NST March: Marching to a different beat

archwaysaver · 28 February 2018 at 3:45PM

I'd like to join for March!

Jonesy88 · 28 February 2018 at 5:36PM

Hi!

Can I join please? I used to do these challenges many moons ago when NSK was still about!

x_raphael_xx · 28 February 2018 at 6:14PM

Thank you for the thoughts guys.
MIL has smoked all her life, so it was sort of expected when she finally went to the drs & started the tests. But still, hearing the words makes it 'real'.
The tumour is in her oesophogus, making it difficult to eat as its narrowing the tube. BF is a little angry that she's been struggling to eat & throwing up etc for months and wouldn't go to the drs. But it is what it is, no point in 'what if we'd have gone sooner'.

Just waiting for the results to see if/how far its spread. Then I guess they'll start treatment.
Hospital has been whizzing her through tests and appointments, so at least we've not had long periods of waiting and wondering.

Eager_Elephant · 28 February 2018 at 8:22PM

Sorry to hear about your MIL Raphael.

Please count me in for March apple.

Jan was partial wipe out due to family bereavement and Feb was a total wipe out as still trying to catch up from Jan.

DawnW · 28 February 2018 at 8:40PM

OK, so March here we come :j

· The challenge runs from March 1st to March 31st
· For the striders: 18 NSDs; for the plodders: 15 NSDs (you can keep an NSD if the only thing you buy is fuel,medication, reduced items or paying for weekly or random activities [set the money aside for these at the start of the month]) I am definitely a plodder wrt this, though I am a bit stricter than some / this rule. For me, unless it is a direct debit bill paid from the bank, I count it as a spend day if I spend anything at all. Works for me!
· Set your budgets before the challenge starts (food, bills, travel, activities, repayments, holidays, treats, clothing, pets, savings) To follow
· Be generous – there are many who are far worse off. Do not forget to give to your choice of charity. Will do
· Note down every single spend in a notebook and analyse where the pennies go I have been doing this since 1st Jan :A
· As ever, always take your lunch to work, and drink and snacks when out and about I am retired now, so the first part doesn't apply. Will be sure to take drinks and snacks if we go anywhere though!
· [FONT=&quot]Pay towards your debt first! This is imperative. You have your debt free date in mind (You do, don’t you?!?!). So calculate how much you need to pay per month to reach it - and pay that first. Live off the rest. Simples. We no longer have debt, thank goodness!
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· Plan. Look ahead to the month and what your commitments are. Are you working late and therefore unlikely to feel like cooking when you get home? Make sure you have a portion or two of homemade ready meals in the freezer. Did a freezer inventory today, and there is plenty in there. I am waiting for a gall bladder op in any case at the moment, and takeaways are a really bad idea :eek: far too fatty!
· Check in every day. Will try, but I am not good at this

apple_muncher · 28 February 2018 at 9:18PM

When you want to rid yourself of debt, pay off your mortgage or save up for a deposit or holiday or retirement, CONSISTENCY is everything.

Consistency isn't sexy and doesn't promise instant results, but real-life experience (and research) show that it's the only thing that helps people control their spending, and balance their health and their happiness so that they start building the life they want.

Balance = having the least amount of conflict between your financial goals and your lifestyle. What never works is having two competing desires like wanting to pay off debts but still going out every weekend and spending lots of money; or being so strict and restrictive that you blow up and go on a spending bender.

(Shamelessly stolen and adapted from April's Men's Fitness mag intro!)