NST February frugality and frolics

sashanut

Hi all :j

Thought I better dip my toe into Feb as still been in holiday mode up till now....many thanks to mothernerd for running the challenge again and of course to ccl for last months' effort to keep us on the straight & narrow....


F Food Expenditure Aiming for £225 for the month, down from about £275.. already done a bit of spending so no NSDs as yet.


E Excursions and entertainment should be planned Planned Sunday lunch out tomorrow, otherwise no definite plans as yet. Fancy being a hermit tbh. Should be easy as we don't tend to get many invites...

B Budgets Mean to set these tomorrow, have had problems with spreadsheets but will persevere. Admit to normally not doing this, despite being full of good intentions, generally fall by the wayside.

U Useful leftovers Will also carry on with frogs. Found mothernerds advice tip to 'leave a room in better condition than you found it' a very useful mantra, thankyou..am trying.

A Aim to take your lunch
Don't work outside the home but will aim to take snacks/lunch/etc when we go out. Did this for journey to airport - both ways - & although DD scoffed, she was very grateful for the food.

R Remind yourself We have much to be grateful for and remind ourselves daily, have had tough times in the past and appreciate the difficulties that people face.

Y You should pay your debt or savings first Have no debt other than a cc paid off in full each month. However, savings needed for dental work & also for house renovations, so will take care of that.

S Spend Free Days (SFDs) 0/18

U Use it up Keep using up what we have, have done some shopping already but should only need fresh F&V & bread, plus animals food/litter. Have a voucher for MnS which I might use before expiration.

R Regular check ins Here

V Cards only ..

I Indoors/outdoorsMy only regular exercise is gardening, which I try to do most days. Walked a lot when away need to have slightly better weather to do much around here.

Indoors - being a hermit. Very cold here today so layered clothing, blankets & HM soup. Will go to bed with heated duvet & book shortly.

V Vending machines etc Rarely use but do have the occasional takeaway as part of family meal. Maybe once a month, but no plans so far.

A Advance planning This is a problem for me, I don't plan in advance but decide what to have on an almost daily basis. I know I have to get more organised, so will inventory both fridges...as a starting point. Tomorrow we will be eating out - Sunday lunch at a stupid time to me of 3pm - so will have something on toast for supper. Breakfast will be porridge with berries.


Go Turtles!!!

Fmess

Please can I join mothernerd? I keep falling off the band wagon but feel I need to keep trying

mothernerd

Of course Fmess. It's so good to see you. Many many hugs.

f0xh0les

Well, I am efficient this morning!

Got up, deflected an argument (teenagers! pah!) about to happen, did the washing up and cleaned the kitchen (simply could not be faffed last night to bother) put the washer on, renewed photo driving license online (totally painless and £8 cheaper than doing it the old fashioned way) let the two smallest eat birthday cake for breakfast (sue me) there is enough left over for the eldest two to have birthday cake for breakfast (see you in court) and that means I will not eat any. I think that counts as Use it up - doesn't it?

23 Redbush teabags left in the tin, 23 redbush tea baaags, if one of those teabags fall into my mug, 22 left on the tin on the shelf. Aiming to be rid of 4 a day - some days it just does not happen. Keeping hydrated! minimum of 2 a day.
Still waiting for BoilermanBob to invoice me. I hate having other people's money in my account. All banking sorted and all before 9am. Few books I have finished in the last week put into a bag ready for c/s.

Surely it can all only go downhill from here?

Good Morning Turtles!

mothernerd

Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.

Every morning is a blessing.

I am slowly learning that things that matter today might not matter a few years from now or even a few hours from now. I am slowly learning how much things change over time. I am slowly learning it's possible for things to feel okay again in the future even though nothing is okay right now.


Well I am truly grateful for this morning as it's a bonus day. I must have worked hard yesterday. Any remaining energy just left me and I slumped. My shoulder started to throb a lot too.

The bonus is that I had achieved so much (we are talking in relative terms here - my so much is probably what most of you do in an hour or two but so be it, I'm working with what I've got) that I firmly believed that it was Sunday evening and I was berating myself for not having a definite list for the week ahead.

As you can see from the header, it was only when I came to do the quotes that I started to wonder. This new to me laptop doesn't give the date/ day in the corner so I had to ferret around to confirm it BUT now I have a whole new day to play with. Part of the joy of getting older - don't think I am losing my marbles (wouldn't it be exciting if I did and still took a turn running the thread, what weird and wacky ideas would I come up with "today's wear your pjs all day and put your knickers on your head to remind yourself you are a princess/ prince""

The third quote is for those of you who are struggling or remember times when you have struggled. My mental health is fine atm. let's hope it survives this afternoon's appoi (sorry tomorrow's appointment with the dietician/ physiotherapist). i really need to go back to the drawing board and plan what I'm doing today.

Most of us have dark times and it can get hard to remind yourself that it is not necessarily a permanent state. Can I have some of your ideas for the ten things that help with your mental health - mundane, insane or utterly wild (please don't think I'm being insensitive to those with mental health, i have long term depression, have had PTSD in the past and have lost jobs and a lot more besides, because of it. Humour, the darker the better, is a survival tool.

