NST February frugality and frolics

XSpender

f0xh0les wrote: »

Redbush teabags 5........ F0xh0les 0

:rotfl: I love Redbush tea and after my morning PG tips drink it all day long

XSpender

Food Expenditure - £300 £210.08 spent. Massive food shop done today using lots of vouchers. DH has spent nearly £15 on lunches but has had 2 bought for him. Nothing much needed but fruit and milk for the rest of the month.

Excursions – No more planned and DH has been curtailed due to the horse racing ban

Budgets – All looking good, still money in the YNAB pots that should have a surplus

Reduced food budget by £150 focussed on achieving this in Feb

Useful leftovers. COMPLETE 15 FROGS Still on 13.5 completed. More will be done this weekend.

Aim to take your lunch to work every day – 4/20 taken to work

Remind yourself of what you have and be grateful I am grateful for 1) Groaning cupboards 2) paracetemol 3) hot tea (I have the lurgy)

You should pay to your debt or savings first and live on what is left. Paid 2 CC DDs so far this month and put aside £900 so far towards repaying DPIL next month

Spend Free Days (SFDs). 2/18

Use it up a ys quiche from dec, odds and ends from the fridge

Regular check ins are recommended, daily if possible. – I'm here after missing a few days

Outdoors. Regular exercise is important – Out with dog

Indoors - Nurture and protect yourself. DH out tomorrow afternoon and will be asleep in the chair by 7 so will watch TV and paint my toe nails

Vending machines etc. – 7/28

Advance planning Planned a to do list for this weekend including some fun things with DS

f0xh0les

This afternoon I stocked up on those SipLemon drinks, I have been trying to find them that are still suitable for 12 year olds but was having horrid problems finding anything under 16+, managed to find some by accident, they are identical packaging, so I think they must be old stock, and the new stock is 16+ but some of the new ones contained lactose. Which is just plain odd. Just a word of warning to those who avoid milk.

No mention of new recipe, exact same packet, keep reading the labels!
The redbush tea will be finished tomorrow! yay! Using it up

Kerry_Woman

apple muncher - I am going to use the retreat as part of my self care.
NSD today - 6/20.
Did not even venture out today due to the weather so no exercise done.
Have managed to deal with some frogs today.
Enjoying being a hermit today - also done some self care.
Using up what I already got in.

mothernerd

Did mum's shopping (only bread and milk but added scones and fruit loaf as she was enjoying them earlier in the week and nearly no preparation). Also checked her bank balance (don't know where she thinks the money has might go but it was up again despite the monstrous amount of home delivery shopping I did in December. My bank balance is down but not too worrying - could be better but okay considering several large expenses in 1918.

Mum had a visitor but the baby's were asleep. Passed on a leaflet about under 5s storytime and singalong at the library and gave back the video her sister lent me.

Mum had more colour and was dressed. Food was a mixture of mum's stuff plus a couple of bits from home. She asked me to leave her some carrots and celery to add to the ready meal (for Chinese new year) to eat with tomorrow's visitor.

Finished my book and opened a jigsaw (mum mostly napped) then watched supervet.

Today I am grateful for the yellow crocus outside the church (and one clump of crazy daisies), for the rain stopping and the sun coming out (especially for the mum of baby twins who was going to pick up her DD2 from school to take her to the doctor. Mum of twins is going to have the breadmaker mum gave me.

Later on mum asked me if I was upset about it. I said no, I needed to work out how to do the things that need to be done before I start adding anything extra (breadmaking). I will be happy to try by hand and if I do want a breadmaker, I would pick a simple one not a huge one the size of a tank. Need to get that out from under the stairs as mum of twins will pick it up from me on a day when she can have the car (they traded up when the twins were expected as 2 grown ups and 4 girls would not fit in either of the cars they had - but can't afford 2 cars that would accommodate all the girls + mad dog every now and then).

Just counted out 122 sewing notions and accessories (sewing machine bits, cotton, elastic, multiple types of fastener etc) and also letting go of the set of cardboard drawers they were in. Will once more sort the buttons out over the weekend and see if I can give most of them away too. It does help to say what do I want to keep, as opposed to thinking I must keep multiple sizes and strengths of elastic hoarded by my grandma and mother before me (we had to go through a war you know).

