NST August - AB's Amazingly Aware August Challenge

Bobarella

Apple -sorry to hear you've had a rough day. Glad some people have helped you though.

Calling - Hope you have a better night. Enjoy your wine.

Abundant - what do you do out of interest?

Mothernerd - sorry you aren't well.

Bobarella

Morning Turtles

A nice relaxing start to the day here. Bacon and pastries in the oven (both rescued from the shop) & lovely free range farm eggs from my egg man in Kent, coming up shortly. Coffee pot no 1 being consumed between us. Life is good.

Will be off on a bike ride mid morning as we have to go and collect some coffee supplies from the wholesaler, & son wants to pay £10 into his bank, so we'll make a nice ride of it. There is a 7 mile long path between here and the Thames that goes along water ways through parks and rough lands so it's a safe route too.

Won't be a no spend day but a very low one.

Have a good day everyone. Hugs to those with bad backs

Bob

The_Only_Girl

Good morning! Thanks for your encouragement. Yes I will plod on and keep on trying. Or maybe, relax a little bit even if it means stretching the target DFD. Hopefully it won't come to that, but if it does, I won't beat myself up about it.

Yesterday was hectic at work. One of my colleagues called in sick and there was nobody else to ask to cover the 3-11pm shift, so with a bit of rejigging those of us who were in since 9am volunteered to stay behind to cover. I ended up staying til 8pm which means 3 hours overtime :j:j:j. I only brought a light lunch for the original 9-5 shift so I ended up buying lunch at the canteen (the first time in 6 months since I joined the MSE forum). It cost me £3. For tea time, I needed something to pick me up from the fatigue I was feeling (trying so hard to think of an excuse). I bought a lemon meringue pie from the gift shop and of course it wouldn't be complete without a packet of crisp, or two, for the total of £3.75. I won't be taking that from the food budget but from my own personal allowance - yes the treat money. Towards the end of the shift, me and my colleagues started talking about food which led to us agreeing to pop by the fish and chip shop to get our supper after work. By this time the fatigue has really taken over and the thought of me cooking before going to bed was just too much. I bought mine and the hungry hippos their dinner too, costing us £25. Which is just as well because hungry hippos have also just got in when I came home, they came from church cleaning duty. A bit too much spending with nothing to show for it. Hopefully that would be the last of this impulsive buying and spending and eating takeaways,

On the positive side, today would have been my only day off for the week, but I also volunteered to do the night shift tonight as overtime to cover the staff sickness. I will be doing tomorrow night as well (my own shift, not an overtime), which means I will be at work for 7 straight day with only 1 day off between this week and another batch of 7 straight days the week after. Whew I'm tired already just typing and reading what lies ahead. There will be some overtime and enhancement pay which will come in the September pay, not a lot though due to the mean rates paid by the NHS. Why do I have the feeling I sound very negative and ungrateful? I hope I am not dragging everybody down. Note to self: be more positive and grateful. It is not happy people who are thankful, it is thankful people who are happy

Congratulations to all of you are meeting your targets, making extra payments, putting money away as EF, getting some physical exercise and enjoying the school holidays. You are truly inspirational. I am "turtally" in awe of all of you (borrowing the idea from misstara). I love the cheerleaders with their Pom poms, thriftylass!

I am planning a very lazy day today, in preparation for my night shifts. Breakfast in bed has just been served by the hungry hippos. DS1 made coffee and DS2 brought me brioche and butter. They are so sweet, DH is at work. After breakfast I am going back to sleep zzzzzzzzz. Enjoy your day! See you later.

Bobarella

The Only Girl - so you are just heading into a 14 day stretch is that right? Blimey. I found 13 days recently a lot. Although I have to say it wasnt until I took 2 days off and then went back that I felt emotional. The first few days back I felt really depressed. For no reason at all. And tired and drained. So how weird is that. I think the momentum of work each day pulls you through.
Your kids really do sound very loving of their mum bringing you food and coffee. You aren't moaning either. I'd rather read your real feelings than Pollyanna BS any day.

Currently sitting in a park whilst OH and son are in the adventure playground.
In the end son paid £15 into his savings account and kept some back to put towards a board game (Dragons Monopoly) I am proud of him. It is funny listening to his little discussions about his bank account. It's like listening to Gollum discussing the ring. He swings one way, the money will go in but then talks himself into a frenzy of what he could buy & back round he goes. I suppose that's what being 6 is all about. :rotfl:
Interestingly he said this morning that I must be the rich one in our house as Daddy only gets paid once a month and I put ££s in the bank each day. OH earns about 3 times what I do. But son sees the shop taking money,tips going in the pot, & by and large all the food coming in via me as I buy ours along with the cafes. Life through a child's eyes.

Right Turtles. Hope everyone is having a peaceful Saturday.

