NST December Challenge - Festive and Frugal

Fmess

apple_muncher wrote: »

Fmess - what on earth are you doing up at that time!? You ok?

I woke up and let the dogs out and then I was too awake to go straight back to sleep so thought I'd pop on and do a bit of admin!

Aphidgirl wrote: »

£370 paid out to the debts yesterday. I'm tracking my spending this month in my signature so hopefully no going over budget.

Well done on your debt payment :j

CoffeeandStitches wrote: »

:wall::wall::wall::wall:£89!!! *cry* - That's the dentist budget blown! Double what I thought it would be

Oh dear, but at least you will be pain free


Today was a spend day as had to pick up bread, milk and dog food. Used the opportunity to get cheap champagne (reduced from £30 to £15) as a Christmas present and order another one online. Just one more present to arrive in the post and one to figure out and I'm done :j


No exercise but did do some tutoring so I have paid another £20 off the debt, slowly but surely - very tortoise/turtle like.


OH's car has been written off today so he'll be getting some money back, and at least we don't have to find the money for the excess. However we are down to one car and sharing, which isn't too bad, although think we may look for another cheap one in the new year.

Calling14

Thanks Lilt for your advice, not one for painkillers usually allergic to ibuprofen, co codamol taken. Back felt better after treatment but starring to hurt again now. Muscle runs from one armpit to another I have pulled, so pain running up and down both arms. Keeping warm and early night for me.

Spent today lots treatment £35 and £18.49 on lovely home made knitted animals and couple home made cards. So cute couldn't resist xmas pressies for friends.

Then on way home walked around local riverside town and yes bought sausage and chips takeaway oops. £3.50

Had to buy milk butter bread etc as well. Groan another £11.05.

On the plus side saw lovely town Christmas trees and yes broke me feeling festive.

Coffee and Stitches dentists nightmare. Not sure about mine appt maybe cancelled if I am not in pain for few months.

Waste of a days holiday today couldn't do much this morning so annoying. Will attempt work tomorrow if pains not too bad I don't spend money there plus had to put heating on at home.

Might join all you folk doing an all nighter. Fmess! If I can't sleep.

Hope you're over sickness bug Lilt.

Welcome all the newbies.

Thirty we do need to buy clothes at some point, don't feel guilty. My tops bought last week too thin now it's gone cold. Swop lol x

liltdiddylilt

Hello boys and girls!!

Have had a really good day today despite having to work on my usual day off!!

- SFD #1 achieved! 1/18
- Made £5 amazon voucher by logging into my ontrees account randomly following an email from them earlier
- Managed to successfully decline my works xmas do without any drama!! It is on the19th which is my last day of work. Its the same day as Him's xmas do and I have no babysitter. My mum may be down for a visit but if she is she will be very unwell post op and so I don't want to leave her. It is in Canterbury a couple of hours after work finishes and would have cost me £16+ in trains, a lot of walking to get to the restaurant, not to mention the potential babysitter. I don't particularly like any of my work colleagues enough to spend my own time with them!

Bad things - spoke to both my old and new energy supplier and there is an ongoing dispute regarding my gas meter reading so in order for them to raise a dispute (bearing in mind they recorded my own meter reading and then disregarded it!) I have to wait a week and call them back with a follow up reading! Ridiculous considering it is their own mistake, but I will not settle as it is a difference of 120 units which is a lot of money to pay an extra 6p per unit on to the old supplier. At least I know that I hold a credit of £170+ with the old supplier at the minute so should definitely get a refund eventually

Today I am grateful for the NHS, homemade banana bread & having the strength to say 'No Thank You!'

coffeeandstitches so sorry about the Dentist bill. Big hugs!

fmess why on earth were you up at 3am. All ok?! xx

liltdiddylilt

fmess beat me to it. You are as bad as my sister. She posts news articles at 4am etc when she can't sleep through BiL's snoring

Calling I have never been one for tablets, hence trying anything and everything to cut down on the codeine. It was 8 x 30mg tablets a day, now 2 x 10mg amitriptyline & occasionally 2x co-codamols. So much better for my kidneys/liver. I can't take any kind of anti-inflammatories and so my options were limited. Osteo was 100x better than the physio I had though!!

apple_muncher

Nabbed myself another NSD and took lunch in. Go me!

