NOVEMBER UPDATE
For me, there's nothing quite as satisfying as saving money. I adore watching my bank balance grow, and I will happily forgo certain things or go without if it means I can save for a rainy day. For as long as I can remember, I've had to really justify spending money on anything and as a result even if I have the smallest amount of disposable income to play with I'm still extremely reluctant to part with it. This November challenge has been a godsend as I felt that since the summer I'd been behaving completely out of character and had loosened the reins way too much: I was spending without fully considering what I was doing. Saving a few more pennies in the run up to Christmas didn't seem like a bad idea.
It's been brilliant. I've only bought the necessities such as food and petrol, and even then I really looked at what I was spending rather than just throwing anything in my basket and then paying with a piece of plastic. My main big spends came in the form of all of my Christmas presents - which were wrapped and some even posted before the first weekend in November - and paying for my operation. However, I did count them as spends even though I'd been saving up for them for the last few months (and over a year for my operation).
(gold stars - reading / silver stars - film / green dots - saving money)
I have to confess: November was a bit of a cheat month as since the 21st I've either been at the hospital or my house so haven't even had the opportunity to spend money... With that in mind, I haven't tackled any of my other on-going challenges such as reading, cross-stitch or work outs. I have managed to watch a couple of films but that's it. Being house-bound and recovering is somewhat limiting my ability to do things!
DECEMBER PLANS
Taking into account my largely house-bound recovery that's going to dominate December, deciding on a challenge for the next 30 days was a bit of a faff. I didn't want to pledge to a month of a physical challenge or one that used my brain too much in case circumstances unexpectedly change and make it impossible, and similarly I didn't fancy something more abstract as I think I need something concrete to keep me occupied. I've shelved a couple of ideas for the new year - and I'm very excited to get stuck into them when the time comes - but for now I've decided to embrace my favourite month of the year and attempt 30 (not 12) days of Christmas.
For the first time ever I have the most wonderful opportunity to dive head first into Christmas for the entire month without exams to revise for, essays to write, or having to go to work. Mornings can be spent wrapped up in a Christmas jumper, writing my Christmas cards and playing a Michael Bublé album so loudly the windows shake slightly instead of attacking a reading list or having my nose in a spread sheet. Each year the season seems to fly by and I never have the time to take a step back and really smell the roses (chocolate ones, obv, it is Christmas after all). Truthfully, my main aim for December is really to make it to January unscathed and with a super happy surgeon, but at the same time I don't want to waste the month.
(GIF SOURCED FROM www.followpics.net)
So this month I'm disguising 30 days of plain survival with the more appropriately-themed 30 days of festive fun - hopefully they'll go hand in hand and by enjoying everything I love best about the season I'll keep my head in a good place and emerge into 2017 healthier than the year before.
So, 30 days of Christmas...go!
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