The big NSTurtle March to sea!

Dottydaisy

Warming up for Aprils' challenge, only bought what was needed for this weekend. Took my mum shopping as she has started to get out of breath a lot, wombled a £1.50 off £20 shop from shopping trolley, got some good YS bargains and found 2p roadkill when I returned trolley. Took motorway route to shopping centre for [EMAIL="pets@house"]pets@house[/EMAIL] and saw a mountjac deer feeding at side of road next to a housing estate. Not seen one for ages.
Today I am grateful for arthritis not as bad as it has been, lovely daffodils everywhere, my dd3 lovely painting of her dog Barney, and still being able to hug my 91 year old mum.
Hugs, sticks and sunshine to everyone Dotty

traveller

Morning everyone.

Thanks Mothernerd

Dotty daisy, that's lovely what you did and said about your mum:)

Lilt, as usual, Mothernerd is spot on! With everything you've had thrown at you, I'm surprised you didn't book a luxury cruise to Hawaii, nevermind a few hundred on needed things. That's the key, you needed them and you are debt free. And don't worry about going the other way, as the fact you feel guilty, you won't

I too May not take my takeaway as I have to buy paint and my finances are not as good as I'd like.Hopefully some offers Will turn up paintwise.

Today, I'm working from home and probably won't go out. So a sfd will be gained there. From tomorrow though, the decorating must pick up pace and although accounted for, there will be quite a bit of spending I really wish I could treat my daughter, but that would completely throw the budget off. I have promised that if I'm debt free by my hoped for date, I will cash in my air miles and go somewhere with her and my two younger boys. My oldest can sort himself out as he is self
employed, it's not so easy to plan for him.One of my younger boys, my 15 year old will also be waiting on his gcse grades, so assuming all goes well grade wise, it would be nice to go for a week somewhere, to let off steam and celebrate it's a nice thought, but I'll see how it goes

Well take care everyone

speakingofart

Lilt - I've also had a really bad month, feel like I haven't had a single SFD, have eaten lots of expensive rubbish which has whacked my grocery budget out, been WAM-ing more than I think I ever have before. I think we just need to cut ourselves some slack, start again in April and remember it doesn't undo all our good progress - even if for me it feels like it today

Hope you and jelly are doing much better soon.

liltdiddylilt

mothernerd, traveller & SOA thank you so much for your lovely kind words. I do feel a lot better about it since I am wearing a very versatile long sleeved top, some beloved black jeans and feel very put together for the princely sum of £17 between them.

My day started off vey badly, at 2am. Jelly got up and refused point blank to stay in bed, so that I was awake with her until finally at 5:30 after trying EVERYTHING else I told her that if she got out of bed again I wasn't going to take her to nursery to see her teacher and friend. I didn't hear a thing until I got out of bed very late for nursery and tried to rush her through the morning routine in 15 minutes flat. Whooshed her into her pram at 9am (we should have been at nursery) and once she was dropped off (everyone was late thanks to the clocks!) I shot to mr L, did a £16 shop which was 90% soya milk. I then went home to fetch my phone as I had forgotten it, and needed it to pick up the click & collect at Mr A's. Loaded the pram up beyond belief, it tipped over a few times on the way back just from being so overloaded and I was exhausted by the time I got it home. Got it upstairs and realised the lamb joint that had been sat on the front of the pram was gone. Cue me dumping everything, slamming the door and going out for a third time, only to find my lamb joint in the middle of the road next to the supermarket. Very obviously been run over several times, busted to pieces. £6.50 down the drain. I never buy lamb as it is so expensive usually... serves me right!

So am in bed. Refusing to move until collection time for madam.

Hope everyone else has a better Monday than me!! xxx

Fmess

Oh lilt, how annoying about the lamb! It's s0ds law that you buy it for a treat and it falls out of the pram. I know it's no consolation but when I went to Mr A at the wknd to get a months supply of pet food, a box of cat food sachets fell off my trolley in the car park, split open and the foil sachets slid in a spectacular fashion into the road. I had to hold up all the traffic to retrieve them and my trolley kept rolling away at the same time. I'm sure it gave some people a good laugh.

Calling14

Lilt- the lamb how annoying for you. Seems even worse when trying so hard to make the pennies count. I can sympathize once dropped sack of dog food whilst trying to get it into my car and it split open. Trying to scoop it into carrier bags whilst lots of people watching me.

Dotty daisy seeing a deer would make my day. Lucky you and having your mother still around for hugs.

Last night I claimed a SFD then went and bought a cardy for 3.50 online, oops M & Co sales 25% off and had a 10 pound voucher had to use by end April. Lovely green colour so not counting todays SFD.

