NST February frugality and frolics

ilovetea

Hello. Hope you have all had a good weekend.
NSD now 3/20.Stopping in has its advantages.
All food was things in the fridge that needed using up,hamshank,leftover potatoes and veg. Fruit for during the evening.
Went into the cupboard of doom and moved lots of things out. Sorted for keep,e-b*y,recycle or bin.
Grateful for doing some of the cupboard, the rain washing away the snow and ice. Good natter with a couple of crafty friends.


ilovetea xx

mothernerd

I am pleased that so many of you, like sashanut, are embracing the hermit lifestyle.

f0xh0les love the squirrel catching. The first ones I met were down south in a large public park and they were unbelievably tame. So glad it isn't a survival thing and you have no plans to eat them.

greent what a wonderful list, thank you so much. Thanks misstara, ccl, dolly and apple for your contributions. I stopped watching the news many years ago. I gave up newspapers after the IRA bombing in Manchester. I had already cut down to Saturday only. If a story was important enough it would still be in the papers by Saturday and I bypassed all the storms in teacups.

I hope DD settles down soon dolly

Robi80 well done on using what you have.

Moneybutterfly congratulations on not spending and extra income soon.

mothernerd

laurenh 1 when things got too much for me I would sit on the back door step with the door closed, just for a few minutes quiet. DS1 never slept and would yell the house down if put in his pram. Some days he just cried all the time no matter what I did (non sleeping children are supposed to be very intelligent). When DS2 was 4 months old my husband was made redundant and except for a few weeks, never worked nearer than 300 miles away. I started to help out at nursery school (DS2 sat or slept in his pram) as otherwise I would not have spoken to another adult for days at a time.

Hugs Kerry Woman

Maisie M love your plans for dreaded V

Worklifebalance you are in and numbered

XSpender keep crunching those frogs

ilovetea get that cupboard of doom tamed

mothernerd

Well after the confusing start, I caught up on my reading and sleeping. Woken mid-afternoon by mum phoning to ask me to go and open a tin of rice pudding.

Already had my bag ready (money, hankie, glasses, diary, phone, notebook and pen), started a second (pills, laptop, reading book, cables for laptop and phone, a nightie and my toothbrush and toothpaste) and phoned for a taxi.

Made mum's food and a cup of tea, drank water, stripped the bed and re-made it, ate two leftover baked potatoes, wiped the kitchen - mum had had toast with a smear of marmalade for both breakfast and lunch, left the marmalade out and crumbs on the worktop as she feels so weak.

She was feeling much better on Saturday but terrible today. She was like this for a couple of long periods but has been relatively healthy since starting permanent anti-biotics and a slight increase in another of her medications.

I've reassured her about a couple of minor side-effects and reminded her that we have done well to get so far through winter without being ill for more than a couple of days. It is only a cough and cold but as she has no immune system (suppressed by the pills she needs to stay alive) it can hit her hard. We have left a message for the community matron who will call tomorrow and I will call the doctor's surgery for normal anti-biotics to supplement her usual ones. She should have some in the drawer but has been well for so long that she forgot to ask me to get more.

So a quiet pottering day, doing little bits and stopping when my foot hurt.

Today i am grateful for being here when needed, that mum's illness is temporary and it can be easily resolved and that it only took 4 attempts to get mum's wifi to accept my laptop.

Lovelifeloveliving

Hi all

Motherned thank you for reminding us of what is truly important in life and that each day is a blessing.

F0xh0les thank you for the giggle.

My ten things are:
Take every opportunity to laugh.
Spend time with the ones you love.
Listen to upbeat music and dance as if no one is watching.
Spend time outdoors, appreciate and value the beauty around us.
Walk bare foot in the grass (summer, now is not the time:D)
Soak in a bubble bath by candlelight.
Meditate.
Read and read some more.
Give to others and the giving of your time is equally as important.
Learn to love youreslf, recognise your self worth and appreciate the treasure that you are and let no one and I mean no one ever rain on your parade.

Food Expenditure. Decide on your food expenditure for the month - do not exceed it.
£200 per month. No food purchase to date.

E Excursions and entertainment should be planned before the month starts.
BF 50th birthday party 23/02/19
Concert - 2 night City break 24/02/19. Paid previously. Frugal efforts in February will provide spending money for the trip.

B Budgets should be set before the start of the month.
Budget completed on a spreadsheet and I will update with my expenditure.

R Reduce your planned food expenditure in accordance with the table below. Will be tough, but will attempt it to keep as close to it as possible.
Reduced my food budget by £50 this month and will evulate at the end of February.

U Useful leftovers. If there is anything from last month or a previous challenge which you found useful, keep on doing it (tackling those frogs, ditching bad habits and replacing them with good ones). Small changes that last are preferable to dramatic ones that peter out.
Two little frogs completed.

Aim to take your lunch to work every day (unless you have a free
or heavily subsidised canteen. Similarly prepare for hospital appointments or days out by taking your own food and drink when possible.
0/12

R Remind yourself of what you have and be grateful. This is a tough challenge but I am not asking anyone to live on a bowl of rice a day. You can choose to add your gratitudes on here or to record them privately.
Grateful for a leisurely day by the stove reading and relaxing, my DS and his constant chatter, my DB and his support and that the snow has gone.
Y You should pay to your debt or savings first and live on what is left. Ideally pay it on the first of the month/ payday. I appreciate that some of you have money coming in at different times and may need to accommodate existing standing orders/ direct debits.
Credit card payment made.

S Spend Free Days (SFDs).
Aiming for 18 SFDs.
2/18.

R Regular check ins are recommended, daily if possible.
I'm here albeit a little late in the evening.

