NST April 2018: April Fool's Challenge

f0xh0les · 6 April 2018 at 5:15PM

Can I join in this month please!

Aim for 15 NSD I am on #4 so far
Pay to your debt or savings first and live off the rest - overpaid the mortgage this morning,- kids savings accounts for the year topped up - did the budget for the month and put the rest into the 'pending mortgage overpayment' account in case I need to take it back.
Report in every day.[/B] I will now I am back
Interests - is there any hobbies that you'd like to take up [/B]Oh blimey! Will have to put my thinking cap on
Love yourself, Oh don't encourage me! I am already my own biggest fan.:T I adore me. :rotfl: I have used up most of the moisturisers and lotions and potions on other monthly challenges, and the cupboards are bare, so will look and see what I can find to pamper myself. Need eyebrows dying and hair cutting too. Will paint my toenails today, and on a spend day, will find something nice to slap on.

Find time to get outside. Just sorted my pots in the back yard. Found all that is still alive, begged a piece of rhubarb crown off FiL and some chives last week, so potted them up (with the old soil, will put a better mulchy top coat on and a feed on later) Also want to start running again. I absolutely refuse to let myself get to 14 stone, and the last 2 stone have gone on relatively quickly, so there is no excuse. I ate it, I have to run/walk it off. Possibly not all this month though. Will give it a go. Also have a packet of monkey nuts ready to try and catch squirrels in the park - it is DSs favourite past time - trying to get squirrels to take nuts from their hands. Chester and Sheffield have so far been the best for friendly ones.
Overpay - not sure I can manage 20% extra but I am overpaying the mortgage and all the kids expenses are sorted
Organise your month. Cupboards checked, meal plan made, shopping list made, will do it all tomorrow. DS1 and DH are off on jollies this month, but nothing planned for me. Early man is on at kids club but it is subtitled, so will wait until it is not.
Lose one bad habit. Hmm will have a biscuit and think about it. I will clean up my eating this month. Pantry (relatively) quite bare, so I can get the healthy stuff in. (cue YS bargains )
Sign off your daily post with a list of gratitudes.
I am so happy to be home, that I am obviously loved and my company is in great demand,( even if it is not reciprocated), for homemade pizza for tea, for having a back yard that is a total suntrap and for liberating a load of massive pots from a dude at the tip who really didn't want to throw them away so happily gave them to me. For my mint sprouting (not a euphamism), my rosemary and parsley surviving the winter, for chives and ransoms starting to think about flowering. That my sciatica is only on one leg (too long doing stupid driving sets it off - but I know suddenly it will go 'click' and all shall immediately be well again)

DancingDragons · 6 April 2018 at 5:26PM

Paid to debts, sorted shopping. Savings also, but extra going in there too as I'm away for a bit soon.
Food planned. Kids busy.
Lose a habit? I have a bad habit of sitting down and doing nothing once the kids are in bed. I can make use of the that time.

I've been trying to work out why I have been failing to hit NSD targets... Yellow Sticker Shopping. I've been making special trips (not budgeted) to grab these as a result we've been overspending

That's stopped.

Hobby - I have one I am very happy with so I'll stick with that. + Reading will have to do.
I still need to clear out stuff, its so hard to do with everyone underfoot.
Overpay- already am doing this, not really got the budget this month to do more. I know I have always felt the hard times before my neighbours, but this year seems much worse than I've had to deal with.
Currently have a sugar headache, too much chocolate, to none at all. Will balance out.
Gratitudes: Being able to use my nursing chair for my reading corner after hubby brought it down from the loft.

Puddleglum · 6 April 2018 at 7:02PM

Aim for at least 15 NSDs. 3/15 I've got friends coming for the weekend so probably won't increase the NSD count until next week now.

Pay to your debt or savings first Yay! I'm doing it.

Report in every day. hello! This is for yesterday and today though. Will do better.

Interests - The knitting is coming along.

