NST - January. Bobs post bauble debt busting challenge

dolly84

Today has been spendy as follows:

Thorntons chocolates £2.40 (went halves with DD)
Chips £1.55 (for kids)
Marshmallows 38p (for hot chocolate)
Lollipops 44p
Yankee Candle £9.00
Light Bulbs £1


Yesterday we spent unexpectedly. We bought a spare wheel/tyre and a jack for our car from someone who was trading their car in and didn't want to leave them in with it, our car is only 2 years old and they don't come with a spare now. A tyre for the car is £60 on its own and we paid £40 for the lot.

mothernerd

Back again but library is a bit busier now -was frightened to come in on Saturday as it used to be knee deep in kids but still lots of computers available, so it's let me back on.


Tuesday went to solicitor, following early trip to PO sorting office. Thought my passport had arrived - no spent £2 on a Christmas card my cousin had forgotten to put a stamp on. Having sorted bungalow purchase payment to go through my solicitor to mum's I spent £3 on a meal deal. breakfast had been between 3 and 4am, so by 2pm was ravenous and had drunk all my water. Solicitor is in posh town where they wanted £3 for a bacon, sausage or ham barm cake or £1.70 for a pasty which was all of 2 bites big.


Got off the first of two buses back home outside Debnums so I could use their loo. Spent £6 on a Scottie dog shaped tin of shortbread to give to mum. I have one of these (bought in the sale and paid for in vouchers). Last Year (Christmas 2014, that is) having failed to get all mum's toiletry gifts into 2 different boxes I used the 'Scottie dog' tin. When I gave it to her (wrapped up) I told her I wanted 'my packaging' back. When I next visited the dog was away in a cupboard, even though it was not what she had asked for, and I had the devil of a job getting it back. I might have let her keep it, even though I love it, if she hadn't been acting like a spoilt child - present inside was exactly what she wanted.


So on my way out of Debnums I saw 1 Scottie dog on the sale shelf and I bought it. I had only bought mum and her partner token presents and he will eat the shortbread. She loves it and kept saying it fits all the colours she has planned for her new kitchen. So arrived back at the bus station and got straight onto the bus for mum's and caught the 9.30pm bus home having sorted tea and supper out. Wednesday could barely move again. Spent most of the day in bed but did get the decorations down. I have learned that if my knees don't work properly, it's better to rest rather than forcing myself to more as that just compounds the problem.


Spent 3 days and 2 nights with mum and her partner between Christmas and New Year. He is a lot more physically able than her but his Alzheimers is so advanced now that he can't do much that is helpful. He keeps making tea but sometimes it's only milk and hot water, his culinary skill only extends to a very messy jam butty. I made him 2 boiled eggs for breakfast and he was trying to make me cut the tops off for him. I stood with him but made him do it. One of his daughters fed him with a spoon the other week as his hands were stiff with cold (not following his diabetes diet has killed his nerve endings) but he needs to keep doing the things he is capable of.


I have had a good talk with the grand-daughter who does the housework and runs them to most of their appointments and we are in agreement about a lot of things (moving as little as possible to the bungalow). Mum and her partner are going to accept more help, someone will go in for 2 or 3 mornings to sort out breakfasts and make sure he has a shower (he has to be told to take off each item of clothing in turn) and they are going to try another couple of half day outings for him so that mum can get a break. I have told both mum and the g-d to think about what they cannot cope with as others of his relatives are not pulling their weight.


I already have a 2 page list of things to do in the coming week and a few 'difficult conversations' are needed this month. I told the counsellor I need to see her because I spend so much of the time 'not responding', being tactful and biting my tongue.


Thursday was a brief visit to the library, bought another sandwich (sorry), saw the counsellor, called to see if the laptop man was in, up to the other house to read the electric meter - DS2 had taken a photograph of the gas meter but on Monday I received a bill with an estimated electric reading) and a couple of other things for the new people. This involved getting down on the floor (one of the last things to come back following my operation) and getting back up again, so needed to sit on the stairs, eat my sandwich and calm down before I could do any more. Went back home, then returned late evening to deliver a home made card for my lovely neighbours, put flowers for the new people in a 'vase' (pint beer glass) and check the boiler was working.


