NST Muddy March Marathon

mothernerd

indigowarrior wrote: »

I am curious if you have an allocated budget for food does it count as a spend?

Yes it does. Regular bill payments from your bank don't count (although some purists include them). Medical needs don't count as we would not want anyone to delay treatment to keep a NSD and you can't predict when you are going to go down with something and many employers expect you to work when sick. Only buying ys goodies is exempt and petrol/ diesel has been added because you can't know which day your tank will be empty and it would be silly to be broken down in the middle of nowhere because you ran out of petrol.

Money for regular kids activities/ exercise classes paid for weekly - it is allowable to put the money aside ( purse or envelope system) on the first spend day of the month - otherwise people with 2 or more children doing a couple of activities each week would never get a spens day. Gyms you sometimes pay monthly but sometimes every time you go and again, we wouldn't want anyone to lose a NSD for having to put 50p in a locker.

The rule is designed to make you think about spending, plan ahead
and not end up with half a trolley full of shopping when you run out of milk. If you do have to spend, it can make sense to include other purchases - I will need toilet rolls within the next week so will buy them (for the month) on the next day that I need to buy something else.

Hope this helps. Some turtles don't count NSDs as they are very disciplined and can trust themselves to only ever buy what is on their list.

Toni'sfriend

Afternoon Turtles

Haven’t managed a walk today as still waiting for some of the many parcels to be delivered. Hoping to make up for it tomorrow.

C has gone out with his friends so I’ve had a very productive day. Made dinner for my son and I and a chilli for tomorrow. Bedroom is now sparkling clean and tidy. Been through all my cupboards and drawers and have a bag full of things for the charity shop. Do you know I have clothes that still have the tickets on them that I’m never going to wear and shoes that I’ve only worn once because they pinch my feet. And how many handbags does one person really need especially when they don’t go out a lot?. I did find several nice jackets I’d forgotten about which are a little on the tight side but I’ve washed them and it’ll save me buying a new one when I lose enough weight (that’s me being positive!). Tomorrow going to make a start on the bathroom.

I’ve always had a button box (Granny used to have one and I loved playing with the buttons when I was little). It came in handy this very day when I needed a button for one of the aforesaid jackets. I also have a sewing box (although I don’t really sew) and some of the things in it belonged to C’s late Mother. A veritable rainbow of threads.


I have so many things to be grateful for they’re too long to list but chief among them are;

My wonderful and supportive partner and son.
My extended family (especially my lovely cousin)
Two terrific friends (wish they didn’t live so far away)
Great neighbours who are always ready to help one another
Relatively good health (just the niggles that come with age)
A roof over my head (and it’s very warm)
Enough food never to go hungry
Many happy memories

I am now off the have the lovely bath that I didn’t manage the other day.

Have a good week-end.

crazy_cat_lady

Oooh, I have a button tin. Was inspired by my mother as a young un and have always had one. Although my sister has a phobia of buttons so I doubt that she has one
I am so pleased to have finished this week at work without having to bring anything home to do over the weekend. It's been hectic but will be brilliant to have a couple of days without worrying.
Thanks for your kind words mothernerd - I'm much like you in that I'm always on the go, and I just keep plodding on as best I can.
Checking in with my first nsd of the month. It's chucking it down with rain outside so I doubt I'll be out again other than to take dd to gymnastics later.

abundant1972

Evening everyone!

Today I am grateful for:

• Having 2 days off now as have man-flu!
• A letter out the blue from my Dad (he never writes!)
• Oven chips!!!

Today = NSD number 2

Good point regarding 2 days off per week Mothernerd. Because this month's challenge started mid week I feel I should get some in every day. That said - I've been struck down with man-flu, so am going to use yesterday and today as my rest days. Hopefully if I feel brighter tomorrow and not streaming, I'll get in some gym time or at least a few walks.

I have a small box with needles/threads - just no buttons in it... come to think of it... I don't think any of my clothes have buttons! Only my jeans maybe.

21 Day Challenge: It was torrential rain when I left for work today and is still raining now... am not sure I'll get my walk in (as it's all dirt tracks around here too!), but will aim for one over the weekend.

Lauralozzle

Another spendy day. Hoping for one NSD this weekend and then 5 next week. Fingers crossed!

Button box sounds like a really good ide - I don't have one so will find something for all the spare buttons this weekend!

I'm grateful for a good, productive day at work today. Feels like I've got loads done.

indigowarrior

3rd No spend day. I aiming to do 6 in a row. Tuesday I will need to go food shopping as I am taking packed Lunches on the train However, I should have enough money from this week food budget.

Today I am greatful for a warm flat and relatively good children.

The_Only_Girl

crazy_cat_lady wrote: »

Oooh, I have a button tin. Was inspired by my mother as a young un and have always had one. Although my sister has a phobia of buttons so I doubt that she has one
I am so pleased to have finished this week at work without having to bring anything home to do over the weekend. It's been hectic but will be brilliant to have a couple of days without worrying.
Thanks for your kind words mothernerd - I'm much like you in that I'm always on the go, and I just keep plodding on as best I can.
Checking in with my first nsd of the month. It's chucking it down with rain outside so I doubt I'll be out again other than to take dd to gymnastics later.

Hi mothernerd and CCL I, too, have a button box. I have a thing for buttons, also for beads, and sequins, and laces. Unfortunately I didn't have the right size buttons for my sewing project (hubby's shirt) last Wednesday night. The ones I had were too feminine according to my sewing teacher. We went through the button box in the classroom too but none was appropriate. Luckily my friend in class said she'll bring some for me next class. One of my friends in our sewing class also has a phobia for buttons, which as a trivia is called Koumpounophobia, and according to Wikipedia is very rare, as in 1 in 75,000 people are known to have it. CCL your sister is not called Linda, is she?

