NSK;The Tortoise and The Mad MARCH Hare!!!

Fmess

Evening all,

How are we all?

Today is SFD number 11 I'm really hoping to get to my target, if all the plans go to plan. Also took lunch to work and did tutoring this evening

On the topic of work life balance, my balance is heavily weighted on the work side. I love my job but I'm quite a perfectionist and always know I can do more, so I guess it's my fault. I get to work for 7.45am and leave about 4ish most day. I then work 2 or 3 hours a night in the week and work Sunday afternoon and evening (and sometimes morning).

I think the amount I work is probably the main reason why I never feel ready to start a family. I just wouldn't have the time to look after anyone else and I worry I'd do a bad job at everything.

Off to bed in a minute, tired as usual!

SarahB1989_2

MrsGSR that soup sounds fantastic!!

Exciting times Kat, when's your flight for?

Accidentally booked my hire car today to move home after graduation. I was trying to get a quote online so I could ring them up and negotiate a lower fee, but didn't realise that putting my details in meant I was actually reserving a car. Either way it's the cheapest company I've looked at so not too fussed, and least its all organised now - just need to downsize all my belongings enough to fit in a ford focus with space left for me! We'll ignore the slight issue that I haven't driven in two years and now need to do a 450 mile journey by myself....

thriftylass

Hello, still here and still no baby. Getting really fed up and am sore from all the coughing.

Just pottering about during the day, walk, washing, dishes, prepping dinner, gardening etc.

Not watched that debt debate in full yet but I so don't like that Katie women. She once said "I won't let my kids play with kids called Chantelle etc or with geographical names". Her daughter is called India , doh.

Re work live balance, mine used to be not bad.
Get up when DS (3) wakes up (between 6 and half 7 on a good day). Get us dressed and fed. Bum about playing till OH gets up about 8 or 20 past (he'll be in for a shock when baby is here,lol). We leave the house at 8:30 and are back in about 5:30 (very short commute for us both and to nursery). DS dinner, playtime, bath, a bit of a cartoon, bedtime, our dinner and then an hour or two of housework for me. On weekends I try to limit house work o a few hours max and we try to go out and do stuff together. So work/life balance not to bad but I miss me time and with two kids that will just get worse. Will have to start running again or sth. Or back to the gym at lunch as a retreat. Am an only child and even before kids in our relationship I got loads of me time which I miss. So I'm enjoying mat leave with DS in nursery and baba not here yet,

luckystarr

Hello

Hope everyone is well , and hugs and kind thoughts to those having a tough time

Claiming a SFD at last up to 5 now

Only a short and sweet check in as first day back at work and i am very tired will check in again tomorrow

Night all

stewby

Evening/morning.

Sorry, the joys of nightshifts mean that I never seem to get through all the posts without falling asleep.

I am very work orientated. I have gotten a bit better since meeting my OH and having a wee "meltdown". I tend to force myself to do something non-worky on my days off, hence all the holiday planning. It helps my brain remain focussed and calm whilst aloowing me to forget about work which used to be the only thing I thought about.
:embarasse

I tend to feel that if I haven't done something or that someone is unhappy with me then I am a complete failure so try to avoid that as much as possible.
Personally, I am very bad at over-analysing everything. Every little thing and I mean everything. Any comment made (even as a joke) makes me think whether it was actually one of those sly digs.

Since, I moved jobs I am a bit more balanced... although housework tends to be left until last. (I would make a terrible housewife, silly internet being so interesting). I normally blame being so tired from work. Good excuse that work malarky.
:rotfl:

In money news, we have about £2 left for the month (oh dear), however we have heaps of food so should be fine for the month. Just milk if we run out.


Oh!!!! and I went a bit OTT with the food bank thing. I bought soap x 6, shower stuff x 4 and a wee spongey-style frog thing. I saw it and thought... well, why shouldn't kids have bath-time fun. The five year old (still on the go sometimes) saw it and loved it. I hope the recipient does too.


Keep plodding on torties.
Hugs.

Maisie_M

hi all

finally a chance to catch up and to post. Doing okay on most fronts this month although the food budget is over with one week to go. I did try to do a five week month on 4 weeks money and still take £20 off so maybe a bit ambitious! However I really only need a small top up this week so I will aim for around £20 and that should see us still come in £50 under what we would normally have spent in a 5 week month.

1. 13/20 SFD
2. £277.65/£260 food budget
3. £50/£50 petrol allowance
4. 14/21 LTW
5. 1/1 weekend away with dh for anniversary. (all paid for already)
6. 1/2 pictures (1 with mum 1 with DS1)
7. 0/0 takeaways, coffee shops etc
8. £3/£3 local food bank toiletries
9. £1.99/£7 beauty spends (£3 to food bank)
10. continue decluttering house – our bedroom this month
11. inventory freezers/cupboards etc and do menu plan using up as much as possible.

I have been doing well at using up stuff in the freezers and the cupboards but I will continue this into next month as I would really like to get them low enough to clean out and defrost.


The decluttering has gone slowly as we have been away one weekend this month and I'm not quite sure what happened to the others but I am going to attack this with gusto this weekend (unless I come down with DS2's tummy bug ).


