The big NSTurtle March to sea!

CEW

SFD no 2 for me today.

My budgets for this month are as follows:

SFD - 2/10 - Low number as an experiment. I can go to the shops and just buy milk or butter or whatever it is I need but if I am concentrating on SFD's I try to anticipate future needs and seem to spend more so thought I would try a new tactic this month.

Groceries - £0/£200 - Higher than usual this month as I have a Costco trip planned to stock up on toilet rolls, cleaning products etc. I usually go once every 3 or 4 months.

Pets - £0/£60 - A little higher than usual but need some worming bits etc this month.

Birthdays/Social - £0/£150

Busy days at the moment emptying the house for the sale completion on Friday. Lots of trips to the dump.

Chez x

The_Only_Girl

Fmess wrote: »

Hey all

Not sure what is wrong with me but I'm still in a terrible mood and getting sick of myself now!

SFDS number 2, LTW and more tutoring so paid another £50 off the debt.

Off to bed so hoping I wake up in a better mood.

Hi Fmess, I hope today was better than yesterday. Keep marching on...

Fmess

Evening all,


Going to post and then go back and read the day's posts once I am tucked up in bed.


Today I have felt much brighter but think I might be fighting something off as after 7pm each night, I am knackered and barely able to get anything done. I tried to have more sleep last night but OH had a friend come over after 10, so the dogs got up and had quite an interrupted night's sleep.


I am debating my tutoring options at the moment, I took on an extra tutee last week (so now up to 3) but have had another enquiry. Financially, I would love to have the extra money but as it requires preparation, its not just the 4 hours for tutoring, but the preparation time and the travelling time too. However, the exams are over in 3 months time. Should I do it?


Hope you are all well

apple_muncher

Today has been all about pillow cases . Having Kondo-ed the bed linen and then put each full set in one of the pillow cases, I realised that we needed more pillow cases. So today I went around 13 (!) ch shops and came away with 8 to use for their intended purpose, and 2 for bunnies. And only £4 spent on them. An excellent result!

Unfortunately, I was unable to source a Little Red Riding Hood costume...


Today I am grateful that dh will be back home by this time tomorrow, that I found so many good quality pillow cases, that dd's parent's eve was one of praise and glowing reports, that I had many lovely chats with the ch shops ladies, that dd went to sleep quickly.

mothernerd

Calling14 the ivy was originally trained to grow up and cover the back yard wall (6' high) and trellis (an extra 18" on top) when the Council changed the car park behind my house to a multi-storey. In a block of five houses we had two semi nervous breakdowns whilst they were building it and a couple of Sundays with the whole area roped off whilst emergency services talked down poor souls who were trying to jump off it.

I decided that I didn't want to look at it every time I was washing up or have people standing on the car park watching me when I was pottering in the yard - I grew what fruit and veg I could in a small space. So I planted a eucalyptus in one corner, a pyracantha in the other and trained ivy up the wall (6' high by 10' long).

DS2 and a friend were renting this house from me and they have let it overgrow. So it's the length of the wall (+ half the gate space) and six feet along the side wall/ fence, 12' high, six feet out into the yard and two feet out into the backs. Some of the ivy 'stems' are twisted round each other and they are between 4" and 6" thick.

There is a raised bed on the inside but it is broken down at one end as DS1 dug out a honeysuckle I wanted to take with me when I moved. Before I went into hospital last November I managed to saw and hack back some of the over hanging branches to get it flatter against the wall, but wasn't able to go up the ladder to do the higher bits.

So basically I have a 10' long 12' high ivy tree which I have chopped back so it's now about 6' long 4' wide but still several heavy bits with no easy way to cut. There are three branches I have cut which are still suspended because all the top growth is so enmeshed. I have found five birds nests of varying age and stopped for a few weeks as two blackbirds were showing interest in setting up home but they have gone now.

For the long term health of the plant it needs to be radically cut back as well as getting some light into the yard. The car park was flattened again the Summer before last. I can't stay up the ladder for very long so try to do a bit at a time and fill the green bin every two weeks (too much for home composting atm). This week I used the little steps on the raised bed and did some of the side wall, last time I did some of the outside. I am not really comfortable going higher up yet and ideally the top growth should be cut off to reduce the weight before cutting the thicker branches. Hope that helps.

I've mostly had a good day and then got cross.

Last night 7 items of clothing went to the charity bin across the way and I found the final pile of old towels and a few more bits (all gone out today). I've added my declutter total to my signature and that doesn't include socks with holes, manky mop heads (think DS2 just bought new ones and left the old ones to rot in corners of the yard).

