NST March 2023 LIONS and LAMBS

apple_muncher

Belated birthday wishes, firsview! Sounds like a good day.

Today I am grateful for getting to the gym first thing, for liddle f+v boxes (got two!!), for finding out that a series I thought was a trilogy is a quadlogy so have downloaded book 4, for dc starting to mend from a rotten cold, for avocado on toast.

NinjaSavingKat

Buffythedebtslayer said:

I just wondered.........Does anyone know what happened to the original Kat? 

I was thinking about some of the amazing dedicated stories I have read here over the years and pondered how she was doing? 

You called?

I'm like Beetlejuice. You say my name one too many times and I appear...

I am conscious of reappearing now and then and potentially derailing the thread. I don't want to put anyone off or cause confusion for those who are unfamiliar with the origins of these challenges so I just lurk. 

However, I will say a massive hello and thank you to those running these challenges. You have been going longer than I ever have and I am so impressed with you all.

My life?...Simple and I am content.

I travelled for 2 years (managed 11 countries and worked a little along he way).. then came home and worked and travelled a bit more from home. Then COVID. 

I currently live with my very patient parents which worked out well during COVID.I also work close to home so cycle when I want to save petrol money. I have a small but increasing emergency fund which I am focusing on aggressively until the end of the year having recently discovered Dave Ramsay. Thankfully one step ahead with no debt. 

Off the back of this aggressive saving which I started last August, I have still managed to get ahead by recording EVERYTHING I spend and where, I also managed a 6 week stint of not food shopping just recently. Living on cupboard and freezer, my massive bag of soya beans (I make my own tofu and soya milk) came in handy and the tail end of winter produce in the garden. Money saved went to car repairs and to be honest I LOVED this personal challenge. 

I decided how much is going to savings every week and I stick to it. Everything else either has to wait until I get some overtime or I skip a food shop or 3. Like I did with my debt.

I am in a very lucky position living with family so I need to pull my finger out. 

My most recent mindset - knowing my worth. This mindset is about getting what I deserve or believe I am entitled to and making new changes happen...(work based or person)..

Most importantly....I took a promotion at work in February 2022. I had been there way too long and trained too many managers so I just took the job myself... ...but I did challenge my workplace regarding my wages in October 2022 having discovered I was being paid less that those beneath me but also doing their job as well when they were off. It was accepted and I received a wage increase along with a 5 month rebate last week.

My workplace have also "forgotten" to enrol me in the government work place pension scheme. I am challenging the 3 years they missed and have asked for a rebate - this is going to take a while. 

I am also challenging 2.5 hours of work per week that were removed from my contract without me knowing - 

Honestly my friends... challenge everything. This wage increase and if I get the hours back amount to around £3000 a year. The pension could be another £3000. Madness.

My aim is to fill my emergency savings account with 6 months wages, then fill and continue to add to sink funds. Of which I have 9 - anything from my supplements to help with my dodgy knees to the special shampoo I bulk buy and a potential new car or pet injury. It's about being as prepared as possible and not having any surprises that can't be "fixed".

Next step. Increase pension contributions to 15% and then a house deposit. 

I am getting my !!!!!! in gear for my 40th birthday in April. Or at least before the parentals kick me out...

Bet you wish you didn't ask now....lol!

thriftylass

@NinjaSavingKat so good to hear from you. My work forgot to put me on the pension scheme too initially for a year. They said I can voluntarily pay for the year but they won't contribute. But I might look into challenging that again. They thought I'm on a pay grade where you have to opt in voluntarily but I was on one where they should have opted me in automatically. So it was their fault.

@ldee2111 funny how kids always want to keep toys we threaten to chuck although they haven't played with them in ages and didn't even know they still had them.

@firsview Happy belated birthday. It's funny how as we get older the numbers don't feel real. There is a discrepancy between how I feel now and how I saw people my age when I was younger and assumed they feel. I'm 45 and feel like a teenager or mid twenties alter ego trapped in another body. Ever look in the mirror and get confused because the face looking back doesn't match your mental image of yourself?

Did the weekly shop today and got fuel. DH will be away for 3-4 days so heating will get turned down and no money spent 

Buffythedebtslayer

NinjaSavingKat said:

Buffythedebtslayer said:

I just wondered.........Does anyone know what happened to the original Kat? 

I was thinking about some of the amazing dedicated stories I have read here over the years and pondered how she was doing? 

You called?

I'm like Beetlejuice. You say my name one too many times and I appear...

I am conscious of reappearing now and then and potentially derailing the thread. I don't want to put anyone off or cause confusion for those who are unfamiliar with the origins of these challenges so I just lurk. 

