Nst october

mothernerd

A warm welcome to all new and returning turtles and the stalwarts we can't get rid of.


THe Ninja Savings Turtles is a follow on to the threads that were previously done by Ninja Savings Kat (look for NSK under Debt Free Challenges). Kat repaid a large amount of debt and then saved enough to go travelling by using a variety of techniques and being totally single-minded about her ultimate goals.


When the time came for Kat to leave (on a jet plane) we discused if it was possible to carry on without her and what form this would take. We could not use the NSK title as Kat was using it for her blog and eventually the suggestion of calling ourselves turtles (as in mutant ninja) was put forward and enthusiastically adopted (apart from the odd squabble over who would be Michaelangelo).


Different people volunteer to run the thread each month and we each bring different qualities to the task.


Kat emphasised the need to have budgets and keep to them, cooking from scratch, having planned spend days and notching up No Spend Days (or Spend Free Days as we sometimes call them), taking our own food and drinks to work or appointments (and days out too) and primarily Paying to Debt or Savings First and living on what was left.



Kat's rules were tough and she would challenge 'contenders' to seek alternative solutions and make better choices in future. She was also aware that there will always be someone worse off than you so giving to others has always been part of our holistic approach along with keeping our bodies (and our minds) healthy. She always included a quirky 'random rule' each month.



We probably take a slightly more relaxed approach to the rules. We do expect that people will try to follow them but it can be daunting at first and most turtles have particular rules that they find aren't applicable or have a hit and miss attitude to.


We don't scold, we offer helpful suggestions when we can and lots of hugs and sympathy when nothing will help. We celebrate one another's successes and happy events (we have hatched many baby turtles now). We have lots and lots of fun because the road to debt freedom can be long and hard.


This month's challenge
Usually if I'm doing a thread at this time of year I include some mini-challenges about preparing for winter. 'Winter Is Coming' became such an iconic phrase that it always crosses my mind (for the record I don't have a tv, I have read the books but haven't seen the last 3 series except through clips and fanfic on utube) only to be rejected as being too much of a cliche.


This month I decided not to reject it but to run with it and to check out the words of other GoT Houses (by the way we aren't at school, you don't have to pick your team although I can understand certain people having an afinity with particular ones just as some of us identify with characters in books - has everyone read Little Women, or seen one of the film versions) and to use that as a basis for this months thread.


HOWEVER I am having laptop problems. The new to me one came with a bent pin but has worked fine for most of the time but it had a little accident a while ago (it jumped off the bed) and it's not great any more and went poorly sick (it's not yet projectile vomitting) this week.


I decided to put the thread up whilst I had some charge (had failed to charge earlier in the day) so the thread was put together in the middle of the night and got increasingly ragged as I tried to complete and get it posted before it failed me again.


I have tried to tidy it up a little but unfortunately made it longer. I think if you concentrate on the bolded Capital letters, those are sort of the rules so Set a BUDGET, AUDIT food already in the house, Meal PLAN using what you have in and think about the overall shape of the MONTH (to help you set your budget and be clear about where you are supposed to be when). The same applies to the 'rules' listed under each house.


We try to check in daily (Don't Panic - sorry dolly) especially when something goes wrong (or we've spent all our food budget on a new bed and are hiding under the bedclothes eating chocolate buttons).

Just try, do what you can, let us know how you are doing. You'll be fine - and remember NO Turtle Gets Left Behind.

DIA I often read your diary but haven't commented. Anything anyone is not clear on?



FROG LIST
A frog is anything that you have been putting off doing. A difficult phone call, a drawer that falls on the floor anytime you open it, saying NO to someone. The longer you leave it, it grows in your imagination until it's such a burden you can't even think about it.


Write down all your frogs and let's get spearing them. You will feel so much better afterwards and the rest of your day will be a doddle after eating the frog.


NSD/ SFD
A No Spend Day or Spend Free Day.
A day when you do not spend money. I do not count days the standing orders go out (I only have Council Tax, Power supply and Water Rates) but any other spending going out to the shops or online is spending.


The exemptions are:-
Medicines - we don't want people to wait if they need medicine. In some cases we allow fares to appointments or hospital parking (especially in an emergency).


