Apple muncher's number crunching

apple_muncher

Well, nowt from the list achieved yet!

£15 cheque banked.
A different sains scoured for gf stuff - but had nothing available.
So I popped round the ch shops. oops. Sally Army yielded up a tweedy skirt suit for half price + 3 balls of 'proper' wool (acrylic, cotton + wool) for 49p :T (+£6 of credit); 0xfam gave me some denim shorts for 99p; elsewhere I acquired a gorgeous felt owl for a friend for £1 and 5 books for dd for £2.75; and Savers yielded up deodorant and both fabric + hair conditioners for dd to try to de-tangle some dolls' hair. So, ch shop = 5.23; other: £3.97.

Not quite curbing my ch shop spending...:o.

Good news is that dd is mending, but is still weak, feeble and coughing non-stop.

apple_muncher

NST July challenge:

1. This month I want you to have a good think about what your biggest financial failing is. The best way to do this is to go to your bank records and work out what patterns emerge. It might be that you start off with good NSD intentions but fail to plan meals properly and so end up with 5 trips to a supermarket per week instead of 1. Or do you draw money out of the cash machine and then fritter it away with nothing to show for it?
You then need to tell us all here what your weakness is and how you plan to address it.

I can maintain NSDs when at work; during holiday time it is a different matter. My biggest weakness is probably the charity shop visits... Solved simply by not going! I/we also need to look at the food we have in, and use it up. We get through the fresh stuff fine, but have loads of 'staples' sitting there.

2. This month I want you to set your own NSD target, but would hope for most to say 5 or higher.

16

3. We are 6 months till the end of the year now. What decisions did you make back in January and how have you done with them so far? If you've gone off the rails, tell us now how you plan to sort it out. No more vague hopes for better futures the way to success is tight organised planning.

Haven't sorted out saving accounts. But have kept on the straight and narrow with not spending, knowing that dh would be out of work. It is now nearly 5 months and he does have a tiny job, for which they dock his jsa allowance (grrr). The jsa continues until the start of September, and stops just when dh has another eye op. Need to continue being super careful... I would love to pay 3980 off the mortgage, but that is 4 months' salary in its totality!!!

4. Most of us have an idea of what perfection looks like. Dont be scared to visualise what that is for you. Tell your fellow turtles what you want from the future and how amazing it will be!

Perfection is owning the house outright, with all the niggly jobs complete. I work part-time, as does dh. We both have time for things we enjoy: for me that is making things, for dh that is computery things.

5. Choose to get active. Can you leave the car at home completely and cycle or walk to work? A lot of our behaviour is habitual so challenge those negative reasons for not choosing a more active life. Worried you will be late? Set the alarm 30 mins earlier.

Indeedy. I have had 2 lazy months with poorliness and the ensuing inactivity. I am hoping to swim and walk a little whilst dd is still finishing off her term. Weight loss is vital if I turn out to have some sort of arthritic condition (should find out this afternoon), and will actually be a 'good thing' anyway for my health. The workoutst hat I was doing just 3 months ago are far beyond my capabilities now, but can serve as a fitness level/goal to get back to.

6. Consider doing more for yourself. Do you need to pay £10 an hour for a cleaner when taking up a Flylady routine will mean your house is clean and you get a free work out. Or why not consider cutting your partner or kids hair with clippers & putting the saving to debt?

I still cut dd's hair and dh has clippers. I get mine cut every 6-9 months (!). I don't think we actually pay anyone to do things often: dh mended the flat roof, the leaking pipe...

7. Report in daily with your updates and tips for others. Cat hit gold with her frugal daily frugal tips idea so do keep those coming if you have them.

Will try to.

8. Choose kindness. There are many people out there who need our kindness. Find ways throughout the month to make those around you happier some how.

Absolutely!

apple_muncher

Doc says nowt to fret about re bloods. He'll keep an eye on my antibodies when I have my next blood tests in Nov.

Early tea tonight then prizegiving, complete with gown-wearing.

apple_muncher

Fair day! Just at dd's school so I can load up the trolley and wheel it all along, I think. Need to manage it without dd and dh, as dd spent the night coughing (disturbed us much more than herself!) Her first words to me this morning were, 'I'm well enough - cough - to go - cough- to the fair - cough - today.' :rotfl:

Found a knitting pattern for little polar bears, but I reckon I could adapt my scottie doggie one instead, as it is much simpler... Can start planning christmassy things soon .

