NST February frugality and frolics

mothernerd

Arrived at mum's with bags stuffed full of things DS3 and Beloved would leave to rot. Have been hiding in the bedroom most of the afternoon as the girl who does mum's nails elected to come to the plague house and I cannot cope with the smell.

I keep whizzing through the living room to the kitchen to make food and drinks and deal with the washing up. Keep checking to see if the living room air is breathable yet (no). Might have to sleep on the dining room floor or open the door wide to flush it out after mum has gone to bed. I will manage one way or another.

No money spent, ate from mum's stores and things I brought from home - cauli / broccoli / mushrooms and pasta in cheese sauce and tuna butties (mum has decided the bread I bought last week is too dry). Mum has had soup and boiled eggs with toast soldiers (minor complaint as the toast was not completely burnt).

Lots of aches from yesterday's exercise and walking. Have been to the library this morning without the walker. Walking round the car park may have to start again next week.

Today I am grateful for aches and pains (means I still have muscles hidden away), for lovely inexpensive but satisfying food and for time to read my book.

greent

F Food Expenditure.
Downshifting etc.

E Excursions and entertainment should be planned

B Budgets set. Food reduced to £350 - plus a special extra Brexi-pocalypse budget of £50
Food £153.75/ 350 (OH went shopping whilst I was at work and bought several items not on the list and definitely not needed)
Brexi-pocalypse £14.00/ 50

U Useful leftoversWill carry on with frogs. None today -

A Aim to take your lunch n/a

R Remind yourself of what you have and be grateful. Today - poached eggs on yummy HM seeded wholemeal toast for brunch, unexpected small tw1rl choc being given to me at work (unexpected choc always a bonus! ), tonight's tv

Y You should pay your debt/ savings first transferred £5 to hol fund re bank 'reward' arriving

S Spend Free Days (SFDs). 2

U Use it up. Food from stores inc a weird chilli from freezer for dinner (slightly soapy tasting - but wasn't going to waste it! (and there's 2 more portions left in the freezer.... sigh)

I Indoors/outdoors. Regular exercise Walking. Not today -but steps and floors achieved - mainly thanks to work (again)! Indoors - being a hermit. - will light candles shortly and settle down for H0lby and S1lent W1tness

V Vending machines etc, None today

A Advance planning. As neither OH or I have any fixed plans tomorrow he is on about going out.... maybe

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for my counsellor, for having time before the bus to buy some items and also put them in the foodbank box, for getting a run done, for a lovely email from the posh school, for my sock knitting coming on quickly (as it jolly well should, using 6.5mm needles!), for dd enjoying her swim lesson, for getting a swim myself, for the fog making things all mysterious.

ilovetea

NSD today. First this moth so now 4/18. Only bought bread and T.V. mag.
That was the most exiting thing I've done
Using food from stores.Today mince with lots of veggies. 4 portions so some for the freezer.
Tesc* order done for Thursday.


MOTHERNERD I am trying to tame m cupboard but it keeps fighting back :mad:

ilovetea.xx

bizzie

Finally up and running online. The Gremlins stayed over this weekend and caused havoc. Bagged 2/18 NSDs.

F Food Expenditure looking to try out a few new recipes to replace bought snacks.
E Excursions and entertainment have been planned mostly low-cost activities.
B Budgets have been set for the month and are monitored against monthly and annual figures.
R Reduce your planned food expenditure aiming for a 10% reduction this month
U Useful leftovers. continuing to list the never-ending list of frogs
A Aim to take your lunch to every day will do unless planned / budgeted as part of an excursion.
R Remind yourself of what you have and be grateful am thankful that I have what I need.
Y You should pay to your debt or savings first and live on what is left all payments due for the month are covered. Have been thinking about how to improve finances. 1p challenge underway.
S Spend Free Days (SFDs) aiming for 18 but will spend if it’s a better offer – making use of MOCs, multibuys - but only on stuff I would be purchasing anyway
U Use it up plenty of ys items in the freezer giving choice to meal plan.
R Regular check ins are recommended, daily if possible I read everyday but don’t always get round to posting online.
V I avoid the commercialisation of this date.
I Indoors/outdoors getting outside for a walk and keeping busy with household jobs.
Indoors adore being a homebody / hermit.
V Vending machines, coffee shops, takeaways not happening.
A Advance planning still improvement to be had in meal planning. Giving thought to what to grow this year.
L Let the challenge commence now underway.

Lovelifeloveliving

Hi all

Ponypal I hope you are recovering.
Shrewbie Good luck in your new home. Sorry to hear about your relationship.

F Food Expenditure. Decide on your food expenditure for the month - do not exceed it.
£200 per month. £0/£200

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.
Updated budget on spreadsheet with direct debits.

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.
Used up some vegetables in the fridge and made soup to take to work for lunch tomorrow.
Two frogs crossed off the list.

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 clean house, surviving mother and daughter circuit training, a warm home and an early night.

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.
4/18.

