Keep calm and carry on....

QueenJess

That’s a lovely Xmas present to have! 

South_coast

Possibly the best, I think 🤔 🤣? It'll certainly last longer than most!

Jessy103

Congrats on the bonus and payrise! 

Have a lovely Christmas x

South_coast

Thanks Jessy, just been reading your exciting news too 😍!

newgirly

Happy Christmas sc, great news about the pay rise! 

South_coast

Thanks NG 😀 - you'll also be pleased to hear I didn't have much to drink yesterday and have decided to have a day off it today 👍

South_coast

Right, I'm just about to launch my new diary and quite frankly I can't be bothered to continue with keeping a tally of any extra cash which may appear in the next few days, so let's get cracking with the free money round-up! As you may recall, the target this month was £0.00 😀

£0.43 bank account cashback 
£0.62 bank account interest
£1.49 cashed-in Boots points
£2.00 Storewards 
£5.00 Online forum about savings
£5.00 i-Say
£7.50 cashed-in Nectar points
£10.00 Shop & Scan 
£10.05 Panelbase
£20.03 TopCashBack 
£26.52 Prolific

Total = £88.64

Happy with that. I've also got £25 in transit from One Poll (since 01/12 🙄), over £10 pending on Prolific and a £10 voucher in the post from Consumer Pulse, so it would have been one of my best months if it had all arrived!

Top 3 earners for 2021: 
1) Prolific - £328.63
2) Shop & Scan - £170.00
3) Nectar points - £112.50 (would have been One Poll at £125.00 if that last payment had arrived)

That's me done with tracking now 👍 It's been interesting to do, but I can't say I'll miss it!

South_coast

And my 2021 goals (December thoughts/annual)....

South_coast said:
Money....

* Save up £4k to transfer into the LISA at the start of the new tax year - This will earn me the maximum bonus of £1k for The Future and the overall "money needed" figure - Achieved 🧚‍♀️
* Once I have the £4k ready, pile all money into the mortgage - Simples! - Achieved 🧚‍♀️
* No clothes purchases, except for work clothes, underwear and tights - I don't have loads of clothes, but I definitely have enough and they're all in decent enough condition. The exceptions are to a) make sure I look professional and b) ensure public decency, so are sensible enough omissions! - Nothing this month/Retired this during September, as I realised how scruffy I was starting to look outside of work! Haven't gone too mad though, and I'm happy with what I've bought
* 1% of monthly salary to be donated to local homeless charity - Rolled over from 2020, as not yet a habit - It is now 😀! Done every month this year

2021, the year of health....
* Buy a 12-month prescription pre-payment certificate - I have been guilty of not using my inhalers at the prescribed dose to save on prescription charges in the past, so this feels sensible and grown-up. It will also save me money overall - Well I don't think it did save me any money, but I did do it 👍!
* Act promptly on health concerns - No more ignoring back/chest pain for two weeks and telling myself it's down to sleeping on a lumpy mattress (although this did at least prompt me to buy a loooovely mattress topper 🤣!) - Nothing needed this month/Think I've done reasonably well with this, have tried to be quite proactive. Just one niggly thing outstanding, which I will continue to monitor
* Continue to minimise alcohol consumption - No explanation needed here, I think! - This has been a bit of a rollercoaster, but I've definitely finished the year much better than I started it. There was a period of many, many years up until about a year ago where I would go months on end without a single day off and I am definitely not in that place any more. I still slip up sometimes and have more than I would have liked, but I'm getting there 
* Avoid all processed sugar - I'm not going to refuse birthday cake if someone has taken the time to bake it, but I'm not going to go looking for it either. The same goes for biscuits, chocolate etc - 3 mince pies this month (homemade 😋)/Really pleased with this this year, it's actually been surprisingly easy too (I've been at other peoples' houses for the last two days with dishes of chocolate on the dining table and all I could think was "urgh" and no temptation to tuck in whatsoever 👍), so definitely keeping this as a habit going forward
* Take steps to minimise processed food - A bit tricky as I'm veggie (I do eat fish, but not at home - mostly to make it easier for other people catering for me), so I can't just base meals round a piece of meat, but some of the meat-alternative products don't feel very natural so I'm trying to cut those out as much as possible. Just need to make sure I leave myself something to eat! - A few bits of "meat" at BF's, a couple of hash browns, plus the old favourite of a pot noodle this month (never thought they would be my vice 🤣!)/Again, really pleased with this overall. I don't think I've had anything other than a few pot noodles when I've been cooking for myself, so have only eaten processed food when away from home (and often turned my nose up at it anyway - whoops 😳!)
* Exercise outdoors once a week and indoors once a week - I know this will sound really lame to you fit lot, but I have to start somewhere and also try and keep it achievable - Indoors retired during July, but I've been all over the outdoors, including a run on Christmas morning (in the rain, got very wet!)
No weight loss goals per se this year, but hopefully the above will add up to some improvement....🤞 - And it did! 17lbs lost (-19lbs is the most I've seen on the scales, but only on odd days so thought I'd better be honest 🤣!) I can't pretend it's not been really hard work, but I'm definitely glad I've made the effort

South_coast

Not a bad effort there for 2021, I think. I'm giving that an A- If I could just have really got on top of the alcohol I would have nailed it 🙄!

South_coast

So, without further ado...
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6322107/getting-fired-up/p1?new=1