Pearla*Merle

Glad to hear tests come back ok, Apple. Love the NST challenge updates, feeling inspired to rethink my priorities too

Ooh, Christmassy crafts sounds good!

Have fun at the fair!

apple_muncher

Another un-fun fair at dd's school! Sold only £16 worth of items, and NO bunnies :eek:! Not even enough to cover the table cost of £20. Luckily the pta haven't yet asked me for it, so I've put £8 in an envelope with a note for them...

Maybe now I'll 'get around' to updating/posting on etsee or fb...

And now I'm making a polar bear whilst watching tennis replays... Time to plan Cmas stuff: bears if they work, hanging felt decs, hanging lavender owls + penguins for starters.

And time for a serious rethink of my spending habits as my wage is back to 2 days for the next 2 months.I frequently consider meal planning, but do nothing definite about it. Dh has taken over completely in the last 2 months - in a totally good way - with me being poorly. But now I am much better, and working much less, so it may be time to free him up a bit and wrestle back control!

apple_muncher

Dd will be having yet another day off school tomorrow, as she still has diarrea. It wouldn't be fair to send her in! And she has tues off as a strike day. She had better be better by weds...!

Well my weight loss % challenge is laughable! I am back at what I started at, having obviously made a valiant effort to lose the challenge...

2 cute polar bears have been knitted and sewn up, and have scarves. The lawn is mown - apart from where I needed to move the climbing frame. Some 'good effort' certificates have been printed off. Wimbledom watched. The Tour highlights enjoyed.

Now to read a book.

apple_muncher

Penultimate day of work before the hols. Wish I could kick back and enjoy it! 6 lessons to 'teach' and absoutely loads of admin-style tasks as well as everything I mentioned last week.

SOW
Scan
Tidy/file/recyc/bin
Bring home all the 'personal' bits

Walk a lot - have not been even making it to 10k.
Eat well

apple_muncher

Another day off with dd - this time due to nut action. We have had a good day together: aldee, sains (drove + parked and she used her scooter) and library, then crafting and playing. She has eaten more than of late and is now out playing in the sunshine. I don't think I'll send her to brownies tonight or cheer in the morning, but she is finally fit to go to school tomorrow.

It is a colleague's bday soon and I am re-gifting some beautiful, posh smellies that I cannot use, and adding a jar I have filled with sweeties, some roses, a lily plant (in a 'bucket' from the £ shop, wrapped in recycled cellophane), and some bunting I have made for her. And a bunny, of course!

This summer we are unable to see some friends + kids over from Spain as they are only here for 2 weeks, in our term time, and dd has her show at the weekend so we can't scoot the 7+hours each way to see them. Tis a real shame. So, I am making the kiddies some bunting each, which we can post.

I did a mini workout this morning: 12 foreward lunge, 12 squat, 12 jump lunge, 12 jump squat, 6 belly blaster. Three times. Took me 7m40. And gave me jelly legs and lots of out-of-puff-ness!

Once the bunting is done, I need to collar dd re end-of-term gifts for her teachers...

apple_muncher

Tomorrow is my last day of work before the hols - yay! The kids go by 12 ish and we have a staff lunch + goodbyes at 1 ish.

Tomorrow:
-take in colleague's bday present - dh is impressed with the haul I have amassed for her.
-collect all infant French stuff and bring it home.
-clear my noticeboards and get new backing paper + borders up. (Should be able to do this if I start as soon as I arrive, before pupuls want to be in the room...)
-de-personalise the room.
-do a mini workout.
-finish bunting.
-get dd to list who I am to provide presents for at her sch.

Today I have done over 15k steps. Our local sains has stopped selling gf pizza bases + breadsticks. So I walked + bussed to w'rose, who had pizza bases, and walked home. Dh discovered that 1 pizza base is mouldy (bb date of next month), so I shall have another long walk on Friday to return it... (I call it a long walk, but in reality is can only be 2 miles...)

Having come away from dd's summer fair with a -£4 amount, I have come up with 2 options. 1= don't go again (!). 2= share a table with the TA at my sch who sells hand made Portuguese hair bows. Food for thought.

It has been lovely to have 2 days off midweek. Feels like I am on summer hols already . Need to plan the next 2 weeks so that I am able to get ALL my prep done before dd breaks up.