R Regular check ins are recommended, daily if possible.
I'm here.

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.
10000 steps.
Mother and daughter circuit training.

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).
None

A Advance planning.
Meal planning and making meals from scratch (no food waste) are your friends.
Lunch prepared to take to work tomorrow.

Have a good evening. Xx

misstara

Food expenditure - £45.06/£170

Budgets - OH gave me £20 to go towards food/petrol, YNAB updated

Useful leftovers - no frogs ticked off today

Aim to take your lunch to work every day - done, yummy frittata and salad again

Remind yourself of what you have and be grateful - chat with my brother, fakeaway egg fried rice, coffee, relaxing evening with OH, a NSD

You should pay to your debt or savings first and live on what is left - nothing paid today

Spend Free Days - no spends today so 3/18

Exercise is important - nothing today

sashanut

Hi all :j

Have to make sure I don't get mixed up with my days as I did my CS shift today - normal for Tuesday - but then friend came round for visit as I am at the dentists tomorrow afternoon, not my fav & will be expensive...

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. More food shopping today, usual visit before work, but then went to spend a voucher that expired today, so now very well stocked up.


E Excursions and entertainment should be planned. ....we may though go out on Friday to look at a new to us car...

B Budgets None set as yet - other than food - & all DDs already out.

U Useful leftovers Will also carry on with frogs. Need to make a list for DH also, there are plenty of things he can be doing.

A Aim to take your lunch
Don't work outside the home but will aim to take snacks/lunch/etc when we go out.

R Remind yourself Some good YS bargains today, fun with folk at work, bought a bunch of YS white hyacinths for friend today as she mentioned she loved the scent, plus I know she struggles with these days early in the year.

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 1/18

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. Got bits for animals today, used up a YS Chinese meal today for Chinese New Year (of the pig). I am a Dragon, DH is a Rat. When I told him, he already knew he was fgs

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. No gardening today but lots of exercise in CS shift. Mega amounts of stuff coming through the door.


Indoors - being a hermit. Did some of the complex knitting & didn't have to rip back any of the rows, must be a record.


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. Have not inventoried yet , will do tomorrow.

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. Also have lots of pots of paint for projects inside & outside the house - once decluttered enough to decorate..


Go Turtles!!!

Maisie_M

[FONT=&quot]Food Expenditure – Setting a budget of £200 - spend £59.70[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
E Excursions and entertainment – none[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]B[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Budgets [/FONT][FONT=&quot]all set[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]R Reduce your planned food expenditure in accordance with the table below – done[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]U Useful leftovers. used up left over turkey from Christmas in a risotto[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
A Aim to take your lunch to work every day – last night’s left overs for lunch (again [/FONT][FONT=&quot]😊[/FONT][FONT=&quot])[/FONT][FONT=&quot]

R Remind yourself of what you have and be grateful. for a good parents night for DS2 last night[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
Y You should pay to your debt or savings first and live on what is left. dds done[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
S Spend Free Days (SFDs). 3/18 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]U Use it up. left over xmas turkey – only two bags left in the freezer now[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
R Regular check ins are recommended. here

V have steak in the freezer already which DH and I will have and we are getting each other the matching Dark and Light Night Furies [/FONT][FONT=&quot]😊[/FONT][FONT=&quot] which we love[/FONT][FONT=&quot]

I Indoors/outdoors. steps done today[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
V Vending machines, coffee shops, takeaways – none[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
A Advance planning. Meal planning – stuck to this so far this week 3/3[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
L Let the challenge commence at midnight on 1st February 2019 and end on 28th February 2019 at midnight.[/FONT]

mothernerd

It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.
Charles Darwin

Without change there would be no butterflies.

In the waves of change we find our true direction.

Try not to resist the changes that come your way. Instead let life live through you. And do not worry that your life is turning upside down. how do you know that the side you are used to is better than the one to come.

Change comes in many forms. Large or small, welcome or not, we often find it unsettling and try to remain the 'stability' of our lives.

Some changes are long-term and can be planned. I have a five year plan to change the physical layout of my garden (back yard) so that I can continue to enjoy growing some food but I may also need to consider what I grow.

I also have tentative plans for the kitchen (next and last) but am still hoping to find some temporary solutions (basket drawers to fit inside my existing cupboards) for a few more years.

In the past year (with lots of help from my fellow turtles) I have accepted that keeping ready chopped onions in the freezer is not 'lazy', just a way of bypassing a job that is becoming increasingly difficult. I had a mini lbm when i realised that it was putting me off cooking as so many things start with chopping onions. Cooking from scratch is healthier and mostly cheaper and if frozen onions let me do that, so be it.

We can also make positive changes to out lives. Small changes can make a big difference so I'm starting again with eating more vegetables and doing 3 x 15 minute 'housework' sessions (will include the garden and a lot of decluttering) a day as well as small tasks like putting away/ removing 3 things from each room before I leave it, leaving a room a little bit tidier than it was (good way of not getting overwhelmed).