So yesterday's celebration was mainly sleeping and reading with a brief library visit to do internet banking.


Got the 5 min warning so will post and read a few more of your posts.

FunBrum

Hi Turtles....everyone is doing so well!:T

Have resisted the farmers market today which was so tempting. I planned to go and just browse but I thought I had better not put the temptation in front of me, so opted to going to my sister's instead as my niece was visiting there from London.
I must admit, these NSD' s are getting harder!:o

Last night I made a batch of tomato soup with Tom's from my free box of salad. There was only enough for 2 portions, but they are in the freezer for next week's lunch/dinner.:p

I'm staying at my daughters tonight, babysitting, and she is ordering us....my grandson and granddaughter..... pizza so that takes care of today's food. I had trumpets for breakfast and a bread roll for lunch. I'm saving myself for the pizza.:rotfl:

I have had a direct debit come out if my bank for £12.14. I think this month is the last month until April that my council tax payment comes out. Then I have 2 free months!:j

I've got £145 spare to put towards my £2,500 debt this week. Not a great deal, but better than nothing!

Well I'm spending the afternoon with my head in a book. Turtles rule!:beer:

The_Only_Girl

Hi all.

NSD 6 for me today. DH is at work all weekend and the kids and I stayed in doing NADA. Will need to do weekly shop tomorrow though,

apple_muncher

FunBrum wrote: »

Hi Turtles....everyone is doing so well!:T


I've got £145 spare to put towards my £2,500 debt this week. Not a great deal, but better than nothing!

Well I'm spending the afternoon with my head in a book. Turtles rule!:beer:

By my reckoning, 145/2500 = 5.8%, which is pretty awesome!:j

x_raphael_xx

NSD no. 4 for me today
Been hiding inside from the torrential rain!

dolly84

FunBrum - I think £145 is fantastic too.

stewby

Good evening. Quick post from me as heading on to nightshift.

Spendy day as we went shopping but also very very productive. We cleaned the entire kitchen, emptying out all the cupboards, wiping down all the shelves and discussing the need for some items.
My cousin has recently moved into a new house so we are giving a lot of bits and bobs to her.
Kitchen now a lot better organised... although I am probably going to be opening the wrong cupboards for weeks now.


jeanangeo... this is the book I use. It's called the takeaway secret and my OH loves the curries in it. I use it for the chinese stuff. It also has burgers and chicken recipes.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Takeaway-Secret-cook-favourite-fast-food/dp/0716022354/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452363032&sr=8-1&keywords=takeaway+secret

Brilliant book.


FunBrum... £145 is a brilliant amount of money. My feeling is even £1 is a pound less than before. As long as your overall trend is going down then it is all good. Well done!!


Oh bob!! can you clarify if working extra this month covers our getting more money bit (even if we don't get paid until next month). I have done 17 extra hours but don't know if this is included. Thanks.


Away to head to work. Hugs to everyone.

Catwoman_2015

Evening Turtles

Just a quick post from me today as I've got to get ready for work shortly.

NSD 7/21 for me today. Had a rubbish 4hrs sleep earlier but annoyingly couldn't get back to sleep so gave up and got out of bed after 2hrs of tossing and turning.

Cold nearly gone now, just need to not get too rained on when I'm in work tonight (some of my job requires being outside). Listening to the howling wind and rain hoping it eases off before I leave the house!
On the plus side, we have an extra person on shift tonight with us so this *should* mean we get everything done quicker and can get home to a warm bed sooner! :j

New SIM card for updated mobile contract came today - so technophobe me spent an hour working out whether it had automatically transferred over my old number or not! :rotfl:

Hope you all have a good evening and will write something more witty and interesting tomorrow, promise.

Catwoman xx

crazy_cat_lady

Hmm - spoke too soon about the weather. It started raining by about 10am and hasn't stopped since Everything else has gone according to plan though - I got my prescription and cat litter, which were left over to do from Thursday so I can declare today a nsd as I didn't get anything else at all.
Been busy again. DH is officially discharged from the hospital, and next appointment should be a home visit from a nurse - who knows when that will be though, she's on annual leave at the moment. Kids went to gymnastics, and then we came home and I did the big batch cook so that I can make some time for myself tomorrow...