Got myself on track today well worked out how much overspent, how I am going to fund it, and what I owe to different pots. Hopefully by May 1st I will be back on course.

Have worked out budgets for April, even though probably bought April's food in this months spending. Have half tank of fuel as well. Dog food stocked up too. So April will be lots of SFD. sunshine and eggs x

Bobarella

DottyDaisy - How amazing to see a deer. I dont think I've ever seen that kind in the wild.

Lilt - What an awful day, you poor thing. Do hope tonight is better.


Well. Today was. Mental. Started slow, then I got utterly taken over for 2 hours. Didnt have time to finish the lunchtime soup, or the salads it was full pelt. I am pleased because I am now looking quite healthy on the cash flow towards the rent & late PAYE, & if today is an average for the next 12 before these payments are due, we'll smash that target. But that is no certainty thats for sure. The new PayPal machine is brilliant. Although I definately need to buy a tablet, I cant juggle the cash register app and the paypal payment app, on my mobile despite having a large screen. So thats something I definately need to buy, but will be seeking cheapest available.
Made £4 in tips today
There was an enormous mess up with my sons holiday club today, which without going into boring detail has resulted in them granting us, and every other parent whose child was affected 2 free days! This is £60 free. As the mess up didnt actaully put us out, although it would have anyone dropping off at 8.30, we are in credit! Yippee.
I used nectar points to take £2.50 off my business shopping bill today, & when I got in tonight, have done a big cull of any out of date, unuseful coupons from my purse.
I balanced the books, checked all reciepts off, for both business & personal, & updated all the relevant spreadsheets.
Dinner tonight was rice, veg & leftover roast lamb for son, & I am taking the advice of Queen Frugal & plating up two identical dinners to yesterday for husband and I, so basically reheated roast. Im knackered and cooking is not happening tonight.

Well, think Im as organised as I can be today so off for a soak in the bath.

Good night everyone.

Bob

Calling14

Totally peed off. After trying to fix my Dyson again, was going to order new parts, found some on ebay and just looked at it again. Cheap plastic casing has had it, probably lasted me about 10 yrs. So farewell Dyson and ordered Vax one, good reviews but I didn't plan to spend £95 today but with hairy border collie I can't cope without a decent one.
So March madness continues, cheering myself up wine and shortbread. Diet start tomorrow x

liltdiddylilt

Evening guys

Did not manage to nap this afternoon so still feeling shattered. Just chilling in bed with a bit of spotify cheering me up. Jellytot was a little angel on the walk home and then once we got home. We made finger paintings and stamped tonnes of little stars and handbags and balloons in various colours. She then *proud mummy moment* did me her first ever drawing of a recognisable creature. She was trying so very hard and I knew exactly what it was! Sure the legs are gigantic and disconnected but everything else was spot on and in the right places and everything!!

Between that and a minimal fuss bedtime, I am feeling hopeful that she might sleep through tonight. Got a meeting with her nursery nurse after school tomorrow, to discuss her reluctance to play with other kids. She much prefers adult company. And talk through some of the recent behavioural issues at home to see if they can help. I had to actually tell them she has black and blue wrists this morning. Not by me, I hasten to add. She BIT her arms and wrists until they are so horrifying I cried.

Spends today ready for April:
£24 for Aprils tiny nursery fees
£16.09 Mr L's - more than a months worth of soya milk & some meat and bits and bobs
£68ish in Mr A's, forgotten the exact amount and not put in YNAB yet - includes all household stuff for the month, and 12 packs of baby wipes.

Debatable spend on a waterproof coat. Seeming like a blooming good idea at the moment. Is a bonafide skiing jacket, many bits I will use, including a headphones hole and cinched in wrists, plus a removable hood. £35.99 instead of.. wait for it... £130 :eek:

Bob I am so glad business has been picking up for you fingers crossed and long may it continue!

Thanks everyone for your support and similar stories. Nice to know I am not the only one :rotfl: xx

WelshKitty85

calling I share your pain! I think our tv is about to die! It wouldn't turn on yesterday and had a blue line right the way down one side of the screen. When it did turn on there was sound but no picture. It is working again today but think it will give up on us soon. To be fair, it was given to us for free so I can't complain, but I really don't need the expense of replacing it now! In addition, the freezer part of our fridge freezer isn't working properly. Anything on the bottom shelf is frozen solid, but the stuff at the top isn't freezing properly. I like to batch cook so really need a working freezer so that will be another expense. Now, I do have over £500 that I have managed to save so far this year but I really wanted this as an emergency fund for after I finish my degree so will be gutted if I have to spend it all!