NST December: Frugal festivities

Calling14

Welcome Bipex yes your right need to exercise more. Did download map my walk and started off well but suffering with really sore feet at the moment, may have to pay to see a chiropodist if no improvement. Spent a good hour pampering them.

Bob great suggestions. I do walk my friends dog a lot at the moment( her daughter is hospital now been moved to one further away) I just don't feel comfortable with someone else's dog. Somebody tried to stroke it the other day wagging tail and nearly bit the woman's hand off. You know your own dog. I not really in a position to get a dog at the moment.

Volunteering I did look into, however got my daughters here for xmas am and wouldn't be able to get away early enough and probably have friends dog to walk.

I bought some xmas pressies for my youngest daughter today, following in Kat's footsteps Dubai, Bangkok and onto Oz. Travel socks and other weird items.

How much food to people waste? Popped into supermarket for fruit sheer madness.

Bought a Pyrex pie dish today, only have massive ones, made a fish pie, yummy even if my mash was like an island floating in it. Nigella need not get worried, no competition here

mothernerd

Hugs to CCL, Calling and anyone else who needs one. Very very tired but have got most of the cleaning and all furniture moving done plus tonnes of washing. Sorry for short post but am being plagued by adverts (had to give up on ordering chickens as could not budge an ad that was stopping me proceeding - will have to go into Oxfam shop).

Today I am grateful for hot baths, ibruprofen and my bed. A NSD.

traveller

Bobarella wrote: »

Traveller- thank you & sorry to hear you are sick. Why have you got so little annual leave though?

Hi Bob-I've booked my vegas holiday leave out of my 30 day allowance already, for next year and some leave for this christmas holiday. As my older children were doing there exams this year, they couldn't babysit my youngest so I couldn't carry any annual leave over as usual. My leave year runs from Nov-Nov. I was slightly annoyed that had my kit not have blown, I would not have known my ex was sitting at home for the whole week! He never offers to help out!I feel like doing one of those adverts-kids aren't just for christmas/occasions,they're for life :rotfl:

The_Only_Girl

Good evening everyone! Back to work again tonight, 4 shifts left to do this year, including tonight! For that reason, working this weekend doesn't seem to be too difficult. In a couple of weeks' time I won't be doing these out of hours shifts anymore, unless of course I play too softy softy again and allow my current boss to twist my arms into helping them out. As you have suggested, I would only do so if it suits me and not them. Note to self: be more assertive TOG.

I had a nice email from one my managers in response to my query regarding some overtime and my hours. According to the system I owe them 15 hours and 41 minutes, which for the life of me, I couldn't understand because I am always doing extra shifts to cover staff sickness etc, I feel like my own personal life had been on hold for as long as I can remember. How can I still be 15:41 down? She and another senior member of staff looked into the system and found out that THEY owe me 15 hours annual leave, and 7.5 hours bank holiday enhancement pay and another 8 hours weekend pay. Hoorah! Unexpected pay coming in the end of January wages. It just clearly shows it pays to be more intentional and ask if not sure. As they say here, shy bairns get nowt!

I think I might have to do an overtime night shift in January as they are desperate and have no other choice. As I have nothing planned on that night and hopefully it won't affect my new job, I reluctantly said yes. I did say, I couldn't commit on the other dates they were asking me to help them out with, not until I've started my new job and have spoken to my new boss.

