NST February Challenge : A Winter Voyage

SpekySquarehead

Morning chums,

Was a low spend day yesterday as I played football - £3.50.

I also done a stock take of the fridge and I need some ingredients so I'll nip out at lunch - damn it!

greent

Not a SFD today. Had Zumba this morning (paid for today on Tues) and then went to IKEA - DS1 had 2 large posters which he needed frames for so he was pestering me to go - so the deal was if he wanted them this week he looked after DS2 and DS3 whilst I went (round trip took just over 2.5 hours) - he was agreeable to that so off I popped with a short list. Avoided any candles - bought the 2 frames, 4 glasses (on list - all replacements for broken ones), meatballs and dimes (both on list), plastic bags (on list) and 2 cheap frying pans - the only items not on my list but at 2 for £4.75 I don't care - we have some expensive ones which are no longer non stick so I'm opting for cheap ones for now until I find something I prefer. At least this way my pancakes will actually flip! Oh - and a cinnamon bun for my lunch - needed something! (will add spends for bun, meatballs and dimes onto grocery sends)

Today I am thankful for:
* DS1 agreeing to look after smaller ones - meaning they didn't have to come to Ikea/ I didn't have to wait until everyone was back at school
* DS1 helping me get boxes of priced items for NNS out of loft (hasn't happened yet - he doesn't know! - but it will! )
* Zumba happening in half term - I wan't keen on going today but was glad I made myself
* it being half term!:j
x

thriftylass

Hello, not an SFD today, needed a snack after the gym and lunch. But was good and only bought grapes and a coke zero. At least diet still on track.

Also was lucky at coffee break and got a VO survey worth 20 quid. So that's my Amazon vouchers at £35. Hoping to fill up another two survey accounts and making it to 50 in the next two weeks so that DD birthday is covered.

More painting tonight and hopefully have time to make a sausage casserole for tomorrow, if not then it goes in the SC.

mothernerd

Staying on Track

9 Remind Yourself When times get hard, remind yourself what you want to achieve, to cue your brain to resist temptation. Stick a post it note where you will see it when you need a boost.

10 Be Kind To Yourself If you're struggling, be compassionate with yourself and investigate to see what the problem is. What can you do? A lapse is not a complete failure, look back and see how far you have come.

Toni'sfriend

Afternoon Shipmates

Today was a day that I’d given myself permissions to have a drink as I was meeting some relatives for lunch. However, lunch was cancelled so another alcohol free day and I saved the price of a meal. I wasn’t really in the mood anyway.

All our meals have come from the freezer today but I did spend on some things for the Cabin boy. Principally energy drinks as he’s working really hard at work and needs a boost and also some ingredients for a dish that I’m making for dinner on Saturday from the new cookery book.

Had the short walk today as C had a doctor’s appointment. We’ll make up for it tomorrow and have a long one. The park is looking lovely with all the bulbs starting to bloom.


Today I’m grateful for;

The man who invented low calorie tonic (lovely with lemon and ice – no gin!)
My new book (second one in the series – finished the first one yesterday)
No football on TV tonight – might get some sense out of C

shyspender

Ahoy Turtles,

I'm not doing very well at this posting malarky, lol.

I keep meaning to post each evening, but then it gets to dinner time, and then e-mails and ya da ya da ya da!

Day off today though so I've updated ynab and therefore been able to update my signature. I think I've had eight spend days, which I know is a lot but I kept forgetting things and not being organised. I also forget to make a note of my spend days. I'm not one for keeping all receipts so I can't use them to tell.
Had a man round today to re-seal the bath and sink and also put two shelves in the cupboard under the stairs. This wasn't a spend day though, because house stuff comes from a completely different account and budget. Love the way the bath looks all clean and the shelves are brilliant. It means I can sort all my tools into the cupboard and also put some kitchen over spills in there. This in turn means I might be able to get to the office floor again. That got junked when I had to clear the spare room out to decorate.

Question for you turtles, when you have a tradesperson in, when do you offer tea/coffee etc?

My problem is that I don't want to give them one when they first arrive, because I want them to do the work I am paying them for and I don't want them to be there all day and also, I don't drink tea and coffee so it isn't an obvious thing to me.

