NST Penny Pinching GoSober Stoptober

apple_muncher

Chocolatelover - well done on paying the cc first - that was always one of nsk's big 'must-do' things.

Coxy - 5 loads of washing line dried in October is rather awesome!

Kerry woman - I'm impressed with the 365 days of self-care that you are doing. I'm not v gd at the longer-term stuff.

F0xh0les - hope you enjoy your last free few hours.

Today I am grateful for dd's ankle being ok (drama llama!), for a quick visit to the posh sch up the road for paperwork, for the car parking people up there letting me park in a prohibited space as we were only going to be there a short while, for dd chilling out and enjoying her day, for seeing dss again as he stayed over, for leftovers to go with my big a$$ salad for lunch, for line drying a load (just the one ), for the rugby + poirot on the telly, for realising that the countdown to WSM must start soonish...

Kerry_Woman

apple muncher - I just started the 365 days of self care journal this month. Going to see how it goes.

greent

A challenge for you - anything you could change to the positive or give up for October? My plan is to re-start bodycoach during Oct, before then I plan on cutting down to one sweet treat/ day maximum :o - Better but not brilliant

Organise. . I'm taking the opportunity to use up those things which have been lurking in the freezer/ cupboard and are now exposed! Yep - still going well.

Regular budget .Running totals Spends: Groceries £124.61 + small Tesc0 today. Clothing £47.

No Spend Days. Still 3. Bought a couple of items in A1di specials yesterday for Xmas presents. Spent a small amount in Tesc0 today

Improvise. - .

Exercise Four times a week at least Also rubbish

Christmas Will plan this out this month
Have got everything out, sorted and listed. . Going ok.

Banned Takeaways, coffee shops, chippys, etc. - have social budget. Will include a meal out for OH's bday. Running total £75.55 ETA - OH's bday - meal out added on

Extra Income Small fb00k sale today. Running total £55.98

Report in, here

Saving_Glut

Challenge: I aim to lose 3lbs this month. It will be good to be accountable here! Lost 1lb this week!

Organise: Will take stock take of food in cupboards, fridge and freezer. This should help with my MFW challenge too. No progress yet. Took stock of cosmetics, negating the need to purchase new, pricey, face powder and blusher. Win!

Budget Items: I do know my expenditure for October, but do need to figure out those regular annual costs and fees which like to surprise me every year! No progress yet.

No Spend Days: 8/15

Improvise: Located coat buttons which I hope to sew on this week.

Exercise: Aim to complete 5 cycling sportives in October, four of which must be free (won two in a competition) and one of which must be self-guided and in a new location. Have completed one - four to go! Took two pooches out for a walk in the woods. We spoked a baby deer and quite a few pheasant!

Don't Be A Martyr For Christmas: ]Researched options for Mum’s gift. Also learned today that contractors will get both Xmas Eve and New Years off work and paid. Sooo happy about this!

Extra Income: Advertised two items for sale on FB. Total sales for Oct: £70.15.

Shrewbie

NSD 9/15 today! Still doing well on the freeze. Will have to break it tomorrow though when I do a food shop. Not so good on drinking, but only had 2 glasses of wine today. Have been feeling very strange and disillusioned with life this week. I had expected to feel a lot better for not drinking and it hasn't made as much difference as I thought it would. However I am so grateful for lovely people making me feel better. Hugs to everyone.

WelshKitty85

Sorry I've been rubbish at posting. I've lost track a bit of where I'm upto, but I think I have 7 NSDs in the bag now. Unfortunately, i did give in to a takeaway a few nights ago. After a full day at work, playing Mum's taxi, housework, cleaning up baby sick etc I lost it when DH (who was on a day off) asked me what i was cooking for tea :mad: and refused to cook.

sashanut

Hi all :j


Challenge: Oops forgot this one yesterday! Don't smoke & rarely drink either, so it has to be giving up unhealthy snacks..Snacks haven't been too bad but did have a slice of chocolate swiss roll & 3 mini toblerones…..:mad:

No Spend Challenge: Do like the sound of this but do my shopping on Tuesday, I could prep by shopping at the weekend but hate going then & never do if humanly possible to avoid....hmm will have to ponder. Will make an exception for Tuesday & try for a 6 day week.. Spending freeze today.

Organise. Start as you mean to go on. Know the contents of your fridge, freezer and cupboards. Plan your meals around them. Cook from scratch. Don't buy anything you can make unless cost /time taken dictates otherwise. If you are new to turtle challenges or still have full cupboards you could try living from the cupboards. Lunch from stores & HM Nandos for supper - no purchases nec as all from stores.


Regular budget items should be set by 1st October. If you don't know how much you are spending on food or petrol, now is the time to find out. Question every purchase - need or want? No purchases today.

No Spend Days. Aim for 20 (high target) or 15 (low). Am aiming for 15 but hoping for more. Now 9/15.