Whatever doesn't kill us gives us a very dark sense of humour and a lot of unhealthy coping mechanisims"

"Tetris taught me that if you try to fit in, you disappear" Wednesday Addams[/COLOR]

f0xh0les

One of my all time best things to do is catch squirrels. It is something you can even do with really small kids, all you need is a park or a botanical garden, a packet / pocketful of monkey nuts (max £1 outlay but can be used on subsequent safaris) and a little bit of patience, or not much patience if your squirrels are precocious. Does not take more than about 10 minutes to have one within arms length, and you get bonus points for getting one to take from out of your hand. It is utterly calming, totally charming and you get to see the wonder on a kids face who has successfully tamed the United Kingdom's equivalent to the tiger.

Excellent half term cheap activity. Mood raiser, sulk lifter, daft giggle fest. Plus you get to reel other people's kids into the oddness.

greent

Things I've found useful in the past (3 lots of PND, PTSD a few years back and a physical and emotional breakdown just diverted about 16 years ago thanks to intervention from people)

* music - but upbeat, sing along stuff (otherwise I'd play wallowing in it stuff on repeat)
* getting outside - sunshine, fresh air, some physical exercise (however slow or short)
* getting something done on a list - a short list of simple things (eg: post letter (which has been written and is addressed and stamped) - my list used to be for the week and have 6 things on - nothing 'big'! Gave me the possibility of 1 a day and a day off. In reality I'd usually find that 1 day would cross at least 2 things off (they'd be in the same area - eg: post letter, get baby weighed - PO by clinic)
* Food - nourishing to the body and soul - eg: toad in the hole (can be bought frozen), mash (again can be bought) and peas. Soup and toast. Porridge and berries from the freezer. Not too much chocolate!
* Getting dressed - massively important to my MH - doesn't have to be fancy - jeans and a jumper (not smart) - but not slouching in PJs. Means ready to answer the door (deliveries), school run. I don't mean make up, hair etc - just the basic act of clothes, not bedwear.
- Routines. Keep life simple. Get up at a reasonable time and go to bed at a reasonable time. Eat at sensible times (easier to maintain if you have to feed other people) Avoid conflict and stress.
* Seek help when necessary! Not just professionals (GP, HV, counselling) but friends and family - talk, help with kids/ animals etc
x

f0xh0les

** forgot to add you are disqualified and face a lifetime ban if you try and stuff squirrel into your pocket.

misstara

f0xh0les - :rotfl: love it!

mothernerd - my ten things are painting my toenails preferably with sparkly polish (the rest of me may look like !!!! but at least my toenails are pretty :rotfl:), reading, watching musicals (the cheesier the better, mamma mia never fails to cheer me up), getting at least 7 hours of sleep a night, making an effort to do something with my hair instead of just shoving it back in a bun, walk round the local park/beach, trying to eat as healthy as possible, having a tidy (ish) house, chatting to family at least weekly and very rarely watching the news (prefer to live in my own wee bubble but I know that watching the news regularly definitely has a negative impact on me).

Food expenditure - spent £5.90 on food today mostly getting a few gf df things that I couldn't get yesterday so £45.06/£170. I bought value diluting juice rather than regular supermarket brand

Budgets - updated YNAB with food spends plus £1.20 on a newspaper

Useful leftovers - no frogs ticked off today, not yet anyway, may tackle a few this afternoon

Aim to take your lunch to work every day - did a short shift for 2nd job this morning and already home so will have lunch here

Remind yourself of what you have and be grateful - earning a bit of extra cash, coffee, a Skype date with my mum later, being able to stay cosy

You should pay to your debt or savings first and live on what is left - £2.26 paid to the debt today

Spend Free Days - still on 1/18

Exercise is important - nothing so far today, there's too much snow on the ground to attempt a run, I could go to the gym but...

crazy_cat_lady

Mothernerd - I find your posts truly inspirational. Thank you for always reminding me of the most important things in life.
As you know I've struggled with my mental health, and I can say all the usual things that help like getting into a routine, sleeping and eating well because they all do help. But I love nothing more than a day in the house, under my blankets with the kids, watching telly. And it also helps me to find something positive in every day, and remind people that I love them. Failing that, a nice long soak in the bath with a good book.
Today should be the first nsd of the month for me. I had to venture out to walk into town yesterday in the snow - I had a few errands to run and we needed bread and milk (shopping not being delivered until tomorrow) and cat litter. I couldn't get the car off the drive so the walk did me good. I did get the car off the drive today to get to my tutoring session (better late than never) so that I can pay my cleaner tomorrow. I'm now home safe and sound, dinner from the freezer and am about to tackle the elephant eating that is paper exam marking (which is truly depressing me as I'm finding it a struggle this time). DD is watching Love Island on telly, which is one of the worst programmes it has ever been my misfortune to see. I shall for ever be grateful that I am not that vacant and materialistic.
I think I will do a deal with myself that I'll mark 10 papers then do something else. I have such fun jobs to catch up on like folding washing, tidying up and washing dishes etc.