Love yourself Getting better at remembering the face cream. Perfume every day.

Find time to get outside. Walked three days in a row now. The weather has been great.

Overpay Have completed three mornings of teaching at revision school. Payment will probably be in vouchers but they can be offset against other expenses.

Organise your month done

Lose one bad habit. Action is happening. I've started researching and have started taking a course which should help me make a career change.

Sign off your daily post with a list of gratitudes.
Grateful for all my past experiences which have lead me to my here and now. That may sound a bit pathetic however I can see real changes starting to happen :T

Kerry_Woman · 6 April 2018 at 7:24PM

A - 3/15 NSD today
P - Done.
R - Done.
I - Mindfulness colouring and read some of my book.
L - Put some lavender oil in a burner today.
F - Did not go out today as not motivated. However did have the windows open today.
O - Going to see if I can put more full money bags into savings account this month, but not going to stress about this.
O - Still ongoing.
L - Still struggling with social media.
S - Grateful for:
Started to try and get the wallpaper border off in my Mum's bedroom, so at least I got some exercise for an hour.
Did a search after I started to see how to make it easier to take off border.
Nice weather.

apple_muncher · 6 April 2018 at 7:57PM

Welcome back to Blighty f0xh0les! Glad you survived.

Today I am grateful for lovely sunshine, for the trees starting to bud, for time with dd, for dh having a little extra work, for cutting up and removing the stuffing from oddments - long overdue, for dd and I doing a 500 piece jigsaw, for performing better in my kettlebell workout (overhead squats and windmills, anyone?!), for being able to afford my new glasses (a painful 258 gets me 2 pairs of coated varifocals).

swimminginaseaofdebt · 6 April 2018 at 9:18PM

Evening everyone,

NSD #2 for me today.

Walked to the library and back again twice today. Stupidly forgot to take my book that was due back the first time hence the return visit. First trip was not a waste though as me and the little one attended the free bookbug session. The librarian also kindly gave the children who attended a free book each.

Got a few surveys done but not enough to cash out.

Did a tiny bit of studying this evening and will read a bit of my book before heading to bed.

I've done a wash and hung it inside but tomorrow is meant to be nice so think I'll move it outside in the morning.

Planning to head to the park tomorrow, hopefully will be joined by my two friends or sister and niece.

Today I am grateful for free books and children's classes.

greent · 6 April 2018 at 10:10PM

Aim for at least 15 NSDs. Usual exceptions apply, - 3/15 -
Pay to your debt or savings first and live off the rest. - ok (done)
Report in every day. ok
Interests -- am going to ease myself back into fitness this month and read more -running total -1 walk, 2 books
Love yourself -perfume, body creme and mascara on for a day in the house/ garden

Find time to get outside. - other than hanging the washing out/ getting it in, no
Overpay - aim to pay 20% extra to your debt or savings. - 6 items listed on flebay to help with this. Put an extra £250 to the savings acct for final pymt on OH's car
Organise your month. - DS1's 18th birthday mid month - that's gonna cost......
Lose one bad habit. - a certain game which I've spent waaay too much time on in March.... - not touched it today

Sign off your daily post with a list of gratitudes. - yes

Today I am grateful for:
* more ys items in Tesc0
* DS2's optician apt = fab optometrist and DS2 was really interested in everything
* DS2's glasses of choice being fully covered by the NHS voucher (free - yeay!)
* DD coming back
* OH mending DS2's watch

Budgets:
Food 83.57/450
Travel £75
Gifts £150
Toiletries £10
Cleaning £10
Social £150
Clothing £75

sashanut · 6 April 2018 at 11:32PM

Hi all :j

Aim for at least 15 NSDs. Usual exceptions apply, you won't lose a NSD for ys items, petrol or medical expenses. Still 3/15 NSDs as went to vastly over-priced garden centre, just to get more stones as they were the nearest stockist. Of course, they didn't have them in, so chose some others that were 4 bags for £15...they then tried to charge £20......couldn't get out of there fast enough..

