Future Proofing my life: Deposit saving then MFW journey in under 13 years

KajiKita

I can’t remember if you track NSDs (No Spend Days) or not? I have joined Cathybird’s challenge here:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6482438/nifty-novembers-no-spend-days-challenge#latest

There will be a new one for December shortly 😊

It does make a huge difference to how much and how often you spend. Planned / budgeted / necessary things are not included as losing you an NSD (so things like spends on medication, fuel to run a car to get to work, the big weekly food shop don’t lose you an NSD) but unplanned spends such as a treat coffee with a friend do - you define *your* rules. I manage the ‘treats aspect’ by having a set amount of ‘pocket money’ each month in cash for these sorts of small indulgences (we have to live). Once it’s gone it’s gone. You say you enjoy gamifying tasks, projects etc. and it is certainly working for your decluttering. I love winning all the emojis each month! 😉❤️ You might appreciate this 😊

KK

ruby_eskimo

Just from skimming the last few pages of your diary, it's good to see that I'm not the only one who's tracking everything for the foreseeable.  Will be here cheering you on with the daily updates.

beanielou

I also love the NSD challenge. 

LadyWithAPlan

KajiKita said:

I can’t remember if you track NSDs (No Spend Days) or not? I have joined Cathybird’s challenge here:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6482438/nifty-novembers-no-spend-days-challenge#latest

There will be a new one for December shortly 😊

It does make a huge difference to how much and how often you spend. Planned / budgeted / necessary things are not included as losing you an NSD (so things like spends on medication, fuel to run a car to get to work, the big weekly food shop don’t lose you an NSD) but unplanned spends such as a treat coffee with a friend do - you define *your* rules. I manage the ‘treats aspect’ by having a set amount of ‘pocket money’ each month in cash for these sorts of small indulgences (we have to live). Once it’s gone it’s gone. You say you enjoy gamifying tasks, projects etc. and it is certainly working for your decluttering. I love winning all the emojis each month! 😉❤️ You might appreciate this 😊

KK

I do track but not doing well at NSD 6 this month only - so tx re the thread - I will join for December 13 days NSD.

I do have a treats/entertainment budgets but it gets blown out the water each month especially in the last quarter as loads of family birthdays then Xmas... and I pick up the cheque for one of the big meals .
Maybe I need a treats  & a separate entertainment. I also have a 'blow money' pot £20 per month 

I am looking forward to trying YNAB on this as it will at least track and remember all my pot movements I do manually and via bank transfer.

ruby_eskimo said:

Just from skimming the last few pages of your diary, it's good to see that I'm not the only one who's tracking everything for the foreseeable.  Will be here cheering you on with the daily updates.

Hey Ruby tx for popping by. Glad I am not the only one tracking everything and feeling a little crazy/nerdy/pedantic.. However seeing Oct voluntary spend over £1200 or whatever it was and now Nov nearly £2k .... I think I need the maths to prove to myself I am not that innocent (sorry channelling Britney!) on being frugal.
I am def going to do YNAB - but looks like I can get a year free as a student - but year runs from 1st Jan.
So I will go for the 34 day trial from the 29th Nov so I can start Dec clean (and hide from the current damage to my savings from my Xmas pot overspend)

Next year I need to up Xmas spend to probably £100 a month and NOT transfer it over 

beanielou said:

I also love the NSD challenge. 

Great I will officially join and see you and KK there.

LadyWithAPlan

SUCCESS! I went to the gym this morning

Why 'eating the frog works'
I think empowered by my victory of largely finishing my 2 tax returns over the weekend (go me) and sorting out invoices/paye filing (big victory) etc I am feeling more positive generally - got loads hard puzzle type work done yesterday  and got to the gym finally this morning
Since returning from the 29 degrees in the States my first couple weeks back have been a bit of a shock and my time zone is still wrong..late to bed late to rise as I cant sleep.

However 'eating the frog' has made me see how with things I HAVE to do eg taxes   that after all my pointless procrastination I still have to do the work, it doesnt go away - I just waste time, energy and emotional stress not doing it and also say things like I cant go to the gym cos I need to do X & then dont do X anyway. I was reading around this idea..

Time it takes to do something  = time you actually take to do it + time you spent thinking about doing it (or doing other tasks as avoidance)

Gym 2 x in Nov - did swim a lot in the States
Despite a late to bed 2am, I woke up at 6.45 and instead of getting extra sleep turned light on .. finally got up 7.15.. I then had coffee and chanted and messed about (not sure on what) but left flat at 8.20 so gym at 8.44
I do need to just go straight to the gym first thing - with coffee in hand if I can 

Side hustle 13
 Whilst chanting this morning I had the idea on a new project develop into something bigger - simple but will work and sell well I feel - this is all going back into what I used to do pre covid.. I have to build it and let them come .. or more correctly build it, test it in the mkt, change it, then travel to them but i can see it could really work. 
I have put it on the side for now  - I have enough on - nbut I have put a sticky note on my whiteboard  to remind me to apply for some funding to get it moving. If I get cash and external deadlines then I will do the work

USING STREAKS
I am going to try uninterrupted streaks - a bit like my decluttering but with the gym or exercise.. I wont go every day but even a 15 min star juno or home yoga is moving my body in a healthy way and will earn me a streak
so GYM STREAK 1

£186.92/£150  grocery    + £19.13/£100bulk 
Grocery Shopping  £26.75 + w/up liq £1.99 (from hme but will take from bulk)
Got a FR chicken £9.37 but will be making stock after from and soup as got beetroot as well. Plus YS turkey mince as going to try that lamb chermoula dish with turkey. Plus loads of veg, greens, organic spinach, cuc, carrots.
RESULT - no crisps or sweets or nuts bought 

Popped to Mr L after gym - I do have Sain vouchers and £11.75 in Mr Ice bonus but both a bit far


I also looked in MS Poundl*** for the xmas lights - Tesc* offer is definitely best value if you have a cc, my local Ms T didnt have any but the one next to the college does so will pick up Thurs.

