NST July - Own your choices

misstara

Hello turtles
Sorry I haven't posted my goals for the month yet, having issues with my laptop so having to tap this out on my phone.
- My biggest financial failing is probably under budgeting for social events so either need to budget better or find cheaper things to do.
- I am aiming for 15 NSDs.
- In January, I said I would be debt free by the end of the year and I'm still on track for that.
- In the future I would like to save for a deposit and buy a wee house.
- I walk to and from work every day so am already pretty active but need to start going to the gym again, didn't go at all last month

I had a NSD on Friday so 1/15. We were away at a wedding yesterday, had budgeted £100 and came back with just over £10. Used the £10 today to buy a new bin for the kitchen.

Meal plan for the week
- LO steak pie from tonight
- egg salad
- sausages, wedges and roasted veg
- chicken fried rice
The other 3 nights I'm working late so will eat at work, OH tends just to have a sandwich if I'm at work.

mothernerd

Sorry for lack of a check in yesterday - Bob's very innocent questions took me to a very dark place.

A SFD today (only been as far as the bins as spent most of the day in a t-shirt and knickers). Painting has been done (lots and lots of painting). I have also put one washing line back up and filled it with clean clothes including the painting trousers and skirt (hence making do with t shirt and knickers as wasn't going to sacrifice another item of clothing). Cleaned the bathroom and lots of bits (everywhere needs cleaning and or painting and some bits are on their second go round due to work done since they were done the first time ie brick dust from towel rail going back up all along the top of the skirting board in the bathroom).

Painting is something I am doing myself, even though on Thursday I was told about two painters who are very reasonable. Slogging on alone for now but that may change if it isn't completed by the end of this week.

Meal plan Don't have a set menu but the plan is:-
Breakfast : 2 bananas or fruit yoghurt with porridge oats stirred in.
One main meal should be a large salad (try for 10 items). I have the green bits but will try to add some made ones asap (starting with coleslaw as I have a pointy cabbage and either rice salad or bean salad).
Other main meal - from the freezer. Fish consumption has dropped so will try to get that back on the menu and I have also taken a box of onions out to start rebuilding my stock of hm ready meals, probably butter bean casserole. need to include as many veg as possible.
Snacks/ other - carrot,celery and cucumber sticks with yoghurt and mint dressing/ cheese spread with baby tomatoes on crispbread.

Grand Plan

Answers to some of Bob's challenge questions.

Last year I had a lot of goals (15 for 15). This year I have gone for a simple idea (in my signature) Be healthy, be happy, have more fun. I need to eat properly, lose weight, be more active. I need to establish some specific targets. It's no use 'wishing' I could be out hill walking (some days I struggle with the stairs). I need to toughen up, walk and keep walking. I need to go back to a severe eating plan (lost loads of weight after my diabetes diagnosis).

Jan decisions I looked back at January and then went back a year further and now have a whole list of things that haven't been done :eek:. Mostly admin things and they are annual or once every few years things but still need doing sometime. A lot of things had been done but still worrying. (Procrastination may be one of my problems).

I also found something I jotted down towards the end of my counselling sessions about letting go of bitterness, setting firmer boundaries and getting on with my own things (getting a life). I still struggle with this. My mother wants me to paint her fence panels. When I did mine at the other house I was only managing 2 or 3 a day so this is possibly 2 weeks work including going there and back and changing clothes. Given the current state of my own house (and all the things I am putting 'on hold' until certain rooms are usable again) this feels like a lot to ask but I am expecting more guilt tripping when I visit (and worse if I don't go).

Not sure about my main financial failing but I am not earning enough. Again something I need to address - urgently. The budget balances atm but I need to cover for when DS3 leaves and no longer makes a contribution.

I am struggling to keep juggling the bits of my life. This might be part of the Vitamin d deficiency which left me behind in several areas but I need to have a plan. Need to look at each area in turn, simplify as much as possible and then have maybe 3 key points to follow (1 hour walk every day, 16 minutes housework, put away 3 things before leaving a room, cook something simple). Must add doctor onto the list (new vit d prescription or see the doctor).

Today I am grateful for foxgloves, salmon (had it with chips - not healthy but I put it on two tray to cook in the oven whilst I got on with painting) and hot baths.

498louise

Hello again,

Thought I would come back and post my meal plan now that I've done my online shop and a wee local shop. Needed to go to the shop for a couple of things I needed before my shopping is delivered and managed to pick up some YS items.

Breakfasts - porridge (using up a bag of fruit topper I have in the freezer), eggs, beans, bacon, toast...depends on my mood when I get up in the morning!

Lunches - homemade soup, salad, sandwich or leftovers

Teas -
Monday - chilli con carne and rice (leftovers for lunch to have with baked potato)
Tuesday - chicken breasts, baked potatoes and sweetcorn
Wednesday - creamy chicken pasta and salad
Thursday - frying steak, boiled potatoes and broccoli/mixed veg with cheese sauce
Friday - homemade burgers (daughter and I going to try burgers on sandwich thins to try and be a bit healthier) homemade potato wedges and beans
Saturday - 'leftovers' I am going to try and make Saturdays this month a day to use up leftovers, things lurking in fridge/freezer/cupboards
Sunday - roast chicken dinner

Some frugal tips/the things I have done today:
So was tidying up from my b'day and have kept gift bags/tissue paper to reuse. I just make or add other gift tags using a hole punch and some thread/ TTY. Or gift stickers at Xmas time.
I used a b'day card from my stash to send to my cousin - I make some and also buy a selection from the card shop I.e. 10 for a £1 to keep on hand.
Tried to use up some food in house today for lunch. Had a packet of cheap chicken super noodles in cupboard which I combined with some leftover pork chopped up, a sprinkle of Cajun seasoning and grated cheese - was very nice!

