NST Super September Scrimping challenge

mothernerd

Grateful for surviving today.

Last night I put the bins out.
Found enough cans and bottles in their room to fill an extra large bin bag plus started another with actual 'rubbish' . Went in the front room, gave them a bag for life for any cans and botlles (+ rubbish bag) whilst I started rinsing and recycling (5 trips up and down the yard). They filled the rubbish bag. Did a quick weed round up and used the pruning saw on one of the bush/ trees in the back (in the dark). Attacked by midges, brambles and nettles.

Filled the sink and washed pots, cutlery and pans until the pile of clean ones was in danger of jumping off the draining board.

Packed all mum's shopping into 2 large bags for life.

Packed DS1's parcel contents into the large old rucksack (imagine the largest size kitchen bin with straps on) and the largest item in a separate bag.

Hot , sweaty and puffing like a steam engine going uphill for the umpteenth time, I went back to clean the bath (had squirted cream cleanser round earlier) and then had a lovely hot bath with the horse chesnut stuff in (bought as a treat months ago, hidden in my room to stop DS3 using it all, then lost it until the furniture move round).

Managed 3 hours of deep sleep (woken by alarm).

Today got myself ready, scrambld around packing supplies for the afternoon crafts session, dashed to the shops to buy a top for mum (like one I bought but she didn't want the same colour), through the market to buy several coloured felt squares, phoned for a taxi to pick me up, collect mum and take us to her 10.10 am podiatry appointment.

Mum said she could go home alone (I had planned on picking up the shopping to take back and go straight to crafts from there). Hopped out of the taxi home, crossed to little Arseda to buy a loaf for mum (treated her to a toffee sponge pudding from the reduced shelf) and sat down for a whole half hour whilst eating and reading. Packed a second bag of crafty bits, put my phone on to charge, dropped a book off at the library and walked to crafts.

Stipulated that there would be 'no glueing' (had planned on 'sewing', hence the felt purchase) but only five of us there (sigh of relief) and all of us were sleep deprived. One woman wanted to make birthday and thank you cards so all the bits I had taken (lots of stuff I have been working on over the past few weeks) came in handy. Went through some of the things (pictures with greetings pasted onto recycled card so they are easy to find and can be cut out as needed, templates for making felt brooches, teddy and dog templates for upcoming baby boy birthdays, extra decorative papers and pompons on a string to make little 'gonks' - one of the women had a keyring I liked and wanted to copy) plus more ideas for using existing 'card- making' supplies (inspiration boards, message/ reminder boards, notebooks, shopping list boards and photo frames) all enthusiastically received.

Of course I ended up helping the one person I did not want to be near, the glue queen (I was dressed for meeting my son later rather than in presentable but dispensable clothing). After measuring two materials for angel dresses (bookfolding) I was instructed to sew sequins onto the purple gauze one but within minutes she asked for help with making sleeves - she had a piece of plastic and a piece of foil and it was just a glue sandwich. Cue plea to the kitchen for kitchen roll. Continued sewing sequins but with frequent interuptions to deal with over -glued bits followed by frantic wiping of hands on wodges of wet kitchen roll.

Walked back home in the company of a fellow crafter, dumped everything out on the bed to re-use one of the bags (perfect fit for largest box so the weight couldn't move around). Phone was charged and there was a voicemail message (can't access). Phoned DS1 to see if it was from him and he offered to come out of work early and meet me at a bus stop nearer to me (where he changes buses to go home). Agreed. Another precious half hour sitting down.

I took water with me to hospital visit and crafts but DS1's parcels were so heavy that I opted to leave water and a book to read behind but bought a can of diet coke in the bus station (new booth was only 2 steps away from my bus queue and the weight wasn't too much of a problem when standing still).

Meeting went well. DS1 was few minutes behind me and we walked together (I was floating having been released from the parcels) to the crossing and back along the other side for return buses. Mine are every ten minutes and his drew up behind mine. I was back in our bus station by 6pm.

