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

x_raphael_xx

swimminginaseaofdebt wrote: »

Returned home to a letter from PRA group offering to settle a £3649.05 debt for £1277.17. Totally unexpected and although I was targeting another debt I am going to take them up on their offer. Now I don't have enough in my full and final fund to cover this and I don't want to break into my £1000 emergency fund so I am going to be naughty and borrow money from an account I have set up for my little one. Feel a little bad about this but the money is for when he is older and is wanting to buy a car/house/travel etc and he's only 2 so quite a bit away from all that and of course I will pay back what I take from him.

Don't feel guilty, this will be a big weight off for you.
Like you say, you have plenty of time to repay, and being debt free earlier is the bigger win.

xxxx

sashanut

Hi all :j


Motivation: what is your personal motivation for joining in with the turtles? My motivation is to cut down on the unnecessary spending and pay for some renovations to this property. In order to do this I think we need to be saving money by doing any jobs we can realistically (!) do ourselves. Brushed all flaky paint off one wall but Sandtex looks like it got water in it, so then painted 2 sides of big shed. Looks much better. Now need to get bbq moved so I can get to the rest..if it stays dry that is.

Money: know your income and outgoings. All DD bills should have gone out by now and I am going to add up our income, that won't take very long.. so far have done now two grocery shops. Grocery bill so far £57.07. Another shop today from farm shop as friend round for lunch. Definitely not an NSD as did a quick sweep of 3 shops, plus hairdressing appt. Thankfully hairdresser has decided I don't need to go so often, and also tried to persuade me to go grey :eek: even though he only cuts my hair.


Me time: look after yourself. Get enough sleep; eat well; move; do things you enjoy. Good nights sleep, eating not so good as fish & chip Friday, does that count as things you enjoy? Thought not :rotfl:

Move: being active benefits your body and your mind. You know that. Now do it. Not much gardening movement but plenty of painting in the fresh air.

Activation: what spurs you on to keep on the path? Have not done much decluttering but have identified some items to sell to a fellow collector. Just need to find out how to price, which will be tricky as rare items & not available so need to research somehow. Got reply from friend re collectables; need to send her some photos & she has a source that she can consult. Sadly also told me she is very unwell with heart trouble.


Arm yourself : 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. Glad we are not bothered about 'keeping up with the Joneses' - have done that a long time ago but really do not care any more. It's how some people validate themselves & that's fine, but not for me. We are now free from paid work commitments but spent many years getting there, wish it had been sooner. Desperate need of decluttering & getting rid of old lifestyle. Am going to do this so will post progress on here to keep me accountable. No progress today.

You. 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. Gratitudes for getting to the hairdresser & shops & back home for 11.30, must be a record; for DD having a nice night out with colleagues; for DH remembering to bring me out a glass of water; hearing from long time friend.

NSD still 5/19 so far

Check ins: 11/31

Not done charity donation yet but will arrange asap. Need to do through euro account. Nope.

bizzie

Small spend today. Grateful just making the midnight cut off check in

misstara

For yesterday
NSDs - still on 5/19
Money - bought a new microwave using money from the emergency fund plus a small spend on food. Downloaded a budgeting app which I hope will help me
Move - 10 mile walk, mostly along the beach
Me time - reading
Arm yourself - been able to complete lots of surveys this due to being on annual leave
You - grateful for my walk, stuff growing in the garden and netflix

greent

Hmm - late check in is becoming a habit! :o

Motivation: have short/ medium/ long term goals.
Money: All DDs except gas/ elec have gone out now (just changed suppliers) so all money left is ours...
Move: So cold and sleepy yesterday to the point of feeling unwell. didn't do much and went to bed before 9pm!
Activation: What spurs you on? -
Arm yourself :No 'things' purchase but did give in to takeaway - < £20 for 4, though.
You. Appreciate what you have. Be grateful.
* the opportunity to not have to do much yesterday
* more line dried washing
* snuggles with DS3
Foodbank/ charity donation of £5. - monthly DD to WWT. 2 bags of items donated to shoebox appeal - new bag started HAve also added 4 unsold items from flebay listings to CS bag - will take it there later this month

Pay to your debt/savings FIRST and live off the rest. - done Few small extra payments made since

Plan the month: every single day: what you are doing, what you are eating, - sort of - have written in work days, day when collecting DD from uni, DS3's, my mum's, my sister's, my aunt's and bestie's husband's bdays... Am not going to plan food, though).

