NST Amazing August

greent

CCL - what about something like this? https://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/epph5w/electriq-epph5w?refsource=apadwords&mkwid=sTCFj3Rcv_dm&pcrid=403801378975&product=EPPH5W&pgrid=88417093089&ptaid=aud-842045515840:pla-840173355027&channel=googlesearch&gclid=Cj0KCQjwsuP5BRCoARIsAPtX_wErsIkk9k_nNSxP0nGaetowuGjWEC0jUS0RuVezkFSqkFdbly6Uf2AaAgxTEALw_wcB  We have a similar one (no smart app, though) in our office. Can be painted. Ours was from A1d1 and cost about £20, from memory. Can be plugged into a socket, but ours is hardwired in.

Busy couple of days here. Have managed weekly exercise target butthink I'm low on avg steps. Food generally good (turned down 2 takeaways and had just a cup of tea in McDs when taking eldest son back to uni) - lots of protein and veg

Shopping from home - we've been redoing our BTL as tenant has moved out - used paint, filler, sealant from home Also checked a pair of rugby boots for ds3 which DS2 wore less than a dozen times - they fit - yippee!

Use it up - sent son back to uni with lots of food and cleaning stuff from home so he shouldn't need to go shopping for a while:) Means I've also got some space in the freezer for the glut of pears currently ripening:) 

Very few (if any) NSDs - but Aug is always heavy with back to school and uni spends, so not unexpected:) 

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for spending time with some old friends, for dd playing outside a lot, for the improvement that just 15 mins of tidying up makes, for a fascinating prog on Viking boat burials in Estonia, for dh having some extra work this week.

crazy_cat_lady

That would be a great idea thanks greent - unfortunately the space is only 35cm wide behind the door, so I'd need it about half the height, or vertical...

mothernerd

Painting of bins done (until I go back to my house for the other bin), 4 more lavender bags completed (inners sewn, stuffed with lavender flowers, sewn up, put inside the decorative cover and sewn up). Still loads of lavender so can start to put together some of the next bag (didn't want to make eight or nine then find I only had lavender for 3 or 4). Some tidying done (felt so stiff and sore that I spent the early part of the day just putting away 3 bits every time I had to go to the bathroom (also used some dried out 'toilet wipes' to clean around the base and under the lid whilst I was there and dripped bleach into a tiny space at mum's request). 

Made a lovely dinner, watched a film with mum, then a few episodes of 'Call the Midwife' (madly sewing throughout and doing small tasks in the advert breaks - every ten minutes, mum was timing them last week). Did the food order in the last hour and am now back on the bed, waiting for the painkillers to kick in.

Lots to be grateful for, food, chillis and bell peppers growing well, tomatoes are tiny and very sweet, some broccoli bolted but others doing well, the stuff I've been potting up all weekend looking quite well - a few more things to be moved into place yet.

misstara

Lost count of NSDs somewhat but think it's around 10/11.  Unfortunately though there's been plenty of NSDs, I've been spending a lot each time especially on food, we somehow have less than £40 left of the food budget for the month!  Daily and weekly tasks are continuing to go well and I've lost another 2 pounds so I've already met my monthly target of losing half a stone   I'm grateful for losing weight and not finding it too restrictive, a health issue being quickly and easily resolved, sleeping better and colourful flowers in the garden.

Ellie_BB

I've been on and off of this site for years, and threads like this one have kept me sane when things have felt too hard. I don't post often, but I've been lurking in the background reading what all of you lovely Turtles have been doing and 'borrowing' your ideas. It has been a lifesaver.

As Crazy Cat Lady said, this is the most surreal year that ever was, but I'm in the lucky position that I've been able to keep working from home, so money has kept coming in, while my outgoings have dropped. And after an initial splurge back at the start, I had a bit of an epiphany and realised I needed to grab this opportunity with both hands, and pay more off the darned debt! This escalated and became a bit of an obsession, and today I cleared the last of my credit cards. Partly through resisting the urge to spend on other things, holiday refund (sad I didn't get to go, but at least I got all my money back), NSDs, matched betting, surveys, cutting bills and anything else I could think of and a lot of being grateful for what I have.

I'm still a bit in shock, and if I'm honest I don't really know what to do with myself now as debt has been such a constant in my life. At the start of the year I still had over £10k to pay, so really expected to have it round my neck for a considerable time to come. So, I'm marking the 'A' of Amazing August as done. Now just need to focus on 'mazing August' ;-) Thanks to you all for all of the wonderful ideas and positivity! :-D

mothernerd

Well done Ellie. Congratulations

Toni'sfriend

Fantastic, Ellie. Really well done. I bet you feel amazing.

apple_muncher

Wow Ellie! Well done you!! Many congratulations!

What will you divert the money to now? Ooh, you can have such fun plotting and planning... Thanks for de-lurking

Calling14

Happy Monday Turtles.

Thanks for all your congratulations, treated myself to a new blouse for becoming debt free.

I have been able to save quiet well during lockdown, now on Saturday someone knocked on my door asked if I want my drive block paving as they are doing another down the road, would never usually consider door sales people. However the company did a lot on our estate last year and to be honest all look good still.  My house is on main road through the estate so after lot haggling, using my house for advertising with boards outside, got a decent price considering I have 5 man hole covers at all different levels and lump of concrete near my front door.  I said Yes. I could have got the bricks cheaper through work(construction) and got someone to do it but it is such a nightmare drive, prefer someone seen their work and can do it quickly.  No more weekly weeding big path that ran alongside it.. Probably should have done resin drive(less maint) but I do like colours of one in my road. Anyway about 8 guys on my drive this morning nice start to a Monday hehe.

No other big spends over weekend, lidlee app great, saved £5.50 on my shopping and it saves receipts to the app, vouchers and you get a scratch card on it after shopping.

Lovely day out local zoo yesterday, took picnic, grandkids happy park was now open there. Rain held off. NSD in the bag.

Right off to sort out bank accounts and car insurance before bosses back in.

Grateful for

long relaxing weekend, had Friday off as well

Hair cut, thinned out and straw colour streaks now looking much better colour.

Good night sleep last night.