NST Muddy March Marathon

greent well done on selling the bike trailer, money and space, a double win. It might be worth asking in the charity shops if they could use some of the couch paper. I once offloaded two sacks of bubblewrap and plain paper packaging as I overheard the volunteers worrying because they had nothing to wrap fragile items in.

indigowarrior 20 is quite a high target for NSDs. If you made it or nearly made it most months, it should make significant savings. Halving your mobile phone contract is impressive.

ccl as you say, lists are good for clearing clutter from your mind. Mine were just making me feel guilty, emphasising all that I hadn't done (especially working through 3 old notebooks and finding bits I still hadn't done). Look after yourself and enjoy Scotland and your birthday.

EE well done on the charity shop clothes shopping. I love the story of your village allotments. Pressure for housing is everywhere and allotments are such an easy target compared to the environmental assessment needed for re-using an old gas works for example.

Calling I like your matching coloured squares to flowers and leaves game. Two years ago I used up a lot of foam pieces to make a pack of playing cards for a four yo (rabbits and eggs in as many different colours as possible - for snap and pairs matching games).

abundant 'stop saying mean things to yourself''. You deserve a rest after the wonderful voyage you took us all on.

mrshubbard Your recycled garden sounds like mine. I uncovered my cobbles whilst recovering from PSTD (would go out and hit the thicn concrete layer with a lump hammer when things were bad). They didn't cover the whole yard (a couple of the neighbours had beautiful cobbles) so used them to build raised beds leaving enough slabbed surface to ride a small tricycle. Most of my containers were other people's cast offs - the plastic inners from old pedal bins (tall kitchen ones) are excellent for confining mint and it can go in a corner behind smaller plants. Re your career change, I would give it serious thought, especially as your mother has offered to fund it. You are quite young to spend every day doing something you detest.

FurryBeastOz congratulations on your budget ski break. 'Life planning' sounds interesting. I need to do some - I'm drifting a bit atm.

ilovetea ouch to the price of ham shanks. I use cooking bacon to make my modern version of it (onions, green lentils, veg/chiken stock, herbs, chilli flakes, lumps of bacon). I had 'pea soup' (ham was taken out and put to one side) twice a week at grandma's during childhood (jelly in saucers or a little 2d chocolate bar for afters). I bought a ys turkey leg last week as they current price always shocks me.

swimming Your NOw pass sounds like a good bargain. I hope the little one soon recovers.

XSpender I know it has come at the wrong time but the rapairs and maintenance work were needed. In the long term you have probably saved by getting things fixed before they get worse.

Skint Teacher wow to energising yoga.

Speky got to love a man who can bake.

Thrifty good luck with th bedroom revamp.

f0xh0les congratulate yourself on improving your house without spending money. I think all men do that 'tuning out' thing. It's like the way they can sit and read a paper without interruption whereas when I tried to do it, a toddler arm would come crashing through at once.

I've loved all your different breakfast ideas, the reasons you do or don't have cars and all the replies to the use it or lose it and wellbeing challenges.

Day 23
Use It or Lose It
Books and music (whatever format). A lot is downloaded these days, so how much do you keep and why? I am down to half a dozen books (+ library books) and have been thinking about why I keep them - one is an outdoor building book and has all the mixes for cement/ mortar for different purposes - the info is probably online somewhere and I am unlikely to be doing this sort of building in the future. Very little music anymore - mainly things to be used at funerals. I have one of my original cookbooks (Cranks), could get recipes online but would probably write it out to use it.

Not to cause resentment, but do you have spouses who insist on keeping things in old formats (even if you have nothing to play them on)?

Day 23 Wellbeing
Put on some music and dance (as if no-one is watching). you can sing as well, if you want to.

Inspiration
This situation is of my own making and the only person who can change is me, what am I waiting for?