NST March: Marching to a different beat

sashanut

Hi all :j

Sorry for your loss Thriftylass

Not much done over the last couple of days, been a little under the weather, seem to be constantly rushing round but not achieving a lot....felt very unappreciated today, but then friend came round as per usual on a Weds & we sat & had a natter. Ended up looking through some very old photos of mine - as in family history old - she likes looking at them & thanks to a photographer ancestor, have some interesting ones. Better than spending the time moaning although tempting..:rotfl:



Well done debtfreewannabme

· For the striders: 13/18 NSDs still as spent on Tuesday & also bought mushrooms today...grr

· Set your budgets before the challenge starts - did a fair few spends, need to update spread sheet. Will use cc statement to add up spends.

· Be generous ; Gave trolley pound to lady Big Issue seller as usual..

· Note down Certainly need to do this, in order to get a handle on spending. Have noted down spends & will update. Have all receipts need to log .

· As ever, will do

· Pay towards your debt first! Do not have debt now but have been there before so am very wary. Do have a CC paid off in full every month. Will make a payment on cc today. tried to make payment but lots of error messages, double tomorrow. Paid yesterday & today.

· Plan. Will make list of places to go - need to have it in reserve for impromptu trips out. Still A WIP, but found another to add to the list. DH suggested another day out. list growing, another couple of ideas today. DH consulted - has ideas apparently..Want to make plans to go to Ireland, first need to sort out car but will get on with that tomorrow.

Check in every day. Almost!

bizzie

Managed a NSD today. Updated spreadsheet and started looking at impact of increased bills ( council tax, water rates, phone contracts) for next financial year.

mothernerd

Hugs thrifty.

Walked to crafts and back. More people today. I was told yesterday (met someone on my way to get mum's shopping) that we were doing Easter bonnets, so scrapped stuff I had prepared (not scrapped, put aside) and rummaged through drawers for ribbons, sequins, buttons and sewing stuff. I remember last year the main problem we had was attaching things to the hats. Found several pairs of my scissors (centre only has the childrens' ones and they won't cut butter) and there was a part used roll of double-sided carpet tape on the same shelf - that will work if all else fails.

Despite my asking them not to, the centre had bought loads of chicks, bunnnies, sheep, carrots etc. I found the leftovers from last year (carefully tucked away when I tidied in November) and then heaped the things I had brought - table disappeared.

I did not want a hat, but the centre supervisor explained that they were having a party on easter Sunday and all the residents would be wearing their hats (would be a competition but last year everyone got an Easter egg so no losers). She asked if I could make a couple of spares for the residents whose hands are not good enough to make their own.

I asked about one of our participants who, we understood, was to have surgery last Thursday. She explained that it was only a minor procedure not an op. However, participant must have been feeling sorry for herself (she is usually very cheerful) and wasn't coming across, so I was asked if I could start one for her,as well - hopefully she will be back next week to finish it off.

One member needs persuading into doing things. She wasn't enthused about the available offerings so I suggested she had owls on her hat (was thinking the small animals could go round the base of the hat, listening to the wise old owls). She went for that idea so I cut out six cardboard owl shapes and then she picked different coloured papers to cover them in. Found eyes and cut out beaks, feet and heart shaped tummies for them, while she stuck them on.

In between I played with some part made orange tissue paper flowers to go on one of my 'spares'. The carpet tape worked well, almost too well as it attracted the attention of the 'needy' member of the group, who badgered me to cut pieces of tape to attach various items to her hats (she was making a spare as well).

I also started on a butterfly hat for our 'poorly' resident. I had bought the pack of butterflies to make something for her birthday in April (was thinking of using different textures of card and paper and making feather, button and sequin embellished ones. I only managed one butterfly because of helping other people.

Near the end on the session, I was asked if I could make a hat next week - a small one for a bunny to pop out of. I made a quick attempt but it wasn't big enough to hide the bunny's ears, so have brought that and the butterfly hat home, as well as the sticks and other paraphenalia for baskets of flowers (had mistakenly thought I might make a little progress on those).

Today I am grateful for still having the use of my hands (always someone who would love to have your problems), for ibruprofen and for there being some in my coat pocket (trying to only have one lot a day and leave it as long as possible but sitting on hard chairs for two hours makes it kick off) and for the daffodils and other flowers on the square and in the churchyard (and some outside shops including reduced ones at little Arseda - they never water them and end up reducing them when new stock comes in).

