NST April - SPRING INTO ACTION

Eager_Elephant

Didn't manage a NSD - forgot milk for work so nipped out to get some and while out grabbed some gardening gloves (the dog chewed the finger off 2 pairs this week!!) and pegs.


Tomorrow won't be a NSD either as we have a charity event. [strike]Hopefully Sunday will be though[/strike] oops, just remembered we are getting our piglets on Sunday so have to pay for them although I wasn't counting animal spends as this is kind of our business/hobby - not sure what to do as don't want to cheat!!

[Deleted User]

Weird, weird, weird day here.

NSD which is good, but also a didn't get dressed day (which is probably not!).

Gave myself a easy start as wasn't working (although had agreed to take a call from big boss at lunchtime, which went fine) and pottered doing various jobs on the laptop. I did tackle some of the annoying jobs for the charity I support, which had been causing me guilt-stress.

But then those jobs seem to have spiralled and spiraled with the phone going lots and lots of messages to reply to. I made absolutely huge progress but it was a bit snakes and ladders-like. I literally just stopped having forgotten to eat either lunch or dinner (having banana on toast now). Along the way I got invited to go flying for free in a few weeks time as part of the task I was trying to get done. So I kind of both lost and gained today!

Such very sad news about the lady who drowned during the Clipper race. A unimaginable hour for her crew as well. This triggered a lot of phone calls as we have friends involved on a different boat, but all the fleet must be feeling it, and all the families at home so anxious. The sea is a wild thing.

Tomorrow will be more for me - still jobs to do - but ones on my list not anyone elses, including finalising budget for sig below. Going to turn off laptop and rest my eyes now, with a book, hot water bottle, blanket! Night turtles :undecided

misstara

Very quick post tonight before bed. A spendy day for me - I donated money to a friend who is raising money for a local charity plus went to the supermarket. Plenty of exercise, must have walked for about 2 hours. Not so great on the eating front but I've now stocked up on fruit and veg so will be better.

I've also made a wee £15 payment to the debt

mothernerd

A SFD. I have set my budgets. The entertainment budget of £30 for last month did not get spent (think I forgot about it) so I have renamed it extras and it will cover entertainment, the £15 treat money if I need money and anything I buy off my list for when I am debt free (haven't bought pegs yet but I found a few when I was doing the garden).

Going to try avoiding shopping as much as possible. List making has started. Will pounce on any random acts of kindness opportunities. All my cc were cut up last October or before. I am now debt free but want to increase my savings to cover DS3 leaving home and the end of tax credits (thought it was going to be next year when it changes to Universal credit but there may be changes which affect me sooner).

My weight is once again on the wrong side of 17 stone (not sure by how much). Surprised my clothes fit at all and it needs to be addressed asap. Not going to set a target but need to reverse the trend and start reducing.

Health challenge - need to order a repeat prescription. Breast screening was last year but may be offered one next year to go back on the old schedule. No longer need cervical smear and don't do dentists.

Will not buy any cakes, biscuits, sweets, chocolate etc and will cut out salt and fat as much as practical (have had two fish today and have a bag of seeds for snacks). Realised I had a blackcurrant cheesecake in the freezer (bought for Easter) but have checked the date and it is okay until December 23rd. Not promising it will still be there then but I will try (didn't think eating it in one go last night was a good idea).

Will make low sugar cake and biscuits if I need something (will have to wait as there is not enough room in the freezer to store anything yet).

I have just done one of my old one hour walks. It took me 1 hour and 20 minutes but is more than twice as long as any walk I have done since before my hip replacement operation (ironically I did parts of it a few days before my diagnosis when I was told I should not be walking on my leg. I plan to repeat the walk. If it's two difficult some days I will do 2 x 1/2 hour walks.

DS3's beloved has arrived. They have been to the cinema and will be out all day Saturday and Sunday as he has a stall booked at the Anime Festival in Manchester.

I have been catching up on sleep and persuading myself to go for a walk.

Today I am grateful for
tuna with sweet potato mash (one of my favourites)
DS3 being happy
mostly being allowed to sleep as long as I needed.

XSpender

[QUOTE=Bobarella;70424851
Xspender Did you do Porlock in the end?

[/QUOTE]

We did a lovely walk in the sunshine on Thursday from Porlock up through woodland to the top of the hill. Fabulous views Followed by a great GF cream tea with local jam in Porlock

Bobarella

XSpender wrote: »

We did a lovely walk in the sunshine on Thursday from Porlock up through woodland to the top of the hill. Fabulous views Followed by a great GF cream tea with local jam in Porlock

Wonderful. I am so glad. It is one of the nicest views from up there I think. Glad you had fun.

Good Morning Turtles

We have decamped to the in laws for the weekend. They live in a lovely thatched house right by the sea on the south coast. It is so different to our usual area it's a huge treat for DS. Because it has a large tourist population in season there is a very good Leisue park with play pools (indoor of course) etc so I know DS is desperate to go there later.
It is unlikely we will spend anything today except entry for the pool which will be around £7. In laws have got a lovely menu planned for the weekend including rabbit stew (sorry Calling) so no food costs either.
Before we came away we turned off the heating for the year. I feel very pleased to know our bills will be coming down massively.
We also ate up anything that needed to be eaten for our dinner as we got a later train. And I froze anything that could be saved. So good food waste practises.

Looking forward to a nice stomp along the beach later to blow the cobwebs away.

Have a good Saturday all.

Bob

Pollygarter

Hi all

Did 2 hrs strenuous cleaning and a good walk so tick for the exercise.

Ate simply and not too much. Tick.

