NST December 2018 – Exterminate the debt!

LavenderBee

A spendy day today, £23.67 on the weekly shop in Mr Ls and £8.97 on Xmas food (still nearly £70 in the Xmas kitty! We have been much more disciplined about not consuming our Xmas food and drink before Xmas this year). Feeling better than yesterday thank goodness so took DD to her baby group first then braved the shopping. Actually managed to get a parent and baby parking bay - a rare novelty! It does make me cross; I know parents never used to have them, but when I was young we didn't have to have seatbelts on the back seat either, now the baby seats required by law (and rightfully so) do make it difficult at best and impossible at worst to get a baby in and out of in a standard parking bay. I digress...

We don't do candles in the bee household but today I had the flame effect on the electric fire on and Christmas tree lights rather than table lamp for the same effect. Dolly I'm sorry to hear about your rotten luck with the electrics! Living where I do we have a "blackout box" of matches for the hob, headtorches, and disposable nappies (no electric, no washing machine ) - just in case.

Gratitudes
- DD's Christmas themed baby group, where she won a pair of festive socks
- All the people who stopped us in Mr L's emporium to talk to DD who was in her carrier strapped to me (even if it did add a half hour to our shopping trip ), and for DD giving them all big gummy grins in return
- For DD liking some peas today
- For Christmas tree lights

mothernerd

The 1000 Day 'Plan'

Background
I am approaching this positively but also being realistic. We all have limitations and we need to take these into account, can we work round them if our goals demand it or can we adapt or compromise on our goals.

I don't want this to be all about losing weight and saving money, although those are important.

There will be change but I don't know what will happen and when it will happen. I need to prepare as well as I can (changes to the kitchen, the yard so that I can continue to garden), learn to ask for and accept help and don't fret or waste time worrying about things I can't control.

My main worries are my health and work (self employed, low earnings). The arthritis in my right arm and any problems with my eyes affect my embroidery - I have noticed a significant difference in what I could do 12 months ago and now. I am still 5 years, 5 weeks and a few days away from retirement (as long as the goalposts don't get moved again) and I need to limp my way there somehow. On the positive side, according to tests I've had this year, I don't have breast or bowel cancer and my heart is fine (even though I could be fitter)

I'm poor but that's okay, I can live quite happily on a small income. However there are degrees of 'poor'. For a while I was the sort of poor where you can never escape, where your every waking moment is taken up with juggling money to pay basic bills, working out how to feed yourself for the next few days, living in terror of anything going wrong that will tip you over the precipice. I don't ever want to have to go through that again.

1000 DAY PLAN
Be happy and healthy (will include monitoring my mental health)
Accept change. Plan where possible, forget the rest
Enjoy my time with mum and my relationships with my sons, their partners and any puppies and grandchildren that may come along.
Live simply. Have more fun.
Eliminate. Adapt. Work the rest out as I go along.

pinkypig

Evening Turtles :wave:

Very lax about reporting in but I have had a lovely weekend:p

My staff party was good with no spends as it was all paid in advance including wine so not a cheap night but at the least it was spread over three payments in November.

The weekend has been really relaxing although Saturday was a right off (see above :rotfl:). Sunday was lovely though - got out for a run and the spent the day pottering, reading, watching tv and having a bubble bath so plenty of self care:)

Had another three nsds so 11/15 although today was a spend day as I needed fuel and I also got a dress for a wedding in the spring off eBay so £34 and £5.45 respectively.

Stuck to the meal plan over the weekend and today . Took breakfast, lunch and coffee to work.

Steered clear of the drainers

Today I'm grateful for having only got four more teaching days until the end of term, a calm night with my dad, for an early finish and for getting through today's to do list without feeling hassled.

Night night on turtles

PP xx

f0xh0les

Good Morning Turtles!
Checking in with my news.
Great haul of books from c/s for birthday presents for DS3 - never see Hardy Boys books in c/s then walked in yesterday and found 15 and a boxed set of 15 Secret Seven books - both of which were requested, but he has enough for Xmas so he can have them first week of Feb for his birthday.

Bought crackers and loo roll, side plates and soup bowls. We have had a lot of smashages lately. Stocking fillers of hair things and sweeties. Considering using a tablecloth for Xmas day (or similar)
4 cards left to get kids to sign and post today.
Feeling quite organized - fatal last words!
I think all the after school clubs are over now. Yay!!

