NST December Challenge - Festive and Frugal

thriftylass

Good morning,

Today will be another spend day, another lot of thank you cards to post, christmas cards to buy and some groceries. Try to avoid spending on anything else. Still got yesterdays lunch in work.

Not sure about my achievements this year. Maybe:

1) giving birth to a beautiful daughter
2) getting married to the love of my life within budget (just didn't have enough saved) and without taking out a loan with a third party (i.e. one with interest)
3) talking OH out of getting a second car or replacing his current one
4) feeling in charge of my/our finances again after a year of irregularities like big expenses and maternity leave
5) .....this will be kept for next year as I didn't achieve it this year: Be more positive, be grateful for what I have, stop complaining about trivial things (put them into perspective of real problems people have) etc.

Till later

thriftylass

Just back from posting the cards. Had a look in the charity shop. Luckily didn't buy any more toys or else I didn't need. But saw a branded snow suit for £2 (googled it, worth £92 :eek:) with a busted zip but otherwise in great condition. So popped across the road to get a new zip put in for £15. DS will love that. Meant to buy him one anyway, and this one might last till next year. Bargain :j

apple_muncher

thriftylass wrote: »

Just back from posting the cards. Had a look in the charity shop. Luckily didn't buy any more toys or else I didn't need. But saw a branded snow suit for £2 (googled it, worth £92 :eek:) with a busted zip but otherwise in great condition. So popped across the road to get a new zip put in for £15. DS will love that. Meant to buy him one anyway, and this one might last till next year. Bargain :j

Bargain! Well done thrifty! Dd need a new one too, as her old one now comes well up her wrists. It is age 2 and she is nearly 7! I think I may get one from aldee this week, but make sure it is on the large side...

CoffeeandStitches

SOA - Hope you're ok x

Thrifty - That is a bargain and a half! Well done!

So money is back in the bank from Shatish power following yesterdays circus. Had to do an Indemnity claim, but it was incredibly easy. I've started the switching process, and earned £40 cash back with a projected saving of £200 ish a year. We shall see....

Impromptu Aprived food order today for some christmas bits, and a few other staples, however I think this might take me over budget for the month, and it's only the 4th.... I only ever do it when others want to (one in a blue moon!) so that we can split delivery, and I know it saves in the long run but totally didn't plan for it this month!

Not much else to declare today. Round one of the Christmas par-tehhh tomorrow, and this is gonna be a big one. Looking forward to it, but not to the cost!

Good news on the tooth front, no more work needed. So I have got away with additional costs. Yip!

Happy Thursday all - almost the weeeeekend!

Caeraugirl

Christmas do tonight but am driving so hopefully won't be too spendy... Have bought last family cards as well as a couple of extra bits for DS's as stocking fillers, and a box of biscuits for community gifting thing locally.


Also got some bits for a friend's birthday but as it's a collective present between 5 of us most of this will be refunded. Still only the one SFD for me, but haven't needed any food in December yet (a first for me!), off to meal plan now and will get a shop done tomorrow. Have friends staying tomorrow evening so takeaway treat and wine, might get a few more SFD at the weekend.

Good news on dentist, CoffeeandStitches, and what a bargain Thrifty!


Lilt, hope you're feeling better, and glad to see you're returning to form Mothernerd. Hugs to all who need, this thread moves so fast can't keep up with all the updates!

liltdiddylilt

Evening all

Not a SFD today but a frugal spend - I paid for the dreaded bus all the way to hospital. An hours travel, but through lovely pretty villages etc. Makes me feel sick but I put up with it as it saved me over £4 It should have been £6.20 but the driver had no changes so took £6.11 as that was all I had. 9p reverse roadkill Train & bus would have been easier/more comfortable but £10.50. So MSE I took a packed lunch and refused to buy a drink from the C0sta in the hospital.

I got some amazing news from the consultant. I have apparently got disk disease & facet joint disease, caused by the flattened disks. BUT I have been fast-forwarded for a steroid injection into my spine, guided by x-ray throughout the procedure to make sure it goes to the place it is most needed, and it will be in early January - this may (if it works) stop me from having to take up to 10 very strong painkillers a day! And could last indefinitely or for as little as 4 months, but in the time where it is working I can go back to doing physio & resistance training to build my core muscles, without hopefully agonising pain, helping me in the long run! :T and if it doesn't work, there are 2 other surgical options to try :j

I also got an amazing Christmas gift from my landlord. As way of thank you for saving him £2k on the installation of a new boiler in his flat, not to mention "being an excellent tenant" he has given me £100 off this months rent!! :D:D the boiler was free from NP0wer's energy saving scheme, and of course I look after my own home! So it was unexpected, but very lovely of him!!