Off out this evening to a work related event/talk with a friend in a v cool London building  - wont drink alcohol  (unless its free   Might be also some networking ... 
(need to transcribe my programme )
WFH now today and hopefully will thus manage to sleep better tonight

BRUNCH TODAY = post gym
Cooked today for brunch  YS Mr T peri peri chicken breasts I defrosted - tasty at £2 YS , though I wouldnt pay for full price £4. Served with fried cavolo nero and organic spinach plus a sweet roast potato
I also did a raw side salad of an old favourite - spinach, tomato & raw organic mushroom salad with balsamic and olive oil - didnt have any fresh herbs in but it is tasty and clean. I did add a teaspoon of paste  of my new fav spice Chermoula 
Got the other half of the chicken breast cooked for dinner this eve before I go out.

TO DO
Gym - so DONE
Grocery shop - DONE
28 things  Min Game (err I thought yesterday was 28! so I did 28 items yesterday and 28 today will happen  
Client B - do the eat frogs I want to do today
Client B - send email I did last night and check emails for to dos.
Have fun but frugal time this eve

KajiKita

Glad that the NSDs thread looks like it could be helpful 😊 See you over there 😊

Will remember to remind you reference ‘transcription project’ in January 😉

Love the idea of the gym streak! 🤩❤️

KK

South_coast

LadyWithAPlan said:

....I have put a sticky note on my whiteboard  to remind me....

Write it on with a white board marker - a sticky note will fall off!!!

savingholmes

Like the streak idea.

Well done on the 247 items gone.

Congratulations on the work abroad too

Watty1

Being self employed I get the time spent + time avoidance means I can't do things that are fun for me like riding.I need to eat my elephants and promptly.

LadyWithAPlan

LadyWithAPlan said:

Not to suggest I am obsessed at all  with this led mask but this morning was another
'Mirror Mirror on the wall, who has the fairest skin of all'

 I think tiny elves (or Barbie fairy princesses)  spent their night gently polishing my skin with rose petals and sprinkling it with oils from Mount Olympus - its unbelievable -

I  used it in bed last night before sleeping and once it finished I then added my serum/night cream which was ready on the night stand  and slept ..
I am not using v expensive serums or creams - I like The Ordinary and also the no7 Future Renew  -
I am looking forward to seeing how my friends skin now changes as I ordered her a £90 one - same as mine with NIR- to see if she gets the same results. I am now in my 50s but always had very clear skin but I am now seeing a freshness and glow return so thank you elves/Barbie fairies

This above quoted post was from one month  on after getting my LED face mask Sep 10th or so.

I was in the gym yesterday morning Nov 28th 23  and actually was doing some angled press ups against all the weight stacks so I was v close to the giant mirror and had a sudden closeup of my face.
Despite the fact it was before 9am, only had 4.5 hours sleep and I had ZERO makeup on apart from a quick slap on of mascara  my skin looked really great - as in glowing, flawless, fresh (I am over 50 somehow), my skin looked perfect!. My eyes are definitely less puffy and I could hardly see any wrinkles! (I did have a hat on so couldnt see my forehead which does have lines as a botox free MFW!)

My one sun spot on my face I have had for 6 years which never fully disappears over winters  is 75% gone, smaller, much lighter and hardly noticeable - I reckon another month or 2 it will be gone completely - I was in the sun for 2 weeks in Nov.
Obviously the face age 'droop' takes longer to correct as its takes 3 months for collagen changes to start working up but I do think my face looks tighter, my fine lines around the eyes are much better (as in invisible until I smile!) and the deeper now permanent lines  in my forehead do seem less deep ...


 Those Elves/Barbie fairy princesses have obviously been working hard - it is 2.5 months in and this LED mask works .. I use it 3-5 times a week  on clean skin.
After reading the proven via study effects of NIR/red led on your scalp (hair growth follicles, brain mitochondria increased activity, so wards  against dementia/stroke etc  I have started to pop it also on my head for ten mins a day  Yes I look bonkers. However I ate a fair bit of dairy last week so excema in my scalp has turned up again 
They do do LED caps but I will work with what I have. Mse all the way 

The face wand takes effort  as you have to stand there and move over your face -who has time for that? -  so I hardly use it - maybe once a week  or 2 max  but this led mask you can slap on and then can sleep, read, wash up in it is just easy.

My friends skin also looks tighter, glowing and brighter after one month of use but I have not now seen her in a month  to fully report as she has this dreaded flu and I've been away so.

So if you want better healthier skin or for a loved one  Xmas gift  I suggest you get a led face mask - ideally with near infrared NIR as well as red .. but even the ones without NIR are brilliant as my friend has a basic one and his skin rocks  (start at £13 on T*mu) and with NIR start at about £60-£100 depending on the day)