!) so spent on a prescription too. I obviously don't begrudge either of these spends, just wish I could have a crystal ball sometimes


Hope you've all has lovely sunny productive days

mothernerd

Another SFD (11?). Still feeling a bit useless - think it is partly because I am throwing a lot at the debt (debt repayment is taking far more than my living expenses), high interest rates, fees etc mean I don't seem to be able to get it going down. However cleaning has commenced - a bit random but quite a lot done in 15 minute chunks including some garden work and some out in the backs.

Lots of sloooow de-cluttering. All craft and stationery items (housed in a variety of small boxes and sets of drawers) are gradually moving onto one small set of shelves (larger items are in large boxes which double as footstools or 'coffee' tables) but because they are all small items it will be a while before it has an effect.

Also I have taken up stealth laundering. Now only have a week until DS3's birthday sleepover so trying to gather up all pillows and bedding to make sure we have enough and that they are fit to let anyone other than DS3 use. So one day I took two pillows that had fallen behind DS3's bed. The following day I took two from the downstairs bed.

DS3 noticed, came to complain and took away two of my pillows, so I am using a small quilt which was under my bed (took it out to check if it was more pillows). More pillows done today and took sheet from my bed and DS3's dirty clothes yesterday. We each have two quilt/ coverlet things (needed over Winter but enough to spare for visitors now) but will wash DS3's later in the week so he will not have chance to mess them up again. Will bag up pillows and quilts as I go and then hide them.

So moving forward slowly but very glad to have worked my way through the severe depression I had fallen into (was a very sad turtle and had to retreat into my shell for a while). Just need to concentrate on the things I can do something about and hang on until the other house sells or I am well enough to earn some money.

Today I am grateful for sunshine, for QI and for discovering a 'new to me' blues player.

Calling14

Mothernerd glad you're coming out of your shell. Thought you had gone quiet. You're far from useless always busy bee and very resourceful. Hugs don't put yourself down.

Well my news Chemist gave me hydrocortisone tablets for my massive ulcer under my tongue, it's gone down today. Felt lousy yesterday with it.

Good news British Gas mended my ageing boiler it is 21yrs old. Going to ask for my Xmas bonus usually £500 in goods then I could buy one through work(housebuilders) just need to save rest and for someone to fit it.

Busy day today put up fencing, fell off ladder into a rose bush, painting decking, did shopping, grandson and daughter turn up just when I was to collapse on a sun loungers. Besides a twisted ankle, pleased with my fencing not overlooked anymore.

Calling14

Thanks for all your lovely comments.

Acamedia. What show did you go to see. ? Jealous.

Bob great to see doing so well, how will you manage when wee one arrives?

Will post properly on Monday this tablet is so annoying keeps freezing.

Fmess

Mothernerd I was starting to worry about you not posting. Glad you feel able to come back and join us. Please be kind to yourself, you are making such good progress towards all of your goals, and I know it's hard not to wish you could go faster but you are doing fantastic

Calling glad to hear about your fencing, but hope you are ok after your fall?

Bobarella

Mothernerd - so sorry to hear you've been feeling that bad. You have had such a lot on & your huge operation must have taken so much out of you. You sound like you are doing your best to keep moving forward. Even baby steps are brilliant. On the debt front can you get any of it onto lower rated cards??

Lilt - thank you. You know you just described yourself too though right your cleaning bouts are always pretty epic, I think you either are a person who's a busy bee or you are not. Take your point though. And thanks again.

Calling - that is the elephant in the room right now. Before the closure I had 4 staff and could have seen a way to taking some mat leave. It would not have been easy financially as covering yourself when your self employed means giving up your own income to do so.
Now, with just me trying to rebuild the business and no fat to trim in our own budget I don't know. I think at the moment the main 'choice' is whether to close up again for a period when the time comes so although I won't have an income from the business in that time I won't be getting into trouble trying to pay other people's wages, which I am terrified of in all honesty. I still owe HMRC PAYE from last year that I am in an agreement to pay back at £300 a month. Which I'm doing fine at the moment. Have until next Jan to complete that.
If I took say 3 months off, which breaks my heart as I had 8 with my son and that wasn't enough... and then had the baby start in childcare nearby. Because I only work in 6 hour bursts it isn't a super long day so that's the only plus I can say for that plan.
Or do I try and get someone in soon ish build up their hours and then go from there. I am literally worried sick about that though from my previous experience. Also, whilst I am ok working in my own business alone, how many others would want the responsibility of doing so? So really I'd need 2 people on together. And that every day would take any money I m making.
So yes believe me it's something we (husband and i) are thinking of all combinations on. Now is so not the right time to expand our family but, it has taken almost 14 months of trying to even get this far. So. We are focusing on how happy the small person will make us, & our son & hoping that many things fall into place before October!
Apologies for long reply but it's all in my subconscious any how. Had a dream last night I bumped into a customer at the hospital and has to tell them!

apple_muncher

Fmess - you asked a few posts back about how we are getting on with our 3 commitments to look after ourselves. I chose eat less sugar, exercise more and make time to reflect/think, and am chugging along quite well with them even though I only started on the 11th!

mothernerd - I trust that the inside of your shell has a rainbow on it...

I have discovered a not-very-local-but-not-too-silly-a-distance-away supermarket that has a container for Trusselll Trust donations. Will need to weigh up the extra cost of actually getting the foods there, compared with what I already do.

The sun is trying to shine here. Enjoy your Sundays!