NST January: Health, Wealth and a Life Well Lived

thriftylass

apple_muncher wrote: »

Janus is the god who looks both backwards and forwards. A new year can be a time to look back over the previous year (but we turtles have already done this in December). So this is a time to look forwards - where do you want to be in 12 months from now? 5 years? 10 years?

Had a think and think I would like to be debt free in the next few months, then start saving more and overpaying the mortgage. We need a new deal this yearand want to borrow extra to extent the house within the next two years rather than upsizing and buying. In 10 years I would love to be mortgage free. Only got 15 years left but could reduce that quite a lot by overpaying


Activity. This is a BOGOF one. Take up a new hobby or resurrect a new one. ALSO, be active. Keep moving.

I would like to read more again and resurrect my crocheting. Had Russian in school and thought that might be a nice quirky little hobby to resurrect too. Hubby is away next week and it'll be easier to leave the telly off and give this a try


Non-negotiables:
-18 NSDs might try 20
-your bugets are set by the start of the month and are fixed.350 groceries, 50 HH, 50 other
-£5 to foodbank / charity Done
-pay money to your debts FIRST - do not wait to see how much is left at the end - and live within your budget Done
-meal plan will do this weekend

Always plan your meals; always take a shopping list; always take your lunch to work ...Off to a good start


Reduce, re-use, repair, re-gift, recycle, recover, refuse! And read. will need to go through the kids toys, books etc, as well as my wardrobe, then kitchen .....

I want to re-introduce Bob's s t r e t c h challenge for January: how much extra an you earn / save off your food shop / move / remove. Not really tried this before but would like to have a leftover from my budget to throw at the CC

Here we go.....

(The CC was down to £1000 last year but we bought a new front door, hopefully to be fitted next month, bought flights to my parents in April, bought my parents flights here in Feb and bought my friend (who just split up and is much worse off than us) a flight to visit us too. So it's back up to 2k)

f0xh0les

It is picking up here a bit, I think I can see reflected sun!


Janus- looking forward, I have a list and a plan. Fox on a mission.

Activity- If cleaning vigorously counts I am exercising

Non-Negs- today is NSD #2,

Unbashed devotion, To myself? Always!
Always yes, done that too

Reduce, reuse, repair Reducing the veg in the fridge. lunch will be very yummy and very full of leftover fridge stuff, it will sound weird, but it will clear some space.

You- Improving my environment by cleaning, clearing and tidying. I am a Stay-At-Home-Mum so the house is my office. I need to start treating it as such. I need to be (even) more organised. Some stuff has worked really well, some not so well. I think if I put up 2 more shelves in the living room, then the whole thing will come together

Stretch- £3 H0lifax bribe paid straight to cc1 which currently stands at £613.39.
No school this week for kids, so it will be a cheap one.
Will transfer rest of this week's budget on Friday to cc debt. and Child Benefit comes in on Monday, which should wipe out most of it. Well, that is the plan anyway.

laurenh1

wrote:

If cleaning vigorously counts I am exercising

it definitely does!!!

arc2014

Took some me time last night and a had a lovely hot bubble bath and some pampering. NSD #2 today courtesy of mum who is buying us eggs whilst she's out. Planning NSD #3 for tomorrow. Tea planned from reserves and a day in for me and the little ones.

FurryBeastOz

Finally got round to my goals.

apple_muncher wrote: »

Welcome to January


Make 2018 the year that you rid yourself of debt, beat down the mortgage, get on top of your spendthift ways, learn new skills and set yourself up for the future.


2018: Health, wealth and a Life Well Lived
(Shamelessly lifted from Craig Ballantyne at earlytorise.com)

Janus is the god who looks both backwards and forwards. A new year can be a time to look back over the previous year (but we turtles have already done this in December). So this is a time to look forwards - where do you want to be in 12 months from now? 5 years? 10 years?

Looking forward is a bit difficult as DH’s work means we just don’t know. In 6months we’ll be half way through 6 months in Truro. In 12 months we could be anywhere. Ditto 5 years and 10 years. As we are mortgage free the most important thing for me would be stability and security of location so I can finally get a permanent job somewhere rather than temping/contracting.

Activity. This is a BOGOF one. Take up a new hobby or resurrect a new one. ALSO, be active. Keep moving.

Resurrect my German. I started doing some on the way to work in July last year, but it tapered off. I was given ‘The Lord of the Rings’ in German by my MIL for Christmas. DH says he suggested Harry Potter! Either way. That may take some time:rotfl:

Active - started back at the gym today. I pretty much gave up sometime through November having switched to a much more expensive gym:mad: I’ve put on 1 1/2 stone since July. This has to come off.

Non-negotiables:
-18 NSDs (if not, why not?)Going to start with 10.I don’t know how this month is going to pan out.
-your bugets are set by the start of the month and are fixed.All in YNAB.
-£5 to foodbank / charityGoing to take in some unwanted gift treats this month.
-pay money to your debts FIRST - do not wait to see how much is left at the end - and live within your budgetNo debts. But no income either for at least the next 3 months. NO FAT spends allowed.
-meal plan Done. Re-jigged yesterday to make use of amazing YS haul


Unabashed, unambiguous, unconditional, undaunted, undivided, unerring, unshakeable devotion to your goal(s). [more on this later]


Always plan your meals; always take a shopping list; always take your lunch to work and drink + snacks when out and about; avoid all coffee shops, vending machines, work canteens...

Reduce, re-use, repair, re-gift, recycle, recover, refuse! And read.

Lots of e-baying to do

You are the key to reducing your debt, living modestly, keeping as fit and well as you can. So look after yourself - physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally.

Need to work on this. The latter 3 took a hell of a beating over new year, and the first has been taking a beating for about 6 months.

I want to re-introduce Bob's s t r e t c h challenge for January: how much extra an you earn / save off your food shop / move / remove.

Pile waiting to go on e-bay. As I’m going to have more time to cook I am going to work on clearing out all the cupboards and the freezer for the end of March when we move.

Toni'sfriend

First day out today since Christmas Eve. Went to the Health Centre to sort out prescriptions - not far but some fresh air. A tiny bit of a spend on some cleaning products and a couple of things for the boy but nothing too major.
Lot's more accomplished and a few more bit's decluttered as I go along. Defrosted the freezers and can now officially confirm that they are full of bits that C has frozen and now has no idea what they are. I really hate waste of food but this is going to have to go. A bit of subterfuge is called for - a bit at a time when he's not looking. Seriously, how can someone freeze one brussel sprout?
Now half way through my first book and really enjoying it.
Still lots on list but getting there.

1SmallStep

Mothernerd, sorry about that man! You sound like you handled it perfectly but grrrr that this type of thing happens. I hope the next person he propositions is as strong!

Didn't cycle to work today, Eleanor put me off! Tomorrow is another day and is only 4 miles each way compared to today's 14 so fewer excuses can be made! Bike, panniers etc all ready. Just need to find jacket tonight!

Took train instead, price hike shocked me. Resolved to make most of travel as part of work - have a trip next week close to a friend's and will be seeing if I can arrange to combine this with a visit to see them for a night, as it would cost so much to get there by myself!

Paid in Xmas cheque. Sorted out balance transfer and activated cards/sorted online banking details out - one of my annoying jobs! Didn't get any further with expenses but will have another go tonight!

Took breakfast and lunch to work, forgot to eat it. Just grabbed dry cereal to eat on train home....stopped me from diverting to m&s foodhall anyway! Short term lodger gone tonight, DD coming home for tea. Aim to finish up the Xmas clear down, tree is still up atm. It's a live tree so needs some TLC before popping outside in this storm!

Dinner tonight is xmas leftovers Will walk DD home and do an extra loop to make my step count up! Planning a earlier night,read of my kindle and a hot soak in the bath. Minimal heating as the Australian guest has now left! Going to try to do some of those nail wraps as my Xmas nails now look ropey but have a big mtg on Fri. Eeking things out where I can!

Grateful for friendly colleagues, that I saw a buddy by chance in town when I popped to bank, and had time for a cuppa with him (his treat), and that I could get the online thing to work. Had been expecting it to be more tricky than it was

Kerry_Woman

mothernerd - Sending hugs.
Was a spend day. Sorted out the property maintenance bill. Paid in full for the year. Went to building society to start to sort out my Mum's account and sent off the relevant documents that the legal services my Mum had her will done through a different organisation. Also did a big food shop. Will wait a while to print off the price guarantee which was for £6.16 if I remember rightly for another shop in February. Also had to get cheque done to pay for my Mum's funeral.
Did some walking today.
Done some bits around the flat and a little bit of decluttering.
The electrician came to sort out what I thought was the light fitting. Turn out that it was the switch to turn on and off the light. Replaced it and all seems to be fine. They will send out the invoice.
Also paid some money into my savings account.

Toni'sfriend

mothernerd. Sorry, meant to include this in my post. It is really horrible when something like that happens. I was on a crowded bus in Paris a couple of years ago and a a horrible man kept touching me. Because I don't speak the language very well and didn't want to cause a fuss, I got up and moved. When C found out what had happened he was all for "sorting it out". When some of the other passengers realized what was going on they were ready to join in. He got off the bus and disappeared very quickly.If it happened here I wouldn't think twice about shouting at him. It's upsetting but as you say pathetic. I doubt he has a happy life.

mummylewis

Evening turtles!
Sorry to hear about your experience mothernerd. It's so unnerving when something like that happens but it sounds like you were strong and gave him what for. It happened to me when I worked in a bar in my hometown. Two regulars a good 30 years our senior were ranking the bar staff as to who had the best bum, tits etc and then followed us at the end of the night. Luckily we knew the bouncers to the other clubs so we took shelter and they sent them on their way but at 18 it was really alarming.

Today was spendy, needed some food bits so that's £43. Got some bits with Xmas money and then was given money owed by MIL which is actually forgotten about that was for the same value so it balanced out nicely! Will get that in the bank asap and away in savings. Cash is too easy to run away.

At work now but arranging to see some old friends and on here. Shhhh don't tell on me haha! Luckily my profession is far from life saving!

Have a great night turtles x