NST November: battening down the hatches!

kittycashless

Spent yesterday working out budgets and such;

Groceries- £240, to include all food, drinks( inc alcoholic ones), cleaning stuff and toiletries. Counted up last months spends and total for same was £396! This cannot and will not continue.

Travel- £75. We don't have a car so this covers dd bus pass for school and OH fares
to and from work.

Will aim for 12 NSD, need to break myself in gently with this one but if I can reduce groceries to £240 then will be more than happy at not hitting the 15.:)

Personal challenge- God where to start! Sooo much I'd like to be getting on with. Given that I can't fit into most of my clothes anymore it's going to have to be weight loss. Will be happy with a 5lb loss this month.

Going to aim for 4 days on stepper machine and extra walks with dog.

bobs_burgers

Well, I've applied for 3 jobs today, so even if I don't see any others to apply for this week I've hit the 3 for the week. Hopefully I'll be escaping my rubbish job soon!

Also took lunch to work. I hadn't made anything so just grabbed a noodle pot that had been sat in the cupboard for a while. Turns out it went off in October, but given its only 3 days I thought it would be ok. What a mistake! I had a few mouthfuls and decided it wasn't edible so went with drinking lots of free tea as my lunch lol

Had to put extra petrol in today, but it should last me until it becomes the OH turn for putting the petrol in.

Good news from today is my gas / elec bills are changing and for a change they aren't putting the direct debit up! From next month it'll be going from £107 a month to £37 a month! We're a ridiculous amount in credit with them which I'd prefer to be in my bank account, but at least they've corrected it!

mothernerd

LoveaDove we have a large elderly population in our Borough. They have reduced staff in the libraries considerably and I haven't seen the library bus around recently. It may be that three people in little vans dropping off parcels of books to specific people is more cost effective than a bus with driver and two staff parking up in one location for an afternoon waiting for customers.

I had seen the notice and just thought I would ask. I explained about my operation and being on crutches afterwards and not being able to carry or bend down (had wondered if I would be limited to what's on the top two shelves and he said I qualified (I was so pleased to qualify for any help). They use your reader profile (history of books you have taken out before and will drop off 10 books every three weeks and pick up the ones you have read - if there are any you haven't finished you can keep them as long as no-one has requested them, no fines. he asked about large print and could also have spoken books if I wanted them.

When I am ready to start using the library normally I just let them know.

Aloofdragon

Evening all, #2NSD for me today have had a busy evening papering my hallway it is fab, have a mirror to put up now then that's another room done.


Took my lunch to work. Played peace keeper at work running with hounds and the hares is blooming tiring but its the only way sometimes.


I am thankful today for being loved and in love, we continuously take time for granted we have so little time together at the mo work, school bits are taking over we must change this asap.

liltdiddylilt

Just dropping in to explain myself and deposit myself on the plank.

Today I took the small to nursery in a horrendous downpour, where the whole of town was flooded. My trainers did not survive. There has been a hole in the bottom of one for weeks, where when my back got so bad it turned my foot out and I walked funny and burned serious shoe rubber. So... I have bought not one, but two pairs of trainers. They are ugly beyond belief, a brand made for teenagers with colours to match. Pink, purple and white shiny leather GoldDigga. Two pairs of the same, because they were clearance in Sp0rts D!rect and this including £3.99 delivery (as they charge the same to deliver to home as they do to store...) £15.97 still an unplanned spend and one I am unhappy about.

Night all xx

apple_muncher

Lilt - why are you up at that ridiculous time, girl? Was the guilt of choosing to wear (note that I don't say 'buying') THOSE items of footwear just too much to sleep!? But seriously, we can't have you getting soaked feet and walking funny - the osteo's only just put you straight! Take care.

speakingofart

Morning turtles! Apologies for my absence yesterday but hosted a firework evening with my guide unit and was a little beyond coherent speech when I got in. Welcome to all the newbies, hopefully you now have numbers, if I've missed anyone please PM me and I will sort it out!

mothernerd - really glad to hear about the op date, not long now!

Good to hear so many people planning budgets - I am trying to decide what I want to move around in YNAB for the rest of christmas at the moment. Can't wait to be done with my shopping, it's really no fun.

Samiszel - now I want a fitbit!

£60/ £150 groceries till 15th November
£0/0 petrol till 15th november
Outings £0/£20 (takeaway with friend, trip to see Levellers play)
NSDs 2/20
1/20 exercise sessions (lunchtime walks)

thriftylass

Good morning,

today should finally be SFD number 1. Had yesterday off and spent it cleaning, washing and cooking. Still not got everything done but feel so much better for having a decent house again and loads of lovely meals in the freezer (should be enough meat/meals etc. for at least 22 dinners plus leftovers for some lunches, sandwiches).

Updated my signature. Both budgets look tight but we'll try our best to make it work this month.

Have a nice day

liltdiddylilt

WOW Thrifty! What have you been cooking?!?!! And is your freezer the size of a shed?!

I find that my budgets get blasted at the start of the month, drift on fine through the middle and then get squeezed at the end... anyone else find it easier to budget when the bills have gone out hehe!

apple I now fully understand my mum having one pair of shoes through most of my childhood. I've got the best part of £70 Clarks to budget for this month. My trainers were unplanned, and although the actual footwear is necessary, looking like a normal adult is less necessary when it turns out the cheapest things in my size are ugly... and normal is rare/overrated in my house anyway

I have got one load of washing hopefully pegged onto the airers. It is cold, brisk and sunny so I am hoping that the worst of the wet will dry off over the day, and then they can be finished off either tonight for an hour on the radiators, or tomorrow if the weather holds out overnight, they should dry without smelling funky if I leave the windows in my bedroom open overnight! The joys of living in a flat...

Speaking of the joys; there is a lovely gentleman who has just fixed up our broken old doors, replaced the broken glass and put a wooden panel in which he has unfortunately put a letterbox onto. This just drops onto the mat outside my friends flat door, for everyone in the building. I am never going to see another bank card again... Not only that but he has put a digilock onto the door, and we luckily just had a knock from a very lovely delivery guy who had the brains to test 1234 and got in. The bloke has left a card, inside the door with the code number on but without the letter at the end. And nothing outside for those people who were out when he put the door in. :wall: I have just gone and put a note outside, as I am expecting another delivery! Defeats the object of the so-called security but I know of half a dozen people who went out this morning to work... :huh: so it would have been broken by this evening by the less patient people.

SOA souhds like you had a good night. Sore head today?

sazzlebgood

After reading an article on mse about banks overcharging exit fees before 2007. I phoned our bank to complain about them overcharging me on a mortgage that i closed in 2004 and they are sending me a cheque. I love MSE big time