NST April - SPRING INTO ACTION

GSRcat

I'm up for sone Fitbit buddies Fmess! Most of mine have dropped off the radar recently.
My first NSD today, hurray! Took the kids to the park for the afternoon and it was lovely.
Didn't get round to doing my cupboards today but hoping I might tomorrow.

XSpender

Hello Turtles :wave:

We are back from our lovely week in Somerset today. Please can you count me in for this month's challenge.

Will catch up with you all this weekend as we are shattered from the long drive plus DH got a call on the way back to dash in to work as soon as we got back in to see his bosses boss who was going on holiday himself this afternoon. Good news is DH has been promoted and if he wasn't so tired he would be jumping up and down with glee :j:j:j

Debtfreedolly

I'd love to join please? I have 2 weeks off work so not sure if that will make things easier or harder?? But either way I'd like to give it a shot

Debtfreedolly

WEEK 1 challenge-Your health to start each Friday (tomorrow!!!!)

In this section we get to grips with all those regular check ups we have been avoiding. e.g. Opticians, Dentists, Find out if you are due for any general screenings or vaccinations. Regular check ups are important could save your life.

Eating habits can you do better?
I eat appallingly badly. As I am off for two weeks I will make the effort to use my slow cooker and make something edible with veggies...

Exercise
I have found my Fitbit and bought a new charger and am determined to do 21,000 steps a day to make the most of my bounts account. Starting by walking to town tomorrow and saving the bus fare too.

Have a pamper session at home
I will find my old uv nails kit and do my nails properly

Keep your mind active,
I will get use out of my kindle and read some books!

Hope I've done this right? And then I check in every day to say how I'm doing, is that right?

Bobarella

Calling I rang and booked a smear for the 14th. I wouldn't have done so if it wasn't for this challenge. Thank you. I am very sorry about your sister. How very sad.

Xspender Did you do Porlock in the end?

Fmess Ha ha do I get a cape I am so glad about your house. Big good news not to have subsidence.

Azzzaa

I am going to aim to have one less cigarette a day and make a mental note of when i don't have it and drink a litre of water instead, replace unhealthy with healthy

*snow*white*

Hello everyone

Well not a bad start generally. YNAB all sorted for the month ahead. Checked and our bank account has been changed to the one where we do not pay a monthly fee for insurances we do not need :T

Made a meal plan and shopping list. Should be a cheap wk as only me & dh so will be using up what we have, the ravenous teen is at his dads until week.


sorted out some lotions and potions, found a nice peppermint cream so will use that on my trotters

greent

OK - this'll be a long post as I'm quoting the month and week's targets x

Calling14 wrote: »

:T NST APRIL SPRING INTO ACTION

If you can reduce/cancel any of your bills make every penny count, - Energy supplier changed in March, saving £400+ pa. No insurances due in April to shop around with - but 2 x car insurance due 1st May, so will do some comparisons this month .
Stop all reckless spending. No coffee shops, Takeaways, Cakes, Chocolate – often sugar craving is a sign we are lacking certain vitamins. Look at your diet and by the end of this month we will fit into the clothes with labels on still in our wardrobes. - Hmmm - we have an afternoon tea booked this month (Xmas present) and a birthday meal out (16th) for DS1. But am also following SW at other times.
Make lists – Weekly action plan to do jobs at home, shopping list what you need and stick to it. Use up everything in your cupboards that has been there a while. Batch cook and freeze. - have reorganised pantry items today - will focus on those which have been hanging around a while, along with older freezer items
Can you earn an extra 50 pounds somehow, selling, overtime, crafting? - £15 made today from selling. Have some items on ebay and a couple of others on fbook. Want to achieve this as a minimum

1. Aim for 20 SFD's (Spend Free Days) GULP :eek: Going to be tough month - EEKK! Have only ever targeted SFDs once before (last month! ) and found that hard enough with a lower target (which I didn't achieve) 1 achieved so far


2. Pay to your debt after usual bills. Live off whats left. YOU CAN DO IT. If you get paid weekly set monthly target to pay and be focused.


3. Set Budgets before the start of the month, can you use up food, loyalty points? - looking to use up food stores. We save Nectar and CC points for boosts/ days out/ doubling up promotions


4. Check in daily to be accountable for your actions, the naughty step is waiting !


5. Unnecessary spends are unnecessary for a reason. Stamp them OUT please.



6. Plan, plan, plan what you are doing this month. How many nights out do you need? Can you do anything which doesn’t cost money instead? Can you get your little one to make a birthday card for a relative instead of buying one - simple things count! - Already have several confessions to get in! - Have afternoon tea booked (another present - so no cost) Also have night out with friends next week - usually spend around £10 between us. Night out with friends at month end - free entry to venue, but drinks may total £20 for that one. Also have bday meal (16th) for DS1. Ooh - and bday party for cousin's youngest - but I think I have a suitable present & card in the stash


7. Random acts of kindness, try for at least one a day. Be the annoying smiley person.:D - Offered household items to someone looking for things on fbook. OK - they declined, but the offer was there!


