NST April 2019 - Spring Forward

Lauralozzle

Yesterday ended up being a spend day, but I'm planning this weekend to be NSD as I've got a lot to do, sort out, and paint.

Did a little food shop, sandwich stuff, mostly and some veg. Should last us most of week, I'm trying to eat from the cupboards/fridge/freezer at the moment as it will help with the painting if the amount I have to remove from the cupboards is reduced.

Did splurge a little on equipment for home office. I can work from home up to 3 days a week, usually, I work on the dining table but the table chairs are not supportive or particularly comfortable for long periods of time. I've wanted a desk space for work so my stuff doesn't end up hidden on chairs etc so I have purchased a corner desk unit for spare bedroom (box room) and an office chair. Spent £195.00 on both and took it from savings account (so glad we are now in a position to save with the Credit Cards gone). I've wanted a proper work space for years, so I'm happy I have one now. Working from home is important to me, as it saves time (commute to the office can take 1.5 hours each way in terrible traffic) and saves petrol- gives me more of my day back.

Simplicity - OH made pulled pork for dinner last night. It was lovely, I didn't have to cook - simple pleasures.

Persevere - must get started on the kitchen again this weekend and persevere with inconvenience and mess - it will be worth it.

Reduce - Freezer stores going down nicely. Leftover pulled pork for another meal, will make sure this is used so it doesn't live in the fridge and up being thrown away. I will reduce food waste this month!

Invest - I have invested in an appropriate work-space away from the office. Proper area, just for work, will help and keep me productive and get me in the right frame of mind. Also popped the cash-back into savings account.

New - I am not looking back - looking forward to the future.

Grab - still thinking about this one!

Task today is to finish third coat in lower cupboards, and make a start on cabinet doors and put together workstation.

mothernerd

Sorry for lack of check in last night. The funeral was quite good actually. Not someone very close (he was best man at my parents wedding and took the photos for both my parents and my wedding, but he was a friend of my father's when they were young, his first wife was mum's friend).

The church was tinier than I remembered (previous visit was for my brother's wedding, 32 years ago) but he'd had a good life and there were lots of happy memories.

We did well with our taxis although had problems crossing the road (driver thought everyone was off to Aintree which is a bit further down the road). I opted to get out a mum's for a breather. I also did a repeat prescription for me, quizzed the receptionist about when our favourite doctor will be in as I want mum to see him - we could have had an afternoon appointment but not until next Friday afternoon, did a toilet roll stock check (changed the roll on Tuesday and meant to check how many were still in the cupboard) and ate from the bits and pieces I left behind earlier in the week.

At 4 pm I had a taxi to Icyland, staggered round clinging on to a trolley, spent just under 60 pounds (to be delivered) and then made my way back down the main shopping street, one bench at a time. Fell asleep before the food arrived but DS3 kindly woke me up.

Attempted to check bus times and book a room for next Thursday (mum has given me some money) but the link wouldn't work. Otherwise completely wiped out (standing in church and helping mum get up and holding her up), lots of aches so spent the rest of the evening reading, puzzling and trying to reunite baby octopi with their mum.

Felt vaguely guilty over lack of progress but kept reminding myself that the most important (and time consuming) piece of paperwork had been completed and sent off, several more things had been done, we've all survived another week and have food for the next (we had lots of frozen fish and bread but I felt it needed more variety, to bring down the average meal cost and to keep DS3 and Beloved away from the takeaways) and there will always be more to do, however much or little has been completed.

Today i am grateful for the pain in my leg and arm lessening (more sleep, less ibruprofen), for feeling more calm and in control and for lovely weather.

Quote
Allow yourself a day without worry. A day with simple trust in the universe and an inner knowing of the truth that it's all going to be okay.

apple_muncher

f0xh0les - good luck with the interview. But, on a Sunday...??
mothernerd - good to hear that the funeral was quite good.


Having a supremely lazy day after a super busy one yesterday. The weather here is just damoand quite chilly; however, in the town we're going to it is over 20 degrees higher than here...! Dh had to search a lot to find some suncream yesterday!

dolly84

The weather turned out really nice here by about 10am so we decided to leave the loft sorting till tomorrow and do some outside jobs instead. Our decking has now been re-stained and the table and chairs spray painted, it has made a massive difference and all for £5.


Nipped into town after lunch as DH wanted to call at the library and DD wanted to have a look in the charity shops where she ended up finding a BNWT New Look vintage style dress for £3.50, was £24.99 on the label. I got a solid stainless steel Prestige grater for 99p, I was happy with that as it was on my list, I have a box grater but wanted a flat one.


On the way back to the car DD and myself both spotted some money on the floor, it turned out to be £30, there was no one around so it came home with us, DD got £10 and £20 went into my savings pot which goes towards holidays for the following year.


