NST - January. Bobs post bauble debt busting challenge

Bobarella

Money_Minx wrote: »

Hi I would like to join in please and as a new person - all of the signatures look interesting but I dont know what they mean or how you join them - are they groups? Forums? Can someone please explain it simply to me. Thank you.

I would like to be able to join something I can visit regularly and put my total debts down and how much I have paid off each time I visit. I also sell stuff regularly, do Quidco (aiming to earn enough for the TV Licence with it) and am saving up an emergency fund. I would like to join in with some of these interesting signature things but do not know how. Can someone help?

Mandy

Hi Mandy
Welcome to the January NST Challenge. You are very welcome to join in.
You are NST January #45
Most people's signatures relate to the challenges they are part of and their overall debt levels/mortgage payments till paid off etc.
The section you are in now is debt free challenges which is a sub section of the main forum. There is a thread subscription tool in your contol panel if you would find it easier to find your way back to the challenge.
This challenge is about no spend days plus the other objectives listed on page 1.
There is an emergency fund challenge too which sounds useful have a look in the challenges list where you first found this one.
There is also a challenge to pay off your debt by xmas 2016 which sounds like the sort of thing you are after.
Does that help? Feel free to ask more questions. .

Bob

Bobarella

Justforme wrote: »

Evening all, firstly congratulations Mothernerd on being debt free, hard work def pays off it seems.

I think I may have finally had a true lightbulb moment today. I was on a gotta get it all paid off road ASAP never mind other bills or other household needs, but I spent a very quiet shift in work setting up minimum payments on a catalogue account I have and a credit card just in case I forget one month, rejigged finances to clear outstanding bills and made a plan of regular payments to clear a credit union loan rather than spend every penny we have to clear it this month, also set up a direct debit to pay council tax as it physically makes me feel bleurghh paying it in post office. I now feel more organised and can still clear all our debts we are able to clear early before the end of April.
cadged a lift home from work tonight, so clocked another NSD today.Onwards and downwards hopefully before the snow comes to Wales x:D

Well done you! It sounds like you had a great afternoons organising..

WelshKitty85

Hi everyone!

Sorry to read that some of you are feeling low. Sending hugs.

Today was a spend day as I needed fuel. However, shouldn't need any more this month and am currently under my fuel budget at £58.72/£75.

In work for the rest of the week so should build up some more NSDs.

short_bird

Bobarella wrote: »

It's horrible to be hungry isn't it when you feel unwell especially. Hot soup for you and plenty of warm blankets!

I'm a great believer in hot water bottles

On the other hand, I'm right off Tuesdays, and have been for some time...
:rotfl:

Eager_Elephant

Not got time to read all posts tonight but will asap but just quickly posting to say it has been a planned spend day - I have also made my charity donation!!

mothernerd

Spend free day. Slept badly (worried about mum) very tired, eyes sore but treating them with cold tea in an eyebath. Cleared loads of rubbish. Mended a coat last night, one of 3 items DS3 is giving to a friend. More problems with the electrics tonight but have now isolated it to the 2 plugs behind DS3's bed (damp from next door's chimney).


Future plans live modestly, add to savings, sort out new budget without cc payments and bills for a second house. Need to tackle weight/ walking/ exercise, have a list of things that need dong on the house and need to sort mum out - someone has now suggested they start to move into the bungalow on 23rd January. It has a bath and they can only use a walk-in shower, the survey suggested replacing all the windows and doors and there are other things that would be easier to do before they move in. They have number of nurses visiting and security devices in place - arrangements have to be made to swap all those across in a co-ordinated fashion. Mum keeps agreeing to things 'because people have gone to a lot of trouble' but she has been so ill we have had to cancel hospital appointments and no packing has been done. Must try to go tomorrow.

Catwoman_2015

Morning Turtles!

Sorry for not posting for the last couple of days (although it only feels like 1 as it still feels like Tuesday to me now I've finished my night shifts this month!!) :rotfl:

Am now on 10 NSD's but today (Wed) after I've had some sleep will be a planned spend day - lucky felines have their annual jabs at the vets this afternoon to keep them healthy. I'm sure I will be covered in protest scratch marks later! :eek: Am also going to need to purchase some new very thick socks, as since I got a new pair of boots for Xmas, I have been going through a pair a day as all mine end up with holes in the big toes where they are rubbing! The boots themselves are quite comfy already, so I hope this hole-creating phase they're having will, um, wear off (sorry, terrible pun, couldn't help myself) otherwise I'm going to have to figure out how to darn socks as I can't afford to buy a new pair for every day of the remaining winter months!!!

Justforme - thank you for your Amazon suggestion for cat litter, I never would've considered using them for that, even though I've ordered plenty of other obscure items from them before now.

Mothernerd - SO pleased for you being debt free. Well done. You are an inspiration to all us wannabes. :T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T

Fmess, Dizzy and anyone else feeling a bit blue - studies have shown that the 2nd week in January is said to be the most depressing time of year, which is why I think Bob's kind gestures challenge is fantastic and very appropriate.
I read an article a couple of days ago suggesting that we should live by the 60% rule. If a friendship, work project or relationship is 60% or above then it is doing well. Perfection is an illusion and at this time of year a lot of us put pressure on ourselves for our new year resolutions and if we don't adhere to them 100% of the time immediately we think we've failed. (Money saving, diet, exercise, keeping on top of the housework - the list is endless!) If we are kinder to ourselves and realise that doing more than half of something is still a whole heap better than feeling overwhelmed and doing nothing then our feelings of hopelessness start to shift.
The article also suggested using something called the HALT technique as a useful coping strategy when feeling stressed or burnt out after the Xmas period. If you feel like you are about to make things worse with a rash reaction to something, check if you are feeling one or more of the below:
Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired. If you are any of those things, then pause to address your physical and emotional wellbeing before making yourself even more stressed by doing something impulsive. Hungry? Eat a banana. Lonely? Resist the urge to isolate yourself. Or as quite often is my curse, you are "Hangry" (hungry and angry) - I am very irritable if my tummy becomes empty, hence the need for snacks of the healthy variety always in my work bag and I try to have a stock piled freezer of batch cooked food to hand when I get in from a shift.

Sorry for the long post, but I thought it was important to share the above as I've found it's already helped me after I was getting into/under a bit of a dark cloud a few days ago. It's amazing how sensitive my mood is affected by what I eat, anyone else find that? Sugar = dark mood!!!:mad::eek:

Time for a well earned glass of wine now (2 days off and this is technically my "evening" after finishing at 6am this morning, that's my justification anyway!) :rotfl:

Hope you all have a good day and remember to show yourselves some self love and kindness too.

Catwoman x

dolly84

Bob - well done on finding £5.

I will be doing a grocery shop today but all within budget. Other than that the only spending is for kids activities which is all within budget too.

themarsbargirl

Catwoman- my sister used that acronym on her kids, although she put "pee" in front of it and used it as a check list when they were playing up. Usually it was one of the five things

apple_muncher

Catwoman_2015 wrote: »

. It's amazing how sensitive my mood is affected by what I eat, anyone else find that? Sugar = dark mood!!!:mad::eek:


Catwoman x

Totally! Like Sporticus, I can feel a sugar high and then get the subsequent crash! But only when I am generally avoiding all sugar, so my body is super sensitive. I then also have that reaction to any grains. So for me, avoiding sugar and grains = happy me:D

(For that reason, I also keep off fruit juices and alcohol. DH thinks I'm well weird!)