Check in every day.here -:) - late again:o:p

NSDs - 5/19 - not one yesterday re takeaway....
Will spend again today - need to get DS2's friend a bday present and card (I don't have a stash anymore, now that the kids are all getting older), Bestie's hubby a present (have a voucher I can use towards that, I think), my mum a bday card (may as well get it at same time) and we are off out for a curry tonight for bestie's hubby's bday. Hopefully any other spends this weekend should be food related. Oh - and I've just paid £17.50 for DS1's school yearbook!:eek:

Probably won't make it back to check in again tonight, as we're out....

crazy_cat_lady

apple_muncher wrote: »

Ccl - you have to pay for coffee at work?

It's not strictly speaking at work. There is a fantastic cafe in the community centre attached to the school, and they do lovely posh machine coffee for £1 a cup. So it was a large mocha rather than a coffee.

Day of slob ahead for me. I've already done the first load of washing, washed the dishes, hoovered and popped into town to pick up a couple of parcels. Bestie will be round as usual later and I will be catching up on my crochet temperature blanket (I'm still in March )

f0xh0les

dolly84 wrote: »

foxholes - your DS3 could do with popping round here, I have a 14 year old DD who loves nothing more than a massive row. This morning I stood on the black box attached to her laptop cable whilst stripping her bed, I asked her to tidy the laptop and cables away for the day and she went crazy and called me a complete bi**ch.

Oooh 'eck! I'm glad DS3 is only 8. Not sure what I would do if he tried that line on me..... safe to say he would not be doing it anytime soon! :eek:

I am always amazed at my patience while some tiny dictator is having a shouty ranty tantrum. Probably cos they are sooo bloomin' ridiculous. They do not appreciate being asked if they are grumpy because a) they are hungry, b) thirsty, c) need a nap, or d) need a poo.
Well 16 yr old DS1 doesn't.

Mind you he thinks I am the silliest thing this side of Narnia.

f0xh0les

swimminginaseaofdebt wrote: »

Returned home to a letter from PRA group offering to settle a £3649.05 debt for £1277.17. Totally unexpected and although I was targeting another debt I am going to take them up on their offer. Now I don't have enough in my full and final fund to cover this and I don't want to break into my £1000 emergency fund so I am going to be naughty and borrow money from an account I have set up for my little one. Feel a little bad about this but the money is for when he is older and is wanting to buy a car/house/travel etc and he's only 2 so quite a bit away from all that and of course I will pay back what I take from him.

Nothing to feel bad about!! You are going to be debt free sooner, and you are not robbing him to buy a one way ticket to Rio. You will pay him back, while giving him the security the EF provides. Besides, you pay him back quicker cos he is your baby.

Kerry_Woman

NSD: 8/19 Was a spend day. Got food shopping and hairspray.
Motivation: To be more mindful regarding spending. This is going to be ongoing. So far doing ok with not doing emotional spending and not spending without thinking.
Money: The budget for each category is done.
Me time: Finished reading the novel.
Move: Walking to and from bus stop to Mum's graveside and also Dad's house.
Activation: To get my spending down to a reasonable amount.
Arm yourself: Will have to stand strong in my quest against consumerism and acquiring more. Still doing this. Not being tempted by emails regarding discounts.
Donation to charity: Done for the month. Put bag into charity shop this morning.
Grateful for:
Having achieved quite a few things today.
Found a bus stop near Dad's that will cut time to Mum's graveside.
Not really caught out with the rain. Was drizzling.
Having a good night sleep and getting a nap this afternoon.

swimminginaseaofdebt

• 12 NSDs - 6/12
• Budgets - £250 food and £100 social - £96.99 food and £31.38 social
• Continue batch cooking for the little one (remembering to include a larger variety of meals) - 3 portions of veggie omelettes and 3 portions of veggie lasagna made. Rooted around the freezer and we're running low on soup and risotto so I'll make some more of that next weekend
• Make an extra £93 through surveys - £58.67 made to date
• Continue building the full and final fund - £201.27 added to date
• I'm making up Christmas gift boxes for local disadvantaged children. So far I've done two teenage boys and started on a boy 9-12 months but still more to get for him so I'll continue with that
• Plans - safari park and dinner/new avengers movie. Will also allow for a visit to soft play and I need to take the little one swimming as we're holidaying in June and he's never been in a pool - safari park cancelled, soft play on the 12th with friend and her daughter turned into a free teddy bear picnic at the park, lunch with work colleagues on 23rd (just remembered!)
• Read as much as possible - 1 book in progress, 3 books finished
• Finish my final OU essay for this module - 6 weeks of reading to catch up with first, week 1 still in progress!