NST: September: the Turtles go Wombling

Moonbean

Hello,
it's DeafLeopard with a shiny new account.
I couldn't change my password as I forgot my password when trying to
log in on my phone because I deleted the email address.
wanted a new start anyway.
Is that okay to swap usernames on this challenge?

apple_muncher

Moonbean wrote: »

Hello,
it's DeafLeopard with a shiny new account.
I couldn't change my password as I forgot my password when trying to
log in on my phone because I deleted the email address.
wanted a new start anyway.
Is that okay to swap usernames on this challenge?

Of course! Tis done.

Moonbean

Thank you,you're a star!
I don't have any debts but I'd like to save £1000 by end of next year,does that count?

The_Only_Girl

Bobarella wrote: »

The Only Girl - sorry your husband has felt down about the budget. Is there any scope for a small period of living a bit more lavishly before knuckling down to the mortgage free challenge? You really have moved mountains to clear the level of debt you had. Perhaps it does deserve a proper celebration?

Have a good day.

Bob

Hi Bob the wind has changed a bit. Hubby told me he booked a place in the Pre-Retirement Planning Workshop run by the hospital in March 2016. As you can imagine that caused a variety of reaction from his boss and his colleagues ranging from confusion and absolute ridicule. My hubby, being a calm and mild mannered man, just responded, it's never too early to know my options and plan for the future. Hear hear. I'm going to see if I could come along.

The_Only_Girl

dolly84 wrote: »

TOG - how do you pick up other peoples receipts and then get a price guarantee coupon?

I know what you mean about feeling poor/badly done to. This morning I was doing the school run and 3 of DS's friends were in front and I was looking at their rucksacks, two (twins) had Animal ones and one boy had a Converse one, my DS picked out one from WH Smith which was reduced to £2.99, he is happy with it and even though I was paying he still can't overpay on anything but everybody else seems to have branded everything.

I agree in principal with Dave Ramsey except the Jones's never do seem to be broke they seem to chug along spending like there's no tomorrow.

A lot of people just leave their receipts on the check out counters, trolleys and the floor. Which I pick up.

We are lucky because hubby, both sons and I are not into branded things. My hubby used to be a brand snob when he was younger and his parents were happy to indulge him but now we feel that as long as we can carry it, we don't mind about brands. We don't mind where we buy our things either - charity shop, eBay, handed down to us. People are shocked when I tell them how little I pay for my things and they say they'd never have guessed.

Re: the Joneses, seem is the operative word. They always seem to have money, or resources that never end. Behind closed doors, they are just like us, or probably worse, they are in state of denial, hiding their heads in the sand.

The_Only_Girl

Hello all,

Late check in, just got in from work day 5 or 7 two more to go!!!

Welshkitty. Sorry to hear about your car trouble. It's annoying when the car breaks down and cost an arm and a leg to get fixed. I hope you'll get it fixed soon.

Fmess have you seen the special buys in aldee - mini food processor (nutri-bullet costs £99+ And does the same job) and panini press. I love the mini food processor/smoothie maker! Bought mine last year for £15.

NSD number 5 today! LTW no. 10.

Received £289 refunded from First Utility! I'm impressed. I thought they were going to let us down. Part of that will pay for hubby's tyres that need replacing before we go on a road trip to London at the end of the month.

About my interview on Tuesday, I met one of the interviewers this afternoon and I'll see her tomorrow for a look around and another on Monday at a different site. Fingers crossed.

apple_muncher

Moonbean wrote: »

Thank you,you're a star!
I don't have any debts but I'd like to save £1000 by end of next year,does that count?

Yep, that counts! Not all of us here have debts (any longer) but we are like-minded in striving to save or pay off.

Have you worked out how much that means you need to save per month? £1000 over the next 16 calendar months =£62.50 per month. Where will you make the cutbacks for that? Will you keep a running total somewhere to make sure it doesn't get swallowed up in the general day-to-day stuff? If you can up your saving to £100 per month, then you will get to your goal in just 12 months. Good luck!

apple_muncher

This weekend's ponderations involve some daydreaming and some reality checks.

