NST Muddy March Marathon

Lauralozzle

Oh - basic skills. Food wise - Being able to make my own sauces for dinner means I don't have to use rubbish shop brought 'let's put a shed ton of sugar in' sauces. Sauces can make meal instantly better and much cheaper (like tomato pasta sauce) pretty basic skill but a good one I reckon.

On the other hand I can't do anything DIY based - I tried to put a curtain rail up and drilled the holes wrong and wonky (I thought it was straight - I had the spirit level out and everything!)

ChasingSunshine

I'm with you Laura and have pretty much no DIY skills. Was thrilled when I managed to assemble a bed when I moved into this flat, wouldn't even think about trying to put up a curtain rail!! Happy with my cooking skills though, recently starting making soda bread which is so easy but feels way more substantial than the shop bought ones and less preservatives etc.

Must do a stock up shop today, have loads of meals in the freezer so just need so fruit / milk etc. Amazing that at the start of Feb I thought I had no food and yet have basically been eating down stores since with only small shops. Does mean I need to seriously look at what I am buying though as when I totalled up all the spends on food it was way over budget. Think there is a spending diary in my near future.

Today am grateful for a relaxing Saturday as this is my only completely free weekend this month (not a bad thing but appreciating it while I can!!), Skype letting me catch up with a friend and her little girl who is just starting to get full of chat, better weather and the quick wash cycle letting me tackle the pile of laundry.

Off to do a shop then will try to start working through a mountain of ironing :eek::eek::eek:

indigowarrior

Basic skills hmm... I can cook a pretty decent roast and make my own bacon carbonara. I left home at 16 with no clue how to cook or clean. I am improving significanty though.

XSpender

Lost you all for a while there but found the thread again :j

M : Mantra - "Live in the Spirit of the Season" - our first spring in this house and enjoying the swathes of snowdrops appearing everywhere. This month DH are planning to get out in the garden as much as possible.
U : Use it or Lose it - Pile of DS's clothes to go to charity shop
D : Debt free date - I need to work this out as I think it will give me a bit of a shock.
D : Debt/Savings first - All debt repayments on DD. Only able to save the 52 week challenge amount this month
Y: Your budget - £400 food, £40 misc. £40 family fun
M : Monitor Goals - Fitness goal is going well, I have mini abs! Agreeing new goals with PT next week. Diet still an issue and will start cycle 2 of Bodycoach plan next Friday. Debt is going down but not as quick as planned and savings are not be added to and will take a hit this month.
A : Avoid Takeaways - Can't really afford one this month but do have a fun budget or will come out of food spends
R : Remember those in need - DH and I volunteer with DS sports club and donate monthly
C : Cupboard Audit - Will try and get this done tomorrow before meal plan and food shop
H : Help - I need to make more of an effort to ask for help when I need it
M : Mistakes - Nobody's perfect
A : Avoid Temptation - Overspending on food/giving in to temptation due to tiredness lack of planning is my downfall. Will focus on planning this month.
R : Repairs - I have a skirt and shoes that needs repairing
A : Attend regularly - Will do my best although been a bit shabby so far this month
T : Try to follow the rules - Where I can
H : Health - My diet needs to change for optimum health
O : Outside - DH and I are hoping to spend time every weekend in the garden and will be walking the dog
N : NSDs - Will aim for a challenging 15

DH's wages/expenses have been totally messed up this month and we are skint, skint, skint. He has found out he will get a small bonus at the end of this month and some of his expenses back dated but it doesn't help this month!

Eager_Elephant

Just posting from the naughty step....:rotfl:

I don't know what has happened this month - yesterday was DH's birthday so his choice of meal, takeaway, came from the food budget and today I have taken DH to get his birthday present (new wax jacket and a couple of t-shirts) plus popped into a jumble sale and got some bits from there.

I think I am 1 NSD so far. Tomorrow will be a spend day as well as hoping to do the food shopping for the month.
Let's hope next week is better.:T

I just saw our health challenge for yesterday which was a walk, luckily I walk twice a day already as 2 big dogs need walking - last night we did the long route. The only problem is our newest dog, who is 6 struggles a bit so by the end she is only walking at a snails pace but our other dog is nearly 3 and has the energy of a puppy:rotfl:

I think I am quite good at creating meals for the family (even with all our issues!!) from stores and I also think being able to sew on a button is very handy although I do have a lovely lady who does sewing work as a little hobby and I take some of my stuff to her.
I am grateful for DH who is very good at DIY and those sorts of jobs - he will give anything a go (except rewiring a house!!). Even though we live in a council property we rarely ring for repairs as DH does it all. The only thing they do is the boiler service once a year.
Luckily DH started a job this year doing exactly what he loves - DIY/Repairs:j

Have a fab weekend everyone!!