So grateful to have survived the day - very tired but exhilarated as well. First time I have been on a bus (particularly out of town) in ages and I know I was pushing my boundaries (and through them) both last night and today. All week I have been adding 15 extra minutes whenever I can, tackling all the things that need attention and ignoring my inertia.

Inevitably I have had a doze. Going to switch off the laptop and sleep as long as I want (alarm set for 7.45 am). Another food delivery between 8am and 9am (some for me but next months budget/ bulk buys). Then I hope to go to the first morning 'flu clinic' and pick up the prescription I ordered this morning. Mum says I can go to hers later tomorrow, she is expecting a visitor (delayed from today because we were out). Will take all her shopping with me (edited tomorrow's order to add milk). Not making any plans, will wait and see how I feel. I have an idea for the thread (please don't leave if you hate it), will try to get it up by tomorrow night.

Film afternoon on Friday and it's Heritage weekend at mum's church (local mining history) and have arranged to meet best buddy at the library on Saturday.

Today I am grateful for successfully pushing boundaries, for having lots of creative ideas (sometimes too many - should do an assessment of the prep work involved). Also grateful for seeing DS1, however briefly and for only getting wet between the bus station and home. Hoping for a good night's sleep. goodnight turtles.

thriftylass

Good morning,

hugs to all who don't feel great, have sick children and similar.

Payday tomorrow and can't wait. Was off work yesterday to wait for the washing machine engineer. The bearings are gone as I thought on a machine just under 6 months old :eek:. Hopefully he'll report back that it's not fixable as I want a new one. What good will it do to repair this one and sth else will break in a months time. Already have a faulty door lock repaired. So we'll see.

Finished the roller painting in our bedroom, just some corners left to do. Got the garden tidied a bit and went for a loooong run.

Also let DS try another football club and he likes it. DH was well chuffed that DS might be playing footie now and not just chess . long may it last. They also have a girls' club from the age of 4. Will probably send DD there next year as she already plays in nursery and is actually not bad with a ball for her age.

Blanched some almonds this morning to bake cookies for a works bake sale tomorrow as I don't have walnuts as in the recipe. I never buy blanched again, hadn't realised it's so easy and :money:. Will also use up a jar of peanut butter that I bought for DS to try but no one actually liked in the end.

Gym and salad today. HM LO beef stew for dinner.

Have a nice day

thriftylass

f0xh0les wrote: »

Grateful that I am now allowed to miss harvest festival at school. They do this odd thing, where you donate food for the harvest festival, but have to send your kids in with money as well, and then the kids buy the donated food, and then the school donates the money to the chosen charity (usually the foodbank). So you pay out for the items, send them in, spend more money on buying stuff back, usually for less than it cost you to buy it. I would rather just give them the money!

Our school does it in a good way I think. Every class is assigned one item to bring in (one class for rice, another one brings shampoo etc). I don't think the have to buy it back it just gets given to the food bank and the list of items is actually based on what the food bank needs most.

f0xh0les

greent wrote: »

Our primary used to do this - the stipulation being that donations had to be fresh fruit and veggies - except you'd pay more for the stuff which the kids bought (on an auction basis) - my daughter once paid £1 for a bruised apple one year
x

They were selling apples for 5p each. DS2 came home with a bulb of garlic for 10p! I would rather donate the goods direct, or give money rather than buying it, having it sold at a loss and the money given to the foodbank to buy what they want. Very odd way of doing it.

greent

SFDs - still 12/18. I gave in to temptation today.......

Extra monies/ debt repayment - Further £5 to kitchen fund 3 more items listed on fleabay

Food - running total £395.09/ £450. Have added my lunch into this spend.....

Eating up/ using up stuff - Majorly tired due to late night (school performance) and early morning (DS3 waking me up at 5.10) Decided I needed junk food at lunchtime - cue trip to McDs.....:o:o

Lunches taken - 3 x packed lunches for boys Naughty lunch for me...

