NST December A - Z
mothernerd
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Ninja Saving Turtles December Challenge
DECEMBER A - Z
December is a whole month, albeit with an event towards the end which is difficult to ignore. For some of us it is faith based (Samhain/ Diwali/ Christmas), for others it is strictly secular but from early times people have gathered together at the darkest, coldest time of the year to share food and warmth. Some of us embrace Christmas (using that as shorthand, not to cause offence) joyfully, some of us see it as an impossible obstacle course of chores and 'must do's' (even those who love it have moments of that) and others do their best to ignore it altogether. Following a technical failure, I've put together the following bullet points (I'll expand on them and add stories as we progress through the month). Normal rules have a (R), Relaxed rules have a (R), everything else is suggestions (adopt any useful ones, disregard the rest)
A Abandon perfection. Things will go wrong. You will cope
B Budgets (R) will be set before the start of the month. Estimate things you don't have exact figures for (eg travel to relatives) or add a 'contingencies' column.
C Cost of Christmas. Do you know it? Do you set money aside all year? Or have you been too busy firefighting (lurching from crisis to crisis)
D Debt or Savings (R) should be paid first, live off what is left over. If you're already in trouble, hang on and try not to make the situation worse. Get help.
E Exercise (R) Move your body. Music helps (good for mental health too)
F Food Eat simply and frugally in the early part of the month. You'll enjoy the 'feasting' more and it will help your body work at its best
G Good things to do for your body. Drink lots of water. Eat lots of fruit and veg
H Home cooking from scratch (R) is normally recommended (saves money, you know exactly what you are eating). However I suggest a mix of homemade, bought 'fiddly bits and frozen (back up)
I IMPROVISE Despite what the adverts tell you, many things are non-essential. You can substitute, use things you already have, borrow.
J Just buy food your family loves (make allowances for guests with specialist dietary requirements or if someone will never let you hear the end of it, if something is 'missing')
K KINDNESS Be kind, be polite, try not to lose your temper. Be kind to yourself and accept offers of help
L Let it go (don't sing, please don't sing). Forgive old quarrels, hurts and slights. Not for the offender, but for yourself. They are not worthy of your head space.
M Martyr Don't be one, especially don't be one for Christmas. If you're overwhelmed and feeling taken for granted, TELL people what you need (simple instructions)
N NSDs Choose your own target. If you have to do sneaky shopping, fitted in around school drop offs and pick ups, you may need to shop little and often. YS goods, medicine, travel and small regular costs (children's activities, window cleaner) do not incur loss of an NSD (should be in your budget and/ or set aside at the start of the month)
O Opportunities for good surround us. Do what you can, even if it's holding a door open for someone. Give time, money or just your thoughts.
P Planning and preparation are your friends. Many things can be prepared ahead and having a plan keeps you calm.
Q Question everything. Every spend. Weigh the cost against time, if you're short of both. Don't miss your child's play because you 'have to' decorate the cake or make 100 sausage rolls.
R Random Acts of Kindness. I will be doing the Reverse Advent Calendar for the food bank. You don't have to but I find that RAKs are an antidote to all the commercialism
S Sickness Pets and children will eat things they shouldn't. Older children will do the same but add in alcohol. Children will be poorly and miserable - stock your medicine cupboard now for inevitable illnesses (genuine or self inflicted)
T Take time out for yourself. Time to relax, time to think, time to just 'be'.
U (Un)wanted guests Even welcome guests can be tiring. We all have relatives who are 'difficult'. Try to set limits on visits, have a quiet word if it will help
V Very Merry Christmas There are lots of ways to have fun for free but if the family visit to the the pantomime is part of your tradition, don't stop just to save money
W Work doesn't stop for many essential workers (from health care professionals down to bar staff, shop workers and cleaners) Spare a thought for them and thank them
X X is for Cross it off. Cross it off your list(s) when it's done. cross it off for next year if it didn't taste good, you didn't enjoy it, if it was a waste of time and money
Y YOU should (R) refrain from using chain coffee shops, vending machines, takeaways etc. I'm relaxing this rule, just for this month. If you are meeting a friend for coffee and a cake or a light meal and this helps one or both of you with recovery from illness or with your mental health, go ahead. There are many reasons why you might need to do this. try to use local shops, if available.
