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

mothernerd

Still cool here today, raining on and off but I thought it would be a good day for shopping so have spent £34.47 split between little Arseda, Eyesland and Tosco. Not sure it's the best shop I have ever done but have bread and lots of meat for sandwiches and salads (bought some 10p bags of lettuce earlier and have various other salad bits). Also the imminent danger of running out of soap, toothpaste, toilet roll and washing powder has now been averted.

I decided to carry on to the third shop after the second but then had to have a taxi back home, so have taken that £3 from the fun money. I want to make up batches of sandwiches and freeze them (healthier options too - will just mix the tuna with vinegar and put it straight on buns, no marg or mayo). This gives me more options for days out, appointments and getting jobs done at the other (for sale house).

Thanks for the nomination Fmess, it was a lovely surprise. Still pondering replies to some parts of the challenge.

Today I am grateful getting all the essentials on my list, for new library books and exciting salad options.

cybertortoise

A spend day for me today but that was planned so I'm not that bothered. Aiming for 3 in a row starting tomorrow.

Synonymous

Hey everyone, nice and busy on the thread today, and lots of good progress, all of our targets and milestones will be slimmed down and bikini-ready in no time

First SFD today, decided I could hold off on food shop and do it before work tomorrow - I had enough to get by and bodged together an omelet for tea with a very old scrap of cheese. Made my own liquid detergent the other day too and the clothes seem to have come out ok.

So, some challenge targets; my goal is FIRE (financial independence, retire early) this includes paying off my mortgage asap. I'm 30 and a student, and want to achieve this by 45 :eek: I'm currently saving about 55% of my earnings, so I'm on track.

I'll aim for 20 SFDs, I need an allotment budget of £50 this month to try and sort it out, and I'm upping my food from £40 to £50 for more fresh food and variety.

I'll be shopping at Aldi and also using the shopping cashback apps, and will keep trying Aldi versions of things, although there have been some terrible imitations so far!

As I got my quarterly pay, I've overpaid my mortgage for the next three months and squared away my savings for last month. The spreadsheets are reset and waiting This month I need to get new external doors for my house - must get on with this!

Night night all x

The_Only_Girl

Hi all! Good evening/good morning!

I have just realised that my rather long post last night (1st July) got lost in cyberspace. .

First of all, thanks Bob for a brilliant challenge. It is nice to see so many regulars and new turtles cheering each other on! Hip hip hurrah to all of us and here's wishing us all success in our quest for freedom from debt and/or mortgage and build up Emergency Funds and savings. By the way congratulations for making it to your £1000 EF target.

Yesterday and today were both NSD's. I am currently on my 2nd of 3 night, shifts so being in bed all day helps a lot in keeping the purse shut. One more night shift to go tomorrow night and tomorrow I will be in bed again all day so here's wishing for a 3rd NSD 3 in a row. (fingers crossed)

Yay welshkitty for DD's free ticket to the indoor play centre. Perfect for keeping the kids occupied during the school holidays and it's FREE! By the way, good luck on your scholarship grant. I do hope you get it.

I am slightly jealous of our fellow turtles who are winning on the exercise front. Well done YOU, I need to stop hiding from my shell and MAKE time for it. My weight is slightly getting out of control because all my focus is on getting rid of this last debt and having a decent emergency fund which currently stands at £250.

Congratulations on the extra debt payments misstaramand mmissdebt. Hi!

Sorry to hear about your unpleasant experience mmr.cobes. Sometimes in our efforts to save some money we do fall prey to the traps of companies who want to make more money at our expense. It's a learning curve, and we'll charge it to experience.

Synonymous wow you are inspirational. :T To be mortgage free at the age of 45 would be brilliant and it seems like you are on the right track for it! Good luck on your journey!

Fmess, nice to see you more often! I can feel good things are on your way.

Good night all, I have 7 hours to go til my bedtime

Fmess

Morning all,

Forgot to say yesterday that I paid off the smallest credit card, so I'm now down to 3 credit cards and a loan. Those turtles from the last few challenges will know that I had got down to just the loan and was 70% debt free until I became single but the split had financial implications and my debt jumped up. The two main credit cards are 0% for 18 months+ (although one has a partial non 0% balance) but as soon as I get a payment from marking, I will pay off the next smallest card, which isn't at 0%, and then get rid of the extra debt on one of the 0% ones

Thanks for your comment he only girl, I am starting to feel brighter and a bit more in control.

Also whoever posted that post about the 3 Cs (apple?) - I really do need to accept the things I cannot change and this is the big area I am working on at the moment.

Have a lovely day, hope you all enjoy the sunshine (without the stupidly high temperatures of Wednesday)

Bobarella

Morning All

Some great posts to the thread last night.

