NST July 2022: A Turtle Triathlon

apple_muncher · 28 June 2022 at 11:45AM

NST July 2022: A Turtle Triathlon

To be a triathlete means :-

you are hardcore
you are already a superhero
you already have a different mindset from the majority of people
you already train three very different skills, improving areas where you are weaker whilst maintaining your strengths

We shall swim, bike and run our way together through July together. Some are able to sprint, others will waddle, but we shall ALL make it to the finish line. We are not competing against each other, we are here to encourage each other on, to share tips on training our money-saving muscles.

The Challenge will commence on the 1st July @ 00:00 and end on the 31st July @ 23:59.

Say ‘NO’ to the consumerism that pushes you to buy more/better/NOW!!! Do not buy out of any ‘should’ or ‘ought to’ feelings. Plan your food carefully and stick to your budget.

Waste nothing – especially food and your energy. Choose your focus and keep your eyes on that goal this month. What will you fill your head with this month? Remove excuses, unsatisfying filler activities (tv, FB, PC time) and dedicate time to your chosen focus.

Identify your stress buttons and find ways to switch them off. People? Circumstances? Things that do/don’t happen? Choose not to be drained by external factors.

Me-time is vital – be kind to yourself (and others too, but yourself FIRST). Find something every day that makes you smile.

Budget absolutely EVERYTHING before the month starts. Look ahead to the next 31 days and plan your NECESSARY spends. Food, travel, gifts, activities…. Turn down invitations and use those pennies towards paying off your debt. Do NOT use any coffee shops, vending machines, cafes, canteens unless you have specifically budgeted for it.

Improve your money-saving muscles. Work them hard and often. Tell us all how you make/save those extra pennies. Every penny off your debt is less money to THEM (those pesky lending institutions). It is worth it!

Kick your debt’s @$$! Set your Debt Free Date in stone, make it public (here), and plan how you will pay it off as quickly as possible. Your Debt is a millstone that holds you back from standing up tall and free. Shake off the shackles! Pay off your debt first and live off the remainder – that is why you have done a detailed budget.

Each and every spend is weighed up and, if made, is written down in the notebook that you always carry with you. Do not think that you ‘deserve a treat’ – that will waste your cash. Instead, plan a treat for the end of the month and enjoy the anticipation. (I’ll put away £1 for every NSD, exercise session, 10 000 steps, 10 veggies or sugar-free day I have. What I ‘earn’ in July will be my spending money on our holiday in August. I am rather assuming I’ll be successful here…!)

Remember those who are worse off than you – we shall give £5 of food and toiletries to the foodbank. Or our time.

Use up your toiletries before buying new ones. Got ones you will never use/finish? Give them away! Don’t keep the clutter in your life. You may need to restock after last month’s no-buy as regards toiletries. So think long and hard about what you need. Keep it in line with your budget/ethics.

No Spend Days (aka Spend Free Days) shall number 16. That means you can spend on alternate days! Take your lunch to work every day. NOT counted as ‘spends’ are DDs, prescriptions/ medication, travel costs, any yellow stickered produce (so long as nothing else goes in your basket), activities that have to be paid weekly or randomly (so long as they are in your budget) or items bought solely with vouchers. For those with kiddies, you have holidays this month – some of you may have several weeks of it. PLAN, PLAN, PLAN!

I apologise for shamelessly re-using an old challenge.

Who is with me?