Spend day tomorrow though, got a discount with work for our supermarket and some vouchers (note to self, take them with you shy!) so I'm going to do a kind of big shop. I've made some good progress on clearing down the rations. I also need to get some storage boxes/solutions for the newly renovated under the stairs cupboard. I also need to do some wandering and stay out of the house for a bit because Friday is magic cleaning day. I leave the house and return and the house is all clean and my ironing is done. I love Friday's and I love ynab for making me able to have the magic.

Also managed to get the washing out on the line today for the first time this year. I was going to tumble it, it has to be ready for a Friday for the magic to happen, but I noted that it was kind of bright and thought I would risk it. So glad I did because using the TD is a bit of a chore because it is out in the garage and I don't like to leave leave the house whilst it is running.

Three things I'm grateful for:
Mr Odd Job man, he did a really good job and didn't faff around or want to chat endlessly
Ynab - it truly is an amazing tool and concept
The weather - nice dry washing for free

greent

shyspender wrote: »

Question for you turtles, when you have a tradesperson in, when do you offer tea/coffee etc?

I offer one as soon as they arrive. If it's a first thing in the morning arrival and they're reasonably local I often find they refuse, as they've just had one. I drink lots of tea though (3 cups before the school run, for example) so it's not a big deal to me. I don't expect them to stand around and drink it, though - I take it to where they are working in the house. Exception being jobs where they need to take a break - such as the chaps we had up the scaffolding last year - they came down to drink theirs - and when we had our loft converted - they'd all down tools and go for a brew (and usually a smoke) Mind you, the loft chaps were here for so long they used to ask for tea if they'd felt I'd left it too long - and I even made bacon sandwiches for them a couple of times

crazy_cat_lady

I'm the same as greent - offer tea and coffee as soon as they arrive. They can have it while they are working.
Well shipmates, I can officially declare this months savings total as a big fat zero. I'm trying to console myself with the fact that I haven't had to get into debt, but between the vet and the broken boiler I haven't got any spare pennies at all. Naughty tortie has just returned from her third trip to the vet in as many weeks and my bank account is another £109 lighter. The good news is that she has a clean bill of health again, but we're waiting on 1 more test result coming in (fingers crossed).
Just one more day of work to survive, and I think I'm going to have to admit defeat and bring a load of marking home with me tomorrow. I keep meaning to get lots done at work and then get pulled into doing other stuff. I've not marked a book all week and I really need to...
Things I'm grateful for today:
Naughty tortie being better :j
A year 11 accidentally saying something hilarious that I'm still laughing at now - 6 hours later. :rotfl:
1 more get up :T

Bobarella

Evening Turtles

Wobbling in on me tired old pins. Have had a long day really just because I had to leave at 7.30 to get my son to school for a special event that we all stayed to watch, then there was no point coming home before a meeting at 12 at the business so I have been a bit of a nomad today. Upsides the event was amazing this morning, the clients I met today were a lovely couple of girls who have a great community focused idea for us to collaborate on, & I took DD to two different parks and had a great time with her.

I'm not doing very well on NSDs but that's not to say I'm not doing fairly well financially. My weekly takings shot up again today (not millionaire stuff but great for me) with my second good booking this week so I'm very pleased with that and where it puts me towards paying my big bill.

I set in motion automated savings sweeping on my FD account so on the last day before payday it will sweep all except £5 into the savings account.

Today I am grateful for:

1. My son's teacher. He is such a good man. He organised the children wonderfully for their event (I took him a small gift at pick up and he was so surprised bless him)

2. Taking the decision back in July that has enabled me to not miss the special events in my children's lives. My old role meant I was tied to a physical location and missed so many things in the last 18 months before I stopped to do this new job.

3. Spending lots of lovely time in two different parks with DD. She is starting to want to play just that little bit further away from me, and it's amazing to hang back and see what she does (in a soft non dangerous environment of course)

Night

Bob

Eager_Elephant

Have managed a NSD surprisingly - had washing machine fixed today and it was free (I thought I had to pay for labour and not parts but actually everything is covered)

I offered him a drink as soon as he arrived - he also asked to use the loo as soon as he arrived. Luckily the bathroom was not too dirty but was over flowing with dirty washing.

No bill for car repair from last week so all pennies tucked away nicely.

Today I am grateful for:
1. A lovely engineer who fixed my washing machine
2. Having a washing machine
3. A day off work