Pegged out three loads of washing to dry and then (I am awarding myself a golden frog for this) pulled a brick out of the drain then dragged, scraped and poked all the gunk that was impeding the flow (and going all over the yard). Couldn't find a pair of thick black rubber gloves I have seen so wore builder's gloves with plastic bags over the top. Gunk and equipment finished off the bin bag I started yesterday. Bending to get in the gutter and also putting my wellies on are both pushing at my current physical boundaries. Then I used what was left of the mould and mildew spray to spray the mesh backs and seats of the garden chairs (should be silver grey, were green) and left them in the sunshine (working reasonably well, waiting to see if it continues to work and will check if there is part of a bottle at the other house before buying more).

This afternoon I have brought the bins back,washing in, tackled the washing up (think DS3 has run out of pots as a large pile appeared) and taken more charity shop donations. Did get very hungry and spent money but avoided going in the nasty place with nasty burgers. I am pushing it a bit because it was a real struggle to get home and have been in bed since I got back.

In the middle resting phase I made the mistake of emptying two drawers with all my underwear and various other bits onto the bed. Now I hate Marie Kondo, hate myself and hate and detest my knickers (threw one pair away last night, maybe 3 pairs okay). Can't throw the others as I will have nothing to wear, feel sick as last years yo-yoing (lost weight, then put it back, lost after my op then put some back) means I have not yet got to the size smaller which is the trigger for buying replacements so berating myself for lack of willpower - think I walked it off which added to my earlier efforts made me so tired. Will bounce back, just feeling a bit frustrated atm. I want/need to do so much but I know I need to listen to my body and stop when I am tired, I will improve and it will get done.

May go on bulky refuse and arrange for the Council to collect five items - will have to pay but will add to what DS2 owes me as they are mostly his items.

Today I am grateful for lovely drying weather, for a visit from DS1 and broccoli and courgettes (ate some of the Christmas Eve lasagne).

Samiszel

Fmess- I'd say go for it. I currently tutor 6 students and it really does my head in- the travel, the prep work, the extra hours, never having an entire evening to myself- but then again it's good money. Like you said, it's only a few months till exams and when you factor in Easter break and half term... That's what I keep telling myself anyway!! Though, 3 of mine aren't even Year 11, so many more years with them *groan*

Fmess

Thank you for the kind wishes thrifty, caeraugirl and the only girl.

Samiszel - what do you tutor? Thank you for the advice, I'm just cautious of taking on too much.

Debtdrowninglondongirl

Thanks synonomous I think this job is going to make life a lot easier.

littleskintdragon I used to hide my debt from my friends but really this is when you realise the real friends from the fake ones. All the ones I chose to tell have rallied round me and totally understand when I say that I need to do cheap days. I hope she replies soon!

fmess glad you are feeling better today!


Today sadly wasn't a SFD as had to buy cold and flu pills. I have the worst head cold but hoping it will shift soon.

I have de cluttered my kitchen though and put loads of almost finished pasta packets into one etc.

I have also asked for some free samples at Debs to use so I don't have to buy any new face cream.

Happy hump day!!

Bobarella

Evening All
Just did a big catch up read. You have all been busy.

Lilt -sorry to hear Jelly has been ill again. But we'll done on your fantastic savings rate & lovely cake baking.

Littleskintdragon -well done for being honest with your friend. It's so easy to end up playing keeping up with the Joneses and the only person who truly matters is you and your debt going down. Sounds like she took it well anyway.

Mothernerd - don't go there on the knicker drawer. I am such a burnt toast woman when it comes to treating myself to nice undies. This saying came about because my SIL once said her mother was a real matryr who would always choose the burnt toast to make sure others had nice toast. It's not a nice saying and says more about my SIL than anything else. However it's stuck...
At last count I had 5 pairs. All with holes. One of which I bought years before my son was born. He's 6. No need to declutter. I will be indecent before long.

So me and process this month. Well it's a tricky one to judge. As I'm currently setting the business back up I'm spending every day on essentials. But none of it is for us. So far no real budget challenges this month. Bills are still going out. Have made a couple of small over payments to the CC from Music magpie sales last month. But sadly my side hustles have dried up and nothing is shifting on ebay.
I'm sticking to my hard and fast declutter rules of always dealing with paperwork once. Every day I clean out my purse of reciepts and file them in the business file or put them in the shredding basket once they've been logged in my spending app.
Still cycling/walking everywhere so keeping the fitness going.
So not much to tell at this juncture.
Longing for the end of this cold weather with all my heart. Truly had enough of being cold all the time.
Onwards, I see 20th March brings the first day of spring so yeah for that!

night all
Bob

stewby

Change of plan.... going to write the cheque tomorrow as we need to go shopping for some bread and ginger nuts.


So today is spend-free day number 3!!!!!!
:j

Diet is still going well, under my calorie goal again today. Only exercised for 20 minutes though... but it was walking with my mum which I really enjoyed.