NST December Challenge - Festive and Frugal

stewby

Good evening.

Small spend day today. Basically bought a heap of yellow stuff (chillies, cucumber, neeps) then bought a haggis (£1.50 but of my own money, not from food budget). "Borrowed" some potatoes off my parents and cooked haggis, neeps and tatties for my tea (enough left over for tomorrow night too).


Reflecting on the past year. Not really achieved what I wanted to. Think I need to try harder next year to achieve something.
:embarasse

Anyways... hope everyone is doing okay.
Hugs.

mothernerd

Another NSD today but spent money yesterday and do not know how much - DS3 ordered pizza and I had wedges and diet coke. Did try to persuade him to cook some of the wedges from the freezer but no dice. He redeemed himself last night as I was getting rained on- in bed. Knew the roof window wasn't fully down as could feel a draught from time to time but rain was hard enough to dribble over and under the edge of the window onto me. He had to go downstairs for the special tool (it's actually the handrail for the loft ladder that never got installed) and stand on the middle of the bed to pull the handle down and twist shut - handrail now stuck in the handle but bottom end is still within the 'funnel' and above ceiling height.

Continued tidying today - last 2 large cardboard boxes + 2 shoeboxes (not mine) have been binned and this room is looking much plainer - spaces on two sets of shelves and under the little table where stuff has been cleared/ sorted/ whittled. Local organisation still not responded so finding things which can go the big charity bin in the library and brought in remaining clothing that can go in the hopper across the road - will find another couple of t-shirts to go in the bag.

Feeling very pleased as have made breaded fish, wedges and peas for my tea. For a meal that was put together from pre-prepared things from the freezer it took more time working out to do it than to cook and lots of strange manoeuvres to avoid bending down or forward (had to sit next to the oven and also did a bit with the grabber stick inside an oven glove). Just so good to feel like eating after 10 days of soup, stew, yoghurt and cheese triangles.

Been thinking ahead to DS3 going away next week and making preparations (+ possibility of worse weather). Want the bins near the back door not at the bottom of the yard, DS3 has agreed to shopping at the end of next week and I want to remake the bed with clean sheets (+ extra so I can just peel off the top sheet in successive weeks - did this before I went in hospital and managed to take off the dirty one by doing one half of the bed at a time). Want to get ahead with the washing so that everything can be dried and tucked away (may need to wear nighties most of next week so will have enough clean clothes to wear until he comes back).

Today I am grateful for freezers, for birds (not that flock of cowards I saw leaving yesterday) and for simple repairs (tapped a wooden box back into shape earlier).

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for the sunshine, for the peace and quiet and headspace I had when out walking, for dh arriving safely, for huggles with dd, for my fleecy blanket.

Fmess

Evening all


Good luck with the interview kaspadoc
Today was a spendy day as went to Asder and got dog food until payday (hopefully) and a few bits like bread. Didn't take lunch to work as still had some credit from yesterday so had a lovely jacket potato, but will now miss my target for LTW everyday, ho hum.


Trying to find a good deed to do, will keep searching.


Hope you've all had a good day.

Fmess

So, we have all had a good think about what we have achieved, and thank you all for sharing. It has been lovely to see collectively how much we have accomplished and the diversity of our achievements.


As we think about ending the year and what we have achieved, it is also inevitably time to look to the future, and specifically next year. Over the next 10 days, I'd like you all to come up with 5 goals for the next 12 months. Again, they may be financial, personal, work related or on any other aspect of your life.


I look forward to hearing your aspirations

nannygladys

Hi everyone

Up to 5 sfd, but it will get increasing difficult in the run up to Xmas and then easier after

In work tomorrow, breakfast put up and herb tea in lunch bag ready. I know one of my goals for next year it will be to cut my hours down at work, as I officially retire, but I'm going to keep working for a while to build some emergency money up.

Anyway I'm off to bed, in work for 6am tomorrow but everything is done, even put coffee into cup and right amount of water in the kettle, as I'm always half asleep still at that time in the morning (4.30)

Nannyg

nannygladys

Oh donation has been done and budgets still ok

stewby

Fmess wrote: »

As we think about ending the year and what we have achieved, it is also inevitably time to look to the future, and specifically next year. Over the next 10 days, I'd like you all to come up with 5 goals for the next 12 months. Again, they may be financial, personal, work related or on any other aspect of your life.

Hahaha, I have literally just done four on my own diary after looking at my goals for 2014 and realising I have achieved none of them.
So... my post from my diary:

1) Eliminate credit card debt, hopefully by the end of April (currently £2908.99).
2) Use pots effectively (£50 each month in bongo pot, £50 each month in holiday fund, £1 a day in xmas pot).
3) Lose weight... ideally 6lbs a month which would make my total of 72lbs by the end of the year (preferably sooner).
4) Start saving for our wedding. (Hopefully OH and I can both contribute £250 each).

I haven't done a fifth one but probably to try and do some form of educational achievement like learn french or something travel-ly. I am getting a really travelling bug just now.
:undecided

Can't wait to what other peoples have planned for 2015.
Hugs.

Fmess

Morning all

You must have been psychic stewby! Well done on your goals.

I've just had a look back at my goals for this year and have managed 4 out of the 7 I made. The goals thati haven't achieved will role forward to 2015 and I'll come up with two more.

For any Aldee shoppers, today the Daily Mirror has a £15 off a £75 shop at Aldee, to be used by Christmas Eve. I was hoping for a SFD a but think it might be worth losing one and then doing a huge shop at Aldee on 23rd as I get paid just before Christmas and then can get all the fresh stuff for Christmas and all the essentials for January too.

Hope you have a good day, 2 more until the weekend

speakingofart

Applemuncher - I don't know who's running January, I think I might be February but am prepared to be wrong on that one

fmess - what a good idea! I'll have a think and report back! Stewby, I have to ask, what's a bongo pot?

SFD yesterday, my lovely grandmother paid for tea and some toy dinosaurs, so when I get paid on saturday I only need her present and I am done! All my amazon presents have arrived and just need to be wrapped and then I can start distributing. Only 7 working days left till I go on leave - things are generally looking up!

Groceries £16.54/ 16.54 till 15th December
£0/£150 15th december till 15th January
SFDs: 4/15
Petrol £0/ 60 15th December till 15th January
Christmas 0/£60
Lunch to work: 8/15