NST February frugality and frolics

cuddlymarm

Hi guys
I’m calling my February grocery spend at £141.77. £18 over my planned spend but I’m fully stocked again and we decided to do a speed week with SW which has meant extra veg and fruit spends, but it will be worth it when I don’t have to pay weekly subs.
This month has been quite successful, bills paid, savings put away.
Next month will be quite a spendy month, with 5 birthday presents, a hen weekend and a family night out. Also we have to pay the balance on our holiday in July. So February being a good month has as least given me a running start on March.
I’m hoping for another NSD tomorrow so will report back tomorrow for the finish of the month.
Have a good day guys
Cuddles

mothernerd

Sometimes I wonder if all the purchases we make throughout life begin to add up against us in ways we don't fully comprehend

We purchase
We collect
We organise

And while we believe we can successfully manage all our purchases without intrusion into our lives, I wonder if we've sacrificed more than we realise.
Joshua Becker

You may not feel that you have the strength to endure the changes you are going through ..... but you Do. It's going to be okay. You will make it through this.

Sometimes what you thought would be, isn't....but what's going to be is better.... hang on in there... good things are coming to you.

Hugs turtles.

dolly84

Yesterday was a NSD, first one in a while. Last day at work today as my temporary contract has ended, the lovely staff bought me flowers and a card, there is a vacancy at another site which I am going to apply for so my 6 months there might hold me in good stead.


Today is DH's payday, this is our main source of income (only income again now), all money has been allocated to the relevant savings pots and have paid the money we owed on our credit card, there is still a balance to pay on there which will be paid when DH gets the money from work. Also paid off a small overdraft on another account, it is a free overdraft so I use it like a cc and pay it off on payday.


Today should be another NSD, I have paid for the kids bus fares but that money is set aside at the beginning of the month. They had to sprint for the bus today, it was 5 minutes early - so annoying.


Tea for today is all done, just need to boil the potatoes for mash, will run after tea then shower and watch Baptiste.

XSpender

Food Expenditure - £300 £382.94 downshifted to Aldeee this month and will continue shopping there

Excursions – nothing else planned in February

Budgets –YNAB updated and all OK, money still in pots, chunk aside to pay off debt at end of month

Reduced food budget by £150 Will have achieved a £60 reduction this month against the average of the last 3 months (excludes Christmas food)

Useful leftovers. COMPLETE 15 FROGS Completed 22

Aim to take your lunch to work every day – DH has bought several times amounting to £36.33 of our grocery spend:eek:

Remind yourself of what you have and be grateful I am grateful for 1) The lovely weather 2) Lashings of hot water in a big bathtub at the hotel last night (our bath at home is tiny even for a shortie like me 3) Wi-fi on trains 4) WFH for the rest of the week 5) Home well before DS bedtime 6) DS having a good first day back at school yesterday after tears on Sunday night

You should pay to your debt or savings first and live on what is left. 1 payment still to come out of the account

Spend Free Days (SFDs). 9/18

Use it up Used hotel toiletries, DH eaten ys items in fridge

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

Outdoors. Regular exercise is important – enjoying the view from the train even if I am not out in it. Love mountains :heart2:

Indoors - Nurture and protect yourself. - Sewing Bee tonight, will be curled up under the throw with a cup of tea

Vending machines etc. – Some, but within budgets

Advance planning Started planning my goals for next month's challenge. Still need to list the bloomin' freezer contents. Updated frog list.

crazy_cat_lady

Evening Turtles :coffee:
Another day survived but I am tired again (always seems to be my default setting now). Busy day at work, but now I'm home with my feet up and a cup of tea.
I have finished the sorting of the finances and worked out that I can save quite a chunk of interest with the juggling about I'm doing, so whilst it's stressful and doesn't feel like I'm making progress I am saving on interest so hopefully will pay it all off sooner. It's not a good feeling but at least I'm not ignoring it.
Another nsd too - still not sure how many I have this month but I'm keeping the faith.
My summer exam contracts have started to arrive as well. Still not fully decided which ones I am going to accept and which to leave this year. I need to strike a balance of maximum money without dying under the stress of it all (although I am a greedy so and so when it comes to making money).
Nothing much to report I'm afraid - I'm quite boring at the moment just getting back into the swing of things at work and enjoying having a bit of time to relax.
Also really enjoying the lighter mornings and evenings.

Kerry_Woman

NSD today - 20/20.
Went round my usual route in the park twice as it was lovely weather.
Sat in the communal garden for over an hour reading my book and enjoying seeing robin/s in the garden.
Closed the account where I buy the buddy boxes from the mh support organisation, so no temptation to buy any more. So money will be saved each month.
Chilled out and done self care.

apple_muncher

Kerry - wow to 20 nsds! Go you!


Today I am grateful for headspace, for my counsellor, for my run, for getting all my errands done, for bumping into friends whilst out and about, for dd having a fab afternoon up at the posh school, for a lovely swim, for my bundle of fruity plants (mentioned in martin's email several weeks ago) arriving - tho not yet had time to investigate, for a beautiful sunset.

mothernerd

So, if you are too tired to speak, sit down next to me, because I too am fluent in silence.
R. Arnold

To that one soul reading this: I know you are tired, you're fed up, you're close to breaking, but there's a strength within you even when you feel weak. Keep fighting.

There is a difference between giving up and knowing when you've had enough.

Sometimes all you can do is lie in bed and hope that you fall asleep before you fall apart.

Today I refuse to stress myself out about things I cannot control or change.

So the bills are washed, the laundry is paid, the clothes are in the oven and the last load of dinner is in the dryer! looks like my to do list is done.

There is no tired like end of year teacher tired

Fmess

Thanks for all the quotes mothernerd. Spendy day yesterday on chocolate! I think I’m going to detox in March as I eat way too much of it! Lots of small jobs achieved and lots of work ignored, only worked10 hours yesterday, which is a nice change

f0xh0les

Morning!
Yesterday was heading to be a NSD, right up until 6pm, when I got out the hair trimmers, carved a thick swathe of DS3s hair and then they stopped working. After one stripe. At 6pm... great. So I headed up to the Greek shop and spend £10 on a new set. Job done. So my NSD disappeared, but DS3 no longer looks like he is looking out of a bush, so it is a win somewhere.
Payday tomorrow!! much anticipated.