Z When the Zhit hits the fan If you have someone in hospital or in their own home, who is sick dying or needs help and support, do what you have to. Your budget may go out of the window but that is not important at times of crisis. Remember that people will get ill, have heart attacks, serious falls and may even die in December as in every other month. One or more of the people you meet this month will be in this situation. People already struggling with poverty, homelessness, job loss, their mental health are put under increased pressure by Christmas. Be kind. If this is you or you have the anniversary of the death of someone close to you at this time, please be kind to yourself, seek help or support if you need it and take a break if the festivities get too much - go for a walk or rest in a quiet room.
Peace be with you and I hope you all have a joyful time,
The original working title for this was 'A different December' and it's certainly turned out like that. As usual we will have lots of fun on the way (maybe a few tears) so who wants to come along on the latest episode of the great turtle adventure
DECEMBER A - Z
December is a whole month, albeit with an event towards the end which is difficult to ignore. For some of us it is faith based (Samhain/ Diwali/ Christmas), for others it is strictly secular but from early times people have gathered together at the darkest, coldest time of the year to share food and warmth. Some of us embrace Christmas (using that as shorthand, not to cause offence) joyfully, some of us see it as an impossible obstacle course of chores and 'must do's' (even those who love it have moments of that) and others do their best to ignore it altogether. Following a technical failure, I've put together the following bullet points (I'll expand on them and add stories as we progress through the month). Normal rules have a (R), Relaxed rules have a (R), everything else is suggestions (adopt any useful ones, disregard the rest)
A Abandon perfection. Things will go wrong. You will cope
B Budgets (R) will be set before the start of the month. Estimate things you don't have exact figures for (eg travel to relatives) or add a 'contingencies' column.
C Cost of Christmas. Do you know it? Do you set money aside all year? Or have you been too busy firefighting (lurching from crisis to crisis)
D Debt or Savings (R) should be paid first, live off what is left over. If you're already in trouble, hang on and try not to make the situation worse. Get help.
E Exercise (R) Move your body. Music helps (good for mental health too)
F Food Eat simply and frugally in the early part of the month. You'll enjoy the 'feasting' more and it will help your body work at its best
G Good things to do for your body. Drink lots of water. Eat lots of fruit and veg
H Home cooking from scratch (R) is normally recommended (saves money, you know exactly what you are eating). However I suggest a mix of homemade, bought 'fiddly bits and frozen (back up)
I IMPROVISE Despite what the adverts tell you, many things are non-essential. You can substitute, use things you already have, borrow.
J Just buy food your family loves (make allowances for guests with specialist dietary requirements or if someone will never let you hear the end of it, if something is 'missing')
K KINDNESS Be kind, be polite, try not to lose your temper. Be kind to yourself and accept offers of help
L Let it go (don't sing, please don't sing). Forgive old quarrels, hurts and slights. Not for the offender, but for yourself. They are not worthy of your head space.
M Martyr Don't be one, especially don't be one for Christmas. If you're overwhelmed and feeling taken for granted, TELL people what you need (simple instructions)
N NSDs Choose your own target. If you have to do sneaky shopping, fitted in around school drop offs and pick ups, you may need to shop little and often. YS goods, medicine, travel and small regular costs (children's activities, window cleaner) do not incur loss of an NSD (should be in your budget and/ or set aside at the start of the month)
O Opportunities for good surround us. Do what you can, even if it's holding a door open for someone. Give time, money or just your thoughts.
P Planning and preparation are your friends. Many things can be prepared ahead and having a plan keeps you calm.
Q Question everything. Every spend. Weigh the cost against time, if you're short of both. Don't miss your child's play because you 'have to' decorate the cake or make 100 sausage rolls.