SkintTeacher

Sorry all, been a shocking week. Finally ready to post my 10 grateful things:
1. Little one finally feeling a bit better (though still not well enough to go out)
2. My new body - I feel womanly and strong
3. OH encouraging me to sign up for a fitness goal (like a 10k)
4. Having time to go to yoga this afternoon
5. Getting sneaky run in this morning
6. A warm, comfortable home
7. A supportive twin
8. Getting an NSD on a Saturday - unheard of!
9. My class who work hard now they've got the knack
10. A beautiful, sunny day today and the prospect of a park trip tomorrow

SkintTeacher

on the subject of basic skills, I'm pretty bad as I lived at home till 21 (dad did stuff) and straight in with OH (He then did stuff) - not very feminist, I know. But I have other skills... mainly really useless ones like speaking French and Spanish fluently (all well and good, but it doesn't fix a leak now does it!?)

greent

Missed reporting yesterday as went to collect DD from uni. Ended up buying her lunch as she hadn't eaten. Also spent on the Sev Bridge toll. Didn't walk as spent 3 hours in car and didn't see the challenge. Usually do, though, every school day. Lovey to see DD

Did 15 minutes hard work on crosstrainer this morning before going for a much needed shower! Was all achy and stiff from driving yesterday, so that helped loosen me up.

Skills - I can throw together food and rarely follow recipes and make some rather nice meals as a result I can sew buttons on and do minor (hand) repairs - repaired 2 pairs of trousers in the past 10 days and sewed DS3's new badge award on his swimming towel. Although today I took up 4 pairs of (previously DS1's) school trousers for DS2 using wundaweb OH has today done a temporary fix on a fence panel and post damaged by the storms - it needs the ground to dry out for a full fix and also needs the other side to assist in the repair from their side (they won't - grrr - so it will go again if we have more bad winds) For a very much white-collar (to use a very outdated term) worker who is not a generally practical person and who had no father figure to learn from/ copy he's not too bad at DIY jobs

Ooh - more saving resources (sort of use it or lose it, I think) - got a box of clothes from loft of DS1's and DS2 now has 4 pairs of school trousers, 4 pairs of jeans, 2 pairs of shorts, a fleece jacket and 5 tops/ tshirts which are all new to him and didn't cost me anything except a quick (15min) refresh wash in the WM Also found 4 items of clothing in there which all had flaws (little holes) so these have gone for fabric recycling. Still-too-big clothing now repacked and awaiting the return of OH for putting back in the loft in its labelled box

Today I am grateful for:
* DD being home for the weekend - even f she spent the morning working on an essay in her room and is now out with an old school friend (they have known each other since babies - they are 1 day apart in age and both myself and the other mum had long-ish stays in hospital in the same ward so got chatting - and found we lived close (< a mile) to each other)
* 'free' clothes shopping for DS2
* DS2 still liking hand-me-downs
* takeaway planned for dinner for my birthday weekend (bday is Monday) - talked OH down from a family meal out - for 6 of us (maybe 7 if DS1's gf still here this evening) that would come to maybe £150 - so a takeaway is a money-saving winner

NSD today - I'm not paying for the takeaway

Toni'sfriend

Afternoon Turtles

Walked to Lidl to buy olive oil and chocolate (not for me and he doesn’t really need it) as they were on a good weekend offer. Bought enough YS items to make four meals plus a reduced free range chicken for dinner tomorrow. Bought three ys mini camenbert cheeses in Coop. Total saving £11.05. In fact, the only full price item I bought was a 79p get well card from the Card Factory.

Started to tidy the bathroom but didn’t really do too much. Well it is the weekend.

Just phoned my lovely cousin for a chat. All my cousins are lovely but she’s super lovely. Will phone my sister in law later to see how my brother is today. He had a fall the other night and is now in hospital. Even with help she can’t really look after him at home and his medical needs are increasing by the day. The next step is a place in a Hospice. Hard times for all of us.

I think being able to cook is the best practical skill anyone can have. If you can make a pot of soup and a casserole you’ll never starve and it can be as cheap or expensive as you like. All you have to do is change the ingredients. Having said that I wish I was a bit better at DIY.

Having a cuppa and then off to make dinner (well it was made yesterday – just needs heated through).

Today I'm grateful for

Lidl
The rain staying off
My lovely cousin

mrshubbard

So annoyed. Went card shopping the other day and got 2 mothers day cards, birthday cards for niece, mil, 2 friends and forgot anniversary card for hubby tomorrow so had to buy one today. I wouldn't have bothered but I know he's got me one

We're out tomorrow which was preplanned and paid for last month at a kids theatre show "wow said the owl" and we'll be having tea out as it's our anniversary so that won't be a nsd either.

Use it or lose it day 4
I'm pretty good at cooking and making up recipes which comes in handy for using up odds & sods foodwise. I'm learning a fair bit of diy helping my hubby round the house and garden but don't trust myself with power tools. I'm far too accident prone.

I'd like to be better at sewing so I can get more clothes at charity shops and tweak them to fit. I'm learning a lot about gardening at the moment as I want my garden to be fit to use for summer. Have been building mini walls for borders and repairing stream walls which I'm finding very rewarding. Would like to know more about fruit & veg growing which I will pick my mum's brain for once the grounds ready as she had an allotment.

I'm grateful today for

off now till a week on Wednesday
seeing niece on her birthday
warming chilli for tea
looking forward to a nice hot bath tonight