C&S bang on with the cashback & switching!! Mine was a bit higher cashback but think that ended in October - my payments have come out fine, but as fmess says, they can get stuff wrong. When they ask you for meter readings, you can submit them online, but just follow up with a phone call. Apparently, according to their customer service centre, weekdays 12:30 to 4pm is their 'quietest' time. Even though I submitted a read, & they recorded it, they used an industry standard reading which was way higher than my usage, so then refused my second reading which was only 4 units higher than the original they thought, after 2 months - they are now disputing it, but it is delaying £170 credit back to me from NP0wer whilst they sort out the dispute as I have to do 2 readings, 7 days apart!

thrifty what a bargain!! Go you!

vintagebrighton

Evening all Lovin all the bargain hunting, baking and stuff... you lot are industrious if nothing else

NSD again for me, more by accident than design. BHS has reductions at the moment so popped in to town for some Christmas bits. Couldn't find anything I liked/wanted and my tolerance for trawling round shops is severely limited. Tried to get something else I wanted for the laundry but the shop was closed due to a flood. In the end I gave up and came home. Result! Think I might stick to online shopping in future.

Last night my snow boots arrived.. bought online over a week ago at 50% off and they are FAB :T Need to get proper gear for living in Scotland, none of this soft southerner stuff. I don't think it gets below freezing very often here and it certainly doesn't snow much. I'm sure that's not the case up north!

Anyway, need to update my sig and catch up

VB xx

sazzlebgood

liltwhat a lovely landlord you have.
Small spend today on overproof rum to add to rumtopf £26.90 for both BIL and partners and sister christmas presents.
Physio been today to see DD2 so much better than our old physio, explained everything and showed us several times what to do. Said she'll come every week for the next couple of months. So must go as about to start 3rd lot of physio of the day:j

mothernerd

Stayed up until 3am working on an embroidered Christmas stocking (very nearly done, but I thought that last year and the year before and am determined it will be done this week - also have a set of cushions and some Christmas ornaments that need 'making up', embroidery has been completed).

So a quiet gentle day, woke at ten, pills, washed and dressed. Went downstairs. Had to ask DS3 for help after I had dropped my grabber (I was holding on to two crutches and three items of wet clothing). I asked him for ten minutes help, so he finished unloading the washer, put another load in (forgot to bring the basket of wet clothes upstairs).

I did what bits I could, brought the bin back and have nearly cleared the living room floor (stuff that wasn't urgent/ had nowhere to go when we moved). Nearly ready to start cooking - did two baked potatoes in the microwave for lunch, think if I ask DS3 to fill some of the 2l water bottles and put them by the cooker (to fill the kettle without me carrying water/anything heavy across the kitchen) I could manage - can chop sitting at the kitchen table then put in a lightweight bowl or plastic bag to carry to the stove and do other little jobs so I can keep an eye on it without standing by the cooker all the time. Really want onion soup (and potato and leek, and bacon soup - cauliflower cheese as well but might leave that another week or so). Back to rest and more sewing with a few festive songs. (Plotting how to decorate my obelisks - they stand in for Christmas trees).

Another NSD. back to rest and more sewing (and a little nap).

Today I am grateful for the grabber (did lots of rubbish picking and gathered a box of tealights which had got knocked over), for good Christmas songs (not Wham) and Studio 60 (watching again).

ilovetea

Think I have finally sorted things.
Budget is going to be £300. Shouldn't need all this as family are helping out with the cost of Christmas dinner. Any thing left can go back to the bank.
15 NSD. managed 4 already.
Putting £100 in the pot for outings. Nothing planned at the moment but would like to take the grandchildren to the wildlife park if the weather is fine. Maybe stop for tea and cake a couple of times :-).
Can't think of any achievements.
Savings gone up a little bit. Went though the change tin and put £60 in the building society. Also got £5 Am*zon vouchers and £5 love to Sh*p vouchers from survey sites.