R Random Acts of Kindness. I will be doing the Reverse Advent Calendar for the food bank. You don't have to but I find that RAKs are an antidote to all the commercialism
S Sickness Pets and children will eat things they shouldn't. Older children will do the same but add in alcohol. Children will be poorly and miserable - stock your medicine cupboard now for inevitable illnesses (genuine or self inflicted)
T Take time out for yourself. Time to relax, time to think, time to just 'be'.
U (Un)wanted guests Even welcome guests can be tiring. We all have relatives who are 'difficult'. Try to set limits on visits, have a quiet word if it will help
V Very Merry Christmas There are lots of ways to have fun for free but if the family visit to the the pantomime is part of your tradition, don't stop just to save money
W Work doesn't stop for many essential workers (from health care professionals down to bar staff, shop workers and cleaners) Spare a thought for them and thank them
X X is for Cross it off. Cross it off your list(s) when it's done. cross it off for next year if it didn't taste good, you didn't enjoy it, if it was a waste of time and money
Y YOU should (R) refrain from using chain coffee shops, vending machines, takeaways etc. I'm relaxing this rule, just for this month. If you are meeting a friend for coffee and a cake or a light meal and this helps one or both of you with recovery from illness or with your mental health, go ahead. There are many reasons why you might need to do this. try to use local shops, if available.
Z When the Zhit hits the fan If you have someone in hospital or in their own home, who is sick dying or needs help and support, do what you have to. Your budget may go out of the window but that is not important at times of crisis. Remember that people will get ill, have heart attacks, serious falls and may even die in December as in every other month. One or more of the people you meet this month will be in this situation. People already struggling with poverty, homelessness, job loss, their mental health are put under increased pressure by Christmas. Be kind. If this is you or you have the anniversary of the death of someone close to you at this time, please be kind to yourself, seek help or support if you need it and take a break if the festivities get too much - go for a walk or rest in a quiet room.
Peace be with you and I hope you all have a joyful time,
The original working title for this was 'A different December' and it's certainly turned out like that. As usual we will have lots of fun on the way (maybe a few tears) so who wants to come along on the latest episode of the great turtle adventure
My mission in life is not only to survive,but to thrive and to do so with some Passion, some Compassion, some Humour and some Style.
NST SEP No 1 No Debt No mortgage
6
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Honorary cheerleader, resting on the chaise longue (the rest of you will have to be good because she needs that chaise longue)
Buffy
EF 2020 - May £152/£6000 2.5%
Housing fund 2020-2023 £1800/6000 30%
Thanks for starting the December challenge
Can I join again please ?
I’m not bothering with NSDs just as little as possible and only absolutely necessary. As all the long life Xmas food and presents has been bought it’s a matter of keeping well, happy and fitting visits around work. I’m lucky that both kids are grown and gone and DS2 is doing Xmas this year, so he’s supplying the turkey (and cooking it)
I get paid weekly and as wages come in as much will go straight off the debt.
As I’m a shop worker most of my energy will be saved towards that until the big day. I’m working right up to and including Xmas Eve so where I have run round like a headless chicken previous years, the kids are excited to do it and although I find it difficult to sit and let them it will be lovely. I’m proud that both my boys can cook a lovely Xmas meal ( I taught them that😀)
Thanks for putting the reminder to treat everyone kindly. No one knows what others are going through and a smile or thankyou doesn’t cost a penny.
I need to be kinder to myself in December. I've put a lot of pressure on myself to find a new job after moving to one I hate, and I just need to learn to sit with my feelings a bit more and not be so bitter and impatient! I also need to learn that spending money isn't the solution to job-induced boredom. I have plenty of little jobs to do that can pass the time instead of mindless browsing. I have the Forest app on my phone, need to start using it again (you grow a tree for 25 minutes and if you touch your phone in that time you lose your tree, so it helps me to stop picking up the phone mindlessly, simple but effective!).
I will set a NSD target of 17. I only have 1 Xmas social outing so far, I don't mind if it stays that way but have budgeted in case it changes. Will have a think about the remainder of the targets over the weekend.