Improvise. Make do and mend with a creative twist. think of a substitute ingredient, how to make an old/broken piece of furniture last a little longer. Mended toilet roll dispenser today, it fell off the wall so often it enraged everyone. Found it fastened with a little screw which needed tightening, found correct fitting, hopefully now fixed. Also had to fix side fence again as so windy. Need to get it properly fixed but effected a temp repair.

Exercise Four times a week at least (20 minutes minimum but can be done 10 minutes at a time). Get outside in daylight as often as possible. Outside with the pooches trying to help DH rope up the fence so they don't escape into next doors garden...also picked the apples that had been blown off in the wind, plus the remaining ones picked. It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good as they say & the wind blew the collies rugby ball off the sunroom roof so he has it back to play with. He's delighted, as am I as I didn't really want to get on the roof to retrieve it.


Christmas Asked aunt & uncles re coming over for our Christmas party etc, gave them a couple of dates when DD has rest days. No decision as yet though.


Banned Will only be chippys normally with the odd takeaway planned for a celebration etc. No takeaways today.

Extra Income and Extra time Better day today & seemed to get quite a bit done. No extra cash though..

Report in, daily if possible I'm here..


Go turtles !!

apple_muncher

For he time poor among us, this may help. Though you need to find the time to listen to it first! (Am posting from my tablet, and can't copy and paste, so I hope I typed it right...)

https://www.earlytorise.com/074-the-perfect-week-formula

dolly84

I took a pair of DD's school trousers back to M&S yesterday, they still had the tags on but I had no receipt so they gave me the money on a till receipt and I think I will use it towards a present I have my eye on for DS, I just need to get to a bigger store.


Whilst we were in town doing that I spent £1.94 in Sainsburys but that was it. Had to pay £8 to a friend for my Avon order though. Debenhams have 15% off beauty at the moment so I ordered two items for DD for either Christmas or her birthday, I was waiting till they had 10% off so the extra 5 was a bonus.


Raining here today but not too badly so I may go out on the bike.

mothernerd

Thanks for that, apple, I think - just ran away screaming (in my head). You are welcome to WSM, leave me the weird nerdy intellectuals.


Yesterday was strange, very. My head is a bit clearer but I am very tired - constantly dropping off, sometimes for the blink of an eye, other times for hours, accompanied by extremely weird dreams (probably the result of having diet coke/ choc biscuits after several days cold turkey).


In between I managed to be reasonably productive - scooped the loose stuff from the floor. Can manage a couple of minutes before I head cannon into the floor (I don't, I stand up, hold onto whatever is convenient and get back on the bed asap). Loose stuff is what was trapped under the far recesses of the bed, under of behind the quilt so
1 it's the stuff I haven't seen recently
2 most likely to be either

rubbish (bn/recycle straight away)
something I've been searching for


So important stuff found and pile reduces quickly as so much can ne discarded.



Decided that I got off very lightly last year and 'normality' is back this year ie it's October and from now until some time in February? March me and my compromised immune system are going to get floored by every minor bug going. Slightly negative but

1 I can make plans presuming this is where we are at - order food delivery etc
2 If I'm wrong, I can do so much more
3 Keep reminding myself that this is better than ending up in hospital for a month at a time (doctor's alternative scenario)


So floor is clearing rapidly. Also made arrangements to get rid of some of the craft stash - girl who was DS1's Best Man runs a craft group for young mothers to help them socialise/ cope with depression and isolation. We have a lot of bits that are far too small for our members to cope with (I've been trying to turn them into card toppers etc but the pesky little blighters get everywhere if they escape - the lego of the craft world). Her OH is coming to drop stuff off at DS1's on the 26th so will call here and save me the postage to Glasgow/ Greenock. This means I can include bigger stuff plus ideas of things we have done/ made - sharing ideas with another no money group.


Urgent tasks
1 Found mum's tax return stuff

2 Phone is on the blink - no service message is most common but refusing to turn on/ off. Needs replacing/ repair (possibly both so I have a backup?) but need to be able to stand/ persuade DS1/ Beloved to go with me.
3 Washing machine stopped working (lights went out). Need to find receipt so they will come and fix it (sure it's minor fault)


Thankfully mum told me not to go tomorrow, if I'm not well. Baby bro moved away from me when he visited - catching a cold might kill him. So good to know that even in this state I am still the most able member of my family and the one everyone relies upon. I can do the tax return and crack on with my room.


My ambition for today is to get to the bins 3 times (20 feet each way up the garden path). I have thrown/ taken a lot of recyling/ rubbish downstairs and dealing with it will vastly improve the kitchen (may be more than 3 trips worth but that' s my target, more is a bonus).


Need to check on food stores - bacon and corned beef in the fridge and a ready made curry but not sure if the bacon and curry are still okay. Some stuff still in the freezer (remembered to get wraps out). Stiill
have tuna and baked beans. Need to get downstairs soon as I am running out of water.