NST December: Frugal festivities

mothernerd

Not spent any money. Only been as far as the post box and the library. Cleaned my bedroom window and floor, put away loads of things (I think because washing is drying so slowly it is coming up in dribs and drabs and has not been put away properly). Underwear, hair bobbles, nail files/tweezers put away, threads and sewing sorted (4 full trays of it - one taken downstairs, one set aside for doing over Christmas, one for doing now, when watching a film).

Lots of bits that I knew were there but couldn't locate have surfaced. Finally cleared everything off the bed, put on three clean sheets and two pillowcases on each pillow. Will just peel off the top one when I want to wash them and saves me finding somewhere to put all the spare bedding - was in a square basket which had slipped off the bed and was trapped half under the bed (basket is a weird trapezoid but slowly going back to proper shape).

DS3 has been paid, so has paid me his 'keep' money. Feeling guilty now as he offered to buy me Indian takeaway and I let him. Mon-Thurs deal is any 2 curries plus naan, rice, bombay potatoes, poppadoms and a starter for £13. Have only had the starter, my curry will do me 2 meals with added veg and going to freeze the bhajis and potatoes for another time.

I have all my receipts in a neat little pile now so going to go through and make sure everything has been noted (paper sack is already over half full again and a large bag of rubbish went out earlier). Hope I am fit for setting to on the kitchen and front room tomorrow.

Today I am grateful for DS3 buying curry (it was lovely) and for helping me move things, for clean sheets and knowing where things are (I get upset when i can't put my hand on things and have worried about being behind with the paperwork).

Fmess

GSRcat I am trying otc eye drops to start with, my lovely colleague got them on the way back from a meeting as the chemist was closed at the time I leave for work. However her husband is a gp and has told me to go to the walk in clinic if they are not working by Saturday or Sunday as my eyes are completely red. On the plus side it has freaked out most of the children at school ��

misstara

Didn't get a chance to post last night so here are my three things for yesterday
- a NSD
- I found the decorations (suddenly minded that I'd chucked out all the decorations last year except the ones I really liked so I was looking for a different box)
- the christmas tree is now up

Hope everyone has a good day, back later.

dolly84

Fmess - hope your eyes get better quick. I have my tree up and love the twinkly lights.

chocolatelover93

Afternoon everyone

Calling - Hope your migraine went and you're feeling better.

Justforme and GSR - Poor family's I hope they are ok, what a terrible time of year for it to happen

Bob - Well done on all the PAD's!!

Fmess - Sorry to hear you're not feeling too good, sending hugs and hope you're on the mend

Sorry I didn't check in yesterday was really busy out and about Although I was out I didn't spend much (I didn't really have the money!!)

My mum bought my breakfast and dinner because I took her to physio in the morning which was really nice of her since she can't really drive anymore I take her to all her appointments and take her shopping when she needs so she normally buy's me lunch which is really nice Plus we're like best friends which is really nice

Anyway spends for yesterday:
£12 having my eyelashes tinted (yes not a essential but I want to look nice over Xmas and hubby smokes so I thought I could treat myself to something for once!)
£10 on fuel
£5 on Xmas decs
£5.50 on some bits for hubby's ECig (he better use it!!)

So budget update:
Electric - £20/£50
Oil - £0/£100
Fuel - £45/£140
Food/Toiletries etc. - £76.50/£250
Presents - £60/? (Got a couple of Xmas gifts on Wednesday)
Misc - £35/£0

Another LTW day today and my brother told me yesterday the present I got for my hubby he has an even better one that he was given so he is going to give it to me so I can take the old one back and get hubby something else (I know it sounds really bad giving my hubby something that was given free but he really wanted it plus it is better than the one I got and my brother didn't want anything for it, so suppose it is in the MSE spirit )

Anyway as I didn't post yesterday I am going to post 6 things I am grateful for over the past two days:
1. My mum buying my breakfast and dinner
2. My mum's physio lady is really nice and hope she is going to help mum's pain.
3. o2 Priorities - love this so much!! I don't know why I didn't use it sooner!!
4. My husband - we had a bit of a tiff last night but this morning I woke up to him cuddling me (suppose it is a mans way of saying sorry!!) haha
5. Having a bit extra to do at work to make the time go quicker!!
6. Finding some yogurt coated banana's in my glove box for a snack

Bobarella

Awww chocolate how sweet about your husband. And thanks. In fact I am off to work out my PAD for today

Fmess

Evening all,

Thank you for the get well wishes. The lurgy continues today so this is the 7th day I have felt under the weather. I know now that I should have stayed off work at least on Wednesday but hopefully a quietist weekend will help me recover.

