NST: September: the Turtles go Wombling

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NST: September : the Turtles go Wombling

• 12 months from now, you will be one year older.
• But will you be one year better?
• If you want to change where you are in your life, it is up to YOU and you alone.
• Where do you want to be in 12 months’ time?
• Plan for your future.

• Make the decision to change.
• Take Action.
• Recruit social support.
• Get accountability & guidance.
• Identify every obstacle in your way and generate 2 solutions for each.
• Give yourself an Incentive for success, and set a deadline for change.
• Never quit on what is important to you.
• Success is simple.
• It’s not easy, but it’s simple.
• Put your head down and do the work.

Scrutinise your soa (no need to post it) and question every category of spending. Look at every single one of your receipts – are there areas where you overspend.

Educate yourself in why you spend needlessly, what triggers unnecessary spends and also how you keep focussed.

Plan your time, your outings, your commitments, your spends and your meals. Prepare for 25/12. It happens every year, same date. What are you expectations for the day/period. Do they tie in with your mse ways.

Target your weak spots and work on strengthening them.Day by day. One by one.

End goal: how much and by when? It may not be a final goal, but a step along the way. What will happen if you do not meet your targets? Every penny paid off works at reducing the interest and debt, or it increases the savings. Every penny takes you nearer to or further away from your end goal. Use your pennies wisely.

Make a note of absolutely everything you spend. Take your notebook with you everywhere. Do it every day. Get receipts for every purchase and then note it down. Some use YNAB; others have spreadsheets; others use pen and paper. Find what works for you and stick to it.

Buck the trend. Don’t spend. Be different. Set your own path. Every penny off your debt is a penny you will never have to pay interest on again. Every penny into your savings is a penny working for you.

Extend a hand to someone who needs help. Stop to talk to a neighbour. Smile at strangers. Do random acts of kindness. Donate to a food bank.

Remember your motivation every day. Write it down. Carry it round in your purse/wallet. Stick it on the fridge. Read it constantly. Tell us about it.



Reduce, reduce and reduce some more. Reduce what comes in. Reduce what you use. Reduce what you spend. Reduce what you need. Reduce how you ‘waste’ your time. Reduce screen time. Reduce electricity usage. Reduce gas usage. Reduce water usage. Reduce the amount of rubbish you throw away

Increase, increase and increase even more. Increase meal planning. Increase recycling. Increase wombling (both as Bob does, and as the Wombles did – think Uncle Bulgaria – "making good use of the things that we find; things that the everyday folk leave behind"). Increase walking. Increase being outdoors. Increase appreciating what you have. Increase the discovery of joy in your life. Increase your skills.

The rules:

• The challenge runs from the start of September 1st to the end of September 30th.
• Set your own NSD target of 15 or over.
• Give £5 to charity, foodbanks…
• Pay to your debt/savings first
• Set your personal DFD: Debt Free Date – make yourself accountable for it.
• Stretch yourself with another target for the month (extra payments, better food, less waste)
• Post ideas for meals.

Will you join me?

apple_muncher

Turtles go wombling:

1 apple muncher
2 crazy_cat_lady
3 Blue_Bird
4 Bobarella
5 misstara
6 academiablues
7 dolly84
8 stewby
9 Calling14
10 Synonymous
11 nannygladys
12 WelshKitty85
13 Grabs39
14 Samiszel
15 The Only Girl
16 Fmess
17 498louise
18 Jonesy88
19 thriftylass
20 Sallycat
21 Iwanttobefree1
22 cybertortoise
23 Carviscocker
24 abundant1972
25 luckystarr
26 belleandthebudget
27 traveller
28 Moonbeam

crazy_cat_lady

Hi
Please can I join in with this? I have, during the month of August, discovered that I can really make cut backs when I have to. I've set myself a target of being debt free for Christmas this year and this would help keep me on the straight and narrow.

Blue_Bird

Hi, I'd like to join too please!

I'm giving myself a bit of a talking-to and trying to break the cycle of living in my overdraft and clearing then adding to my CC every month. I'm aiming to buy a house before Christmas. To prepare for this I need to budget better, so this challenge will help me stop the "invisible money" slipping through my fingertips!

To help me do this, I've started a YNAB trial today, and I plan to join some of the DFW challenges too.

I plan to have 21 NSD's :eek: which is very ambitious for a first timer I know! I have already moved my cash around to debts/savings and donated to charity, so let the Wombling begin!

Blue

Bobarella

Hi Apple

Sign me up please! I love this challenge already.
Great to see another 'face'from the small things thread too CCL :j

So many thoughts upon reading the challenge. The 4th quarter is going to be a busy one for me. Having only reopened my business in March after a 6 month closure, September marks the start, traditionally of my busy period. I will take double between September and March than the rest of the year, as the colder weather means people want to be inside drinking coffee & eating good home made food. So busy work period coming up.

Also busy is the fact I am due to have a baby in the 1st week of October. Plus my son goes into Year 2, which many say is the start of real school.

2 busy periods converging. To keep control of my life in this time is going to take some doing. And that means planning and more planning. So I'm in! Oh yes. On the financial side I hope to qualify for Maternity Allowance to enable me to pay for some cover. Things have been so shaky from the closed period that I haven't dared employ anyone. Hoping I can juggle the staff cost with the mat allowance offset.
But, I have 2 golden months of rent freedom coming up (November, December) due to the shop rent being paid up over 10 months. That is £1500 that is not yet accounted for. And 'may' help get me to my DFD by the end of 2015 as hoped.
So I need to brace on all fronts really, push back on any costs that are questionable, keep focusing on pushing the debt down, the fact it is now on 0% really helps.

15 NSDS is just what the doctor ordered. I have already made my min payments for September so my stretch is to find another £300 to get under the 3k mark.

My emergency fund is topped up now too so no savings to distract from kicking the debt down hard.

Let's go September Contenders:beer::T:T

Bob

misstara

Me too please

I'm going to aim for 20 NSDs and 12 gym days. I've hardly been to the gym in August so need to get back into it.

My DFD is Christmas 2016 and this month I will pay off what's left of cc2, currently £95. This month, my other target will be food waste. We are getting better (and at least we now have the food bin so I don't feel quite so bad) but there's room for a lot of improvement.

Looking forward to September's challenge - thanks apple

crazy_cat_lady

I think I had better just go for 15 nsd's - anything more than that will be a bonus, but once I'm back at works, nsd's should be achievable. My financial target is to finish paying off the CC, and start replenishing the EF.
Other than that my target really needs to be less food waste. I am terrible for not properly meal planning and throwing perfectly good stuff away because I've just left it for too long.
Hi Bob - nice to see a familiar face

academiablues

*waves* sign me up please apple

dolly84

Thanks for the new challenge applemuncher. Count me in please. Will have a proper look over the rules later.

Calling14

Count me in :j

Synonymous

Yes please apple