And now for a little me time
MONTHLY CHALLENGE
by Lorna Gordon
We are approaching an expensive time of year, holiday gifts, school holidays, new school uniforms and other expensive school equipment. In the financial climate we are in it’ s easy to let the stress of how to pay for all of these things build up.
Reining in your finances isn’ t easy when we rarely use cash, tap and go purchases and online shopping makes it easier to spend without thinking too much about it. If you want to get a handle on your money you can try the no spend challenge, where you commit to spending only on essentials like bills and groceries for a set period of time, for example a weekend, a week, or even a whole month.
The no spend challenge isn’ t about depriving yourself; it’ s about becoming more intentional with your money. You still pay for essentials, we all need to eat and pay our bills, but you cut out non-essentials such as takeaway coffee, new clothes, or impulse buys at the checkout. The idea is to step back, look at your spending habits, and see what life feels like when you’ re not constantly reaching for your card.
Planning is the key to a no spend period. You need to consider if you have any social events coming up and think about how you will spend your time, see if there are any free activities that you can go to. Libraries are a great resource during no spend periods because along with having books, you can also get DVDs, and they often have information about what is on in the local community.
PODCASTS
by Lorna Gordon
NO SPEND
The Terror Cellar
Halloween season is upon us, and this wee Scottish woman’ s spooky heart is full of ghosts, creatures and things that go bump in the night, so, of course, I have to bring you a creepy podcast to scare you!
The Terror Cellar is a fairly new podcast, having only been around for about a year. The host, Andy Crofts, reads stories sent in by listeners, recounting strange and terrifying experiences that they have had personally. I love all of the stories, their descriptions of what listeners have gone through, my favourite was episode 45, called The Thing in the Attic, which seriously creeped me out and gave me the biggest dose of goosebumps I’ ve ever had from a podcast!
In among the listeners stories Andy reviews classic horror films like The
A no spend challenge can also highlight what you genuinely value, do you really need to buy more things online, or can you make do with what you already have and get creative with your wardrobe or activities to keep you busy?
At the end of the challenge, take time to think about what you achieved. How much did you save? Which purchases did you truly miss, and which turned out to be more habit and something you want rather than need? Many people find that after completing a no spend period, they continue to make more mindful spending choices long term.
The beauty of a no spend challenge is that it can be tailored to you. You can do it as often as you want and choose to commit to one weekend or an entire month, the practice can give you a change of perspective on money, habits, and happiness.
The no spend challenge makes you more aware about what you spend your money on.
Exorcist, Poltergeist, and The Amityville Horror, to change things up. I’ m not much of a scary movie person but listening to him discuss them gives you a different view point and reminds me how scary films were when they didn’ t rely totally on special effects to provide tension and scares in movies.
If you want to creep yourself out a bit over October, you can listen to The Terror Cellar on most streaming services. If you want even more spooky stories you can check out Real Life Ghost Stories, Tell me your Ghost Stories, Otherworld or Real Hauntings Real Ghost Stories where you listen to your podcasts.
GIVEAWAYS
THE CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR
Australia’ s biggest Christmas variety show is back in December Starring Michael Boyd with Prinnie Stevens
The Christmas Spectacular, starring master illusionist Michael Boyd and special guest Prinnie Stevens, is a dazzling celebration of festive magic, music and glamour.
This high-energy festive extravaganza blends dazzling circus acts, grand illusions, spectacular dance numbers and timeless Christmas music. Think Radio City Rockettes meets The Nutcracker, with a little Las Vegas sparkle— and plenty of heart.
The shining star of the night is host Prinnie Stevens. Rising to fame on The Voice Australia, Prinnie leads audiences through a musical journey of festive favourites with her powerhouse renditions of Mariah Carey’ s“ All I Want for Christmas Is You” and“ Joy to the World”.
Audiences will be entranced by Australia’ s Got Talent finalist Michael Boyd, one of the country’ s top illusionists. His spectacular illusions, mind-boggling disappearances and captivating stage personality delight viewers of all ages.
Also featured is world-class circus artist Aleisha Manion, who defies gravity with a polished, smooth, and perfectly timed aerial routine. Her breathtaking act adds an extra layer of wonder to a show already brimming with magic, music, and movement.
Joining them is a cast of elite dancers and showgirls, many of whom have graced the stages of Moulin Rouge, the Lido, and other famed international cabarets— delivering glitz, glamour and precision at every turn.
Whether you’ re reliving the joy of Christmas or making magical memories with the kids, The Christmas Spectacular is the ultimate family festive experience.
Ticketing: Ticketmaster. Tickets on sale now Venue: State Theatre, Sydney Dates: Friday 19 – Sunday 21 December 2pm & 6.30pm Facebook: The Christmas Spectacular Insta: @ the _ christmas _ spectacular www. thechristmasspectacular. com. au
We have 6 family passes( 4 passes) to give away, to enter send us an email to info @ hdinews. com. au with Christmas Spectacular in the subject line and tell us why you love Christmas in 25 words or less. Please leave your name, address and contact number. All winners will be notified by email / phone.
14 ISSUE 55 // OCTOBER 2025 theindependentmagazine. com. au BLACKTOWN CITY INDEPENDENT