NST: February: Back to Basics. 27 January 2016 at 8:48PM in Debt-free wannabe challenges 424 replies 30.9K views

WelshKitty85

Hi everyone!

Unfortunately had to start the month with a spend day as DHs car needed mot. Cost £87, but this is thankfully less than we feared.

Received some m&s vouchers in the post today from my reward cc. Will save them until there is something I need.

Have started on using up toiletries, with a face mask this evening.

Bed time now. Good night all!

mothernerd

Food budget is set at £75. Last month was only £50 but I had a lot of stuff left over from Christmas. I have plenty of tins, some pulses, a little frozen food and some use up veg but can tell by the number of empty plastic boxes around that it's time to start re-building my stock of h-m ready meals. by the end of the year I hope to have a £50 food budget every month.

Travel is still fairly generous as I am expecting another week or two travelling between the hovel, the bungalow and (please) some time at home. Spent £5.20 today on an anybus ticket as I had to go to the hovel early to take things across to church (65l rucksack plus several bags), I had a hospital appointment this afternoon then back to the hovel this evening as the young man who took the couch and dining set was collecting a single bed form another relative who lives a couple of streets away. Decided to ride an extra stop on the way back to go to the SM for wash tablets (only enough for 2 washes left) and added apples, bananas,celery and plain yoghurt.

I have a tentative budget in place now that I am only paying bills on one house and have no cc payments. I will firm it up once I get the bills for next years Council tax and Water rates in April. I think I can put £100 - £150 a month away to savings. I have quite a lot of work to do on the house so probably £100 savings and £50 diy (materials and do the work myself) although here are a couple of things I need to pay for. Later in the year I need to paint each room in turn.

My focus throughout the year is to get back to a healthy weight and increase my fitness, flexibility and length and speed of walking (tonight's timings were positive). I also need to de-clutter and get the house in shape (the way I want it). This is necessary because atm I can't have the work done as there isn't any room (Mr Builder is small but only builder mice could get round atm).

Going to focus on the KITCHEN and CRAFT SUPPLIES this month. Kitchen needs deep clean, putting in order, more shelving (+ under stairs shelving), some cupboard door handles fitting, plinths cutting and fixing - may need more than this month. Craft supplies are in the bedroom and cottons can be sorted in bed when I need to rest (alternative to watching tv/ fb etc and playing with colours often sets me off in a creative direction.

Also I need to have fun. Thank you for giving me a dispensation on outings apple. Just realised that the £1 cinema would have been last Friday so need to be more proactive about this and get things in the diary. This month's film is Brigadoon and don't want to go to that (it's soppy and daft). Will watch more Cary Grant on Utube.

Will use tins from my store and donate to the foodbank box in the library. When I went out for the bus earlier there was a man on the (cold wet) pavement so I stopped to find a £1 coin and said 'here love' as I put it in his cup - now worried that that is not enough as I don't buy (or drink) tea or coffee.

Will set some seeds off (downstairs windowsills are all clear since decorations were put away). Only a limited amount of growing space so will just use the seeds I have for now.

Cutting back on fb is easy as I couldn't log on after the laptop was mended and the new password doesn't work (I cba actually). The third installment of a serial I was following was replaced by football so maybe I will just stick with Cary.

Will be more energetic as the month goes on but will rely on reading and hot baths to get through this week. Alarm set for tomorrow as the charity sacks are being collected from the hovel - need to get there by 9.30 am and the rush hour traffic is horrendous.

Today I am grateful for the NHS, for being lucky with buses and for not being sat on a cold wet pavement.

thriftylass

Good morning!

Yesterday was a spend day as we popped into Tesco while waiting for DH to finish work. I know maybe not the best way to kill time, however most where yellow sticker items (like meat, kale etc for the freezer) or offers (like real fruit juice). Nothing wanted, all needed and will be used in the near future. I now have enough food for quite some time.