Tomorrow is food shopping day, and possibly the final aldee voucher to use up - if dh can find out where he left it... Such an exciting life I lead...

Brain is all used up after a day at work then a 2 and a half hour governor meeting! Off to bed soon...

LoveaDove

Alreet Turtles!

So I was most excited to open the second door of my Frozen Advent Calendar today...not so impressed with the lack of picture on the inside though! I imagine myself and several million children in the UK shared in that seem disappointment...

Anyways, today is my Second SFD! Yay! Work is exhausting me so I am not tempted to stop via any shops most evenings, just want to get in and straight into pjs and stare into space. I really must try and complete the last of my xmas pressie shopping though before the last minute panic! Think I shall try and complete online if possible.

nannygladys - feeling inspired by your 'saying no' achievement for this year. This is definitely something I really need to learn. I take on way more than I can handle at work and in my personal life, which I think contributes to my feelings of constant exhaustion! I am inspired. I will try and say no at least once tomorrow at work!

mothernerd - Good to hear from you! Hope you get your own laptop cable soon!

Righto- time for book and bed! N'night all x

Synonymous

Thanks for adding me fmess, and for the explanation. I now don't know what LTW means! The internet suggests 'Let's Torture Warriors' but even with the ninja turtle reference I can't imagine that's right

Still not had time to do the budget, but today was another NSD for me. Trying to start the day with cheap and filling porridge, and then take food to work.

Was also wondering if someone can point me to a good thread/website etc on meal planning? I did a search, but so many people mention it casually in their posts that the results were endless!

Thanks in advance, more respectable bedtime for me tonight. :T

Caeraugirl

Synonymous wrote: »

Thanks for adding me fmess, and for the explanation. I now don't know what LTW means! The internet suggests 'Let's Torture Warriors' but even with the ninja turtle reference I can't imagine that's right

Still not had time to do the budget, but today was another NSD for me. Trying to start the day with cheap and filling porridge, and then take food to work.

Was also wondering if someone can point me to a good thread/website etc on meal planning? I did a search, but so many people mention it casually in their posts that the results were endless!

Thanks in advance, more respectable bedtime for me tonight. :T

LTW is lunch to work, but much prefer your version, Synonymous lol! And Netmums used to do a good meal plan, may be worth taking a look there. I now tend to start with all the meals my lot will eat, factor in activities that mean later / easy cook meals, then slot them all into a blank template, trying to make sure I'm not repeating similar meals without a couple of days between. I then work out all the food I need for the month's plan and buy / freeze as much as I can. Some people on here batch cook and freeze, but I just tend to cook double of meals like chilli, pie and lasagne as they come up then freeze the second one - would love to batch cook but haven't got the patience, it makes me very grumpy... Good luck with meal plans.

thriftylass

Good morning,

Today will be a spend day as I will post the first lot of thank you cards. But brought lunch to work and will stretch out our meagre rations of fresh stuff esp for lunches till Friday. My lunch today is a smidgen of left over curry with a tin of chickpeas

maria3104

Hi

Today I have come armed to work with snacks, lunch, activities, anything to prevent spending. Today should be 3/3 SFD or NSD in december. Whilst this is a good start the internet talks to me all day. Emails bombard me with 90% off junk I do not need, would never use, but they are bargains.
Actually I think I am getting better at resisting. I keep thinking, Grandsons pension is better than junk. Focus.
All Christmas shopping is done, overdone, I think I have enough left in gift cupboard to do all 2015 birthdays. I just need to stop. STOP. Keep STOPPED.