NST December Challenge - Festive and Frugal

apple_muncher

Fmess - awesome debt busting! Well done you! Hope a quiet day sorts you out x

CoffeeandStitches

Morning all,

Firstly, as this may be my last post for a few days, I do hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas, and I would like to extend my thanks to each and every one of you for the continued support, giggles and motivation (kick up the bums) that you have provided in the latter part of the year for me. I really do appreciate all of the posts here, and it is so wonderful to have such a supportive group to share the hard and good times with.

Mothernerd - you are spot on! My DH is a pampered prince. His brothers marriage fell apart a few years back because of it, and ours nearly did last year. It was only then, that his mother broke down in tears with the whole 'What have I done to my boys' guilt thing. It was a boring story for us, but I just got so sick of working full time, doing all of the housework, looking after all of the finances, doing all of the cooking and shopping... blah blah the list goes on. It got to the point where I felt like I was his mother, whilst he spent all of his time on the sofa with football, or the playstation, and just expected the washing to be done and meals to be cooked around him. The last year has been tough for us, but I think after a bit of couples therapy, he finally understands that we are a team, and I'm not here to look after him, and whilst it's still a work in progress, things are now much better than they were.

So having said that I'm looking forward to the festivities more this year than last. We have a fairly relaxed day tomorrow, with christmas lunch out, then our friends descending to ours on boxing day. So once I've finished work for the day it will be a full house clean, the Christmas cooking will start, and then hopefully I can have a few hours of sewing on the sofa tonight, accompanied by the smell of Christmas.

Some of the budgets are out, but there's nothing I can do about this now. So over the next few days I'm not going to berate myself for it, I'm just going to enjoy the time off work, the loved ones and a few Christmas drinkies.

Happy Christmas eve all xxxx

Calling14

Just a quick Christmas whine, ate 2 quality streets - the work of the devil, ended up dentist this morning £20 emergency treatment. Will need another crown !!!!!! £300 to add to the other one already booked in for in January. Have more than the 3 wise men, well off to drink myself silly and veg out on Christmas films.
Bah humbug x

apple_muncher

Oh, Calling - only 2 QS did that to you? The meanies!


We are all very excited here in the apple household - we saw SANTA going past in the sky :j:j:j! It was a beautiful clear night with a gorgeous crescent moon and we walked up a nearby hill and saw the sleigh make its way across the sky. Yippee!

And another NSD to boot :T.

I've just seen 2 adverts on telly that summarize this time of year: one for buying super duper kitchens on credit up to £7500; the other by the Salvation Army, requesting £19 to help with their work with the homelss, the old and lonely, and the desperately poor.

Wishing everyone a peaceful Christmastime. May it be full of joy and kindness. xx

mothernerd

A NSD. DS2 gave me some of the money he owes me last night so paid it and an extra £10 into the PO this morning (must try to keep one step ahead of those bills). Had a £2 coin in my purse so put it into my highland cow money box. Not sure what I am saving for but it's in there (checked that he has a stopper as couldn't bear to smash him).

I have £22.66 left in my purse which I am hoping to make do until the end of January. Significant progress on toilet roll reduction. Looked through toiletries and can make do with moisturiser etc (get E45 free on prescription). Think toothpaste and soap will do at least two months and shampoo longer.

Decided to beat this year's £36 spent on clothes next year. New clothes should be needed because weight loss must continue. I will need knickers when I drop a dress size. I may need socks or wellies. My knitwear will need replacing at some point but will try to get another year out of it and scour the cs for replacements.

However the majority of my clothes will be home made. I have some dark coffee coloured fabric, some plain soft green and a length of silk in a mixture of turquoise, gold and green plus lots of white linen (an old sheet) and fine cotton. That should form the basis of a co-ordinated capsule wardrobe (been looking at Project 333) to get me through the year with the few things (mainly black) that I already have.

I will be including the cost of zips and cotton in my budget but will check through my own and my mother's stock first. Thinking I might set the budget at £25 (will still be wearing my walking boots and trainers most of the time).

Have spent part of the day chopping veg and have made a large vegetable lasagne. Unfortunately it's resting on the kitchen floor atm (still in the tin and the right way up). It's hard to control a large heavy dish with only a fish slice and an oven glove and it slid from the shelf to the oven door and onto the floor. Thought of a couple of methods for getting it off the floor but can't think of anything in the house to use to implement the plan so it will have to stay where it is until DS2 calls round tomorrow.

It was a using up dish and is part of my plan to fill freezer space as it becomes available with dishes that will get me through the next 2 months and more.

Hope you all have a joyous and peaceful time over the next few days, however you choose to spend it and looking forward to continuing our journey throughout the coming months. Thank you for all your support and encouragement during this year.

ilovetea

Lost it regards NSD and spending,but I have been good,honest.
Will start afresh next month.
Hope you all have a Happy,Peacefull Christmas.

ilovetea xx

Fmess

Oh mothernerd, I wish I lived in your town, I'd come pick up the lasagne for you (assume you don't live near me, I'm in Derbyshire?!) How frustrating it must be, you are so inspirational in how you deal with everything.

Merry Christmas Turtles Thank you for your company so far this month, it's lovely knowing I have you all here to talk to and turn to

Calling14

Aww how sad Mothernerd would rush over if you live nearby. In North Wales. Know how difficult it can be on your own when my back has played up. Get friendly with your neighbours next year.

All you good souls have helped through this difficult year, Great to be a part of the turtle family.

Have a great day tomorrow off to bed before Santa comes eek

Calling14

Just updating my figures and my debt stands below 6k just £5949 happy to reach this target considering car cost £500 this year in repairs and had to spend on the house just over £600.

mothernerd

It's fine - there are people 5 minutes away but don't want them to come round just to pick up the roasting tin. I had already cut a piece from the corner so was able to scoop that out but don't want to damage my leg. It would take two hands to pick the tray up and to get down that far I have to hold onto something firm with one hand and put the operated leg stretched out behind me, there just isn't any way to hold a stable position and pick it up - I asked someone else to put it in the oven for me.

Feeling a bit mean as last week mum said she would be coming to bring presents - I managed to get her not to buy for the boy's gfs but she still got me things. Well normally it's a bewildering assortment of things she's picked up through the year - part of what made me rethink buying things for the boys 'so they have something to unwrap'.

The person doing me the favour today brought mum and the presents and she's lashed out and bought me two holly balls (trained on a 3' stem). I have had to leave most of the hollies I have grown from small plants - now a 3' hedge. But worried about how much they must have cost. Still have a bag of small parcels but it seems to be tea-lights and stuff (not as useless or tatty as usual). They are in the front room as she noticed I don't have a back gate, so was worried they might get stolen.