NST: January 2017

Eager_Elephant

Apologies from me for not checking in every day - life has been very hectic. Think I was last here on 3/1, this was the day DH started a new job with an early start time so alarm off at 6am so we can do dog walking/animals and then leave for work at 7am.
IN the summer I am always up early but in winter it is a killer, I was so shattered that evenings consisted of walk dogs/cook tea/bath/bed and no real time for this.


Last week was much better and I feel human again, just trying to keep on top of housework in the week, budgets etc.

Have just caught up now and everyone is doing fab.

Up until yesterday I have had 6 NSD's which I don't think is too bad going.

Have also donated to animal charity before I transferred the rest of the money out of Paypal into my account ready to go to credit card.

This week I am grateful for:
1. DH's new job which he loves and also they love him (payrise coming in April!!!)
2. Work - I have a job I love and by getting in early I can leave early and actually do things in the evening at home instead of saving it for a weekend.
3. Fab neighbours who take in my parcels (despite leaving a note on the door that parcel can be left in safe place)!!

Food budget has taken a hammering this month - DS went back to Uni and I did a food shop for him - £93!!!

dolly84

I have had a small spend today. Went into town to pay some ebay money into the bank and called into the CS's, I spotted a brand new toiletry set for £2.45, it is all sealed and was originally £32, it is a brand I have wanted to try for some time. We also took advantage of a 2 books for £1 with DD and paid 50p each, the book we got is brand new and will be part of FIL's birthday present.

I was given a very beautiful, brand new blanket scarf today by a friend, it was an unwanted gift but I love it.

Calling14

Well a funny sort of day. Agreed to meet up with a guy off dating site. Few drinks in Wethers - mine were coffee. Still feeling rough. He wasn't me, just get a gut feeling.

Whilst I was there bumped into neighbour he's in his 80's so stayed there and had a few drinks with him and met his single son whose just moved in with him. As he can't manage on his own. He was so much fun. Promised to bring me a Xmas pudding over and a night out ��

NSD today did offer to buy a drink however.

Chilling rest of day ��

greent

OOh - keep us updated, Calling!

Small food spends today (made a lemon Victoria sponge and needed cream for the filling and grapes for snack for youngest)
Most food from stores (exc cream and grapes! ) - also made a white loaf (will do brown tomorrow), flapjack (using up 2 small boxes of raisins I found at the back of a tall shelf, the last banana from the freezer and some stale granola in with the oats ) and the lemon Vic sponge (had 2 past-their-best lemons in the fridge) As OH will be staying away for work Mon-Fri I can use up random things more easily going forward - and I am generally happy to eat the same thing several days in a row)

Today I am grateful for:
* the heating
* a working washer/ dryer
* YS items
x

Saveforabetterlife

Calling so you went on an unsuccessful date but met a nice single guy after the date ...!;)
Dolly sounds like a good spend on the toiletry set - bargain!
Eager great news that DH likes new job
Abundant Like you I am grateful for this forum - it's great. I've met so many lovely people already:T
apple well done for running in this weather!:eek:
Fmess Well done on weight loss. I've been putting off going back to SW but scales this morning weren't good. Now at least 14 lbs overweight - reckon my BMI would put me just in overweight now
mothernerd Hope you got to film and it was good and not too chilly!
Hi to everyone else!

Missed a few days on here - been so busy.
Now on NSD 7/15 which is amazing for me. Usually I buy something online or in RL every single day. A bit addicted! Been very frugal too. I get a veg box and I've cancelled it for last three weeks to try to use things up. I am now down to the dregs of veg now - I have a cabbage, red cabbage, 3 pumpkins/squash, 4 carrots, onions, potatoes, half a large courgette, sprouts and parsnips. Determined to use it all up - any veggie meal ideas? Went to L*dl today for absolute basics but did top up on the salad veg, which we eat loads of. We're all vegetarians (DH, me and three DC) so veg is very important to us!! Freezer and cupboards still full to bursting despite me only buying the absolute basics for three weeks now. Going to keep going until I've managed to make a dent in it all. Added up my spend on food/household shopping for January and it's £86.99. This is very low for us - it includes packed lunch for DH and DD, and toiletries etc, but doesn't include the three cats.

