NST July 2022: A Turtle Triathlon

shabbychic12

For some reason l missed June but please add me to July.

cybertortoise

Can I join please?

I massively overspent on groceries this month, my income isn't going up as I had been expecting from the start of July, and I have committed to making payments on all my debts, albeit small ones, which I don't want to have to rearrange. I'm going to have to figure out everything today and plan ahead. I thought I was going to be on track but shouldn't have counted my chickens before they hatched!

cybertortoise

S - Budgets ready to go, every penny accounted for, I will write down what I have in my cupboard later on but it's not loads so I will need to plan carefully. My grocery budget this month will be a max of about £250, and I'm going to struggle with it a little.

W - my focus is decluttering and home/garden improvement with no money spent, I am guilty of spending way too much time on FB so will aim to reduce that to a reasonable amount.

I - my stress buttons are doing everything by myself - I will delegate, create chores lists for the kids and try to chill out about the rest.

M - working on this.

B - as above, budgets ready, all events planned for, no travel needed. Need to ensure I plan work lunches as I can easily spend £10 each Saturday using the mini coffee shop for lunch.

I - I'm going to try and make a little extra and will prioritise paying off debt and building an emergency fund. If it's over £2 I will pay to debt, if under it goes to emergency fund.

K - DFD has been recalculated and is now November 2028. Debt payments will be transferred to the correct account before anything else is paid for.

E - I will weigh up every spend.

R - Will donate £5 of items to the food bank when I go shopping.

U - unfortunately we are running low on everything, but I do have some soap making supplies so can make bar soaps and save a bit of money, I'll just need shampoo and shower gel for the fussy one.

N - 16 NSDs I will try my best, this is always my weakest area, it's a weird habit to go to the shop almost daily but if I plan my grocery shopping it should be easier

firsview

Me please apple!

Toni'sfriend

Morning, Everyone
 
New month tomorrow so here are my plans, etc, They might be added to as the month progresses.

• Buy a new oven since the one we have just now has packed in (that'll take a chunk out of the emergency fund).
• Pay for September holiday (that's all saved up and in a separate bank account).
• Get my photo taken and apply for new passport (been putting that off because I hate having my photo taken and filling in the form).
• Himself's birthday (presents and cards already purchased)
• Hairdresser (appointment booked for next week).
• Put something in the foodbank every time we go to the supermarket.
• Lose more weight (got a goal in sight for that one but it might be a bit ambitious. We'll see)
• Keep up the skin care regime
• Walk (I say this every month and it never seems to happen).
• Declutter the rubbish in the house (Ditto above!).
• Keep on top of the housework.
• Meet cousin for lunch (that's a possible but I feel we're losing touch with one another)
• 16 NSDs (if I can't manage 16 I'll keep the spendy days as low as possible).

I'm sure there's more but that's enough to be going on with for just now.

Good luck, Everyone.

greent

Firstly, thank you to @apple_muncher for this month's thread

Say ‘NO’ to the consumerism that pushes you to buy more/better/NOW!!! - I'm generally good on consumerism of 'things' - I'm not fussed on extra 'stuff', nor am I swayed by labels/ brands. I can't think of any 'thing' that needs to be bought in July - but  things obviously do break/ fail. We will need to order some things for the new bathroom being fitted in August (such as tiles) but they are budgeted for and a separate item of household maintenance/ big spends. (Whoops - see below for new suit/ shirt required for DS1 for graduation)

Waste nothing – especially food and your energy. - I hate food waste with a passion. We have had more of it since I started my treatment because I haven't felt well at times but I'm hoping I've nipped this in the bud now. Energy levels are too low to be squandering on things! - although when I have no energy to even cope with following a tv programme/ read a book I do find that faceb00k / mse means I can read bits, as they are all small (and then I usually nod off for a nap! )

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. - I find people exhausting! - but that's not their fault (usually) This month I ahve 2 x chamo + also 2 x graduation ceremonies to attend in between (in the same week!) - I will need to pace myself (see energy above)

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

Budget absolutely EVERYTHING before the month starts. Look ahead to the next 31 days and plan your NECESSARY spends. Food, travel, gifts, activities…. Graduation ceremonies will mean hotels and related food spends - I'm too tired to cope with the travel and long days otherwise - so this is a necessary for us this time. DS1 needs a suit/ shirt for graduation (and hopefully interviews!) - he doesn't fit into his old ones (4 years of uni means he has expanded somewhat!) but still has smart shoes in his wardrobe. DD is wearing a bargain dress I bought BNWT from flebay for £5! a couple of years ago (I've never worn it - I think the  reason it was a bargain is it is clearly at least a size smaller than the label) and I have a bargain dress @ £27 (bought 2 months ago) which I will wear to both and can wear to work after (and it's an easy-care non-creasing dress - whoop!) - I have bargain new shoes from smkt (canvas flats - bought several weeks ago) which I will wear lots and they perfectly match a summer cardie in my wardrobe (bought last year) which will cover my picc line/ sleeve - and also match a summer beanie that my friend has given me   No birthdays this month. Ooh - and will need to take DS1 for lunch @ Nand0s - a post exams tradition in our house (couldn't do it last week when he finished as I had C0vid)