Last night we had a family meal out with my brothers and their families to celebrate my parents' wedding anniversary. It was a nice evening apart from the bitter taste my eldest brother left in my mouth. He seems to have a way of not so subtly obliterating me and my ideas. I don't know if he does it intentionally or not but I'm starting to resent him more and more. One instance in particular was talk about budget. When we were paying our bills, he and his wife had a long deliberation as to which of them should pay. Out of interest I asked them how separate bank accounts work in a marriage (my hubby and I have always combined our finances even before we got married). He bit my head off and aggressively said, "we don't agree with setting a limit on our spending by having a detailed budget. Having a budget is so RESTRICTIVE!" I calmly said to him, we didn't use to have a budget and we ended up broke and nearly bankrupt. One of the things we have learned to do and has helped us turn things around and recover is having a written budget and we found it the opposite of RESTRICTIVE. In fact it's one of the most liberating things we've experienced. Allocating funds for everything including entertainment and holidays etc, allows us to do fun things without guilt and worries that you'd go overdrawn. My husband thinks my brother's reaction is a TEXTBOOK reaction of people who are ignorant. If they only took the time to listen and or study it, they wouldn't say those ignorant comments. Ignorance aside I think it's a question of perspectives - bigger picture versus small picture. Small picture is the moment's spending - do I want it, do I need it, can I afford it. Bigger picture is the long term goal eg buying a house, being debt free, having a healthy savings and or investment. Am I willing to forego of the moment's wants/needs in favour of the bigger picture? When you look at it that way, it's not just plain old restricting. Rant over.

Bob I was so impressed with your trade in success. Aside from the money saved/gained by trading the unwanted games in, it's the important lesson your son will have learnt from it. It will pay dividends in the future if he keeps on experiencing things like that.

Big hugs calling and ccl. Christmas is indeed tough when you've lost people you love or the people you love are going through challenges with illness etc. Your strength and tenacity are to be admired. You are both truly amazing and inspirational.

Welcome aboard bipex.

Today is NSD. Haven't counted my NSD's this month as I was supposed to bow out but decided not to thanks to the encouragement of fellow turtles. Enjoy your evening!

traveller

TOG-well done on getting your hours back :j With regards to your brother, or you sure he isn't actually in debt? I ask as working in that sector (how ironic,lol) that response is classic, not ready to face it yet, response. I had that from my brother when I tried to help him a few years ago.

stewby

Hello. Long time no post.

Work is being extremely trying at the moment. Spending my days counting down to retirement.... only 36 years and 2 months to go.
:eek:

CCL, hope you husband gets the help he needs and that you get the support that you deserve too.
hugs.

Calling... without sounding cheeky, have you ever thought about guide dog training??
I saw a TV show on it a while ago. If I remember rightly, you train up a puppy with the basics and then he/she goes on to their forever home??
I thought it was such an amazing thing to do.
:undecided

Money wise is just the usual. Have ran out of the food budget as always. Freezer is full. All our Xmas pressies are bought, wrapped and delivered. Our Xmas cards have been handed out as well. So, it's the housey stuff is looking really good.

Trying to figure out what 2016 holds. As always, I want to do far too much with my money.
Dam this overachieving-ness!!


Sorry again for being awol. I have read through everything, just haven't had the oomph to write anything, especially when I am struggling to think of anything positive, let alone three things.
Hugs to you all.

The_Only_Girl

I don't know how my brother's finances work, he is the tightest, looking-after-number-1 kind of all my siblings. He looks like his finances is in order but who really knows what goes on behind closed door. I have another brother who I know is in deep financial trouble, who I tried to help by introducing the things I've learned from here eg snowballing, but many months later and he still hasn't done anything about it, even as far as looking into it. You can only help as much as they are willing to be helped. I am just hoping their light bulb will turn on soon rather than later, so they will understand what we are talking about and they wouldn't be as judgemental as they are now.

Fmess

TOG sounds like you touched a raw nerve with your brother and either he's in debt or his wife wants a joint account and he doesn't (or vice versa).

Today was spendy as had to pay car parking to attend event but I now have a handmade wreath for my door, made by me:)

Today's positives:-
1.) my caring parents
2.) good friends sticking by me, even though I feel like I must be so boring and moany to know these last 6 months
3.) an almost dry day

GSRcat

Crazy cat lady- extreme but I hope he gets the help and support he needs, big hugs to you. It's so hard coping with another's mental health struggles so do be easy on yourself and just try to take a day at a time.

GSRcat

TOG it does sound like your brother is yet to have that LBM and is happy to just bury his head in the sand. Took my husband ages, he's now DF before me! (Well I was before him before I prattled about again!) those who kind of are aware but don't want yo face but are defensive about it are those who need to face it but you know that, we all do.