XSpender

I am still under the weather, thought it was a cold but I have some odd symptoms so more likely a virus of some sort

Have worn myself out trying to do the housework, run, keep DS entertained with swimming lesson, family swim and swing ball (:eek:), walk the dog and the usual weekend jobs.

I haven't had a NSD yet which I wasn't expecting as we had planned spends each day. However, because I have been so exhausted we have gone off the meal plan and have ended up spending nearly half our food budget since Friday! I have got some store and freezer bits but a lot has been down to last minute buys and not planning for snacks when out.

I have bought a spiraliser which I have included in the spends too but that doesn't account for the massive over spend.

I am WFH tomorrow and am on holiday Tuesday so will do some batch cooking to fill the freezer with HM RM for DH lunches and to use when I get home late and too tired to cook. There are some areas of the house that still need to be sorted and I will aim to do a couple of these this week including moving the last 3 boxes from the conservatory, tidying the porch and under stairs cupboard and my office. DH is concentrating on the garden and the ironing.

I have at least done some exercise this weekend and have talked ourselves out of booking a holiday in August when we have a week off booked as it would wipe out our savings and undo all our good intentions.

Our meal plan this week is a full week as I am not away overnight at all for once!

Breakfasts

Green smoothie, protein smoothie or porridge with fruit and nuts

Lunches

Greek salad
Lemon quinoa
Beetroot and sesame coleslaw
Bacon, courgette and feta quiche
HM RM for DH/same as above

Dinners

Chicken stir-fry with sweet chilli sauce and rice noodles
Quorn bolognaise with courgetti
Sausage, onion gravy, mash and loads of green veg
Turkey chilli and spicy sweet pot wedges
Omelette, oven chips and beans

Snacks

Fruit
Almonds
Gluten free hot x bun (found in freezer)
GF Ginger tiffin (bought by DH for me as a treat for the invalid)

My tip for today is to make sure you pack enough snacks to avoid buying them when out to feed a hungry 6 year old!

Bobarella

Mothernerd I really am sorry that you found the challenge questions made you feel bad. For what its worth I am continually impressed by your incredible multitasking & energy. I am sure you will make life the way YOU want it very soon.

Bobarella

XSpender dont over do it will you.

Louise sandwich thins as buns is an interesting idea. I like a nice ciabatta myself but brioche is nice too (if fattening)

Fmess

apple_muncher wrote: »

My 2nd NSD today. Have only just read the post re meals, bob.

B'fast is always 3 scrambled egg + cottage cheese
Lunch is something like tuna + coleslaw padded out massively with veggies.
Tea is going to be hm chicken curry/ hm chili/ som ostrich burgers I just found in the freezer/ chickeny stuff...
Snacks are mixed nuts, cheese, apple.

Ha! What is not on there is the rubbish that I will also pop into my mouth...

So, Wimbledon is on, and the Tour has started. Bliss! It was in this month one year that kat had a rule of '1 hour tv per day'. :eek: Fmess - remember it?

YES!!! That was a toughy and I remember your love of Wimbledon because of it! It did make me do other things though which was good for me.

SFD number one today. Three huge positives - 1 got the quote for all my house repairs and it's not too bad, 2 my dad says he owes me some money and that'll cover some of the repairs (he doesn't actually owe me it but says the money's mine!) and 3 my neighbours took down three huge trees and my kitchen now gets tonnes more light :j :j :j

Also nearly finished my exam marking after doing 6 hours plus the last two days

Meal plan is
- lamb kebabs and salad
- Spanish chicken
- bolognese and veg
- sausages, veg and gravy
- cheesy pasta
- bacon sandwich
- tbc!

mothernerd

Bobarella wrote: »

Mothernerd I really am sorry that you found the challenge questions made you feel bad. For what its worth I am continually impressed by your incredible multitasking & energy. I am sure you will make life the way YOU want it very soon.

It's fine Bob I sort of came back fighting today, just felt a bit swamped yesterday. Some things conflict and I need to start putting me first.

Bobarella

mothernerd wrote: »

It's fine Bob I sort of came back fighting today, just felt a bit swamped yesterday. Some things conflict and I need to start putting me first.

I understand. Some things are complicated. All I can say is try to choose you as offen as you can. You do deserve that.

juliejim

Morning all

It wasn't a NSD yesterday as I spent £4.50 on 3 burgers at the scout raft race - I only had one I might add and I had planned on us buying burgers for dinner. I didn't manage my 7000 steps either although I was on my feet all day!

I haven't got a meal plan for the week as DH is doing all the cooking with being at home but we will be eating out of the freezer and storecupboard. Tonight we are having jacket potatoes.

Have a good day all

Jue