However, I will say a massive hello and thank you to those running these challenges. You have been going longer than I ever have and I am so impressed with you all.

My life?...Simple and I am content.

I travelled for 2 years (managed 11 countries and worked a little along he way).. then came home and worked and travelled a bit more from home. Then COVID. 

I currently live with my very patient parents which worked out well during COVID.I also work close to home so cycle when I want to save petrol money. I have a small but increasing emergency fund which I am focusing on aggressively until the end of the year having recently discovered Dave Ramsay. Thankfully one step ahead with no debt. 

Off the back of this aggressive saving which I started last August, I have still managed to get ahead by recording EVERYTHING I spend and where, I also managed a 6 week stint of not food shopping just recently. Living on cupboard and freezer, my massive bag of soya beans (I make my own tofu and soya milk) came in handy and the tail end of winter produce in the garden. Money saved went to car repairs and to be honest I LOVED this personal challenge. 

I decided how much is going to savings every week and I stick to it. Everything else either has to wait until I get some overtime or I skip a food shop or 3. Like I did with my debt.

I am in a very lucky position living with family so I need to pull my finger out. 

My most recent mindset - knowing my worth. This mindset is about getting what I deserve or believe I am entitled to and making new changes happen...(work based or person)..

Most importantly....I took a promotion at work in February 2022. I had been there way too long and trained too many managers so I just took the job myself... ...but I did challenge my workplace regarding my wages in October 2022 having discovered I was being paid less that those beneath me but also doing their job as well when they were off. It was accepted and I received a wage increase along with a 5 month rebate last week.

My workplace have also "forgotten" to enrol me in the government work place pension scheme. I am challenging the 3 years they missed and have asked for a rebate - this is going to take a while. 

I am also challenging 2.5 hours of work per week that were removed from my contract without me knowing - 

Honestly my friends... challenge everything. This wage increase and if I get the hours back amount to around £3000 a year. The pension could be another £3000. Madness.

My aim is to fill my emergency savings account with 6 months wages, then fill and continue to add to sink funds. Of which I have 9 - anything from my supplements to help with my dodgy knees to the special shampoo I bulk buy and a potential new car or pet injury. It's about being as prepared as possible and not having any surprises that can't be "fixed".

Next step. Increase pension contributions to 15% and then a house deposit. 

I am getting my !!!!!! in gear for my 40th birthday in April. Or at least before the parentals kick me out...

Bet you wish you didn't ask now....lol!

That is amazing! I love knowing how you are doing! The whole not having surprises that can't be fixed is so important. Really so good to read about how you are doing XXXXX

Starlight_at_Sea

lovely to hear your news @NinjaSavingKat! I remember when you were traipsing round lots of places looking for just the right equipment (at the right price!) for your travels! 
Sage advice re challenging EVERYTHING! 

Starlight_at_Sea

NSD #4 today, fuel was required but was subsidised by parents, in return for me relocating 90% of the time to be able to care for them. I checked petrol prices close to my house (urban) and to my parents house (rural coastal) and once again it was (somewhat counterintuitively to me) 6p/litre cheaper close to my folks, so that's where I topped up.

MS things today... I did my new ol1o collection again this morning, close to my folks. Mainly bakery again - possibly better for my wallet but not waistline! Increased the usual pool of people collecting things from me with one new person. All agreed to take away a few flyers so am hoping we can prompt more people to use it nearby.  

I gained some nice ryebread, which has gone in the freezer as a treat for our ukranian guest. My cousin reserved some gf bread and a couple of toasting loaves; those are in the freezer until we meet up later this week, and my dad enjoyed a custard tart (or two).  Three other near neighbours took about a bag each. There were a few baguettes that didn't get collected, I've bought those back to my house as I am cooking for a free street food stall tomorrow. Looks like I'll be making garlic bread for 20 in the morning then! 

One load of washing done while at my folks, and a big batch of pasta sauce made up for tomorrow in the slow cooker. My mum's electricity tariff is very low compared to mine, and they have solar too, so it makes sense to get things done there in the daytime if I can. 

Had to pick up a few things from B00ts and put through as two transactions of just over £5 each, to help with Airtime rewards. Remembered to use a advantage card voucher too. This prompted me to take a look at other reward schemes and there were a few vouchers I might use that I have added into the nectar account. I've never really bothered with loyalty schemes before, but the points do add up and being able to have the cards on your phone is so much easier than keyfobs etc. 

My recent (January) injury is healing, still slowly, but open wounds are a bit like that aren't they. I am so looking forward to being able to swim and bathe again, but I think that's probably still about a month off. Will keep showering with strategically placed plastic bags! 