[Deleted User]

Hi folks, apologies that I've signed up for this thread and not posted. Been very busy, plus full of the cold. I will definitely sign up again next month and try to do better in January. In the meantime, i will catch up with the posts for inspiration.

Edit: To add a gratitude list
I am grateful today for the fantastic people I work with. They are supportive, funny and go all out to encourage the children we work with. I'm grateful for the students I teach. They teach me something new everyday, they make me laugh and keep me young. I am grateful for the outings planned with family over the next few days and for quiet time to rest and recharge.

[Deleted User]

Just catching up on the thread.

Raphael - huge congrats on your debt free day:T:T!!

Applemuncher - count me in for the 1000 days. Love this idea. Will ponder what I want to add in as my goals for this today.

crazy_cat_lady

Good afternoon everyone :hello:
Another day of work almost over - 3 more to go. Today has been a tricky one I don't mind saying. Adding onto the usual end of term switch off was a very windy day and a massive lot of supply teachers. I think hectic would be the understatement of the year.
3 more to go.
Other than that, I will be bagging another nsd because I already have dinner planned and no desire to do anything at all other than go home, have a shower and an early night.
In spite of it being the week before Christmas, I am still losing weight so I am a happy CCL - only 1lb to get into the next stone bracket.
Trying to keep the faith, but I'm tired physically and emotionally so it's about survival for now.
Gratitudes:
Losing weight :j
3 more to go
My own home with double glazing
Dinner being ready in the fridge just to reheat

Shrewbie

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Pay day today and I am going to be officially debt free as soon as those euros are transferred into £ (hopefully tomorrow!)

I need to carefully budget now to ensure I don't (ideally ever) go back into this kind of debt. I certainly have enough money to survive the rest of December and half of January with some careful planning.

I've been thinking a lot about 1000 days and for me it has to be my Spanish - in 1000 days it should be possible to go from a low intermediate level to a high advanced level, and I need to try. - although other skills are important for me to develop, this is no1 at the moment and if I don't make it my priority (in the original sense of the word No 1 focus) then I'll never improve.

Having said that... I can't wait to fly home and clap my eyes on beautiful England with its greenery, amazing range of snacks and most of all PUBS.

Have a great week turtles

Toni'sfriend

NSD 3 AFD 2

I had a little G & T today as it is my birthday (a rather advanced one which I'd rather not dwell on!!!!). The weather has been awful - very wet and windy - and as everywhere is busy at this time of year I decided just to have a day in. Himself bought me two beautiful leather handbags with matching purses and gloves whilst we were away and I was more than pleased with that but when I got up this morning he gave me a sapphire pendant with matching earrings. I am totally speechless. The when I went upstairs he had left some beautiful chocolates on my bedside cabinet.

My friend bought me a bottle of gin plus tonic all beautifully wrapped in a basket so it would have been a shame not to just have a little one (or three!). I've had such a lovely day - messages from my brother in Canada and my cousins in Canada and New Zealand plus the others at home. It has really drawn me out of the feelings of anxiety that I have been feeling and made me grateful for all I have.

So, the Boy is coming to see me after work and Himself is making dinner for me, Nothing fancy but it's one of my favourites.

I hope everyone has had as good a day as I have.

Karmacat

Shrewbie, you're in Spain right now? I really love the Spanish language and culture. Lovely to live there and speak it.

I'm thinking about 1000 days too.

- the first 100 days: carry on getting the garden in order. I'm pruning hedges, carrying out soil improvement, setting out where I can plant perennials (veg and fruit, not really one for flowers unless they're edible, or have a special place in my heart, like scabious).
- second 100 days (summer and autumn) I want to visit friends, scout out a few places for genealogy research, a holiday with my sister. Not been able to do much because I've been ill, though I started this year just gone.
- third 100. Kitchen renovation?
- I love writing, and that can twine in amongst the tasks above. I have a kindle book that could usefully be updated, a little travel book that could be finalised and published, and I'm continually plotting a novel :rotfl:


That's the first third plotted roughly out, I want to see what the dates are for those markers :rotfl:


Gratitudes: that I have options; that a good percentage of my health has returned; that I live close enough to my sister for day visits; that the town I live in has enough social and educational organisations aimed at people like me that I can build a network here.