Social life - None.

Exercise - 0/3.

Beauty - £4.73/ £10

Time for self - Nope.

Heating off - yep.

Gratitudes:
* OH being back from working away and doing the 10pm pickup tonight!
* Junk food hitting the spot - was hot, fresh & tasty (for once!)
* Line dried washing
* Prompt paying ebay purchasers

Kerry_Woman

Day 28
SFD today - 18/18
Walked 20 minutes and brought lunch into work.
Finished my book and started my new book.
Chilled out in staff room before starting work.
Used food already in.
Grateful for:
Having a somewhat better day in work.
Brought in another book to read to work.
It is nearly the weekend.

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for the sunshine, for some enjoyable teaching, for ch shop bargains (£2 total for an Animal hoodie, 2 vest tops, 2 tee-shirts, 1 'running' skirt), for getting 14k steps done, for a surprise skype with stepdd and gs, for dd doing her own packing for brownie camp, for step dd's call putting dh in a good mood (he was in SUCH a grump before!!), for a good book, for headspace, for sorting out some money stuff at work that I didn't understand.

Looking forward to October, mothernerd. Am happy to be an animal (especially now I have my hoodie!)

bizzie

Combining check in 27&28/30(!)
No more NSDs so still at 14/18 and will not meet the target as at least one more day will have an unavoidable spend - a train ticket.

Slow cooker has been brought into action during the week with some new recipes to try alongside some old favourites.

Looking forward to October's challenge to continue the focus on my finances after a fairly spendy September.

mothernerd

October Thread
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5719303

mothernerd

Woken by the alarm, went downstairs to wait for food delivery. It came at 8.50am. So wanted to go back to bed but persuaded myself a bath would make me feel better and I might as well read my book in the doctor's surgery as at home. Felt dizzy when I got outside so went by taxi.

Added myself to the flu clinic list, picked up the prescription I ordered yesterday and had a little read. Had the jab. They wanted to take my blood pressure (a bit high, needed to make another appointment for next week) and have bloods taken in preparation for annual dibetic review.

Collected blood form and forms to register Beloved with the practice, handed in my prescription at the pharmacy, went to have my blood taken (no-one in the waiting room) and was back just as the 10 minute waiting time for the prescription was up. Bus turned onto the car park as I went outside so went a s far as the bus station.

Walked up to Tessimo's to have the security tag taken off something I bought a while ago, then through the market (managed to get outsize boxers for DS3 - owed for last Christmas really), called in at the Building society to see what we need to do to close mum's ISA and transfer it to her other account (no appointment needed), passed HB so went in to see if they had the carn*tion milk on offer. They were making way for Christmas stuff so had to hunt, took the only 3 pakcs left (3 for £1.25, others are charging 70p per tin). Crossed to mum's bank to ask about closing that account (no money going in or out for over a year) but one staff member, one woman at the counter, two other people waiting by the reception desk so I gave up. Picked up one more item on mum's random list on the way home.

Ate, worked my way through the receipts to see who owed who what amount of money, repacked the food delivery, added the freezer and fridge items and took it all by taxi to mum's. Put away all the food (some multiples in the cupboards in the spare room - not spending time each week ordering two of this, two of that, mum has spare cash and cupboard space so adding ten of regular tinned goods to bulk out he order).

Restful afternoon, wrote brief for the October thread - mum asked what I was doing, it ran to 6 pages. Came home at 7pm and have been mostly typing since.

My right shoulder is really painful - think it is from carrying the heavy rucksack yesterday although it was already aching from fence post painting. I have massaged a few kinks out of it but I keep forgetting to pick up ibruprofen gel when I am in the pound shop.

Today I am grateful for excellent multi-tasking at the doctor's/ pharmacy/ infirmary, for ticking so many items off my to do list and for people everywhere just being helpful (except for the solitary bank staff member who just looked harrassed, doing his best but kept peering round as though looking for someone to come and help him).