NSD number 1 for me today. I was supposed to go and buy some items for our food bank collection in church tomorrow but due to the heavy rain after work, I decided not to go shopping. I checked the cupboard when I got home and found I have enough items to take to the food bank tomorrow. Will that count for the use it or lose it, Mothernerd? I did a top up shop yesterday but all of them were ys. Was so pleased with my haul yesterday, I had 2-piece lamb chops for 49p, x 3 packs, beef skirts for 99p x 3 packs, 1 large fresh whole chicken for £1.99, 1.7 kg topside beef for £5.00, 2 x tomato and cheese baguette sandwiches for 19p each (mine and hubby's packed lunch today)l salads, brioche rolls, 2-pack garlic bread, baguettes (still warm) for 9p, and many more, all for £20.00. I picked up a discarded receipt in the trolley with unclaimed more points (230 points). When I looked at the items the owner purchased, they were 98% snacky foods (too polite to call them junk foods) and drinks (the only healthy food in their shopping was the semi skimmed milk and a pack of grapes) and they spent £49. My receipt was twice as long in size and half the price, and consist of substantial food like meat and chicken, etc. Will an all-ys shopping count as NSD as in previous month's challenge Mothernerd? If so, today would be NSD number 2.

Today I am thankful for:

1. Productive week at work, but a lot less stressful
2. Having all my competencies at work signed off
3. Having submitted my application for MSc (distance learning) subject to approval of funding by the hospital.
4. Lovely ys goodies I had yesterday
5. Loving husband and kids.

Bobarella

mothernerd wrote: »

Happy St David's Day (apologies to Welsh turtles for forgetting). Pinch, punch, whatever Bob says (pretty sure it should be rabbits, rabbits, rabbits for March).

Bob says ' Pinch Punch first of the month, and no touch backs

The_Only_Girl

PERSPECTIVE

Hubby shared this today and it brought me to tears. His patient said he considers himself luckier than some. Hubby said to him, "Tell me, how lucky are you?" The patient said he felt very unwell and lost his consciousness. When he came to, he was in A/E and the doctors told him he had an internal bleed. But due to his fall, his hip replacement was dislocated. So he was taken to theatre to fix the bleed and after a few days he was taken back to theatre to fix the dislocated hip replacement. He went on to say, his wife was diagnosed a year ago with cancer, but now she's in full remission. Not long after that their daughter was also diagnosed with cancer but she's also in full remission. With tears in his eyes and a big smile on his face, he said, "See how lucky I am? It could have been worse. It is worse for some but we're here to tell the tales."

When I look back at my life, I didn't have all those health scares and life and death experiences. Yet most often, little setbacks cause me to think that I've been dealt a bad card. I am doomed. All of my woes are not a patch on this man's lot, but I have a gall to complain and winge and rant and think that everything in this world conspires against me?

It has put everything to perspective.

A couple of quotes to wish you a happy weekend:

"Be grateful for what you have, and you'all end up with having more. If you concentrate on what you do not have, you'll never EVER have enough."

"Never let the things you WANT, make you forget the things you HAVE."

"It is not happy people who are thankful,
But thankful people who are happy."

And finally....

"Gratitude turns what we have into ENOUGH, and MORE.
It turns DENIAL into ACCEPTANCE,
CHAOS into ORDER, and
CONFUSION into CLARITY.
It makes sense of our PAST
Brings peace for TODAY,
and creates a vision for TOMORROW."


Have a grateful weekend everybody!

mrshubbard

Another food shop today as we needed to get chopped tomatoes for tea as hubby accidentally picked up the kick !!! chilli tomatoes last trip and short on milk. Thought I might as well do a massive meal planning session before we went and get everything for the next 2 weeks. Our freezer and fridge are packed! I've got meals planned for the next 2 weeks and prob have enough bits to make veg soup and a few other things for the week after. It is scary seeing so much of my food budget gone already though. The only thing I may have to nip for at some point is fresh salad.

For tonight's tea we had ys turkey steaks with tomato & mushroom sauce and have frozen half of it. Also frozen some leftover mash ( not done this before so hope it defrosts ok) for fishcakes ( with ys smoked haddock). We'd usually just eat more than we really wanted or whizz it. I'm making chilli tomorrow with the kick !!! tomatoes I'd opened before I realised what they were and there'll be enough of that to freeze for another meal. I love batch cooking and having lots of tubs in the freezer. It does sometimes turn into lucky dip tea as I keep forgetting to label them and they look pretty much the same when frozen.

I have an old jewellry box with all my buttons in. Have had to replace a few recently. It's about the only sewing skill I can still do.

We went for a walk with pooch and little man this afternoon after work and just managed to get back before the rain got heavier. That's one of the brilliant things about dogs - they motivate you to go out when it's a bit miserable and you wouldn't bother otherwise. As long as you're wrapped up it's fine. Spotting lots of spring bulbs coming out now

Found out today we've no mortgage payment this month! Rang up to check but turns out the shortfall I had to pay last month to bridge the old mortgage and the new mortgage amount should've just been this months mortgage but with interest on which I now won't get charged :j £362 we thought we didn't have which pays for the van mot & service and new tyre it needs.

Also found out the new credit card I opened to balance transfer comes with a £20 amazon voucher and I've got £5 voucher from surveys so we're using that to buy 2 mother's day pressies and only putting an extra £5 to it.

This month is turning out to not be the nightmare I was expecting

Today I'm grateful for

Beating the rain
One more day till my week off
Free amazon vouchers