Anyway nearly the end of the month. Looking forward to May as DH's expenses kick back in big time then and looking forwards to paying some chunks of the CC we have and doing some savings.

mooomin

SFD: 11/17
Food: £61.19/£160
Food bank: £3/£3
Decluttering: 0/50 items

Morning all

I've returned from holiday and am just about caught up on sleep and on some MSE news. I've not been able to get through the whole thread, but I hope that everyone is well and getting on ok with their challenges.

As I said before I went away, I've counted the days of my trip as NSDs as all the money was budgeted for. I even came home with nearly half of my spending money That's gone straight in to my savings account.

Since I came home, I've had a rejection email for a job and for the uni course I applied for, so I'm pretty downhearted about that, but there's nothing I can do about it so it'll have to be onwards and upwards. There's 11 days left, so I think I should hit my SFD target. Cometh the weekend, cometh the decluttering too

MrsGSR

Morning!

First nights work done and dusted! It's so hard being out 3 nights and not really having much time with DH as he is always late at the beginning of the week but I keep saying to myself it won't be forever.

This is working for us now with regard to the children and as for work/life balance although I was on a lot more money when teaching I was unhappy, really unhappy. I was struggling with my work load, being something to everyone and feeling so drained all the time, I was beginning to burn out, especially with the hoops to jump through and all the changes so when redundancies came I was straight in.

Best thing I ever did, I'm so much happier now and I can be there for the children in the day. Ok so shelf stacking at night in a supermarket isn't that riveting but I go in and do my job and come home, no stress or worries. Of course a lot less money but one thing I have learnt is it's not all about money all the time, we can pay all our bills and essentials with a small amount left but happiness must come first.

For the record, I won't be going back to teaching, esp if Gove is still education secretary, however I would like to work within the community but I'll see what comes up when DS starts school.

So today should be another SFD, I'm making slow cooked ox cheek in a Thai style curry for tea, so that should be interesting... Looking forward to trying my soup at lunch time, made a vat so that should do a few lunches!

Calling14

Well checking in had to spend yesterday, a dress for work 12 pounds. Need some work clothes.
Today going for a spa break thanks to ex bf I need to top up value by 14 pounds to get 3 treatments and use spa facilities.
Plus I need to pick up a car part later 27.00 pounds friend going to fit it 20 compared to fords 110 pounds RESULT.
My balance transfer cash has now been found 2 weeks later so will avoid interest charges phew.
Will look and sort out food cupboards later, can manage till end of the month. Baking night tonight if not too tired after wind outside kept me awake last night. Pulling glass bottles from under my car at 6.30 this morning, always high winds on recycling day grr.

Tomorrow will be a sfd !!!!!!!!

NinjaSavingKat

Hello Torties....


Oooohhhhhhhh another interesting discussion! This is the month for it eh? Work life balance? This was always hard for me. Making extra money on the weekends was important to me as I didn't manage myself as best I could. I know it irked the past ex-boyfriends as they would invite me to their respective abodes which were usually distances away and I could never go as I had overtime....

It's starting to annoy me to so if and when I get back from travels I will be looking for a job that allows normal working hours and pays me according to my talents without the need to lose my life to weekend work.

I have also given away all my books on "learning" with the notion to start going to classes instead of just thinking about doing things.

MrsGSR I can COMPLETLY understand why you do what you do. Must have been nice to walk away which is what I am looking forward to. You are right - happiness first!

Calling14 - that's a massive saving for your car. Great to have friends like that!!

Moomin how did you come back with half your spending money??.. So sorry about the job AND the degree course. Things happen for a reason. I have my fingers crossed for a better job who pays for your further education - what is it you want to do!

Stewby - that's maybe why my housework is left for someone else (landlord) to do... I am TOO TIRED! I honestly cannot think of wanting to do that when I come home at night. Expecially as sometimes I am back at 2030 and back up at 0500 meaning I have to be in bed by 1000 leaving me 1.5 hours to get my act together in the evening - vacuuming?? I don't think so. So I am glad the new work has helped you balance a bit - do you think you are still sensitive towards people or that your last colleagues made you feel that way?

Thrifty - where is baby? I wanna see baby! :T Do you have a nickname for him/her? My friends baby was Mumble for a good while after he was born - not bump but just Baby Mumble - don't know why though. ... :rotfl:

Sarah - "accidentally"...:T...I nearly accidentally bought a MacBook Air.... but I didn't. You are brave. I haven't driven for 2 years either since my test so ruled out the whole "drive back to Ireland" thing very quickly!

Fmess you are a teach right? (wrong?) What do you love about your job?


Right I need to eat quickly and then head to get the Yellow Fever vaccination. Turns out I don't need it for where I am going but the £75 is non-refundable. BUT the way I see it is this. I want to see South America and I will need it for there.. getting it here in Britain means it's cheaper than if I get it in Oz and means I can go to Africa without needing to worry about vaccinations....

I have also booked my ferry ticket. £160 for me and my friend (she is only paying £70) as I would have booked the cabin anyway and have to pay for Moggy.... we leave on the 30th September from London 9very early) and will get there by taxi probably.

The flight to Bangkok is on the 4th November which means I will fly into London on the 3rd as per suggestion from someone here... means a night stop-over in a cheap hotel or with friends as I don't want to stop too long back in London but nor do I want to miss my flight due to London transport issues....

Right more soon...