The Only Girl - Isn't it Dave Ramsey who councelles that we should do one thing at a time with intensity? You have certainly shown that you can do that with the way your debt has been slashed. Then you can kick it on the exercise. Good luck with your last night shift this week.

Synonymous - Your target sounds fantastic. When did you decide on this course of action? Who inspired you most to begin? And what keeps you motivated each month?

Cyber tortoise - good luck on your 3 in a row!!

Mothernerd - congratulations on your nomination! I agree your story really is an inspiration. :T

Nanny G - sounds like you have a good handle on your budgets despite a spend. Keep counting down the days!

Mountaingirl - Well done on your NSD and swimming with your daughter sounds healthy and fun.

Fmess - your story is also very inspirational. You have been so positive about your recent big life changes and instead of complaining about your increased debt have just got on with repayment business as usual. Good for you.

Mr Cobes- it's interesting what you say about not being able to trust the price promise mechanism. Have you actually reported it to Mr T? I would have thought you'd get all sorts of refunds if you can actually demonstrate they are lying on one of their biggest marketing campaigns.

Miss Debt -it doesn't matter how you got your NSD just that you did. You are trying so hard as anyone reading your diary entries can see too. Keep trucking.

Stewby - congratulations on your first NSD of the challenge.:T

Dolly - wow to your £600 pay off. Is that from your regular wages or are you doing extra work to make it happen for you? Impressive!

Have a great day 3 of the challenge everyone!

Bob

dolly84

Bobarella wrote: »

Dolly - wow to your £600 pay off. Is that from your regular wages or are you doing extra work to make it happen for you? Impressive!



Bob

It was a backdated payrise this month going back to January, I wish it could be that much each month.

I nominate Thriftylass as an inspiration - when I was on this forum before I was always amazed how much she achieved when she set her mind to it and with two very young children in tow.

Working today so no plans to go out spending (not that you need to leave home for that), I work from home and will be getting jobs done and dog walked in between. DS has a friend coming for tea today and DD is going away tonight to camp with Scouts for the weekend - this camp only cost £10 from Friday to Sunday with all meals - amazing.

timetrade

Yesterday was another NSD for me! (2/20)

I'm going out for lunch with my some of my work colleagues today (someone is leaving the company), then buying tickets for our local ale festival and doing a top-up shop after work - so today is definitely a spend day.

I was tempted to buy a breakfast roll from work this morning, but decided to bring one of those mug-porridges from home instead. Just because it's a spend day doesn't mean that I should spend frivolously!

Hope everyone has a good day today!

thriftylass

dolly84 wrote: »

I nominate Thriftylass as an inspiration - when I was on this forum before I was always amazed how much she achieved when she set her mind to it and with two very young children in tow.

Thank you very much (Need to set my mind to it more often :rotfl:). Hubby will be back tomorrow and I would like to keep some of the routines I introduced during last week to keep on top of things better.

Today it's glorious up here again. So will go for a run at lunch. Some kids are graduating from DS's nursery today and they are having a garden party. It is £10 for a family of 4 and starts at 4pm. Told DS we won't be going but I try to pick him up a bit early and then his sister and we'll have our own party in the garden. It's only me and him for £10, plus I wouldn't be able to go at four (work) and then stay very long as we need to get DD from the other end of town. He was ok with that as long as we play in our garden later.

Also will do a weekly shop tonight. Hope I got my list right and really won't need anything else for the week later but milk and bread. Last night found another batch of chilli in the freezer I forgot about, another dinner sorted.

Had as sort of unexpected spend today. I was waiting for the new kids swimming lessons at the uni pool to come up for booking (they sell like hot buns) and nearly missed it. It's only £19 for a block of 5 sessions but I booked DS in till November (=£57) because if he likes it I can' get anymore but if he doesn't like it I can cancel the last two blocks. He's only 4 and they start with water confidence rather than proper swimming lessons. I just think it's one of those essential life (saving) skills.

Calling14

apple_muncher wrote: »

Calling - you washed your dog in Pantene???!! Lucky pooch.

She is getting a lot of doggie attention as well:rotfl:

This month is going to be awfully difficult financially. Just looked at budgets be lucky if I pay minimum amounts off my cards. Aiming for 150 will try to get to 200 pounds but with heaps of expense this month going to be very tricky.
Going to lump my food/ fuel/ pets/ going out into one pot total budget to be 200.00.

Was going to try Sainsburys own brand weetabix but couldn't find it in store, gave into brand one in Iceland on offer and 50% extra free. Probably over 72 biccies cost me a 1.00 more. I will try next time as they have good reviews.

Sfd 2/20 today for me. Catch you later turtles:cool: