NST January: Health, Wealth and a Life Well Lived

Toni'sfriend

Do you find you wind down at the weekend? Even though I'm retired I still feel entitled to do very little (ie nothing!)
Did change the bedding and do a load of washing and catch up on the ironing (not very much as I've been doing it every day).Oh, and I am still tidying and doing little things as I go along.
So NSD 4/18. Lots of little things to do before next Monday so maybe some low spend days next week.
It's freezing cold here but there is the most amazing pink and grey sunset. Simple pleasures!

greent

Janus a time to look forwards - where do you want to be in 12 months from now? 12 months: debt free (exc BTL mtge - but target of 4K ops) A decent no of jobs completed from our 'to do' list for the house (some are small, some are big/ long term/ expensive) Fitter. Hopefully with 2 children at uni. Pensions sorted.
Today - OH changed one of the garden gates latches. Too cold to be outside longer than necessary, so he only did the really **ackered one, which is also the one used at least twice a day.

Activity. This is a BOGOF one. Take up a new hobby or resurrect an old one. ALSO, be active. Keep moving. Sore hips and lower back from bowling yesterday (I have bad hips from DS2 & DS3 pregnancies and lower back from a couple of car accidents) Clearly moving in a way very different to normal! Today has therefore just been about getting stuff done which needed to be done

Non-negotiables:
-18 NSDs (if not, why not?) (not fussed if I don't achieve this as long as budgets aren't blown) 1/18.
-your budgets are set by the start of the month and are fixed.
Food - 101.05/£400 - OH went to the shops today and went off list....
Fuel - £63/65 -
Toiletries - 0/£10
Household - 22.63 /£20 - IKEA plastic bags
Clothes - 12.13/ £60
Social - 86.39 + McDs/ £100 (all bday related - comprised of 2 games of bowling and 2 rounds of drinks for the 6 of us (DS2's last minute request) and McDs for 3/4 children afterwards)
Gifts - 0/ £50
-£5 to foodbank / charity - DONE
-pay money to your debts/savings FIRST - day to day CCs paid off in full, usual monthly pymt to OH's car finance. Some money transferred to kitchen fund. My tax bill paid in full (£565). Min payments to both 0% CCs this month until kitchen expenditure known in full, instead of estimated
-meal plan - I don't do this. OH hates meal planning. However, I am targeting stuff which needs using up first, even if only for me.

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

Stretch challenge - aim to get extra money of £50. £0.29/£50 (although have been doing surveys today so will ultimately see the benefit when at a level to cashout) Aim to declutter 50 items. 95/50:j
Have joined pay off all your debts by Xmas 2018, MFW 2018 (looking to OP £4k on BTL mtge), Declutter in 2018 (aiming for 2018 items!:eek:) Relisted 7 items on fleabay

something Joyful in Jan : n/a today

DD went back to uni today (OH should be on his way back from taking her soon-ish) - with 3 large reusable bags (the plastic-fabric type, as opposed to the 10p type) of food and drink - so I now have a small bit of space in my freezer and lots on the shelves! She might come home again first week in March, otherwise it will be for Easter hols. Once a little more freezer room appears I will batch cook up some of the mince in there (have 3kg, all 5%, all purchased YS....) for bolognaise and chilli - will be easy to microwave for meals when kitchen is being done :T

Need to buy a new toaster - ours ended up in flames today!:eek: Will see if my mum has a spare one in meantime (think she has a 2slice one spare - I want another 4 slice one, ultimately, but can't find another purple one to match the kettle) She has a cold, though - so doubt I'll get it for a few days (DS3 loves toast, but not from the grill - it's too crunchy done that way!)

Has been a good weekend here
x

Dottydaisy

4NSD, but spendy today. Food delivery £80 needed stocks of all sorts. Lakeland - £70 for some vacuum storage bags, oven liner and green vege bags. Not a lot of storage space here so hoping spare bedding, duvets etc can be bagged and stored on top of wardrobe. Vege bags keep veg fresh for ages, had run out but now restocked. Amazon- £28 for Christmas tree and decoration storage which can then be stored in the eaves at the end of the attic bedroom. Too damp without protection. So all in a good cause and an attempt to start tidying and decluttering.


Had a few days poorly with flare up of psoriasitic arthritis, am starting to feel better so may be able to deal with cluttered kitchen. I like the idea of not going to bed until shiny sink done. Can't see my sink at the moment!


Carrot soup on the hob, and dinner in the oven. Making enough so I don't have to cook tomorrow.