Improve your money-saving muscles. Work them hard and often. Tell us all how you make/save those extra pennies. - have some things listed on flebay/ fb00k mktplace. scan receipts into anything between 3-5 apps on my phone for vouchers. Use a N3ctar CC to get points (we get a lot this way) for shopping - always paid off in full (we make a payment to it every week to cover that week's shopping) Use cashback sites, voucher codes. Sell old books via Zapper/ Z1ffit etc. Any extra monies in (from above) I round up to the next £5 and transfer to a savings account)

Kick your debt’s @$$! - N/A - no debts.

Each and every spend is weighed up 

Remember those who are worse off than you – we shall give £5 of food and toiletries to the foodbank. Or our time. - I shall donate items when I've checked what they need. Also have things to take to CS. And will be donating some outgrown uniform to school for onward selling for PTA funds.

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. - always - we have lots. Will need more shower gel for boys (they are not using my nice stuff!!!) and I think that is it... hopefully!

No Spend Days (aka Spend Free Days) shall number 16. Not at work this month. Kids are generally big enough to not need so many activities.

That'll do me for now

BadBookkeeper

Back again 😎

Spent today planning my budgets for July.  Was a bit panicky about new school uniform but realised we’ll have 2 lots of child benefit in August as it’s paid 4 weekly so will wait for that to cover uniform.

S - Say no - everything I plan to do has been thought about and money allocated.

W - Waste nothing - Social media steals a lot of my time.  I will put my phone further away from my seat so I’m not constantly checking

I - Identify stress - I’m overweight and miserable about it and never feeling nice in my clothes and stress about what to wear.  I also I want a few more alcohol free days!  I will monitor this here.  As I don’t feel great next day if I indulge even if just a glass of wine.

M - I really need to get out of a negative thought process and enjoy things more 

B - Budget - I’ve slightly changed things this month and am going to use the child benefit money purely on my child!! This will cover School dinners, footy clubs, scouts, his mobile and haircuts.  Any surplus will go into a kids party present fund and my DH can pay his pocket money.  I used to use this money for most of this but also gifts for family & friends but it’s not stretchy enough!!  

I’ve allocated an extra £10 to fuel this month, if it’s not needed I will transfer to EF at the end of the month. 

After topping up all of my pots, I am left with £80 personal spends 😬.  This has already been allocated to a haircut for me, day off activities  x2, meeting a friend, photo printing & 3 birthday cards.  Next month this will be where gifts money comes from.

Improve money saving - I use a cash back credit card for fuel & groceries to earn cash back & pay it off immediately.  I also need to sell a few things on bay of E or FB to generate money for DS birthday party in December. I’m confused with zip0 app but will try and get my head around it. I tillytally my spends and transfer to our holiday pot for December so will continue that. I’m interested to see shared suggestions on this. 

K - Kick debt - I’m getting really impatient for my debt to be gone.  I have 29 months to go! My DFD should be 24/12/2024 the best Christmas present I can give myself!  It works out at £10ish a day.  Once I have enough in ds party pot, I will sell things to make even higher overpayments to shave days/weeks off the date.

E - Every spend analysis.  I tend to do this so will continue.

R - Remember worse off.  I have cash in my purse to donate and will also be offering a lift to ds friend to a party this weekend to save them fuel as it’s a bit of a distance and we’re going anyway. Also have clothes to donate so will get that sorted & out of the house.

U - Use up.  I will sort out the toiletries stash and either use or donate.  I know I have a few gift sets I won’t ever use.  

N - NSDs of 16.  I can’t see why I couldn’t achieve this.  

Thanks for running the thread.  Have a good July everyone 😎

ditty1234

Hi can I please join :-)

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Hi apple
I'd like to join please - i'm scared of water (being in it not next to it) so i won't be swimming
thanks
Deni 

Thrifty_Taylor

Hi @apple_muncher, thanks for this month's thread. Please count me in (any chance I could be #18?)

I've now broken up for the holidays, so have 6 weeks to declutter & sell/donate/dump lots of things. Need to use up some of my fabric mountain & make things for craft fayres too. Shouldn't use as much fuel this month, as not driving to work each day, but will have a few family day trips instead. No debts, but saving up for DIY jobs. Planning to do lots of long walks & also to lose some weight (having blood tests Monday, to see if underlying health issues), & also to christen our new deckchairs & read in the garden instead of always working in it!

Bring it on! 💪