NST: November 2020 - Madness!!!

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for my job, for a beautiful sunrise, for not having parked my car where the gasmen later dug up the road, for my video being well received, for getting a whopping great big parcel of clothes for dd from Pinot Grigio.

ldee2111

NSD 1/5 this week.
Had planned a productive day for my first day of annual leave but I woke up feeling quite down. Just one of those days where I couldn’t get going. 
A good day to note things I’m grateful for today: this little hot milk I’m drinking right now, my jigsaw puzzle (a few more pieces added today), our heated bed sheet, my OH doing the kitchen tidy up every single night, and finding this thread on MSE.

f0xh0les

Today I was brave. I headed to town and bought random tat (mostly sweeties) for the 4dvent calendars and stockings.  95% of it was ys in H&B.  Came home, had lunch, went to get kids from school, went out volunteering and after less than an hour I got the 'I need you to come home now' phone call from DH, in that really annoying calm voice 'adults' use, after DS4 managed to put his teeth through his entire  bottom lip - it was a risotto related injury..... it turns out DS4 does not like risotto and decided under the kitchen table was the best place to sulk.  His spacial awareness is not  the best...... Thunk, face, teeth -  splurt.  Claret all over the shop.  So off to A&E to have his face glued and back home and tucked into bed by 8pm.     Life with kids is never dull!   Hopefully it has cured his sulking behaviour.  I might have calmed down by New Year.   No promises though. 

Gratitudes : Not having to go into city centre again until the kids want to do their C-word shopping (one day only offer),  DH conquering his fear of bodily fluids and mopping everything up before I got home, a cuddle with my daft boy DS4, Jammie Dodgers.

mothernerd

Getting back on track. Wrote a job list for the week yesterday (or very early today), plus shopping reminders (still some of mum's random items not found), half a menu plan (pairing extra veg with bits from the freezer) and some things that make me happy. Today has mostly been tidying. It was a good painting day but mum vetoed it, then said I could paint the little fairy statue (I didn't). 

Sleep pattern is closer to where it should be but couldn't get back to sleep after 5 am so took all my pills. Later on I put my mask back on whilst I was reading and dozed off. Made lunch for myself (mum had had soup) and later on mum asked could she have the other half for her evening meal. Some stuff out to the bins (+ a quick shuffle round the yard). Have a carrier bag and a waste bin nearly full - will add them to the kitchen bin bag when I take it out tomorrow.

More music, reading and puzzles, had a standing up shower for the third day on the run, may do a little crafting before bed. Today I am grateful for finding the bedroom carpet (I even swept/ scraped it), finding a half squashed pack of chocolate biscuits, simple but filling food.

apple_muncher

Yikes f0xh0les! Hope ds4 mends quickly. Does he get time off school?

abundant1972

Hey all...

MIA again. Fell off track with my spending again  So what happened differently to last month when I did so well...?

On reflection - last month I used the cash envelope system and paid for everything pretty much like that. This month I went back to using my debit/cc and clearing balances as I went. I ended up losing track and spending money I didn't really have... I'd be in a store and with no check to see physically how much I had - it was easy to just swipe. My mood took a hit, I felt out of control and my spending on non-essentials (comfort spending) increased. I stopped checking in and was back into that 'head in the sand' mode of living. Not great!!!

Plan? Go back to cash envelopes. I get paid in 3 days - so will have a re-look at my upcoming budget. I realise more and more my self-control muscle is pretty weak. It's like if I have junk food in the house - I will end up eating it all just because it's there... So I need to reign myself in and have a solid structure. 

I hope you have all had a better month  I will do my best to catch up on what's been going on before December hits. Hugs all - it's nice to have a place to come back to and be accountable - even when it all hits the fan! Again! 🙄

Toni'sfriend

abundant - I usually use cash as well and since I'm doing food and other shopping on line I feel as if I'm not as strict with myself as I normally would be so it's not just you.

Yesterday wasn't an NSD as I had to order so bulk items. I'm sharing with the Boy from now on to reduce the amount of time he has to spend in the supermarket.

Got everything except one ticked off my list yesterday. I'm going to do that after I finish my coffee. Should only take about 15 minutes. Wrapped all the gifts whilst watching another couple of episodes of the crown and Himself decluttered some of the sports programmes he's recorded and not watched so far downstairs. Only a couple of things to buy now but I want them to be delivered so I'll leave them till nearer the time. Think I'll make a start on writing a few cards today.

Apart from that I'm just toddling along.

f0xh0les

abundant1972 said:

On reflection - last month I used the cash envelope system and paid for everything pretty much like that. This month I went back to using my debit/cc and clearing balances as I went. I ended up losing track and spending money I didn't really have..

Well look at you being all self aware and solving your long standing problem..... and all it takes is a couple of envelopes.  That is why those sneaky cunning Bank-stewards push the plastic so much.  You have achieved enlightenment!! From now on it should be plain sailing. I believe in you.  Turtle Power!

No @apple_muncher , he has one perfect front tooth size mark just under his bottom lip, he was glued up and is in no pain whatsoever, so off he scampered to school.   DS3 however was dropped at school at 8.20, and I missed the call from school (what with me being on the school run at 8.16am) saying his form has to isolate for 14 days. Don't take him to school.  Ooops! Anyway, he is delighted and home now but gutted he can't go C-word shopping until 9th December. He wants to start decorating the house though.  I am holding out til Friday night. .

Went shopping like a normal person today - with a list and not my normal  ys raid (due to last night's A&E scamper) . Flippin' eck how do people pay those prices??? Bought a small bottle of brandy and a small bottle of Amaretto and will use to make a cake of each.  Went home past Her Lildl and nabbed the last £1.50 veg box to make myself feel better.  Should not need to shop again after today.  My kitchen is going to smell lovely and my fruit shall be steeping happily.

Well that is all the drama for this morning. Best get on with cleaning the kitchen and rustling up a lunch for 3 instead of 2.

ldee2111

Sounds full on for you f0xh0les! 

NSDs this week 2/5. 
Feeling in a much better place today than I was yesterday - been able to focus on working out our budget for 2021 based on joining the frugal living challenge. Tomorrow I'll be planning my turtle tactics for NST December and will post on that thread.

Desperate to do some more clearing out / selling but restricted by lockdown here in Scotland. Although, I did 'sell' OH's old broken phone online today. I will be absolutely delighted if we actually get the amount quoted - £81! I The site itself gets 5 stars on Trust Pilot so fingers crossed! I've had more good than bad experiences with selling sites, but have received less than quoted a couple of times - very disappointing when that happens. Recently sold full Friends box set and got an email to say 1 disc was missing (which surprised me because I check stuff before sending) and they paid £0 for it! And they don't send stuff back. I did give the site a second chance and had no problems, but that time I photographed everything before sending.

Grateful today for: a good mood, seeing my mum, MSE's free budget planner, my morning bran flakes and tea, and the internet!

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for picking up several free lovely duvet covers that I can give away, for nice chats with the workmen at the crossroads, for a warmish day, for dd having a lift home from a friend, for being able to convert the cat I'm making into a pig without too much bother (I forgot to cut out the cat back body - did the pig one, so no long tail on it - oopsie!), for watching a great film on amzn prime - it had Daniel Craig in it as a detective!