Tidied my savings pot cash into the ISA before the end of year deadline. Not that it's got any where near the limit but there is more in there than there was this time last year!

Phoned friends and family. Spent time with daughter.

All good.

Not good. Found out best friends old moggie died. Sweet old ginger boy, sad news.

Some teen unplugged the freezer. Nobody knows anything about it of course but over £100 of food ruined. And at the time of the month when I use up all those bargains I've frozen over the month in the run up to payday. So it will put my tight food budget under stupid strain. It was full to the brim. I am so upset about nobody taking responsibility. It wrecks trust. I have a pretty good idea of whodunnit and am not so scary when cross but am depressed I've got at least one kid who won't own up to what's their responsibility. That is going to cost far more in the long run than a load of ruined food. So a day which started well ended badly. And I had a biscuit. Doh.

clippy_girl

Morning turtles!

Feel like I'm not going to make much progress on the days I'm here this month as much away in my home town this weekend so the spending has already started!

Picked mum up yesterday from train station yest and took her into town to go to the bank. Ended up spending £11.50 in blacks closing down sale on deet spray and a lovely micro fleece. I loved my micro fleece and always wore it in the house to stay warm but left it on a plane last year. Glad it has been replaced! I was starving so also bought a bag io popcorn and reduced mini eggs

Then went out for dinner with old school friends who I haven't seen for over a year. Was a lovely evening but spent £21 :eek:

Today will be just as bad as out for breakfast for DB's GF then shopping with mum. I need a few bits from Wilkos and a couple of shorts and tops (from primarni etc) for my hol. Also going to buy my chalk paint as there is a stockist here so saves me spending £5 for delivery.

Tomorrow at a christening so hopefully sfd!

For the challenge i need to book a dentist app. I only need to go every 12-18 months and it's been around 15 months. Have a horrible feeling I have missed one. Need to ring up and book and will have to pay a fee if I did miss one may need the hygienist this time as well.

I also need to loose weight and am currently 12st 12. Would like to be 12.8 at end of month as normally loose a little on holiday as don't tend to snack!

Have started body prep for holiday so been scrubbing and moisturising. I have 'chicken skin' on my arms so been scrubbing at that! Need to book a bikini wax before I go and will do my own shellac nails as I have a kit!

Going to check out the frump to fab thread

For food I will be using up the contents of my fridge before I go so snacking on beetroot and carrot! To use it up!

Hoping for a few sfd before I go

clippy_girl

Fmess- great news about the subsidence :j

Polly- sorry to hear about the freezer and no one owning up to it

EE- very exciting about little piggies :happyhear bet they will be very cute!

XSpender

If you can reduce/cancel any of your bills make every penny count – Must get DH to cancel Exper1an this month now we have sorted the errors on our credit file

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. – We seriously need to overhaul our diet, missing meals and then snacking on rubbish is our biggest issue. DH also drinks more than is food for his waistline and I am concerned DS is getting a bit podgy.

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. – We are moving in June and will be eating from freezer/cupboards this month. I love a list so will make one today for the coming week

Can you earn an extra 50 pounds somehow, selling, overtime, crafting? – We are clearing the garage out this weekend and will find stuff to sell in there

Prepare, plan budgets, get moving, the clocks have changed don’t just flake out in front of the tv at night, whole world out there to explore but it is up to YOU to do it.- YNAB and budgets to be finalised today. I will focus on making a proper meal each evening

This Challenge commences on the 1st April 2016 @ Midnight and closes on the 30th April 2016 @ 2359.

Rules

1. Aim for 20 SFD's (Spend Free Days) GULP Going to be tough month – 20 is going to be hard but as we have a limited budget this month I am going to go for it!

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. We are saving our entire pay this month and living on the bare minimum cash we have that available.

3. Set Budgets before the start of the month, can you use up food, loyalty points? Yes and Yes

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

5. Unnecessary spends are unnecessary for a reason. Stamp them OUT please. Nothing planned this month. We did have take away last night to celebrate DH promotion

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! No nights out or birthdays for us this month. Will budget to take DS swimming

7. Random acts of kindness, try for at least one a day. Be the annoying smiley person. Will do

8. Donate to Foodbanks/ charity of your choice. Wont’t set an amount up to you what you can afford. Will donate to the charity I support

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. I bought a colouring book and pencils on holiday and will keep this up or read for half an hour every day and will budget for the £15 for each of us this month
10. Don’t spend on credit cards. It does NOT cheer you up in the long run.
11. Review your DFD(debt free day) anything you can do to bring it forward?
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 weighed myself this morning and although I feel trimmer after all the walking I did on holiday I am still half a stone heavier than I was 6 months ago and where I feel most comfortable. I will aim to lose 3lb by eating well and getting back into my regular running. First run tomorrow and will aim for 15k steps today and tomorrow and exercise 3 times during each week.

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. I am up to date but DS needs a dentist check up and DH hasn’t had one for years so I will get him to arrange one before he starts his new job.

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? DH and I have made a commitment to improve our diet this month. No snacks to be bought, no alcohol during the week, a proper meal each evening and lots of fruit and veg. We will also be eating every meal at the table and not on our knee.

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. I will aim for 3 hours of exercise a week and up my steps to 10k a day during the week (Fitbit user here too) and 20k on a weekend.

Have a pamper session at home pay attention to those feet, exfoliate use all the xmas pressies up. Skin will be on show soon. I will paint my toenails and de fuzz the winter coat.
:rotfl:

Keep your mind active, jigsaws, reading, quizzing, chatting to new people, join local interest groups, whatever works for you. Reading and colouring for me this week

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.

Loving the challenge this week