Budgets are okay, could be better but still plenty of stuff in the freezer. may go shopping but it will be to stock up for next month and making use of the shortly to expire vouchers. Mum is meithering me to buy the new coat. If I can get to the nearest town with a Debnums I may spend my birthday voucher and go in nearby store which stocks several hiking brands - been looking in their sales for at least 5 years but could not justify buying when I had a coat.

f0xh0les

NSD 12 / 18

Will get a good few in after Friday, I am off to Ireland visiting the relatives, I will be positive. I am in control.

After all, they are all over 70 and I will save postage on two sets of birthday presents.:rotfl:

apple_muncher

Lauradora - how much do you owe MBNA? What is the revised interest rate? What is your plan for paying it off?

F0xh0les - so they said you should go in the end, eh. Good luck!

thriftylass

lauradora wrote: »

GAH!! bloomin MBNA has gone over its limit and they've royally bummed me!! They've put my promo rate back up to standard :mad:

apple_muncher wrote: »

Lauradora - how much do you owe MBNA? What is the revised interest rate? What is your plan for paying it off?

What happened? Unauthorised payment or did you not notice you were so close to the limit?

Hopefully NSD today, lost track a bit. But my overall budgets don't look to bad despite the unexpected flights etc. Will need to do a big shop soon to get stuff for the weekend, next week and ingredients for DD birthday cake so I can make that Tue night when I'm back.

Wonder how DH will get on, that'll be the first time he had the two kids not just on the weekend but also school days. He said: I'll just let my work know I'll be in late and have to leave early. Leave early I understand as the nursery shuts 5:15 (I usually get DD as right next to my work) but why would he have to be in late (I'm usually early when he's away) - oh yes, he only gets up 5 minutes before we leave the house :rotfl:. Should I remind him of what needs done in the morning? Not going to iron shirts for DS but they're all washed. The freezer is arranged so he can easily see what's in (he's bad for not seeing anything if he can't see the label :eek:).

laurenh1

Good Morning All,

Today is a NSD but I literally have no idea how many I am on!! I am still on budget though, so that's the main thing (or so I keep telling myself lol)

Budgets a bit tight, I have £33 left until next Thursday & we are going to Disney on Ice at the weekend :eek::rotfl: Paris fund now has £750 in it though (would like this to be a little more) and my emergency fund is £1500. The whole Idea of my emergency fund was to keep us from dipping into our help 2 buys & keep us saving in them, while budgets are a bit tight until August. I am pretty confident now that we will be okay until then with what we have saved and that is a real relief. We have worked so hard to save the money for our house deposit and I would have been gutted to have needed to use it for these few months we don't have a lot spare. :T:T

Kids started a new nursery last week and I am not sure how it is going. My eldest is in the pre school room with 3/4 year olds but he is not yet 3 and they keep telling me he doesn't like to sit still and listen and I am worried he is not ready to be in with the older kids. It could just be that it is all new to him still, but no one has ever said anything to me before and he listens at home I will keep an eye on him and see how he gets on!

Off to a free toddler group in the morning looking forward to a relaxing weekend with my kids

dolly84

Petrol light came on this morning so put the last of the petrol budget in my car on the way to work. Our new month starts Monday so I will be fine till I fill up then. All grocery shopping is done for this month now and I still have £17 in the budget.

Still temping this week but OMG it is soooo boring, I think I may die today, plus it makes is worse that the weather has been really good this week and I am stuck inside. There are two jobs here which they have spoken to me about, they are both 'part time' which I am looking for but the hours are 9-4 M-F, who in their right mind considers that part time. I only want to work 3 days and can do 8.30-4.30, but it's a no go so I have totally lost interest now.

I am amusing myself by reading the forums and ignoring the news channel which has to be on right next to me all day - I am losing the will to live.

thriftylass

dolly84 wrote: »

Still temping this week but OMG it is soooo boring, I think I may die today, plus it makes is worse that the weather has been really good this week and I am stuck inside. There are two jobs here which they have spoken to me about, they are both 'part time' which I am looking for but the hours are 9-4 M-F, who in their right mind considers that part time. I only want to work 3 days and can do 8.30-4.30, but it's a no go so I have totally lost interest now.

I guess because it's only 30 hours and not 38 ? I guess it's just for lack of a better word, although reduced hours might be better than part-time.

dolly84

Thrifty - it's actually 32.5 hours as lunch is 1/2 hour, it's definitely not part time, most jobs seem to be 37.5 hours full time in office based work some more of course but that seems the most common so if I was going to do 32.5 I may as well do 5 more and earn £30k doing what I used to.