NST July - Bobs Bucket & Spade Boogie to the beach!

Calling14

Water meters get one. Even with 2 lodgers, having a bath each day and garden watering my bill dropped to £27.50 a month, now just me £23.50 and we pay more in Wales for some reason our water. Do it

WelshKitty85

Thanks again everyone. Misstara although I wouldn't wish this on anybody else, it can be a relief to know I'm not the only one having to deal with it. I don't mean to imply that dh does nothing, as he does Hoover and wash up every day, and will tackle the mountain of ironing if I leave it long enough. Feeling a bit better about the whole situation today.

Weather is miserable, so have decided not to go out to the butchers today. Instead, will make fish cakes for tonight. Will do the butchers tomorrow instead, and can also go to ald! for school uniforms while we are out and to the nearby shopping centre that is doing free dinosaur activities tomorrow.

Hope you all have a good day.

Bobarella

Just running in to do a quick update and will reply properly later on. Including the £83 from the CB and a bit over, I've managed to go from £4,750 to £4,364.72 a huge (for me) £385 monthly pay down. I usually manage £100. Admittedly the CB for the coming month has come in early enabling me to put that to The Debt but still.

It is totally part of being in this challenge that I've done it. So thanks all for the great inspiration!

Bob

academiablues

Hello all! Mothernerd, didn't realise you were near-ish me (I'm Warrington way). Bob, that's a fantastic debt decrease, mega well done!
Trying to have some quiet days, as work has been hectic. Found some cherry trees last night (wild ones, lots of them) and waiting for the elderberries to come out. Cherry jam already planned for the weekend though. Not much else to report, just trying to save as much as I can before pay day next week

The_Only_Girl

Calling14 wrote: »

Not having best of weeks. Second day off sick today sciatica has taken over. Yesterday in agony unable to sit down all the pain down my lhs today moved over to the right. Going for treatment this afternoon couldn't get in yesterday so at least had a Sfd.

Dog has made a lovely mess the kitchen this am. Really struggled bending to clear up. Floor moped and need a shower to get my back moving, before hobbling with the dog out.

Sorry to hear about your sciatica, calling. Please take it easy. You don't want to make the pain worse but working too hard especially at home. It's easy at work coz we can call in sick but at home we can't.

Calling14 wrote: »

Water meters get one. Even with 2 lodgers, having a bath each day and garden watering my bill dropped to £27.50 a month, now just me £23.50 and we pay more in Wales for some reason our water. Do it

Wow one more vote for the water meter! Thanks

Bobarella wrote: »

Just running in to do a quick update and will reply properly later on. Including the £83 from the CB and a bit over, I've managed to go from £4,750 to £4,364.72 a huge (for me) £385 monthly pay down. I usually manage £100. Admittedly the CB for the coming month has come in early enabling me to put that to The Debt but still.

It is totally part of being in this challenge that I've done it. So thanks all for the great inspiration!

Bob

Hip hip hurrah Bob what a fantastic achievement! So proud of you.

Huge well done Westie for smashing your target! Drum roll please! :T:T:T

Today was NSD 16/20. My early shift wasn't as traumatic as I thought. I woke up without much trouble this morning, albeit with a bit of a headache which I feared would turn into a mega-migraine but luckily it decided to bother somebody else. I was pain free all day and my colleague said, I looked my normal happy and cheery self (which was nice to hear). When I got home, I was pleased to see that OH defrosted chicken from the freezer which indicated that he had something planned for dinner. Which also meant I didn't have a very long to do list after work. I had a nice chilled out afternoon. Did a bit of reading and reconciling of the bank account and money envelopes. I am pleased to discover we still have £110 left in the grocery budget, £35 for petrol and several other envelopes making a total of £232, that's potential additional cc payment or savings. There's also quite a good sum in the current account. Ultra proud of ourselves for this. I hope I haven't jinxed it, as there are still 9 days to go before the end of the month, thanks bob for a fantastic challenge this month. Speaking of which, I haven't had a beach day yet. I have had an outdoors day when I spend an entire Sunday working in the garden and hurt my back in the process but not a beach related outing yet. Will try and squeeze that in before August. 📝. How about you fellow turtles, any beach day/s yet? Please do tell.

