NST - January. Bobs post bauble debt busting challenge

traveller

Hi everyone! Welcome to all our newbies:T

Well after an awful start to the year,thankfully things are on the up :T DD has been in and out of the doctors and A&E over the last few days She had an explainable burning, stabbing pain in both feet and extreme itching. She couldn't sleep at all. It was very distressing and I've spent a small fortune on lotions and potions that did not work. The doctors had no idea what was causing it, but thankfully, it's subsiding now and she will be able to go back to uni tomorrow for Monday. One consolation is that in 5 years she will be able to diagnose herself once she finishes her medical degree

FMESS, our goals are literally identical but you've really inspired me to get off my backside, stop whinging and do it,lol. My aim is to be completely debt free by the end of the year (again),lol and have a decent emergency fund and build up my children's savings too. If my finances are in check, I wont have to use theirs when times are rough.

Choccie, good luck with everything, hugs to you

Bob, I'm so with you regarding the Parks adverts, due to my job, I see the misery that can be caused when these things go belly up and yes your right, one of these did fold no too long ago and it was a dreadful mess for those affected. Please just save your
money yourselves

I'm aiming for as many spend free days as possible.We have loads left from the festivities, so will make sure they are used up. My credit report, due to my work, I check this easily and well worth doing. My free stuff, I'm not great at this but do surveys. I always pay my debt first and my grand aim is to get to the stage where my outgoings are less than my income

Have a good night everyone

The_Only_Girl

Fmess wrote: »

Thanks TOG enjoy your sewing, what are you sewing?

I'm sewing more bags. The ones I gave to friends and family on Christmas received good reviews so I'm now inspired to make some more, hopefully to sell. Although being a softie I'd probably end up giving them away.

*Jellie*

Bobarella wrote: »

1. We are aiming for maximum no spend days this month. There are 31 days in Jan. Aim for at least 21 if not more.
aiming for 21
2. Pay to your debt as soon as priority spends are complete. These should be rent/mortgage, food, heating etc.
This month we are having a stretch target concept which some of you will recognise but for the new contenders means paying your min payment then calculating what you would like to shift from your total debt ideally. If you don't hit the stretch target it doesn't matter but you will probably have raised your game either way. [COLOR="rgb(153, 50, 204)"]payment scheduled to go out. Stretch target to be decided[/COLOR]

3. State your intentions. Tell us what your aim is. Why are you seeking this path and what doors do you hope to unlock along the way? [COLOR="rgb(153, 50, 204)"]spend on needs not wants. Get back to tracking finances and budgeting. Look at ways to make some cash![/COLOR]

4. Check in every day. The reason we do this is to keep ourselves accountable. If you've set your intentions in a group of like minded people you are less likely to stray from the path. [COLOR="rgb(153, 50, 204)"]will try[/COLOR]

5. You will donate £5 to a good cause of your choice. [COLOR="rgb(153, 50, 204)"]done[/COLOR]

6. Plan your diary. It's good to be sociable but nights out are costly and a walk with a friend is free. Don't worry about offending people by suggesting an alternative social occasion. Report in at how many events you have to attend in Jan and other people can suggest ways to minimise costs. [COLOR="rgb(153, 50, 204)"]diary planned[/COLOR]

7. Plan your grocery spends carefully. After the excesses of Christmas you will probably have spent more than usual on food. Can you use this as an opportunity to save on groceries in January? Think carefully about what you do need.Have you got loyalty points for shops that can be cashed in to save on food? [COLOR="rgb(153, 50, 204)"]doing a Storecupboard challenge and lots of batch cooking this month. Hoping to only spend on milk and get everything else from what we already have. I have £40 budget just in case missing ingredients for batch cooking buy hopefully won't use it[/COLOR]

8. Get something for free! - they say the best things in life are free, I challenge you to find as many free things as you can in January and report back. For example can you get a free haircut by going to a student training evening? Can you go shopping at 9pm and get food for nothing? Can you set up a clothes swap with friends and all get a new item of clothing for nothing? [COLOR="rgb(153, 50, 204)"]need to mull this over![/COLOR]

9. Earn extra - find a way of making something on the side. I like the term 'side hustles' mine are ebay, spending apps, cashback sites, reward credit card, wombling store points, anything you can do to bring additional income into your house do it!
[COLOR="rgb(153, 50, 204)"]finish setting up etsy shop and put some things on Facebook and eBay to sell[/COLOR]
10. Check your credit report- if you have a bad credit report it can ruin your chances of getting a mortgage, 0% credit deals, renting a property. For between £0 & £3 you can obtain a copy of yours and check that there is nothing unexpected on it. [COLOR="rgb(153, 50, 204)"]done[/COLOR]

Let 2016 be the year you set yourself free!! [COLOR="rgb(153, 50, 204)"]and so say all of us!![/COLOR]

Bob

These are my plans- looking forward to being a NST

Calling14

Sneaking in before midnight tad tiddly. Had A Christmas day in January, cooked turkey dinner for my girls and boyfriends. Dyed my roots, 2 mile walk in sunshine and a sfd.

Making the most of having my youngest daughter around before she leaves for over a year travelling.

Tomorrow Dec's will come down and house cleaned.

Fmess throw some of your positive energy here please.

Traveller glad your daughter is better.

Chocolate hugs x

HelgatheHairy

NSD no. 2 done! Happy days. Although I'm trying to decide if I'm going to allow myself to spend my birthday money without it counting. We'll see.

jeanangeo

Oops, a bit late but this is NSD 2. See you all tomorrow . Last at before fully back to work. Posting from my phone again, must update my signature tomorrow. Well done to everyone else, two days down now .

jeanangeo

HelgatheHairy wrote: »

NSD no. 2 done! Happy days. Although I'm trying to decide if I'm going to allow myself to spend my birthday money without it counting. We'll see.

Cruel world if birthday money counts . I personally say enjoy at least some of it..

themarsbargirl

PurpleJay- I'm teetotal because of my meds but I'm giving up drinking anything other than water for January!

Chocolate- it's easy to get locked into thinking that others needs are more important than our own. You are equally important, don't feel guilty, it's better to get help now than at crisis point and there are usually waiting lists for counselling, anyone at a high risk of suicide will get bumped above you (not sure if that's as comforting as I intend it to be).

Nothing much to report other than NSD 2 of January. Tomorrow needs to be a spend day though.

Justforme

A late one for me tonight as I am on a very quiet night shift on overtime rate so not all bad.


I am afraid to say I am one of those dreaded Park hamper agents and have been for many years, oddly I was one of those that suffered when the other company crashed lol, the government has put something into place to safeguard all savings so hopefully it is all safe, we save ourselves and have about 20 friends and family members who do too, little and often is a deal breaker for lots and saves us all putting it on a credit card or catalogue that many many still do. The adverts had drove me crazy before Christmas and will be glad to see them gone too.


An expected spendy day for me today, DS needed new school shoes, I was hoping to find something in the sales to spend my vouchers on but no their back in the drawer for another time, I would usually have squandered them on anything but determined to use them wisely this year. Also started a spending diary going to track every penny I spend so I can see what needs to tighten next month.

stewby

Hello hello.

So, have finally finished our new year. The final party was tonight. Obviously coming from Scotland, hogmanay is a big thing for us which is why I haven't really posted.


On the plus side, because hogmanay is such a big deal, we haven't been near a shop so 2 spend free days for us.
:j

Our local drop-off point has stopped accepting donations (except for money) so waiting for it to reopen to actual donations. It's not an ungrateful thing, the whole community have just given so much that they need time to process it all before starting to collect again.


Not really much else to add apart from wishing you all a happy new year.