V Turtles generally avoid the consumer fest of bad taste on the 14th of the month. If you and your significant other choose to celebrate, make it yourself. If there is no significant other, then celebrate your singledom in whatever way you choose - pampering, slothing, singing a la Bridget Jones or hiding under the bedclothes. Think I will be doing pampering. See when the day comes around.
DP present bought in the sale.
DP planning on cooking.

I Indoors/outdoors. Regular exercise is important. Will try and go out for a walk each day.
Indoors - I mentioned being a hermit. I would like you to see this as a positive step. Spring may be around the corner but winter often has a sting in its tail. Nurture and protect yourself. Huddle by the fire, go to bed early, read, have hot drinks and comforting home made soup. Recharge your batteries. Rest and conserve your energy. Guard your mental health. Write down 10 things that help improve your mood and practice them regularly.
Bootcamp this morning.

V Vending machines, coffee shops, takeaways (everything from an Indian banquet to a pastie or a bag of chips) are forbidden (except for those who have them as part of a budgeted family evening).
Avoid at all costs.

A Advance planning.
Meal planning and making meals from scratch (no food waste) are your friends.
Menu plan completed for the week ahead. Shopping list completed. Plans for the week completed (hopefully they won't change).

Good night all and have a good Monday. Xx

sashanut

Hi all :j


F Food Expenditure Aiming for £225 for the month, down from about £275.. already done a bit of spending so no NSDs as yet. Shopping already spent £80.75/225 but hopefully most stuff bought for the month. However, do have DD here tomorrow (the shopping addict) so probably will be sucked into a bit of a spend tomorrow. After that she's back at work, thank goodness...


E Excursions and entertainment should be planned. Went out for a planned Sunday lunch today, it's a small business just round the corner from DDs house. Meal was very old school (Yorkshire puds with gravy for first course). Took me right back to childhood LOL. Then roast dinner with all the trimmings, plus more Yorkshires. Well we are in Yorkshire! We couldn't finish it all so brought the meat home with us. May go for a afternoon tea, but have a voucher I got for Christmas if so. But, hermitude is calling....

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. Did not do spreadsheets today but had a conversation with DH re budgets as he has a handle (paper) on these. Was very interesting & will do spreadsheet to see how it compares.


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. Explored the bottom of one huge fitted wardrobe of doom (there are 3 in the bedroom), I thought maybe I could fit some stuff in there. Can't believe what was actually shoved in there & forgotten about...had to stop as was nearly late for lunch out.

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. Grateful for pleasant day, good food eaten out & hm cheesecake.

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. Paid back joint account for dental work last week, more to come this week.

S Spend Free Days (SFDs) still 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. Ate out & had scrambled eggs on toast for supper..plus leftover cheesecake that we made yesterday for DDs guests.

R Regular check ins Here

V Cards only ..

I Indoors/outdoors My 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. None today.

Indoors - being a hermit. Very cold here today so layered clothing, blankets & HM soup. Will go to bed with heated duvet & book shortly. Ventured out today, weather much milder. Only to meal, then back home. Mental health is generally good. I find as I've got older I no longer care what other people think. I don't mean that I'm confrontational, quite the reverse, but if they voice their opinion then I listen politely & then think, so what? I used to be much more concerned & worry but no longer. I also always feel better in the fresh air, always have.

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. Still stuck on this but determined to change.


Garden prep - up to today - has been going on apace, not with planting as the ground has been frozen but with pruning & some greenhouse stuff. No veg as yet but it's a bit early for here. Will go through seeds - I have loads - and see what I need if anything. My problem is if I go away nobody is interested enough to water etc, so I have to choose my time.


Go Turtles!!!

mothernerd

When you are overwhelmed, tired or stressed the solution is almost always less. Get rid of something. Get rid of lots of somethings.

Book lovers never go to bed alone.

Tis better to donate than accumulate.

Dear Maths, please grow up and solve your own problems. I will not help you find x and don't ask y

GlendaSugarbean

My suggestions:

- Gardening, especially digging in the soil. I think there is some research to show that the microorganisms in soil can help lift our mood. Anyway, I love the smell and I like to dig (must have been a puppy in a previous life)

(autocorrect keeps trying to make 'digging' 'dogging' which is very different and possibly not recommend for MH)

Inviting friends for last-minute socialising or cheap communal suppers.

Knitting and spinning - again routine movement are shown to help manage our brainmeats.

Curling up with a cuppa, a biscuit and a good book.

Heading out at night and looking at the stars.

Looking up into the sky and seeing a hawk.

On the ninja front, still on 1/15 NSDs but has been a relatively LS weekend. Need to keep on track for the next couple of weeks. Lunch today is leftovers, I have a book and my knitting for the train, so bring on Monday!

apple_muncher

Sending you hugs Kerry Woman. We cremated my dad and his ashes are in the churchyard at mum's church, 155 miles away. So I don't got and 'visit' him much. But I do have chats with him wherever I am.


Greent - sorry to hear about your nan's dementia declining rapidly. Hope the paperwork is soon done and sorted for you all.

f0xh0les

Oh Dolly! hugs, I have one like that. i did wonder if he was on the spectrum, but happily DS2 seems to be growing out of it (at 14!) but the last 3 - 4 years have been tricky. He is an expert button pusher. Behaviour improves drastically with removal of all tech. Hugs, just wanted to say you are not alone. I can't say the word is enjoying the redbush tea. It is getting nicer or at least more drinkable as I am going along. Managed 4 cups yesterday.
I cannot believe you all think I am the phantom squirrel strangler! you kept that quiet! I will spend the rest of the day in a balaclava in case any of you have mistakenly ratted me out to the authorities.

I have had to make some niggly stupid payment every day so far, so embraced it and spent £11 in Mr Ts on his lovely ys fruit veg and bread for the week, and had to replace other essentials like washing up liquid and greaseproof paper.
So today will be NSD1. I need nothing.