NST: February 2023 Freedom

facethemusic

I'm in please! 
I need to sit down and work out aims for the month, but painting, decluttering and sorting pensions out are definitely on the list. 

DrCarrie

Great challenge apple - I particularly love the where do you want to be in 100 days? 

Please add me. 

lcc86

Count me in please

Shrewbie

Yes please!

firsview

Me please apple and thank you for running this month for us

Toni'sfriend

Don't know about the lycra, Apple. Might be bursting out of that a bit but I like the pom poms. I'm thinking a nice sparkly purple. xxx

greent

Count me in please x

ditty1234

please count me in

ldee2111

I’m feeling ready for February. Good luck turtles x

Freedom is our goal. 

Absolutely! 

I’ll continue chipping away at mortgage freedom. We’ve been overpaying from the month we moved in. We’re in the fortunate position of having a full year’s OP sitting waiting for April 1st this year. But it means we can’t OP for the rest of 2023 unless we want hit with 7% interest. 

So we’re now saving towards next year’s 1st April payment. It’s very unlikely we’ll max it out next year (inflated costs and drop in wages) but we’ll do what we can. I’ve set the goal to save £7k this year for our mortgage OP next year. It will be a challenge but I’ll try my hardest to hit the 7 and go beyond. I’m focussed, as always, on the mortgage. I desperately want to be free of it. 

Exercise 

• I’d like to get into the habit of doing daily yoga. I’m setting myself the challenge of doing a short YWA every day (just one of her short sessions). If I can manage that, I’ll be very, very happy with myself. There are other things, like walks and workouts, I could stick on here but I don’t think I’d stick to it. If I can crack the yoga, that’ll be grand. I’m going to make a chart that I can tick off the days  - a wee bit of visual motivation and a reminder to do it.
  

Budgets. You should pay to your debt or savings first and live on what is left.

No council tax in February (yay!). It’s already earmarked to go to a mortgage OP. I’m also going to do a ‘super save month’ in February. 

My ‘super saver month’ is when I pause paying into other ‘envelopes’ (like house / car maintenance and emergency fund) just for one month only and put all deposits into a mortgage OP. I only do it twice a year (on a 4-week month) so that I don’t affect other ‘envelopes’ too much. 

Rules you live by. Think about your personal priorities. And apply the mantra to all purchases: Do I need it? Can I afford it? Will I use it? Is it worth it?

I’m not perfect by any stretch but I’m fairly good at resisting spending (every so often I have a blowout). I know people (family included) think we earn loads of money because we do nice things and are in the fortunate position of paying off our mortgage, but we’re honestly not. We both earn well under the average UK salary. Well under! 

But I can budget and save like my life depends on it… 

My priorities of being mortgage free and going on holidays depend on it!

I don’t care about ‘keeping up with the Jellyfish… as a turtle I am swimming my own way through the ocean’s current. Just keep swimming, turtles 🐠🐡🐟🐢 🐠🐡🐟

Unburden yourself of tat.  Clear stuff out and recycle it/give it away/donate it

Maybe it’s because I’m getting older but very recently I’ve started the ‘I’ll hang on to it. It might come in useful’. NO, NO, NO! In February I’m going to clear out a few items each day - I’ll set it at 2! 

Reject those things that draw your focus away from your goal and how you want to live your life.

2 trips out this month. This is tricky for us with having a 5-year-old. But I promise to keep it free or as low cost as possible.

0ne hundred days. I want to have yoga as part of my daily routine.

2 books read/listened to. Does listening to the kids on my paired-reading day at school count?  I’m a slow reader and I doze off when I’m reading so I’ll aim for 1. 

3 gratitudes every day and share them with us all please.

Will do. 

15 NSDs is the goal (exemptions apply for ys items, medical needs, travel)

In the two years (maybe 3) of joining the turtles I’ve not managed the 15. Maybe this time? One of these days I will celebrate 15 NSDs.

Dfw38

Can I join in please? Didn't post in January's challenge but followed along.