I'm feeling really annoyed that I'm constantly using the cashback credit card at the moment. It's not for Christmas presents but the extra socialising associated with Christmas and the chiropractor. I think I just need to minimise the damage and then regroup on January.

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for leisurely walking, for library books, for Britains's Strongest Man (as it mean that the World's Strongest Man will soon be here- yippee!!!!!!! Fmess - is it you who joins me in my love of this???), for my hoover, for recycling bunny bits to create new and improved bunnies.

crazy_cat_lady

Hi everyone
Sorry I haven't checked in properly for a couple of days but the lurgy well and truly got me too. I'm on day 6 today and finally starting to feel a bit better - but I'm the same as Fmess, only just realising now that I probably should have had the week off work. Never mind, I'm pleased that I've survived.
Bagged up a couple of nsd's as I just haven't been able to be bothered with anything over the week. I'm hoping that normal service will be resumed tomorrow after a proper night of sleep and not having to get up for work.
Today I'm feeling grateful for:
Getting better
Having completed my Christmas shopping
Making it through the week at work without falling too far behind

mothernerd

It is terrible about the woman whose husband and child were killed and it's good that we are taking time to think about her and also for the many people for whom Christmas is difficult whether because they have lost someone at this time or for other reasons.

My day did not pan out the way I planned it and I have been very very bad and am massively over budget on food spending.

The estate agent phoned to say the surveyor was at the house and still could not get in so grabbed shoes and coat (been sockless all day) and headed for the bus. Needless to say I opened the door without problems - I was so quick the surveyor made me show him again in slow motion.That's 3 visits costing a total of £8.20 (walked back last Friday) in a week so I have confiscated the best key, given them back the second best one and said I will be there if they need to get in the house again. I have the hospice people coming to collect things this week and I need to resume bringing things back here as soon as I feel a little less frazzled.

So decided it was going to be a spendy day and set forth with my list. Went to Iceland as thought I had more chance of getting a delivery today than next week or the week after. Mostly for Christmas so was going to put it on January's budget but didn't get all the things I wanted and added a few others. Called at h & bargin on the way back to get extra toilet rolls and 4 for a £ tinned tomatoes (this morning my tins stock was 1 kidney beans and 2 tomatoes). They had good prices on carrots (was going to get a sack from the cs but they only had onions and potatoes and no-one was serving), bananas and beetroot and got a token present for mum's partner (£land didn't have it).

I've been on the market and spent £5 on two x 3 white hyacinth and another £5 on 10m of black satin ribbon (will tell you about that tomorrow if project is successful). Ended up at Tessimo and have spent £50.88 there and paid £3 for a taxi home. I have stocked up on basic toiletries, tins, paid £1.62 for 17 vegetable items (lots of salad leaves but also small cabbage, cauli, a celeriac and a 20p prawn salad) and 4 items from the deli YS and got the Christmas booze - that's four bottles of fizzy water for me. Not a lot of luxury items, I bought myself one pack of duck rolls for 99p and paid the same for a tin of crab meat (thought that was a luxury item but saw it at £2.65 later).

I have found I had to replace a lot of 'store cupboard items' this month and last - I've run out of malt vinegar, cider vinegar, lemon juice, tomato puree and grain mustard this week.

I have put 6 packets of biscuits in the food bank box and I'm going to send some hens to Africa for my charity donation (sorry vegans). Will add everything up later but I am definitely way over budget. However I did have the money to cover everything I have spent. Hyacinths and bubble bath (2 for £1.50) are my contribution to my mental health for this week.

Today I am grateful for bubble bath (the muscle soak one is incredible), for not having to do much shopping for the next three weeks and for celery (ate nearly a whole head today).

mothernerd from the naughty step.