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NST May 2018: May the odds be ever in your favour!

[FONT=&quot]NST May 2018: May the odds be ever in your favour![/FONT]
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However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. Stephen Hawking.


MMM says: If you are one of the 99% of people who is forced to live with only a finite amount of money, you should probably give some thought to how that money is spent. You can buy [/FONT][FONT=&quot]things, [/FONT][FONT=&quot]like cars and mobile phone plans for your kids, or you can buy [/FONT][FONT=&quot]freedom[/FONT][FONT=&quot], in the form of paying off your debts, saving most of what you earn, and soon being able to choose your own work schedule or even retire early.

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[FONT=&quot]Motivation[/FONT][FONT=&quot]:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] what is your personal motivation for joining in with the turtles? To get out of debt? Too stay out of debt? To build up savings / an Emergency Fund? FIRE? What is your personal timeline for reaching your goal? If it seems too far away, break it down.

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Money[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]know your income and outgoings. To the penny. Know when every single DD goes out, when the annual payments are required. If you cannot cope with cash in your pocket, only use a card; if, like me, you work better with cash, then use that. Note down EVERY single spend and eliminate the unnecessary ones.

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Me[/FONT][FONT=&quot] time:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] look after yourself. Get enough sleep; eat well; move; do things you enjoy. Last month we were encouraged to take up a new hobby / revive an old one. Such a good thing to do!

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Move[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: being active benefits your body and your mind. You know that. Now do it. Find your level of activity and crank it up a notch (I’ve recently upped some of my kettlebell exercises from 8K to 12K). Get outside. Play!


[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Activation[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: what spurs you on to keep on the path? Does following other threads or blogs inspire you? Dedicate some time each week to expanding your reading and finding ideas that you can use – and please tell us about them.

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Arm[/FONT][FONT=&quot] yourself [/FONT][FONT=&quot]: you have chosen to follow a path that many mock and despise - that of ridding yourself of debt and financial constrictions in order to be free; free to choose what to do with your money and time, not enslaved to repaying or to other people. Whether you opt to work more or to spend less in order to achieve your goal, stand firm against the naysayers. Stand strong in your personal quest against consumerism and the futility of always acquiring more.

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[FONT=&quot]Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Ralph Waldo Emerson[/FONT]
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[/FONT][FONT=&quot]You[/FONT][FONT=&quot]. Are you happy in yourself? Know what brings you joy, what cheers your heart, what makes you pause and wonder. Don’t just stop and smell the coffee in the morning; practise stopping and looking around throughout the day. Appreciate what you have. Be grateful.



[/FONT][FONT=&quot]

The Rules:

We start on May 1st and continue to the very end of the 31st.


19 NSD: you have 12 days to spend, so use them wisely, especially with the Bank Holidays and half term this month. Petrol, medications and emergency travel needs are exempt. As are reduced items if that is all you buy.


Foodbank/ charity donation of £5.


Pay to your debt/savings FIRST and live off the rest.


Plan the month: every single day: what you are doing, what you are eating, especially with the Bank Holidays and half term, birthdays, anniversaries.


Check in every day. Short posts, long posts, ups and downs. Turtles are gregarious and friendly, they look after each other and encourage each other out of their shells.


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[FONT=&quot]Who will join me on a quest to fight consumerism and the Ferenghi prerogative of 'acquisition, acquisition, acquisition'? Sign up below for a month of debt-fighting, money saving and general turtle fun.


[/FONT]
NST March lion #8; NSD ; MFW9/3/23 Whoop Whoop!!!
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Comments

  • greent
    greent Posts: 10,741 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I'm in, please, apple :)

    Thank you! :) xx
    I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul
    Repaid mtge early (orig 11/25) 01/09 £124616 01/11 £89873 01/13 £52546 01/15 £12133 07/15 £NIL
    Net sales 2024: £20
  • apple_muncher
    apple_muncher Posts: 15,212 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Mortgage-free Glee! Name Dropper
    edited 3 May 2018 at 4:58PM
    reserved for contenders:

    1 apple muncher
    2 greent
    3 misstara
    4 DawnW
    5 Puddleglum
    6 swimminginaseaofdebt
    7 laurenh1
    8 f0xh0les
    9 Robi90
    10 Fmess
    11 Kerry Woman
    12 x_raphael_xx
    13 mothernerd
    14 LavenderBee
    15 sashanut
    16 indigowarrior
    17 dolly84
    18 SunAddict
    19 thriftylass
    20 Dorisd
    21 maitlah
    22 bizzie
    23 shabbychic12
    24 bestfootforward
    25 Dottydaisy
    26 Debtfreewannabme
    27 Littleskintdragon84
    28 crazy_cat_lady
    NST March lion #8; NSD ; MFW9/3/23 Whoop Whoop!!!
  • misstara
    misstara Posts: 3,984 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper I've been Money Tipped!
    Thanks for the challenge apple, count me in :)
    Mortgage 26.4.25 - £108,500  3.6.25 - £107,282.15
    Mortgage overpayment savings - £26.63/£50
    Mortgage overpayments so far - £300
  • DawnW
    DawnW Posts: 7,728 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Please can you add me, Apple? Liking the anti-consumerism theme for May :)
  • Puddleglum
    Puddleglum Posts: 851 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Hello, I'm in again too please!
    "A thousand candles can be lit from a single candle without shortening the life of that candle."

    I still am Puddleglum - phew!
  • Count me in too please, merci :)
    VSPC 2019 #10 - £168.80/£100 VSPC 2020 #4 - £262.03/£200 VSPC 2021 #9 - £242.88/£200 VSPC 2022 #3 - £188.03/£200 VSPC 2023 #7 - £0/£200
  • laurenh1
    laurenh1 Posts: 969 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 500 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Me please lovely
  • f0xh0les
    f0xh0les Posts: 7,564 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Mortgage-free Glee! Photogenic
    Count me in for May please.
    4/10/22One Year Mortgage Free Yay!
    NSTurtle # 55 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢🐢🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 No Turtle gets left behind.[/b]
    ******PROUD MEMBER OF THE TOFU EATING COALITION OF CHAOS !!!******
  • Robi90
    Robi90 Posts: 101 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary Debt-free and Proud!
    Count me in as well!
    [STRIKE]£799 - FD Personal Loan[/STRIKE] :beer:[STRIKE]£500/ £500 FD Overdraft[/STRIKE] :beer: [STRIKE]£5700/£5700 MBNA credit card[/STRIKE]:beer:
  • Fmess
    Fmess Posts: 2,920 Forumite
    Seventh Anniversary 1,000 Posts Photogenic Combo Breaker
    Me please apple, thank you :)
    LBM = 07/09/13 Debt = £13339 (100% cleared)
    New roof and car £8557/£19003 New kitchen £396/£5039 Credit card Paid Student loan Paid
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