Where do you want to be in 12 months time? How much do you want to have paid off/ saved? Do you want to switch jobs? Move house? We often make goals for a calendar year, so go back and find them to see how on track you are.

Then, think about what could stop you reaching your goals, and note them down. I know that it is usually the totally unexpected things that derail us. For every obstacle you have noted, try to come up with 2 solutions, as whacky or as sensible as you like.


12 months from now, I plan to have paid another £18k off the mortgage. This involves living frugally and keeping on with the NST challenges. Sticking to a grocery shopping limit, aiming for NSDs (I find them so empowering!), Tilly Tidying regularly, using cash instead of cards to shop, saving my coins up, planning ahead for what we need and searching for the best deal before buying.

I think that this is a 'safe' goal as I have some extra work for 9 months, covering a colleague on maternity leave. I dropped my days from 3 to 2 so that I could pick up her 2 days without going full-time (and the knock-on consequences for my mental health and my dd). So I'll have the equivalent of 6 months at an extra day compared with the last academic year. And I already pay anything I earn over the 2 days off the mortgage anyway.

Although 'safe', it requires focus - but I do find it quite hard to spend now! Dh is on board but lets me manage it, and has curbed his gadgets and gizmos purchases over time.

What could get in the way? I may find that 4 days is too much for me and need to drop 1 or 2 of them. (I'm doing my place a mahoosive favour by taking on this work, as they would have to pay agency fees to find someone otherwise). If I drop back to 2 days then I'll have to revise my goal.

There may be emergency household repairs - washing machine only works on a 30° cycle (how mse is that?!), boiler is rather old now and probably inefficient.

We need to try to buy the freehold for my mum's property. We have the money saved (do hope it's not more!) but that will impact on our offset interest .

Enough wittering! Have a good Friday and do share your own thoughts.

Moonbean

I'm going to sit down today and work out where I can save. I have saved just under £100 this month in my bank savings but I split it between my two accounts so it's being built up. Today I'm going to take my coins into the bank and depending on how much I have saved,I'll split that.

My additional goal is to tidy my room and declutter... Now my partner comes around and stays over sometimes there isn't too much room,and it's getting too much.

dolly84

Carvis - that is a fantastic saving on your mortgage.

Welshkitty - ughh to the car expenses.

TOG - so people just leave their price guarantee coupons hanging around too? Crikey are they mad?

DD started back at Guides last night so I paid her subs up to Christmas but this was budgeted for. I delivered all my Avon and got £21 plus some things for us out of that and also 50p to DD as she helps me with it (she also gets chocolate from a customer so she enjoys coming along).

DD is going to Scouts camp tonight until Sunday so we just have DS for the weekend. I have been out for a run this morning and done some skipping at home, I have a load of cleaning to do, some work and walking the dog before the school runs.

In 12 months time I would love to be debt free but it is realistically going to be nearer 18 months. I could cut back on things and get there in 12 months but getting DH on board with more cutbacks would be hard (he is the main earner, he works hard, doesn't spend much and in all honesty didn't have much input in running up the debt in the first place).

Things we could cut back on but probably won't:

1.Monthly miscellaneous spend budget of £80, this covers day trips, takeaways (very rare), ice cream etc when out with the kids and other unexpected spends.

2. Kids spending money - they get £10/month each and pay for all unnecessary things they want from that.

3. We could cut out all treat type foods and wine from the grocery budget.

4. Kids music lessons - we spend £75/month on these during term time.

5. Sky TV - this costs us £20/month. DH would fight tooth and nail against this.

6. Kids clubs - we spend £135 ish per month on Scouts, Guides, Cubs, Swimming Club, Football, Pony Club.

For me I would rather take a further 6 months to pay off what we owe and never fall into the debt trap again than cut back to the bone and make everyone miserable. If it was just about me I would do it though.