I have challenged the kids to cook for us all on Saturdays (alternate weeks each) DD was excited and has gone first with today being the first week. She is making quesadias (sp?), one of the worst things to do as you can only get one in the pan at a time and don't get to sit down. There were a few stipulations when I suggested it, it had to be to a normal meal budget, no one off ingredients that wouldn't get used and it had to be vegan or adaptable to vegan.

Robi90

2/15 NSDs.

Have had a day that has been productive (tidying, cleaning etc )as well as relaxing so feeling very happy. :A

apple_muncher

Wow to finding £30, dolly!


Today I am grateful for a restful day, for lots of Poirot on the box, for dd sowing some seeds, for taking another bag to the ch shop, for exchanging emails with dh's mum's friend about our visit out there, for getting the washing dried, for being able to do more knitting, for successfully completing a kettlebell workout, for headspace, for only having 2 more sleeps to go (must do some packing...!)

sashanut

Hi all :j


Simplicity - think about the simple pleasures in your life which you really appreciate, friendship, family, cake. Focus on those this month as much as you can (maybe not too much cake though). Simple day with no interruptions, did lots of work outside & all meals were really leftovers so no cooking really. Appreciated a quiet day for once in a while.

Persevere - I know that trying to reach your goal can sometimes seem never ending but try to remember that each time you waste money/time it can take you further away from what you really want for the long term. Kept on doing the outside, took off a lot of the creeper from the front of the house but there is some we still can't reach yet. But we'll get there.

Reduce - I wouldn't be me if I wasn't asking you to reduce. Think about what you really need and what will be left at the end, is there a better way to consume. No food waste today as we ate leftovers & the animals had any other bits & bobs, I don't consider that as waste. Need to plan menus going forward in order not to waste any food. I had some HM potato slices - done in the airfryer - they were MnS new spuds, YS priced at 60c & now a bit sprouty as we brought them back from our last hols (in early March). They were really tasty.


Invest - in yourself, your family, your home - the things that really matter to you. ATM investing in the home, there are a quite a few improvements both inside & out. Did some work on the climber mainly at the front, the back one is much bigger.

New - new month, new beginning. Don't look back at past mistakes and failures, there is nothing that can be done about them, learn from them and move on. Still facing forwards.

Grab - take life by the horns. Do something which takes you outside of your comfort zone at least once this month. Going to the festival on my own will be outside my comfort zone but I will do it if I have the ticket - hence the £3 spend!

NSDs: now 3/15

NO spending in coffee shops, work canteens, vending machines. If you do it needs to be planned in advance and budgeted for. Never go in coffee shops, no canteen, don't use vending machines either. But I still waste money! Will go to festival, already booked for next weekend. Having seen the wool stash I have (in various places, this one was behind the sofa) I will not be purchasing very much!



Go turtles!!

greent

NSD still 3 - spent today on groceries and stationery and cleaning stuff.... OH and I did some grocery shopping which included some YS laundry products (bought quite a few for students) and then went to a closing-down stationery shop... bought some needed labelling supplies for which the business paid. Also bought lots of cleaning stuff and big packs of toilet rolls at 50% off - again, will pass some on to students. We then went to another s'mkt where something we regularly buy was on offer - so bought 13 of them.....

Simplicity - shopping for stuff at stupidly low prices which will get used - currently all organised on garage shelves. Bought a storage item for DS2 and he has already started organising his Leg0

Perseverance - spent money to save going forward. Some loose change added to hol fund piggy bank.

Reduce - no waste.

Invest - spent much of evening playing with new accounting software...

Fmess

Morning all,

Up to 4 SFDs now. Today should be another. Didn’t get much done yesterday as got up at 4am to supervise a school sports event, then to the garage and in the gym pool whilst waiting for the car. No work needed so no spends there. Did the food shopping, had a back massage (such a luxury ) and then lay on the sofa the rest of the day.

Today therefore needs to be productive as I have school work, washing, dog walking and an exercise class to go to. Should have been visiting my heavily pregnant oldest friend who is due next week but she’s cancelled so guess I won’t be seeing her for a while. My other friend who had a baby before Christmas has also cancelled seeing me, so feeling frustrated at the changes in our friendships. It definitely feels like I’m the one who always gets cancelled on now my friends have children. Think I’d better suck it up and get used to it

laurenh1

Hi Turtles,



Today is NSD #5. spendy yesterday but hoping thats it now until Wednesday. I managed to pick up loads of reusable platters from a car boot, brand new, that I'll use for my son's birthday party next weekend . We have a lot of little parties etc for the kids & they were pennies so I'm pleased with my buy.

left over chilli for lunch today & I'll be making lunch for work tomorrow.
My anxiety is bad today, mainly due to my brother & my Dad falling out last night. They have a really difficult relationship & I see both sides, I often feel stuck in the middle. So today , as part of investing in myself, I'll be keeping well away from facebook (because currently thats where the slanging match is occuring) & keeping my head down.
Grateful today for- morning cuddles with my boys, a cup of tea in bed, hub only being away for one more week & then hes home for 2 weeks :D


Have a lovely Sunday all, whatever you do! :A