December 2022: The Turtles do the Cha Cha Cha

apple_muncher

Aw, kat, please don't lurk! You made such a massive impact with your lead-by-example challenges and paid off your debt in 16 months. Do you still cycle? Have dates? Did you ever meet your 6foot tall Christian vegan??? Miss you! apple x

abundant1972

Good evening 🌒

Hi everyone. Has been lovely reading about what everyone has got up to over Christmas. I had a quiet few days in full-on hibernation mode. Got out to see a friend, and chatted to a few on the phone. Had a long hard look at my life and my own not so healthy habits - and decided I need to try and help myself a little more. I am going to do a bit of a digital detox for January. Watched a really interesting YouTube video about Dopamine and addiction - and it's given me the kick I needed to try and break a few of my own addictive behaviours. It takes 30 days of abstaining from your 'drug of choice' be it actual drugs, alcohol, sex, social media, working extra hours etc... so I've already started to delete a few apps. The speaker warned there would be withdrawal symptoms for the first 2 weeks but that after that things should start to feel much brighter. 

Kat!!! So lovely to hear from you! Was only looking at one of your old threads the other day from way back when. Do you remember the 28 days later zombie apocalypse one haha!!! Please drop by and say hi, and we are always up for hearing some of your pearls of wisdom! You've done so well staying out of debt (some of us - mentioning no names Abundant - slipped back into the mire and are battling to get out again!). Don't be a stranger!!! xxx

26th = spend day 
27th = NSD number 16
Today = spend day

The last few days I have been grateful for:
1) Reflection time to myself
2) Food in my cupboards and freezer
3) Access to so much great stuff online 

Achievements for December: 

Week 4: 22nd - 29th December: ⭐ Mindfulness 🧘🏻‍♂️ = 2/7 ⭐ Nature Walk 🌳 = 0/4 ⭐ Gym 🏋🏻‍♂️ = 2/3 ⭐ = £20.00/£60.00

Have a great day 😉

DrCarrie

Evening Turtles. 
Had a very chilled day done virtually nothing- the first draft of the meal plan for 2 weeks. Sup3rdrug, H&B and butchers order done. Using things up and making do with what is in the fridge and the freezer. 

Grateful for plans for seeing friends in January - in Dublin. Being back in my flat. Having a day to myself. 

BadBookkeeper

apple_muncher said:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6409416/23-for-2023#latest

Bbk, this may give you some ideas.

Thanks @apple_muncher, I did something similar in 2020 and would be a good way of helping me think of things.

Lazy morning today followed by taking ds to the park for a kick about.  Some friends from school were there so they had a bit of a match.

An NSD so think that’s target 15/15 now.  There’s nothing in my accounts until Friday so can’t really spend even if I want to!

Made a pie with Turkey and veg leftovers with plenty left for tomorrow.

Toothache still niggling 🫤.  Not bad enough to take anything for it yet.

Being a bit inconsiderate of our heating and electricity usage this last week so need to reign that back in. 

Starting to think of plans for 2023.  I was gifted a diary that I was thinking of giving away but it might be quite useful as a tracker and planner, so will be keeping that.  

First job will be planning school holidays/training days & childcare.  We will be going to Australia for Easter so that will take a chunk of my annual leave.

I’ve also been told our annual pay-rise due in April will be brought forward to January to try & help with cost of living.  

Just realised I’ll be next grand down on my debt on Friday!  This time in 2 years I should be debt free 😇🥳🤩

beanielou

That's great @BadBookkeeper.

Thrifty_Taylor

Well done @BadBookkeeper 🎉
@ldee2111 this year's wrapping was from last year & the year before! Neatly used it all up, but some can go another round or 2 yet!

NSD#15
Had an extra hour in bed. Did YWA, was all set to go for a walk when I remembered that Royal Mail were coming to collect a small returns package. Did the ironing instead, then sorted through a small pile of magazines. Was in the middle of eating my dinner when the postie appeared. Now been refunded for the item 😃 went a walk with DH, then flopped & read my book. Had a nap for 20 mins, then unpicked a lace trim that I'd put aside. After tea I finished winding the last of the embroidery threads on to cards, roped DS1 into cutting some cards out for me, while we watched TV. Distracted him from his thoughts a bit.

Grateful for receiving mail again, (after the strikes & bank holidays), a great book, getting bits done.

grandmanerd

Hi Kat, so good to hear from you.

Hugs everyone, the lurgy has reared it's ugly head again, getting home will be a struggle but I  can collapse once I'm there.

apple_muncher

Can you get a lift home?

DawnW

Hope you are ok @grandmanerd

Spent the morning giving the kitchen a good clean, then moved on to the bathroom.

Not much cooking needed tonight - I have cold meat, potatoes to bake and I will see what I can salvage out of the rest of the salad stuff I bought before Christmas. Nothing spent again today. Might need a loaf of bread at some point, but other than that, no spending (especially food spending!) until after the New Year. Going through my spending diary though, I spent very little more than usual on groceries during December, but I seem to have so much! I guess I must have had plenty in already.

Managed to squeeze 4 tubs of the ham and veg stew I made yesterday into the freezer.

Spent yesterday evening going through my spending diary and entering December's spends on my spreadsheet, and set up a new spreadsheet for 2023. Determined to keep costs down as much as possible next year. I have ordered, and paid the deposit on, a new front door, as the old one is very draughty and looks tatty. So I will need to pay for that - plus I may need to help my son out with something, not sure yet.

grandmanerd

apple_muncher said:

Can you get a lift home?

apple_muncher said:

Can you get a lift home?

I had a taxi. None of it was a huge amount of walking but was so wobbly I wasn't sure I could get down the path and I didn't want to end up in an ambulance. It cost but it was so worth it and it meant I could bring my new Christmas present walker home with  me in addition to the one I took. It was a heavy spend day anyway as I've ordered accessories for my CPAP machine (and a brush for cleaning the hose) and did an emergency food order to come today between 4 pm and 6 pm. 

I have food coming on Saturday (mostly drinks and fresh salad and veg) but I was going to pick up food from the Morries salad bar in the city centre before getting on the bus and do a ys trawl locally. I did the right think for my circumstances (slept sitting up the past 2 nights (and last night it was 4 am before I actually got to sleep) so I've ordered easy to swallow stuff - yoghurts, ice cream (will start defrosting the second bag of frozen berries soon). I had enough food to make do for a couple of days but now can't eat most of it. A pleasant drive with a lovely taxi driver who agreed with my preferred route for getting home. Our local A & E is only taking extreme cases, they have absolutely no beds.

Anyway I'm home and in the house - DS3 had gone to bed and left keys in both the front and back doors so mine wouldn't go in. No  stress, will do what I can (throw clothes in the machine, clear stuff from the fridge so I can complete the fridge clean, make my bed and get in it). They were all on the list before I went but had to pare it down. Nothing very difficult if I do it in stages - bed is very nearly clear and I have a pile of clean sheets. Lots of rubbish to go out to the black bin. But eating and sleeping are most important - yesterday I managed half a bowl of d-i-l's hm soup, a salad, raspberry sorbet and one portion of cauli/ broccoli cheese. Today I've had raspberry sorbet.

My other presents were a dress, 2 pairs of black leggings, 2 pairs of fluffy bed/ wearing round the house socks and a microwavable heat pad. They did fill your own crackers and my cracker had the sweetest little owl brooch, sitting on a crescent moon.