Pay to your debt or savings first and live off the rest. Added up March's expenses - horrifying is the word. Still need to split up cc spends to see what went where.

Report in every day. The daily support from this thread will keep you on track Here again..6/6

Interests - is there any hobbies that you'd like to take up or perhaps an old hobby that you'd like to start again. This is the month to do it, let us know what you plan to do Have 2 so far - collecting hobby I have & someone got in touch to buy something connected to it - 4 years ago!! She got back in touch 2 weeks ago, have emailed her today & will attempt to find the item she wants...it's win-win as it will be money for savings too. Also, have Fairisle cushion to finish, usually do mindless knitting in front of TV, this doesn't come under that so never gets done. Finally retrieved fairisle cushion from back of chair where it was stuffed; realise to my shame haven't touched it in 18 months..despite that managed to find my place in the pattern & actually do a couple of rows. Bless highlighter tape!! Finally managed to identify all the different colours of the wool - hard when they are called irrelevant names & are missing the ball bands - only to realise I am missing a colour. Shan't need it until almost the end, might just use what I have left over.

Love yourself, do something to make yourself feel fab - wear a bright scarf, get your eyebrows done, have a bath, put on your fave perfume. Washed hair, got changed put on makeup & perfume & new shoes - to visit garden centre. Yikes it was a complete zoo, couldn't wait to get out of there. That's a big change, at one time I would have spent ages there looking at everything & bought a lot of stuff. Bought nothing but what we went in for.

Find time to get outside. Lighter nights are now here so get out in the garden, go for a walk. Fresh air is good for everyone. Went outside twice into the garden & once to garden centre today & am following ex-gardeners example of starting at one side & working my way round, am on second bed now. Told plan to DH who remarked that by the time I am finished it will be time to start again. Yeh I know...

Overpay - aim to pay 20% extra to your debt or savings. It's up to you how you do this - overtime at work, saving money on the food bill, selling items. Will deffo try, will be in the form of selling collectibles or ebaying. WIP.

Organise your month. Check your cupboards, make a meal plan and stick to your food budget. Plan any social events and budget for them, ideally come up with free alternatives. Will do, need to reduce freezer stocks. No food shopping today, all from stores.

Lose one bad habit. Mine's is a food related one but it can be anything you like. No snacking between meals. No snacking today.

Sign off your daily post with a list of gratitudes. Grateful for: Garden looking better already, out for a little trip, fresh air & exercise, tasty chilli, DH sorting ferries for our trip to Ireland.

misstara · 7 April 2018 at 12:23AM

NSDs - no 4 today

Report - 6/30
Interests - nothing today
Love - put on some eye makeup and lipstick today
Outside - erm walking between my flat and car and work, that's the most I got to outside today :rotfl:
Overpay - nothing today
Organise - feeling super stressed at work, wrote a huge to-do list for when I'm back, hoping that's cleared my head and I can enjoy my day off tomorrow
Bad habit - no crisps today

Gratitudes - day off tomorrow, yummy tea and lazy night watching films with OH

Fmess · 7 April 2018 at 7:41AM

Morning all,

Apple I love getting new glasses but hate the expense. Just think, if you wore them for two years it would only cost 37p a day

SFD number 5 yesterday. It was cloudy so did lots of littlewalks and stopped at lots of cafes for drinks, lunch and eventually dinner. All money from holiday budget

plus my grandad and Dad are kindly insisting on paying for a lot as they know that it!!!8217;s cost me a lot to put the dogs in kennels to be able to come away and Dad wants my sister and I here to entertain grandad.

Today should be another SFD. We fly back tomorrow morning and I cannot wait to see my boys and sleep in my own bed.

Yesterday I was grateful for good food, an update from the kennels, my family and getting away from it all.

NST April 2018: April Fool's Challenge

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