I found out yesterday that my boxes don't quite fit in the cube shelves downstairs so my halving possessions current goal is to get my two sets down to one (sewing notions and reduction and tidying embroidery thread each released one cube of eight, one is currently holding some of the paired plastic boxes and lids after they fell over and sending off a lot of craft paper means the ones I am keeping can fit next to the printer). So four cubes to go and if I get desperate (or want a temporary fix so I can remove one bulky item of furniture from the front room) the 2 boxes of Christmas decorations can go in the wardrobe.

Back to being grateful - glad that mum is on the mend (think I might have the same thing but as I have a semi-functioning immune system I am just really tired with only minor other symptoms), glad to see mum of twins and the twins but glad they were sleeping (don't think I could have coped as it feels like the end of a very long, strange week.

ilovetea

Decided I like being hermit,until the weather gets better.
Haven't been out but managed to spend money. Flowers for mums birthday voucher for grandsons. Had hair done this afternoon.
Neighbour took some toiletries to the food bank for me. Well wrapped up so the smell didn't taint the food already there. Can't use highly scented items so was glad to re-home them.

Ilovetea xx

Lovelifeloveliving

Hi all

Thank you for the quotes mothernerd

F Food Expenditure. Decide on your food expenditure for the month - do not exceed it.
£200 per month. Top up bits £13.50. £41.21/£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.
Spreadsheet requires updating.

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.
Lunch was a bagel from the freezer and dinner was yesterday's leftovers.

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.
3/12

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 tesco vouchers, £6.50 that will go towards next weeks groceries, spending time with my DB, not having to cook dinner and a lazy evening reading.

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.
5/18.

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

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.
Spent the evening reading.
Didn't achieve my 10000 steps

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.
Quiet weekend planned with some self care, a little cleaning and decluttering.

Good night. Xx

sashanut

Hi all

Was intended to be a day out but DH under the weather so stayed at home. Was a plus really as weather very windy & motorway bound to be busy on a Friday too. Bonus was an NSD as no expenditure!


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 £139.56/225 . No spends today.


E Excursions and entertainment should be planned. ...No excursions but planning a trip to Ireland before B-day but looks like they have changed the ferry crossings to make it vastly more inconvenient for us. However, DH is on the case & looking at alternative routes. Will be in March.

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. Massive frog today - inventoried one of the fridges -yaay! OK as we didn't go out I finally inventoried the other fridge, tons of stuff in there, quite amazing really..should mean hardly any more shopping although I've said that before.

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

R Remind yourself time spent in the garden, little daffodils in the greenhouse, bath to come.


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 again.

S Spend Free Days (SFDs) Now 3/18

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. Used up some things from fridge as I now know what is in there & what needs to be used up first. Used up YS chicken with Hm chips & pitta with salad.

R Regular check ins Here

V Cards only .. in the nut household

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. Out this afternoon in the garden although very windy it was dry & I did another bit of the border, 3 barrows of compost on it & pruned some branches that were overhanging the rockery.


Indoors - being a hermit. Cosy evening with open fire lit tonight although not cold.

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. Done Fridge one. Fridge 2 to go. Done fridge 2.....have a loongg list on my phone.

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.. Mulching borders is in hand although it will take me forever.

Go Turtles!!!

mothernerd

Happy Saturday
Make the most of this day
Laugh, Love, Read,
Live, Love, Learn
Play
Dream
Just Be Happy
Live Every Moment

Your day is pretty much formed by how you spend your first hour. Check your thoughts, attitude and heart.

Toni'sfriend

Hello Everyone

Just back from my trip. A bit late but I hope it's OK to join.

Budgets set and DD and bills paid.

A bit difficult to work out NSDs since I'm starting late but I'll try for 14.

We already use Aldi and Lidl (plus Iceland for YS) and HB and Savers for toiletries etc so reducing food bill could be tricky. But, having said that the freezer is full so that should help and we have minimal waste of food.

Only one potential day out this month. My friend is coming up from London but she's here few a few weeks so it might be next month before I see her. We don't do Valentine's Day and if we feel the need of a day out I have a restaurant voucher which I was given for Christmas to use.

I quite like the idea of living like a hermit. Love sitting in and reading a book. But I must get some exercise and concentrate on loosing some weight after all that lovely cake.

Lots of things needing to be done. Must get on and make a list.