Also made a start at the recharge you batteries thing. We watched an episode of recorded TV last night and DH wanted to watch more but I instead went to bed early and started a new book.

Today will be my first SFD.

Have a good day

dolly84

My debt total was updated today so I have updated my sig. My car tax DD came out but I have transferred the same amount back in from my car expenses account, the £5 reward on my current account was also paid in so that was transferred straight out into my Christmas/birthday account (£60 of free presents over the year).

I am a bit miffed as despite budgeting so carefully and it only being the 2nd today unexpected expenses have already started to crop up. The first was the kids hoodies for cubs/scouts were £5 more than I was expecting, DD's school has a non uniform day on Friday which is costing £1 and DD has been invited swimming at the weekend along with chips at the sports centre after. I had invited her friend over this weekend (to our house which would have been free) but she couldn't make it and her mum has suggested this for next weekend. I could have said no and nearly did but didn't and now have to pay for it. Why does every parent I know always have to be spending???????

GSRcat

Hello! Yes pop me in please, I have one NSD already and have paid off everything for the month and now have a decent pot of money left for the month!

FunBrum

Hello my BB friends!:wave:

2nd NSD for me. I've finished my house sitting stint and will be returning home later, but not until I cook and share a meal with my friend whose house I've been looking after.:D

I'm setting myself £15 for this month's food but I don't really want to spend that because as I mentioned earlier, I have a shortfall in this month's income and I have to find some super scrimping ways to plug the gap!:money:

There is usually a lady outside the Co-op selling the Big Issue who I bung a few quid to, but don't bother taking the magazine. But as I've not been that way I haven't seen her. I will keep an eye open on my next trip. If not, St. Basils homeless shelters are where my sister and I usually take goodies to.:)

This morning I popped a bag full of clothes to the chazza shop for my friend and then went for a 3 mile walk as the weather is lovely here.

I'm going to plant up so seeds and bulbs that I received for Christmas when I get home and have to list a number of books that I've read to sell online. I will then snuggle down for the evening with my latest read from my book stash.:D

XSpender

Small food spend yesterday on salsa for a new recipe which turned out delicious and is a keeper DH never normally cooks but as it was his idea to try the recipe we all (including DS) mucked in to help which was lovely. Enough for DH lunch today so saved using one of his diet ready meals.

Me time was reading my book and going to bed when I was tired, slept well even though I had a very odd dream. Probably a bit stressed about the offer on the house we want as it has been positively received but not accepted as yet. Not much I can do about it but remain my usual positive self We should hear one way or the other tomorrow.

Today is my first NSD. Would have been easy to stop at the motorway services following my appointment this morning for a wee and a bar of chocolate as I hadn't had any breakfast but I was not going to waste a NSD.:rotfl:

Pasta bake for tea tonight using up a jar from the cupboard, the pasta I got ages ago on prescription and some bacon and garlic bread from the freezer.

WelshKitty85

Hi everyone!

SFD for me today. Sold an item online for £10, but currently awaiting payment.

Made a lovely ramen this evening using up scraps of veg from the bottom of the fridge.

Back to work tomorrow so will prep lunches this evening, before some more re-energising and hopefully an early night.

nannygladys

Hi everyone.

SFD for me so 2/15

Been doing my usual babysitting for DD3 whilst shes at work and I will be back there again tomorrow. Then just chilled out this afternoon, had fish, pots and mushy peas for dinner out of stores and made a pot of lentil soup to last the next few days.

So not very exciting for me, oh the weather hasn't been too bad but very cold, but tomorrow one of the neighbours reckons its going to snow so my early car journey to DDs may be a careful one:(

Anyway off to watch BBC2 Back in Time as I'm from that era!!!!!

Nannyg

dizzyblnd

Count me in please. I always do well the first half of the month but then I struggle at the end of the month. Less than 8 weeks to British summer time. I will attempt to do all the challenges. My focus is family. More family time needed...