Fmess

calling - how are you feeling this afternoon? Please do take care of yourself.


mothernerd - you definitely need clothes to clothe your body so they are worthwhile spends and you are the least frivolous person I know, so please do not feel guilty.


juliejim - thanks for the link, I will be reading and hopefully adding to it shortly


bob and the only girl - well done on your overpayments/savings, you are both very inspirational


So today has been a SFD :j I was able to collect my car and all the work was done for less than I had imagined, so I am really chuffed I have gathered together bits of money from various pots and think that currently I have £100 to overpay the debt, so I have transferred this over tonight This means I am right in the middle of my debt payment 'target' and 'stretch' amounts at £556


Friday is my normal payday so when the money comes in, I will check all my bank balances and remove any money left in the accounts from the previous payday and pay it off the debt. I should also have a few more payments from the extra work I have been doing (marking from last month and temping from this week) so will distribute this between holiday/emergency fund/debt.


Hope you are all keeping well and the OHs are all ok today.

Bobarella

Hi Guys

Thanks for all the encouragement about the debt pay down progress everyone. I thought I cared before but I didn't feel like this!

Calling - you poor thing. Sciatica is god awful. I had a bout over 10 years ago now, in my case brought on by running for a train in heels wearing a heavy backpack. I felt like my thigh was tearing open all down the back of my leg. Never known pain like it. I had 10 weeks of physio. Fortunately had private medical insurance through my work at the time. I still follow the instructions of my physio every day to this day regarding how I get out of bed in the morning. Anyway I just sympathise so much. If you haven't experienced it you can't understand. Can you get a referral for physio asap?

WelshKitty & MissTara - Hope both your OH'S feel as better as they can soon. You both sound like you do so much and manage so well in spite of your partners conditions.

Fmess - wow yourself on debt repayment. That's brilliant progress! So pleased about your car too!

The Only Girl - you have so much left in your budgets! Amazing. :T congratulations on your NSD count too:T

Westie - you are officially crowned Turtle of the month for hitting the NSD target so early. Woo hoòo:T:T

academia - how lovely about the wild cherry trees. I baked a cherry cake with fresh ones at work this week. It was eaten quite quickly. Something about a cherry

Dolly - hope the first day of the hols has been lovely.

Abundant - well done on your NSD score!!

I got a massive yellow label haul at Mr Morriseys tonight. And heaven knows I'm not miserable now
Big packets of good quality ham for 49p. Pate for 49p (I don't like it but OH loves it) large pack of chicken enough to do 3 meals for £1.50. Pork pies, Turkey breast, great deli cheddar cheese, and a pizza for son's tea. Came away with 2 big carrier bags full for pennies.

The Only Girl - haven't made it to the beach, but OH and son will be there next week. Husbands family live a stones throw away from it down near Portsmouth. I'm going to miss them both but it's so good for DS to get out of London and I am looking forward to a few days rest. I was outdoors at the christening last weekend for most of the day in my friends garden. Was glorious

Night all

Bob

The_Only_Girl

Bob, we lived in Portsmouth for 6 months in 2002 before we moved up north. Lovely place to live in. I miss Portsmouth!

The_Only_Girl

I just want to share this before I go to bed:

Last night I didn't feel like preparing my LTW for today and secretly/mentally prepared to buy my lunch at the canteen at work. In my head, I rationalised that since I joined the forum, I have not had a bought lunch so one lunch wouldn't hurt the bank. However, when I woke up this morning, I found myself in the kitchen making chicken wraps for my LTW. And I actually enjoyed my lunch! It was yummy, healthy and filling! When hubby got home, he told me the same story. He thought he was going to go to the canteen for his lunch but at the last minute, he rustled up a couple of sandwiches and saved himself at least £5. Crisis averted! It's just remarkable how our way of thinking has changed significantly - where we couldn't be bothered in the past and where we wouldn't think twice to take out our wallets and spend on autopilot, it now hurts to even think of the £££'s we would lose by not caring.

As Dave Ramsey says, Winning at money is 80 percent behaviour and 20 percent head knowledge.

Good night everyone! Enjoy your beauty sleep!

Bobarella

Morning All

The Only Girl - what a great story. At the end of the day how we spend our funds should be about priorities. Everyone has difference priorities so what may feel acceptable to one won't be to another. I do agree that buying lunch by and large is a waste. More because the time you benefit from it is limited and could lead to greater treats if you skip it. I may be putting that badly but for example, packed lunch for a month = cost of a ticket for a west end show, massively more memorable and enjoyable £ for £

Has anyone else got any good examples of giving up small daily treats to put towards something bigger?

Bob