NST February 15 for February

mothernerd

Icc86 you didn't mess up last month. You miscalculated but lived on what you had, then discovered you had inadvertently saved a large amount of money. You learned that if necessary you could live on a lot less and therefore you can save a reasonable amount depending on how tight you choose to make your budget. That is not messing up - saving without really trying.

ditty 1234  I not overly impressed with my pay rise - Carer's allowance is to increase by 35p a week (a whole 1p per hour - someone calculated that we get £1.92 per hour, caring for 35 hours+ is a requirement). At the moment I'm on call 24/7 (not had to get up in the night yet, one or two scary moments when I thought something was wrong), not going to work out how much that is per hour.

Slow day but lots of progress, tidying and clearing clutter for all I'm worth (£1.92 per hour apparently). Things look calmer - took a pack of multi coloured ribbons out and sorted them (stiil waiting to decide on a suitable container), threw away lots of small pieces of embroidery thread, shuffled some jigsaws so they 'matched'. 30 items in my book but stopped counting at some point. Have also made bacon soup using lots of hg sprouts but only remembered that I was going to add the vacuum packed chestnuts (bought for festive season 2019 but disappeared into the depths of the under the stairs shelves. Make chicken, chips and beans for tea and have just chopped some leeks and 2 wrinkly peppers (plans for 2 more chicken dishes and 2 or 3 bean/ pulse recipes). No money spent.

Today I am grateful for lovely sunshine, some plans to improve my life, getting my threads back in order.

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

evening turtles,
another NSD so that is 14.
Had a good day at work (from home). Arranged a new deal from gas and elec supplier and as i was so much in credit my monthly payments have reduced by £30 a month   Went for an hour's walk after work.  DD2 has been accepted by her first choice uni to do a masters degree; delighted for her especially after a rubbish uni experience over the past year.  
gratitudes - relaxed Friday eve and R2 sounds of the 80s on the way......; productive meeting at work; nice text chats with sisters
take care everyone
Deni x

facethemusic

Friday- NSD 15! 
My house is a mess! I MUST get some housework done over the weekend. Between working most days, and home school on my days off I'm struggling to get anything over the basics done. So we have food, and clean clothes but anything beyond that just isn't happening. 
Today I am grateful for- payday, cat cuddles and scented candles. 

apple_muncher

Food and clean clothes is a good starting point ...!

Shrewbie

Good morning turtles

My assessment for this month

15min of exercise - I have managed this 3-4 times a week on average but not every day. I have realised I definitely need to exercise daily, I have had back pain this month and realised its probably due to my chair (will  have to invest in a proper desk chair) and not moving enough.

Finances - my budget runs from 25th-25th. Well I have clearly overspent quite massively due to buying phone this month. However setting that purchase aside I was pretty much on budget although I am going to make more careful notes next month as sometimes bf and I pay each other back for things and forget what we spent the original money on. I was very bad with NSDs again.

Food - on the whole I have been eating well. Next month I want to reduce food and packaging waste and batch cook more. 

Feelings - mental health, gratitude, I’ve been feeling much more balanced this month. I have been trying to cultivate gratitude. The turtles have massively helped with this, reading more has also helped.

Family focus - I have been in contact more with family and I think I am getting closer to my dad which is nice. 

Flights of fancy - I have been working on this in feb and now need to keep the momentum by applying for more jobs and getting myself on the right track.

thank you Mothernerd for running an excellent challenge, I loved your quotes and stories. 

f0xh0les

I have been very good today.  Got up just after 6 as some total wazzock was knocking on next door's front door for half an hour solid. I got up after 5 minutes, and after another 15 minutes opened the living room window and told him if there was anyone in the house they were ignoring him as he had successfully managed to wake every single person in my house, and I strongly suggested he stop it.  He  stood there and looked quite shocked, as if he had tried to be quiet (while shouting through the letterbox and knocking on the knocker, and the window), and then wandered off.   Twit. 

Took DS4 down to the park to try and work out how his skateboard works, and dragged dh with us, and we were home by 11. Then the whole house had been hoovered and tidied (kitchen excluded) and the bathrooms scrubbed.   I have a load of washing to put on the line so it can dry for free.  All the windows have been open, and it has helped.

DS4 got his school place in big school - it is where all his friends are going, but at least all my kids will be in the same school for the first time in 7 years.  DS1 leaves in July so he will no longer count.

I have my list, and I am working my way through it.  Today will be NSD 18,  all food from stores and scones will make an appearance as it is a sunny day, my thumb still hurts but not so much that will keep me awake tonight.

Gratitudes : Solar radiation helping  to cut my bills, witch hazel, having a plan (well, a list),  future scones.

Toni'sfriend

Just after I posted yesterday the conifers and heathers arrived and this morning the lavender came much earlier than expected. All planted up now and looking very healthy if a tad small but they are just what I wanted. Everything is looking much more neat and tidy although when I was disposing of the old stuff I noticed just what a mess some people make. Why can't they just tidy up their rubbish? Guess clearing up after people passing by and dumping what they don't want is my next project.

Absolutely gorgeous full moon last night in a clear sky. I think it was called a snow moon.

I've kind of lost track of my number on NSDs. Have to go backtrack to find out.

mothernerd

Wrote a very long post earlier and my finger slipped as I was reaching the end and it all disappeared. have cleaned the shower screens and put a load of washing on. Spent three hours in the garden shifting stones and then doing the final coat on the raised bed pieces (mostly just one side). I didn't finish but have done most of it. Tea was leeks, celery and wrinkly peppers (all chopped last night) with a bit of chicken and pasta in a savoury white sauce - could throw it all in pans and carry on with a bit more painting. I have the end of a tub of ice cream, my back is pressed firmly into a supportive cushion and I'm waiting for the ibuprofen to kick in.

Today I am grateful for getting myself to do things, for paint that comes off skin easily (it's a lot harder getting it off the sink when I'm done), for ice cream.

apple_muncher

F0xh0les - glad ds4 got his place. Should make life simpler come Sept.

ditty1234

@mothernerd i heard about the carers allowance today, it is just vile, and it must be scary if or when there is something unexpected. 
I just came on to say I'm grateful for sunshine, I have a feeling I got a bit burnt today. Grateful for 6 mile walk with ds, just walking and chilling in the sunshine, very nice. And I planted my echinacea and an allium in pots to get them started - I have left them outside, but I am worried the squirrels will get it. Myst get some chicken wire to make little protective cages for plants!