NST DECEMBER Don't Be a Martyr for Christmas

ldee2111

Merry 1st December NSTs! 
A wee reminder for myself here:
I’ll be trying to save as much as I can and aiming for 20 NSDs. I’ve decided that I will donate 5% of anything I save/sell to a charity that means a lot to me - it feeds vulnerable kids in Cambodia and gives them an education. 
Setting myself the goal of going for a walk every day in all weathers unless torrential and drinking 1500ml of water a day.
Homemade meals only APART from our annual tradition of a takeaway  pizza for our screening of Home Alone. 
I’m going to use this month to declutter my digital spaces - files, folders, apps, emails, messages, etc. I’d love to start the New Year feeling ‘lighter’.
3 things at the end of each day to be grateful for.
Good luck everyone. X

apple_muncher

I am just so chuffed to have beaten f0xh0les to it, abundant!

f0xh0les

I was terribly busy crawling around on the landing giggling,  filling advent calendar pockets, and pestering dh about the mortgage balance so I could overpay it down to a nice round number. I waited an hour and a half to wake him up!  Grumpy man.  He was not quite as excited as me about us owning nearly 45% of the house. He just went back to sleep. 

Car filled up with petrol first thing, and budgets set. All 'spare' outside the budget money shunted all over the place, I am only £200 under where I wanted to be at this stage of the year in savings.  So theoretically, if I really really focused my wandering mind, I might claw back that £200, (or at least £100 of it) this month.  How exciting is that???? Well very for me, not so much for anyone else    But what it is....    is a plan for December!

Rounded up all the veg in the fridge and pantry and have made a massive roast veg traybake, and a pesto sauce for supper tonight with salad and wraps and I have my sozzled fruit to turn into cakes tonight.  I want to make snowballs  at some point (the meringue/desecrated coconut type,  not the babycham one ).

Have a fabulous Tuesday Turtles!

Shrewbie

mmmm snowballs! I could do with both types right now!

Just popping in to report a productive day although it's by no means over yet... got to get through the last 3 hours of evening classes. Mediated this morning, worked on some of a course I'm doing online, then 15 min run at lunchtime with a lay down by the river in the sunshine. Have not eaten too badly. Was an NSD. 

grateful for...  a free 40 min to work on my course, for bf's homemade chips, for warm sunshine on my run. 

Will come back to set out my plan  for Dec

Toni'sfriend

NSD No 1. December already. I should be on my annual pre Christmas holiday with friends in the Lake District but, sadly, not this year and I don't see many holidays until well into 2021. However, as you say Mothernerd, we just have to accept that's the way it has to be.

All the usual things done. My next budget day is 10th of this month but everything is looking OK so far. Christmas presents (apart from two which have to be delivered) are all bought. Stayed roughly on budget but I will admit I've gone a bit mad with Himself's chocolate and nice biscuits but we've saved in other ways. Well, there's nowhere to go and nothing to spend money on.

Just Himself and I for Christmas now plus the Boy on Boxing Day. So we can pretty much please ourselves. Nice brunch, whatever we want for dinner, feet up with a glass of something sparkly watching our favourite films. No stress, no pressure and no need for perfection. I can thoroughly recommend it. Planning to get out walking a bit and my first pamper day is pencilled in for Friday afternoon.

Donated some new books to the local SA toy appeal yesterday and we're planning to get some selection boxes in our Tesco order on Sunday to take to them next week. So many people needing help it's difficult to decide what to do but I do like your plan Idee2111. That is just such a kind thing to do.

Gratitude today - The Christmas tree is merrily twinkling away and the lights worked first time. Plus it didn't take al day to put it up.

lcc86

Evening all. No NSD here as needed a few bits (eggs, potatoes). Found a water bottle that OH's sister asked for as a gift for Xmas so picked that up too.

Have listed a couple of things on ebay, hopefully they sell. Managed a walk and a workout today. Walked to the pharmacy for painkillers only to find it was closed for lunch, so I'll be heading back there shortly! Helps with my step count so can't complain!

ldee2111

Good evening NSTs. Hope you’ve all had a good 1st December. 

Pleased with how my day’s gone. 

NSDs 1/20. Only 19 to go!

Sold an item on Gtree for £50. That’s £47.50 into our savings and £2.50 to chosen charity (donating 5% of all savings or sales I make in December). Will make a one-off payment to the charity at the end of the month.

Had a really refreshing 30-minute walk this afternoon, right at my usual sleepy slump point, while listening to a great podcast about Amy Winehouse by the Beeb. 

Managed to drink 1500ml of water. 

Homemade dinner tonight courtesy of Mary Berry’s Malay fried rice recipe - it’s a really tasty dish that I’ve used for a few years now. If anyone is interested in trying it, it’s on Y-tube! 

Grateful for dry crisp weather, free podcasts, audiobooks, and videos, and an endless supply of free, safe drinking water.

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for such a beautiful moon when I got up, for having so much, for my sandbag, for the thrill of deliveries (esp knowing we have avoided amzn as much as possible), for having a printer.

I've decided to stop playing a certain game on my phone for the month. And I really do reckon I have had a much more productive Tuesday than normal.

I also donated to traidcraft for 'double up Tuesday' where some benefactors had said they would match donations up to £5k.

greent

Am also thankful for the amazing moon this morning, apple and for the sun coming out late morning and there being a beautiful blue sky, for flebay sellers sending something super quick, for getting some parcels (sales and returns to shops) posted, for the smkts not being busy when I went

3 smkts visited today! But spent less than £50  

Weight this morning showed a 2.5 stone loss this year - 2 stone of which is since beginning of July - super pleased with that. Now need 3.5lbs off this month to get into next stone bracket....  am going for eating no treats/ sweets until the 11th (DD's bday- when cake WILL be eaten) - a short timescale is hopefully achievable!  

Am hoping to get rid of lots of donations to the CS this month (and volunteer in there a decent amount  too - seeing as I am not working until mid Jan)

f0xh0les

Snowballs cancelled, but I have 2 Christmas Cakes in the oven cooking and making the house smell gorgeous. One Amaretto, one Brandy.  I should just about be finished by 10.30 if the recipe works like it should.

Grateful for:  Payday!    Entering the mortgage 88k's,  whoever invented the washing machine, and for the companionship of lovely turtles.