Applied for a new job at work - Assistant Principal. I have plenty of experience and I'm very good at my job but I'm very bad at interviews. I can't think on the spot, I just tense up, and I don't have much of an ego so I can't sell myself. Trying to be more confident. Any tips?!

Grateful for
1. Lovely quiet day chilling out
2. Got some of my school work done today
3. All my lovely family

Calling14

Oops my grateful for
Heating and hot baths
Def this forum, keeps me sane reading all your stories, apologies I don't always manage to comment.
Being the weekend pjs and films.

Greent will keep you updated but doubt if any big Disney romance will come out of it.

Good luck Saveforabetterlife with job application. I am useless at interviews sorry. Believe in yourself and do your research?

f0xh0les

Savingforabetterlife - you could use up your squash in a chocolate brownie - lots of pumpkin/squash brownie recipes out there. My kids think all squashes are poison and I am obviously trying to do them in on the sly if it appears on their plate.
Coleslaw for the cabbage and onions and carrots.
Bubble and squeak (with the sprouts) and veggie bacon (bliss).
or.....
squash chocolate brownies
courgette and lemon cake
parsnip and maple syrup cake (google parsnip cake lots come up)
carrot cake
potato cakes!

f0xh0les

Another NSD for me! so that makes 4/15

Today I am grateful:
DS1 finally has a hobby that takes him outside the house. Robotics competition at school today so he was gone 8.30-4.30. He had great fun and was a happy little chap.

DH is home from his conference, tired and v grumpy, but home, which is nice.

There was enough food from stores to feed everyone and do a surprise packed lunch (only found out about the competition at 3.30 yesterday) and pudding = No Spending!!

There is a whole tank of hot water upstairs with my name on it. My feet are cold. My everything is cold really.

I found Only Connect repeated on BBC 2 this afternoon so I didn't have to do battle with the BBC iplayer. Missed it last night as I didn't know it had changed days.

XSpender

[QUOTE=Saveforabetterlife;71925475
Applied for a new job at work - Assistant Principal. I have plenty of experience and I'm very good at my job but I'm very bad at interviews. I can't think on the spot, I just tense up, and I don't have much of an ego so I can't sell myself. Trying to be more confident. Any tips?!
[/QUOTE]

I am quite good at interviews. After 3 redundancies I have had a lot of practice

The more preparation you can do the better.

I think of an example around every one of the competencies /skills/attributes they are looking for as per the advert/job spec. I use a STAR template, situation, task, action and result (google it ) to give some structure to my answer and practice reading it out so I have the jist of it in my head. Also I make sure I say I did this, I discovered, I explained etc. and not we did this, we discovered as they want to know what your experience is.

I also write out answers to common interview questions like why I want the job, how I have developed myself, tell me a bit about yourself, ....always focus on the experience that links back to what they are looking for.

You have masses of experience and are great at your job helping them see this is not selling yourself it's helping them see it for themselves!

Good luck and don't forget to smile

XSpender

After saying we were not going on holiday this year we have just booked a 2 night mini cruise next month for the 3 of us with some friends for £115. We will need food and spending money on top of this but I have set myself a challenge to raise as much as I can through sales and cashing in the change pots etc. At least I remembered to go through TCB!

I have also bought 2 sweat shirts and a long sleeved top for DS after the 2 he tried to put on this afternoon were far too small. I did use a gift voucher for the long sleeved top that I had got for my birthday (in the summer!) but hadn't spent.

I used some loyalty points to knock £7 off my haircut and spent £16 in Mr S on turkey bacon, almond milk, sugar snaps, quinoa, jelly, crisps and a pavlova for DMs tomorrow as I have run out of time to make something. Used a triple points voucher

Oh and £4.20 on car parking. It's been a spendy day.

No exercise done except 17k steps and have eaten to plan except a big bag of crisps.:o

Today I am grateful for:

1) Savings to pay for unplanned mini breaks
2) Good friends to go on unplanned mini breaks with
3) The ten hours sleep I had last night, I needed it