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

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful that the birds never have a bad day and stop singing, for a friend lending us some camping bits, for dh being much less grumpy than recently, for sunshine, for dd enjoying her trip to the Oval, for a not-previously-seen Father Brown episode, for finding some grey wool for my minions goggles, for doing my kettlebell workout.

misstara

NSD yesterday which takes me to 8/19 . Really need to get some more NSDs as bank balance is looking a bit sad.

Spent £12.10 on food today but got quite a few ys bits that have gone in the freezer. Also got some lettuce seeds which I'll plant over the weekend.

swimminginaseaofdebt

Evening everyone,

NSD #9 for me today.

Finally finished the 1st week of reading (out of 6!) I needed to do for my final OU essay.

Paid the discounted money to PRA Group to settle one of my credit card debts, that's my debt gone from £18,047.10 down to £14,403.05 :j. Will keep an eye out to make sure my credit report is updated soon.

bizzie

After a couple of spendy days, now at NSDs #10/19.
Planning to make do with what's in the freezer/fridge/cupboards until Monday. There is plenty.
DD has a charity cake sale next week at school, so fully stocked with ingredients for baking over the next couple of days.

Have put on paper my progress/thoughts against "MAY", I find it easier with a pen and paper but may(!) upload my scribblings to create a permanent record of where I am at.

Hope everyone has a good weekend.

mothernerd

Take everything midwives say with a pinch of salt. With DS1 they shouted at me because I had put on weight (after spending Christmas at mum's) then spent the remainder of my pregnancy meithering about me not putting any more weight on. No-one apart from the ambulance man believed I was in labour the first two times until just before the birth. DS3 was a planned home birth, which really spooked them. They used every excuse they could think of as to why it couldn't happen and on the day the one who had been most vehemently against it, really wanted to be there.

Woke feeling creaky but all livable with. I am taking it to mean that I did just the right amount of work yesterday, slightly pushing myself but not so much that I can't move tomorrow.

Spent today on fizzy water, sandwich fillings, fruit and an impulse buy of a bunch of roses for mum - cream with deep pink fringes. Taxi was expected to be 1/2 hour plus, so sat on a handy yellow bench which said grit salt.

The baby twins were visiting mum. They are just entering the 'fear of strangers' stage and as they haven't visited for a while, we qualify. I had more success than mum, waited for them to make their mind up and come to me.

After they had gone I undid mum's 'winterization' of the hose pipe - bubble wrap, plastic bags, bin bags, all finished off with a roll of duct tape, such fun. Watered the raised bed I put together and watered in another block of coir compost (40l one).

Taped the posts and painted two - end of that paint can. Then unwrapped the rose bush, collected the masking tape and scissors, locked the shed, shut the french windows, opened them again to bring in mum's walker, shut and locked them. We completed the cupcake jigsaw, new one to start next week.

Home now but everything hurts. Will see how mobile I am tomorrow.

Today I am grateful for a great taxi firm, lilacs in bloom, being able to use the hose instead of ferrying buckets of water back and forth, mum making a lovely 'leftover' tea, DS2 having left a meal for me (someone has been teaching him to cook healthily - he spent most of his university years sharing with 5 other lads so mainly fry ups).

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. Small amount done in garden today; mainly rescuing BBQ which has been outside all winter (though under a tarp) & has in consequence suffered somewhat. Painted the wooden bits at the side & DH cleaned all the inside bits so is passable for now, the wheels however have broken off so it's mainly staying where it is for now. Also used one of the jumbo storage bags, worked a treat so will get on with that.


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. No spending today, hooray..

Me time: look after yourself. Get enough sleep; eat well; move; do things you enjoy. Sleep good, eating - pretty good today, did include BBQ food but all healthy -ish. Enjoyed being outside this evening & enclosed garden getting prettier.

Move: being active benefits your body and your mind. You know that. Now do it. Only a small amount of work in garden today - oh but I forgot, did cut the grass - quite a workout that is.


