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A Very MSE Advent 2025
Comments
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Denim blue coc@-col@ 'holidays are coming' t shirt today 💙
Dxx22: 3🏅 4⭐ 23: 5🏅 6 ⭐ 24 1🏅 2⭐ 25 🏅 🥈2⭐ 26 🥈 Never save something for a special occasion. Every day is a special occasion. The diff between what you were yesterday and what you'll be tomorrow is what you do today Well organised clutter is still clutter - Joshua Becker If youre not already using a thing you won't start using it more by shoving it in a cupboard- AJMoney The barrier standing between you & what youre truly capable of isnt lack of info, ideas or techniques. The secret is 'do it'6 -
I put on my lovely bright red cashmere jumper today that I usually only wear if I'm going out. I'm going nowhere but I feel very cheery just wearing something so nice.6
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December 3rd's Advent item has been put out - our candle arch, which is on the kitchen windowsill & almost didn't make it this year! Have already included that on today's MSE diary post so shan't repeat myself, but I am really enjoying choosing an item each day & am sure it is making us appreciate things more. I already know what is going to be put out tomorrow, as long as I can find the bowl to put them in. Couldn't find it last year either, so it obviously needs a new place to live!
F2026's challenges: 1) To rebuild our Emergency Fund to at least £5k.
2) To read 50 books (12/50) 3) The Re-Shrinking of Foxgloves 8.1kg/30kg
Remember....if you have to put it on a credit card, extend your overdraft or take out a loan to buy whatever it is, you probably can't afford it, as that's not your money, it's somebody else's!6 -
Yesterday I wore a sparkly jumper to choir practice.
I've got a lot of costume jewellery in one of the dressing table drawers, some is mine, some from family and some which I inherited from Mum. Most of Mum's are presents from her children, including a few Woolworths brooches we gave her for Mother's Day when we were little. I'm going to choose an item to wear each day, starting with a dark green bead necklace that belonged to a much loved auntie. It will feel good to let them see the light of day.
Had a lovely but muddy walk, managed to make the most of the sunshine and saw a few rainbows before it started raining again.Grocery challenge 2026: £272/15008 -
Sinsbury's click n collect could not provide the retro multicoloured tree lights I'd ordered, and tried to substitute completely different tree lights. I went into the store and picked up the last set of multicoloured and they were reduced. I've put them on my tree already and wound a battery operated string of multicoloured light around my bannister.
I don't want to put the rest of the decorations on yet, I just want to enjoy the lights, so I shan't!
Debts 04/01/25 01/04/26
Natwest2 £6,509.97 £4,200
NatWest CC £7,612.74 £6,325
Lloyds CC £6,112.60 £4,115
1st Direct CC £176.03 £9.11
CC total £20,411.34 £14,649.11
OD £1100 £0
Car loan £4,000 £3,600
1st Direct Loan £10,684.44 £7,000
Total £36,195.78 £25,249.11
EF £1,750.33
HF £150.765 -
Wore a (very) sparkly black and silver scarf to work today as my item. Spent much of the morning whistling Xmas tunes - but forgot to go to the staff choir practice for the Carol concert:( - remembered about 6pm tonight...🤦🏻♀️
2 presents have arrived, so I need to open the parcel and check those 😊
Ooh - did days 1-4 (oops!) of my Advent puzzle book 😊I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soulRepaid mtge early (orig 11/25) 01/09 £124616 01/11 £89873 01/13 £52546 01/15 £12133 07/15 £NILNet sales 2024: £20
2026 Declutter campaign awards 2x star5 -
Switched to seldom worn pearl earrings to go from work to drink with friend
Returned Baileys as its now £10 (restocking will occur!)
Got a Christmas scratchcard for Mr PIP's stockinghttps://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6466032/an-in-between-phase/p1
'self-blame can be as egotistical as self-praise... any work worth doing is greater than we are... we must not overrate our importance to it, either for good or ill' Margaret Kennedy Lucy Carmichael5 -
@ancientmum - using or wearing and enjoying neglected things is what makes this thread so uplifting and many of these items have sentimental attachments to the person they belonged to or the person who gave them to us. Last Advent I wore lots of bits of my mum's jewellery and thought happy thoughts about her.
i saw a lady in b n q today in a sparkly Christmas jumper and twinkly earrings and I wondered if she was "one of us"11 -
Today I got out the first decoration, a light up gingerbread house we bought as our holiday souvinier back in September on our trip to the Isle of Wight. It looks really lovely in a dark corner of the book case where I have some photos on display. One photo is of my mum, who passed away 5yrs ago on the 15th of this month. Its nice to see the light shining on her. She always loved Christmas.Making the debt go down and savings go up
LBM 2015 - debt £57K / Now £26,984....its going down
Mortgage Free December 9th 2024! 18mths ahead of schedule.Challenges
EF £1540/£3000
.
Studies/surveys April.....£19.86
Decluttering items 1402/2025. 149/2026
Books read 23 in 2025. 2026- 9 (target is 52)
Jigsaws done 20 in 2025. 3 this year.
My debt free diary...https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6396218/we-will-get-this-debt-d£own-the-savings-up9 -
I just realized I could put Youtube Christmas Carols on my computer while I am working on something else. So am listening as I type.8
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