Travel - people with cars set a petrol budget at the beginning of the month and need to stay within this. We don't want anyone stranded in the middle of nowhere because they wouldn't buy petrol. Similarly people who use an Oyster card or equivalent for public transport do not lose an NSD.


Yellow Sticker (YS) goods - reduced goods in a supermarket (SM) generally with prices on yellow stickers. Buying only from the reduced shelf will not lose you an NSD but if you also buy full price items it's not an NSD


Childrens clubs or activities/ other small regular cash payments (cubs, dancing classes, paying the window cleaner, going to the gym, weekly subscriptions for football or losing weight classses). Slightly differrent treatment - you can put all the money for these, for the month, aside on the first spending day of the month rather than losing an NSD/SFD each week.


greent has a milk exemption. This is because she has 4 growing children (2 at uni now?) who drink milk by the bucket load and a very small fridge. If greent were penalised for buying milk she would never have an NSD.


I am prepared to consider any other personal exemptions on an individual basis.

mothernerd

Turtle Back Story http://smileys.emoticonsonly.com/emoticons/t/turtle-28.gif There was a kingdom of tall towers where the financiers lived. They lured wild turtles with gifts of loans and magic cards, making pets of them. When the hard times came the financiers cast off their pets and the turtles fell into the sewers, awash on a tide of debt.

A wise and beautiful Kat rescued the turtles and taught them her ninja ways.Month by month, in a firm but kindly manner, she taught the turtles to exercise their bodies till they could negotiate the sewer, to use their will to resist the temptations of the kingdom, to plan and prepare, save their pennies and to give to those less fortunate.

One day the wise Kat gathered the turtles to tell them she must leave them. She was to go on a quest to the Eastern lands. She had saved all her money (and a little honey) and sought new adventures and learning (and perhaps an owl to be her future companion).

At first the turtles were afraid but wise and beautiful Kat reminded them of the lessons she had taught them (Always pay your debt first). They could now keep afloat on the sewer water and could help each other, and those who joined them along the way, to swim through to the tide of freedom and the beach of tranquility known as debt free day.

So the brave little turtles set out, swimming against the tide of consumerism and became the
NINJA SAVING TURTLES

quintwins

Can I join? I can't believe I'm going to see this but I guess I'm a Lannister! boo! Aiming for 18nsd

Karmacat

Beautiful, mothernerd, just beautiful!


I'd be having a hard time believing anyone *wanted* to be a Lannister, except that I love Lena Headey and Peter Dinklage, and Nikolai Wotsit isn't bad either


**pets all the baby turtles admiringly, while making sure my direwolf doesn't eat them all**

apple_muncher

I'm firmly in the camp of 'I've no idea at all about GoT'. I just fancied rolling in the mud chasing frogs for a bit! And of course, it was the more adult bit about simple living that really hooked me...!

mothernerd

Everyone up to here should now have a number. Please let me know if I've missed anyone. Using the old laptop with it's new charger, as it has now decided that the password I used yesterday is okay. this is after I hunted down the password book.

XSpender

Please count me in Mothernerd. I have almost all the GOT series on DVD but have only got as far as series 3!

I once met the actor who plays Sam, of the night’s watch, in a hotel when I was away with work. He was such a nice man.

I have had a massive amount of tax deducted from my salary this month and this challenge fits in with what my DH has christened Skint-ober.

doingitanyway

mothernerd wrote: »

A warm welcome to all new and returning turtles and the stalwarts we can't get rid of.

Thanks Mothernerd. I will go with your suggestion to:
'Set a BUDGET, AUDIT food already in the house, Meal PLAN using what you have in and think about the overall shape of the MONTH (to help you set your budget and be clear about where you are supposed to be when).' as that is the bit that is clear to me.

Dottydaisy

Please count me in, was a Stark somewhere in the real past and the challenge is right for what I am facing at the moment. The last 9 months have been difficult with illness and caring for live at home daughter with mental health and work problems. It has taken a toll on me so need to get into perspective and soldier on. Holiday to Spain in three weeks so looking forward to some relaxation, reading and just sitting. This is another great challenge Mothernerd, don't know how you think them up!

bizzie

Can I join in again this month please.
Been missing the accountability the NST challenges bring to life though I have read all posts.