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. Photographed stuff to send to friend & actually sent them to her, so process started although I don't expect to hear for a little while. Took more photos, will post to try & get more sales. Lady received DVDs & says that she showed one film at the weekend, which she says will increase my DVD sales. Went on to PayPal to find loads of DVD orders - can fulfil all UK ones - just - but will need to have some US format made as orders from there too now...yikes..


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. Got all teddy bear bedding into storage bag, huge amount of space saved there & will definitely do more, even DH was impressed. And they are guaranteed for 5 years as well.

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 first BBQ of the season chez Sashanut; lots of orders for dvds boosting my PayPal; DHs gift arriving & looks great, have to hide now for months - and remember where; huge scented white lilac tree in enclosed garden..; nice email from dog rescue thanking me for donation, they have 60 dogs & are full to capacity so every little helps...



NSDs now 9/19

Check ins: 17/31

Finally done charity donation through euro account. Ten euro to the doggies...of West Cork

apple_muncher

Congratulations swimminginaseaofdebt on paying off that debt. Well done you!

greent

Awol again re: DS3's virus and my busy-ness at work. Combination of OH taking time to work from home and my mum looking after him and me swapping a shift around - we got there! Easier after this week if he or DS2 are ill during exams as DD (20) is back from uni today so she will be around to look after them (she's very sensible and her brothers love her to pieces) Not that I expect any more bugs! DS3 ended up with the whole week off. He should be ok for school again on Mon (which is his bday) but will probably be tired - he has a chesty cough and the one eye is still irritated.

Motivation: have short/ medium/ long term goals. Paid £10 to my CC yesterday from rounded up small sale to Mus1cMagpie and £5 to BTL mtge
Money: All DDs gone so all money left is ours... and there is basically none left now until the CB arrives (28th?)!:eek:
Move: mixed results with a poorly DS3 and invigilating exams in small rooms so no need to move much
Activation: What spurs you on? - Not feeling it so much this month - probably a combination of DS3's bug, work and hayfever. Have succumbed to too many takeaways this week - haven't slept properly as DS3 has been in our bed all week
Arm yourself :small amount of decluttering to MMagp1e resulted in small pymt to CC. However, failed on spending and spent several times on takeaways :o
Appreciate what you have. Be grateful.
* sunny weather
* DS2's school rugby shirt turning up after going missing a month ago (a replacement would cost just over £30!)
* the granite in the kitchen finally getting sorted - we can begin to move on now!

Foodbank/ charity donation of £5. - monthly DD to WWT. 2 bags of items donated to shoebox appeal - new bag started Huge bag of stuff donated to CS (some new in packaging). Also donated some random foreign coins (ie: not euros or dollars) to school collection - they raise money from them

Pay to your debt/savings FIRST and live off the rest. - done Few small extra payments made since. Also took remaining balance from OH's switching c/ac (unused for several months) and paid to CC (just over £65) OP to mtge of £220.

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. oops -am checking in sporadically....

NSDs - 5/19 - don't think we've managed another one since...

Collecting DD from uni today, so spend on the bridge toll. OH also out tonight with old school friend, so beer money needed...... (I'm on taxi duty)

dolly84

swimminginaseaofdebt - well done on your debt busting progress.


lavenderbee - there is nothing fun about the latter stages of pregnancy, when baby arrives your body does repair itself pretty quickly though.



mothernerd - productive as ever.


Plan for today is to be at mums this morning and try to clean the huge amount of blood out of the carpet for the third time and to be there whilst the key safe guy comes, also need to get some keys cut for her house and visit her in hospital today too. Need to get DD some shorts for summer if we can today and call at the library to collect a book and return another.



Cycled yesterday so if I don't get chance to exercise today that's fine.

f0xh0les

greent wrote: »

Money: All DDs gone so all money left is ours... and there is basically none left now until the CB arrives (28th?)!:eek:

28th is Bank Holiday greent you get CB on Friday 25th instead;)