smallholdingsister's strivings

Secret_Saving_Squirrel

Well done on the remortgage, good timing!

smallholdingsister

Thanks chaps!

Last day of us all on holiday together as DH is back tomorrow.

Planning a trip to Pizza Express on club card tokens but I might stay home with DD2 who is under the weather.

Eta she is up now and professing to be all better.

I have caused a village scandal by a. Declining to run the bouncy castle at the church fete worse than death and b. Having offered to run an alternative stall and not been taken up on it having made pizza express plans when called on at the 11th hour.

The bouncy castle should be better named "drop and go" and "I thought you would love it because you are a teacher" doesn't cut it. Selfish? Moi?

Karmacat

Good for you! They're not really helping with those comments, are they!

Enjoy Pizza Express

smallholdingsister

A jolly day out. £4 spent other than left over holiday money and tokens.

We are going alcohol free until half term so spent the wine "budget" on a new Tv (£117).

smallholdingsister

NST challenge for September.

Spends – aim for at least 14 NSD’s.

Eating – menu plan for September. Can you start using up bits in the freezer ready to make room for Christmas food? Make sure you take lunch to work every day.

Presents – make your Christmas lists. Who needs a present and who will just have a card? Can you reduce any of the people you ‘have’ to get presents for? Could you make any presents - we have plenty of time to prepare things? Do you need sellotape/wrapping paper/bows etc? What are you doing/where are you going for Xmas this year? Can you start buying food ready – remember a lot of meat goes up in price from the end of November so get it early while you can. (This might be controversial but anything you buy from your Xmas list this month will not count towards a spend day unless you buy other stuff as well – I want everyone to be well underway for Xmas by the end of September)

Time – make time for yourself this month. Even if it’s only 10 minutes a day do something for yourself whether that is going for a walk, having a bath with loads of bubbles or sitting outside with a drink – we need to make the most of the evenings.

Empty – pick a drawer or cupboard to empty and sort through. If it’s the junk drawer what can you do to stop it becoming a junk drawer? Keep on top of this drawer/cupboard all month so nothing that shouldn’t be there goes in.

Meet – meet up with a friend/family member who you have not seen for ages but keep meaning to. Ring/email/text them now and arrange something for this month.

Bed– either start bedding down the garden for winter or you will start making the bedroom suitable for the cooler weather.
In the garden, start sorting out the pots – do they need a wash before being stored for winter? Does the garden furniture need any oil/paint before it gets put away for winter? Do any flowers/bushes need cutting back yet?
In the bedroom, do you need to put the winter duvet on? Do any duvets need washing? Can you have a clear out – clean under the bed, wash down the bedside tables?

Exercise – do as much exercise as possible, aim for every 2 days as a minimum. Can you make the most of these evenings before it gets dark at 5pm? For those like me who have dogs, can you walk them a different route or for longer?

Reading – the first public lending library opened on 6th September 1852. If you have not yet joined your local library could you join it? Everyone will read a book during this month and report back with comments – hopefully it will encourage others to try new books. Books can be either fiction or non-fiction.

The challenge will run from 1st September 00:01 until 30th September 00:00.
Everyone is to budget their income for the month and remember to pay your debts first.
To celebrate Michaelmas Day I would like you all to donate to a food bank or to host a share meal with friends/family. I used to love the Harvest Festivals when I was a child; everyone would bring in a tin of food to be donated to the local food bank and the local vicar would do a lovely service all about harvest. Could this tie in with the Meet part of our challenge?
Were you a NST last year? 12 months ago applemuncher asked:
12 months from now, you will be one year older.
But will you be one year better?
If you want to change where you are in your life, it is up to YOU and you alone.
Where do you want to be in 12 months’ time?
Plan for your future.
So what did you want to happen in 12 months -has it happened?

smallholdingsister

Good morning. Sleepover for 9 year old today.

I am going to eBay the TV when the new one comes.

Karmacat

I like that challenge list, SHS - what's NST, is it a thread on here? I'm doing such a lot of rejigging of my life, that sounds a good template to follow, from October anyway, in my case (trips away ... ).

And £117 for a tv is an absolute bargain - I dread to think how much I could have saved a few years ago when I finally upgraded to a smart tv :eek:

smallholdingsister

NST (I think) stands for ninja saving turtles. It is a debt free challenges thread and apple ran the August one.

I just looked up our last tv and it cost about £200 so they have come down in price but this is a small one (and the only one).

Karmacat

Thanks for that! When I've done my list, catching up on August jobs I'll have a look at that.

TV thing makes sense :o:o

smallholdingsister

Still trying to get new window handles from Everest.

I paid for them weeks ago. Very poor.