Happy weekend all! 

Thrifty_Taylor

Thanks @firsview, belated happy birthday to you 🎉🎉 glad to hear you've had lovely celebrations!

I got up fill.of good intentions, to discover DS2 had used up.all the milk, so I plugged my headphones in & listened to some of Ken's last programme from yesterday, & walked 2 miles round trip to the shop. Found ys milk, so it did the job 😊 had to rush then to eat my breakfast & write my monthly shopping list!

Woke DS1&3, who were coming to help, picked DS3's GF up en route, & headed to town. Was able to give them pointers re: getting the best value for money, etc & they helped pack the shopping into bags & carry it into the house, so win-win! Was shattered once I'd put it all away, so slept for 1.5hrs.

I've spent the evening watching a film with DH & knitting. Have now finished one sleeve & redid the cast off of the body, so it looks a lot better. Sorted out travel insurance & practiced Norwegian.

Grateful for time with my helpers this morning, some rest, & knitting

weenancyinAmerica

@firsview and @thriftylass - enjoy all the birthdays you can. When you get to my age each is a miracle in itself. Even worse when you look in the mirror and you look and feel your age - I'm 75 and I'm feeling it.

apple_muncher

Wotcha kat! Fab to hear your update! Please don't lurk 😙.

ldee2111

NinjaSavingKat said:

Buffythedebtslayer said:

I just wondered.........Does anyone know what happened to the original Kat? 

I was thinking about some of the amazing dedicated stories I have read here over the years and pondered how she was doing? 

You called?

I'm like Beetlejuice. You say my name one too many times and I appear...

I am conscious of reappearing now and then and potentially derailing the thread. I don't want to put anyone off or cause confusion for those who are unfamiliar with the origins of these challenges so I just lurk. 

However, I will say a massive hello and thank you to those running these challenges. You have been going longer than I ever have and I am so impressed with you all.

My life?...Simple and I am content.

I travelled for 2 years (managed 11 countries and worked a little along he way).. then came home and worked and travelled a bit more from home. Then COVID. 

I currently live with my very patient parents which worked out well during COVID.I also work close to home so cycle when I want to save petrol money. I have a small but increasing emergency fund which I am focusing on aggressively until the end of the year having recently discovered Dave Ramsay. Thankfully one step ahead with no debt. 

Off the back of this aggressive saving which I started last August, I have still managed to get ahead by recording EVERYTHING I spend and where, I also managed a 6 week stint of not food shopping just recently. Living on cupboard and freezer, my massive bag of soya beans (I make my own tofu and soya milk) came in handy and the tail end of winter produce in the garden. Money saved went to car repairs and to be honest I LOVED this personal challenge. 

I decided how much is going to savings every week and I stick to it. Everything else either has to wait until I get some overtime or I skip a food shop or 3. Like I did with my debt.

I am in a very lucky position living with family so I need to pull my finger out. 

My most recent mindset - knowing my worth. This mindset is about getting what I deserve or believe I am entitled to and making new changes happen...(work based or person)..

Most importantly....I took a promotion at work in February 2022. I had been there way too long and trained too many managers so I just took the job myself... ...but I did challenge my workplace regarding my wages in October 2022 having discovered I was being paid less that those beneath me but also doing their job as well when they were off. It was accepted and I received a wage increase along with a 5 month rebate last week.

My workplace have also "forgotten" to enrol me in the government work place pension scheme. I am challenging the 3 years they missed and have asked for a rebate - this is going to take a while. 

I am also challenging 2.5 hours of work per week that were removed from my contract without me knowing - 

Honestly my friends... challenge everything. This wage increase and if I get the hours back amount to around £3000 a year. The pension could be another £3000. Madness.

My aim is to fill my emergency savings account with 6 months wages, then fill and continue to add to sink funds. Of which I have 9 - anything from my supplements to help with my dodgy knees to the special shampoo I bulk buy and a potential new car or pet injury. It's about being as prepared as possible and not having any surprises that can't be "fixed".

Next step. Increase pension contributions to 15% and then a house deposit. 

I am getting my !!!!!! in gear for my 40th birthday in April. Or at least before the parentals kick me out...

Bet you wish you didn't ask now....lol!

Nice to virtually meet you @NinjaSavingKat and thank you for starting the NST! 

I started following Dave Ramsey about 8 years ago and although I don’t agree with some of his views, I do find his money advice brilliantly logical and him to be very motivational. In a way he led me to find the turtles because I was searching online for people who were trying to pay off debt and save.

X