I've had several dreams over the years, some came true like going down the Nile, albeit just after the troubles a couple of years ago, but it was fab as no crowds around monuments. Sad for locals relying on tourism though. Seeing Ephesus this year.
Having a bungalow - one floor living- for the rest of my life with a lovely garden. I would still like to visit China but debts and ageing progress getting in the way. I also wish I had carried on with the part time degree I started late eighties, but an alcoholic husband who eventually couldn't work, my having to work full time and support three daughters made it impossible to carry on. My memory these days would be useless for exams etc. so couldn't restart. At least I got the Certificate of Higher Education.


Hey ho, will get on with the things I can do!


Next week's meal plan done, should only need bread and milk, but other things may crop up.


Booked two gym sessions.


Will do some knitting tonight, if I can figure out where I got to before I hid it as wasn't doing it.


Hugs to all DD

Kerry_Woman

NSD achieved toady - 4/18
Used food already in for breakfast and dinner. Had a couple of home made scones this evening.
Grateful for:
Walk in the park - free exercise.
Having a chilled out day/evening.
Doing a few bits around the flat.
Reading a book.

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for finally getting another NSD, for happy buses, for my coat and woolly hat, for getting in a workout before dd got up, for baking, for finishing an owl with dd and then starting a dolly (18" high - yikes), for a functioning washing machine, for hugs from my family, for still having the fairy lights draped around the lounge - so pretty and magical.

apple_muncher

My dream goals are
-be slim and strong
-FIRE

mummylewis

Evening turtles!

NSD #5 today. Got a free dinner too with left overs at MILs.

Work was good, very productive.

Not a lot else going on, very tired and heading to bed soon!

Perhaps a cup of tea....

lcc86

Thanks guys for your concern with my eye - it's much better today... This has been a recurring problem over the last couple of years, and doctors haven't managed to pin it down to anything more specific than 'allergies' even after tests. Will still keep the appointment for next Friday though.

Yesterday I had to buy a few bits for the rabbits, also got some new drinking glasses as I keep breaking mine while washing up (oops!). Just topped up on essentials. Also paid for dinner - £30 each. Had a few words with OH last night about the home situation, he was rude to me so I got cross and left it. However today I came home to find he'd cleaned the bathroom and done a couple of other jobs so some of it must've sunk in....

Today has been a NSD and a healthy day. Been out volunteering most of the day then out horse riding, it's absolutely freezing here even with loads of layers on. Have ended up with a massive headache, which I think is the result of not eating or drinking enough through the day (second oops). It's got a lot better once I got a hot meal inside me. Going to have an early night as I have to train new staff tomorrow so can't afford not to be well. It'll be a long enough day without feeling ill lol.

abundant1972

Evening everyone!

I'm not sure what happened today but my energy seemed to disappear into a sinkhole. I'm wondering if it's because I spent time around people Friday then on to family, then stayed over and all day Saturday. I'm just not a people person. Felt totally depleted and didn't get out of bed until after lunchtime, and had a pretty unproductive day.

That said...

Today = NSD number 6 - so not all bad.

I'm feeling the energetic urge to spend... and getting back into these frugal habits is testing my resolve. But I'm ploughing through my fridge contents and cupboards. Almost out of fresh vegetables, and used up last of the bread. On to frozen veg... and carbs can come from rice and some potatoes I have in.

So time for the 'Unabashed devotion to my goals' exercises...

Q1. What is the most important thing to me?
A1. So I came up with restoring my health & my financial stability.
Q2. How do I feel playing sport/what do I enjoy about it?
A2. It gives me a sense of progress... movement - especially when I did my nature walks. They helped me keep some perspective, and connect to the World around me.
Q3. What is your dream goal?
A3. To have my own place and be fully independent - and have a social life, and the time/energy and money to go out if I want to.

It's good to ponder these things. I think health has to be first - to get my mood back to where it was 6 months ago... with bad days few and far between, rather than being the norm.

Plan: Rest, eat well, exercise, meditate, have time for me and start to try and build some self-esteem again.

dizzyblnd

Today and yesterday were nsds so I'm now on 4/18. Today was not supposed to be but I forgot my purse so had no choice. Had a nice busy weekend with family birthdays. I had a smart meter fitted this weekend and it has made me a little obsessed with my electricity usage. I seem to be using so much electricity. I need to find new money saving ways. I have done all the usual things but need to move to the next level now. Money just doesn't go anywhere any more.