NST - Achievable August

greent

Aim Still on 3 NSDs -

Update (Budgets) done.

Get (prepared for Xmas) Some small bits purchased. Lists written

Utilise - not really

Share (money saving tips)

Treat (yourself) spent on haircut and eyebrow wax/ tint this month

Not expecting many (any??) more NSDs - we are away for a break Mon - Thurs and need food shopping before then (for the brood being left behind ) and could also do with getting DS2 some new school shirts and new rugby shorts. Oh - and joggers for DS3 if I can find any Oh - and I forgot we're out for dinner on Sat night (combined our wedding anniv and my bestie's bday) and I still need to finish her bday present!

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for my pupils' results, for enjoying a coffee with a colleague, for bumping into an ex-pupil who is enjoying his studies at uni, for dd loving her new specs, for finishing some bunny clothing, for swallows and amazons, for finding a free-all-day parking space (like hen's teeth round here) when out, for finding a lovely big button to put on my mum's cardi.

swimminginaseaofdebt

Evening everyone,

NSD #9 for me today.

Sent £4.76 to the EF, have added a total of £26.21 so far this month.

Went to the council nursery today to organise a start date for my 2 year old (not yet eligible for a free place) and found out I would get the discounted charge of £1ph. I’ve calculated my fees will be around £150 per month, currently I pay my childminder £420. My tax credits will go down, as the childcare element will be reduced, but I should still be a bit better off each month.

misstara

Hello all
Sorry I haven't posted for ages, incredibly busy and stressful at work at the moment so haven't had the energy to post. Completely lost track of NSDs, budgets don't look great but only a week to payday

sashanut

Hi all :j

The flowers for August are the Gladioli and the Poppy which represents beauty, strength, love, marriage and family



Quiet day today, which is much needed after the chaos of the last week or so. No news from abroad. Doggie is about 90% recovered now and is almost walking normally. have been busy but don't seem to have achieved that much...ah well it will still be there tomorrow.

Aim – for 15 NSD’s still 7/15.

Update (Budgets) – will keep receipts of all spends since back in the UK, at least for another month. Nothing today but accumulating more receipts..need to input to spreadsheet.

Get (prepared for Xmas) – Wool arrived for gift I will be knitting - colours I think will suit my aunt, hopefully. Downloaded free pattern for it. Ordered some cards for birthday/Christmas that are topical for the celebrations, before I forget. Looked into ordering a cake for my uncles birthday also.

Utilise (free activities in your area) - outside doing the gardening, that was free..also the housework, amazingly..

Share (money saving tips) – already done


Treat (yourself) – I would like everyone to budget £3 for a luxury item, have my cold infuse teas now, first one I tried was nice.

The challenge will run from 1st August 00:01 until 31st August 00:00.

Go turtles!!!!!!

Fmess

Morning all,

No more SFDs this week but I have been swimming and walking each day and lost 1.5 pounds at SW last night

Had a lovely results day yesterday with most students getting the grades they needed for their choice of study/job

Last few hours of temping today and tomorrow and then a week of planning before being back to school.

Today I am grateful for my family, friends, dogs (and cat) and myhealth

GlendaSugarbean

Great news on all the positive GCSE results

I managed a quiet day yesterday and a NSD - feeling much better for it. Today will be spendy as we need food and I'm out this eve to celebrate a friend's birthday - out again Sat but then a quiet month. Still have some uniform bits to get.

Will take each day at a time and do my best to keep the spends down, and hope we can squeak through until next payday.

laurenh1

Hi all


I am so sorry I've been AWOL , I've had so much going on. Working every hour & family stuff.



A- really no clue what I'm on now. Pick a number lol.

U- so we got an unexpected £3000 out of Grandads estate early on this week. What a relief it was , as I had a whole pound in my bank. Paid 2500 off my car (8k left) bought a few bits we've been desperate for - new wash basket, iron, sweeping brush & booked a hair cut. I now have £300 in an emergency pot & about 40 quid to see me through the week. Money eases up next month as my son gets his free childcare :j House savings at ,£9500. Hoping that when my second son goes free too in 2020 I will have paid the car off & have my house deposit ready
G-bought 2 Xmas gifts :j& bought my son a new winter coat. Just winter shoes now which I've budgeted for.
U-used boots points to pay for a wedding gift , asked around & managed to get a free Hoover rather than replace ours & currently keeping check on my Tesco clubcard points to use for something.

S-check out facebook for people giving stuff away. I asked about picnic baskets for my sons teddy bears picnic party & I got quite a lot for pennies .
T-treated myself to the new Jack Monroe cook book.



Greatful for- the end of ridiculous childcare bills (still ridiculous actually but less so), the support of family & this group to get by & still save on such a tiny amount. For my new chickens, for my mums kind neighbors & for bake off coming back :j:j:j

f0xh0les

Congratulations to all Teacher Turtles for getting their kids through their GCSEs.

Aim: Still in budget (yay!) NSD 11

Update - here Miss! not a lot to contribute. Making lists and trying to reconcile what I have left in the budget with what I want to have achieved by the month's end.
Get - nothing else done for Xmas, I should really inventorise the cupboard of convenience (where Xmas hides for 11 months of the year - but will wait until kids are back at school and I can lay it all out on the kitchen table, order, pack and return - that is a job for next week. i will stick it in the diary

Utilise - last day of football club. So I have my last 2 hours child free today. Will go to second hand furniture places/ c/shops and try and get some of the things on/off my list. Then whateve is left is going to come from 4rg0s and the free £5/£10 voucher with a £50/£100 spend. So split your order to get as many vouchers you can. Plus if you return the item (cos it is faulty or whatever) you still get to keep the voucher. It is a loophole.

Share - The only thing keeping me vaguely sane is my ability to make lists. Lists are good. Lists also help to use up the rest ofhe the hardly used exercise books that came home at the end of school term.

Treat.- Today I am going to buy me a microwave - ok, so it is more than £3.

I have not had one in over 17 years. It will be used for heating my lunches (leftovers - cook once, eat twice!) and heating milk for kids' breakfasts and hot chocolates. Winter is coming and soon there will be darkness. Which reminds me, I need a chimney sweep.

dolly84

f0xh0les - I agree with you about not doing school runs and packed lunches being a treat. The exercise books too, I have a stash of them to use up, schools are very wasteful imo.


Payday today so I will be dropping money into various pots this morning, all budgets for September are now set. August's grocery shopping has come in under budget so the surplus went to the cc to pay for DH's new shorts.


Went for a moorland walk with the kids yesterday, took our lunch with us and spent nothing all day. I have to say it was cold on the hills and we could really feel a change in the weather, it is raining off and on here with sun and cloud but it feels so chilly - I'm not ready. Autumn is my favourite season and I love winter too but I would happily bake in the heat a bit longer.


It's been a bit of a stressful week for us, as you may remember we have been having gas problems since last December and this week saw the gas pipe people spending 2 days here ripping out all our pipework and replacing it becasue they can't find where the water is sitting and then cutting off our gas. All our neighbours were fine but it has now got into next door and theirs is still to sort out.