8. Donate to Foodbanks/ charity of your choice. Wont’t set an amount up to you what you can afford. - Have a box of items building up for CS, which is being added to a decluttering continues. Still have bag of items for foodbank from last month:o :o


9. Treat time, you can either set some me time each day or treat yourself with a budget of 15 poundsfor the month. Whichever works best for you but chill out/enjoy life. - treat budget to be spent on 2 nights out - should be about £30 for the 2 of us, so hopefully in budget! (fingers crossed!)


10. Don’t spend on credit cards. It does NOT cheer you up in the long run. - we do spend on them, but have a DD to clear the balance each month


11. Review your DFD(debt free day) anything you can do to bring it forward? - loan will be tackled after our holiday is paid for (which is where all extra money is going at the moment) I appreciate this is contrary to what most people will be doing

12. Shake a tail feather – exercise walk, jog, kettle bells – whatever you body is up to at least 30-40 minutes a day. Exercise releases endorphins (happy hormones) which helps us deal with stress. Up to you set weight target for the month (in private or openly whatever gives you more motivation and check weight weekly(Friday) - I'd like to lose 7lb in April. Avg 10000 steps per day and 30 mins of exercise. Steps and mins achieved today

Calling14 wrote: »

WEEK 1 challenge-Your health to start each Friday (tomorrow!!!!)

In this section we get to grips with all those regular check ups we have been avoiding. - I need to rebook a dentist apt which I cancelled
Eating habits can you do better? ? - 5/day achieved today. But also ate too much sugar

Exercise If you able join in I am aiming to walk at least 1hr a day, can't afford gyms, exercise classes. Do want you feel comfortable doing, we don't want wounded turtles clogging up the naughty step. - will do walking and cross trainer

Have a pamper session at home pay attention to those feet, exfoliate use all the xmas pressies up. Skin will be on show soon. - am following Frump to Fab thread and using body polish and lotion more often as a result But do need to also pay attention to my feet

Keep your mind active, jigsaws, reading, quizzing, chatting to new people, join local interest groups, whatever works for you. - I try to read most days and am Treasurer for a local charity

That's me for now. Apologies for long post. Will get some numbers in sig tomorrow.


x

Eager_Elephant

WEEK 1 challenge-Your health to start each Friday (tomorrow!!!!)
I weighed myself yikes 13st ( not expecting you to disclose your weight) if you want to look fab for summer just state weight you want to lose this month 7lbs for me. I will be weighing myself this weekend in preparation of my new way of eating which starts next week. I will post when I know, it isn’t going to be great though – I am guessing 11stone (or more). I want to lose at least 7lb as well.

In this section we get to grips with all those regular check ups we have been avoiding. e.g. Opticians, Dentists, Find out if you are due for any general screenings or vaccinations. Regular check ups are important could save your life. I need to get myself to the GP for some outstanding gynae issues but have been putting it off. I must get an appointment booked this coming week. My dental appt is overdue, they cancelled back in Feb and I said I would call to rebook and haven’t bothered.

Eating habits can you do better? Vegetables/fruit are cheap at moment with supermarket wars. Aim to eat at least 5 a day. Cut out sugary foods, save money and have perfect looking skin. Have you enough Iron, minerals in your diet? I am going to start the 5:2 diet this week so will up my fruit and veg intake on my normal days.

Exercise If you able join in I am aiming to walk at least 1hr a day, can't afford gyms, exercise classes. Do want you feel comfortable doing, we don't want wounded turtles clogging up the naughty step. Will see if I can do more than my usual.

Have a pamper session at home pay attention to those feet, exfoliate use all the xmas pressies up. Skin will be on show soon. My feet are so bad in winter so I have started moisturising daily to try and improve them ready for summer..

Keep your mind active, jigsaws, reading, quizzing, chatting to new people, join local interest groups, whatever works for you. Will have to find something to do.

Finally I apologize now, I haven't gone mad with this challenge I want us able and ready to cope with everything life throws at us.We want you fighting fit for the financial challenges in the weeks ahead. Thanks calling!!

juliejim

Well so far so good!

I have done my 10k steps today even though my meeting this morning ended up being 3 hours and then I've been to my mum's for tea so sat down for a couple of hours and had my 5 a day. I now have enough swagbucks for a £5 gift voucher so I may withdraw that or leave it for a bit. It hasn't been a NSD as I took my DD and her friends shopping and got a couple of things for my holiday.

I'm on fitbit too if anyone wants to add me.

Jue