Bob

The_Only_Girl

Yes, Bob, I'm on a 14-day stretch, with one day off in the middle. I am blessed with loving and caring sons. I love them to bits.

Yes life in the eyes of a little child. I remember all too well my kids' own version of our lives. Enjoy your day with hubby and son. Is it as sunny there as it is here? Might pop out to potter in the garden for a bit if my back is up for it.

dolly84

TOG - don't work yourself into the ground, remember to have some time to yourself.

DH, the kids and me have been for a lovely walk and a picnic today, spent £3.50 on car parking and £1.30 on painkillers for DH. Also bought two pairs of Scout trousers for DS in the CS for £1.99 each, to buy new these are £18 ish so this is a big saving.

Am having a cuppa now in the sunshine then off to clean out the caravan ready for our next trip away.

Enjoy the sunshine if it is out for you.

academiablues

Hi all! TOG, you're not dragging anyone down at all, working that many days for a fairly small reward is difficult. Mothernerd, hope you feel better today. Apple - hope you're able to ignore the people who drag you down, you're fab and don't deserve it. Bob, your son sounds lovely Dolly, well done on your CS bargain!
Been to a food and drink festival today to see some friends. There was LOTS of temptation there, but in the end only spent £12 (had budgeted £20) on some lunch (chorizo and beef burger) and a cider slushie back home now and not intending to go anywhere else, but will probably get myself into the garden soon to enjoy the sunshine. Happy weekend turtles

Becky_2

I have only had 2 NSD's this week. Money will soon be tighter because OH is not going to work in September and then only working part time for one year. We have agreed this together, since OH needs time to recover from working very hard over the last few years. At least he will then have time to cook most meals from scratch. Today we are bbquing a brisket which will tomorrow be the base for our chilli. We do chilli once or twice per year, we usually get around 20 portions which we will freeze.

I am trying to do mindfullness every day. Yesterday we had a wood pecker in our garden twice in a day. Today I am grateful for sunshine.

apple_muncher

Dd and I have been swimming today. The little pool was closed so we had to go in the big pool. She overcame so many fears and went from clinging to me like a limpet to splashing around in her armbands and noodle with a school friend we found there. And little friend's mum kept an eye on her so iIgot in plenty of lengths myself. Opph!

We both hardly moved from the sofa after eating our lunch for an hour or so!

Then, this afternoon, she's been playing out 'the back of the back' (a green between various strips of houses that face different directions) with up to 7 other kiddies. At one point I had 4 boys in our tiny garden on the climbing frame as dd had said it was boys day so the girls left the boys to it! The the parents came looking for their boys, so I got to meet more 'neighbours'.

Then I decided to do a workout. It is called Silent Killer and it is a toughie. And due to having various other children around the garden, I couldn't do it in my usual workout gear (ie undies!) so sweated even more. Hmmm that sounds like I'm a streaker in my own garden! I workout inside but when the back door and gate are open then I am rather visible.

All in all, another NSD as I'd put money aside for the swimming at the start of the month.

Thank you academia for your very kind words. I confess to posting what I thought was a scathing post, then decided it was a petty thing to do and deleted it and wrote one thanking all the decent people who had commented honestly and in a non-judgemental way on my query.

Oh tog - take time out to care for yourself. It is so easy to go under.

mothernerd - you take care too.

Today I am grateful for all the neighbourhood children who play so well together and have a safe space to run wild, for a dry day for the washing, for swimming when I didn't expect to, for good coffee, for dh arriving home later this evening.

stewby

Hello hello...

The usual apologies for my absence. I tend to manage to read but fall asleep whilst trying to figure out what to write. It's not a reflection on what you are saying, it's more a reflection on work.

Worked an extra two hours on Thursday to carry out some training but my boss let me home early on Friday (so I assume it cancels each other out). Not complaining though as have come up to the seaside with my parents (OH is away at a festival).


Plan is to pay £350 off the credit card this month. I am really hoping to try and stretch my payments although doubtful it would be this month as OH's parents are coming up and we want to show them a nice time.


Making my official debt free date 31.12.15!! I have every intention of paying it off by the end of November but that would only be if I can pay off more than normal at some point. I have given myself some wriggle room just in case.
:embarasse

Fitbit had broken so stole a battery off my parents... then it died completely. Was about to send it back when I bought a new battery and tried that. Success!!
Had to giggle when they sent me a weekly report of 384 steps.
:rotfl:

Because we cannot afford to have two seperate pots with £100 each, the holiday pot will become the wedding pot in 2016. New York will be our last big holiday until our honeymoon. Worth it though.


I think I have had three spend-free days since I last posted but will double check. Because my memory is rubbish, I think I am on 5... but not sure.
OH is away so not much money spent on food.
:j

Hope everyone is getting on okay. Massive hugs to you all.