NST March 2021: a turtle rollercoaster

DrCarrie

Number 22 inline for the queue for the rollercoaster!

Re-set your thinking. Have a look at your habits – I have been thinking a lot about my habits...the urge to spend, and j=the joy of a new things - or things. Given that beauty and toliteries are always a trigger point for me with the CC - i have bee thinking for a long time that I would but things in this area of my life, that I do love very much. Saving and spending quarterly - it has been on my hit list for such a long time. But I have done it. I did it today - Should not need a bar of soap or a drop of shampoo until June, maybe longer!  It felt satisfting for sure, and it made me look at all the websites and see where the best offers were for the items on the list. I will have 2 lovely parcels! 

Offload your excess baggage – I have an essay to write, looking forward to offloading that! But then, I would like to clear out my drawers and the outside cupboard. 

Listen to people carefully and make them feel appreciated by doing so - Listenitng carefully is part of what I do for a living. I am going to show people I appreciate them by doing that, but also in other ways...too. Nit quite sure yet how though. 

Learn something new, or do something you haven’t done in a while - I will make one garment from start to finish. Its over a year since I did that. 

Eat well – I am usually rellay very good at this. 

Rest well too – Sleep can be a problem for me, I will do my best. I think I rest a bit too much, and don't do enough or sleep enough. 

Cherish - I'm in!

Out and about. ... I really would like to get out at least 5 days a week. 

Aim for 17 NSDs. - I am in, did a big spend up today, and will try ot only hvae one more spend day this week. It really sharpens the mind the NSD's, planning means no extra bits going in the basket or extra trips, with extra bits! It really does help the finances. 

Sow some seeds. Well, I am defintaely studying and practicing yoga and meditation. But would like to sow a few seeds in my pots.

Think about and ponder the year ahead. There are plans afoot, and potentially a big move. There is lots to consider and lots of budgets to work out. Going back to work in the real world...now that is a thing to ponder!

Extend a hand to others – I will do one foodbank donation, and one Beautybank donation. 

Rules:

-the rollercoaster ride lasts for the month of March, all 31 days of it.

-set your budget before the month starts - gotta know what you're aiming for! - Done

-put £5 aside and treat yourself in the last week of the month. What can you get for your money? - Lovely....I will ponder, maybe nail varnish. 

-let us know how you are doing – aim to post daily. No turtle gets left behind.

 Today was a big old spend up, and I loved it, but also loved it that I won't need to spend. Need to do a proper food plan, and get some veg and basics in though. 

Grateful for:

- A lovely weekend with my girlfreind

- feeling a bit better

- Special offers! - Making the most of them, but not getting pulled in either! Quite an accomlishment!

mothernerd

My Day
Mum had two appointments today so up with the lark, taxi to infirmary (mum asked what time for the taxi, I said 1/4 to the hour, she said we'd be late so made it half past nine and we were there 20 minutes early). Allowed to sit in waiting room (most of the chairs have been taken out) then set off to walk down the corridors to audiology. We were allowed to wait there for the 15 minutes whilst they fixed the tubes and put new batteries in our bag, then out the other end and round again. We were behind an old lady who was very slow so I was giving her lots of space. When we went out the old lady ended up between us so we ended up quite a distance apart (two people were getting parking slips at the machine at the bottom of the ramp). A couple of covidiots overtook me and the old lady and then she nearly fell so I decided to stick with her until she got where she was going, in case she needed help. 

A good podiatry appointment (I got the podiatrist to back me up on the importance of mum doing exercises to help her circulation) and new one entered in my diary. Sat outside in the sunshine and phoned for the taxi (they have put some of the benches back and 1 new one). Stripped off when we got in and I washed all the clothes and went in the shower. very hungry so had an early lunch of leftovers from yesterday. Went through the audiologist's remarks with mum (she can't wear her hearing aids with her mask so couldn't hear me earlier). Put the clothes out on the line and settled down to rest.

Thought I might have a nap but having sorted my sleep pattern would rather not and felt restored after some reading and then writing out this month's challenge in my project book. Didn't feel up to painting and stone shifting so went in the front room and did some embroidery (cushion for me) whilst watching 'Unforgotten'. Used the pasta/ extra veg cooked in a 'pasta/ cauli cheese mash up' and similar for mum with a tomatoey sauce. Brought washing in, walked to the post box to post 5 cards for mum, locked up. Have done a little bit of tidying (was looking for a foil of one of my pills from last prescription and found a few more bits to add to bits that were sorted) and been to the bins a few times.

Plans for the month
Reset Making self-care my absolute priority. This includes eating well, exercising and doing things I enjoy/ love. Today's appointments were helpful because mum has not been doing some of the basic maintenance she should, so going to keep reminding her to do these (which will give me time to get on with other things).
Offload Still lots of clutter to clear (lots of mum stuff that I'm not allowed to throw) but am going to focus on finishing off some craft projects and working on setting up the garden 'structure' (clearing the space and setting up 3 raised beds instead of multiple pieces of wood will be a great help, will also get buckets of stones and soil where they belong - have to dig out the space and level it first). Can't offload mum but will try to deflect her attention to other things rather than deciding what I should be doing every minute of the day and how (like not wearing my 'best' wellies for painting - I only have one pair, my old ones leaked for 5 years before I managed to find replacements and I've been wearing mum's and her partner's old one for most of that 5 years).
Listen  'T'will be mostly mum and I will be selective (tune out when she's telling me the same thing for the third time) but attentive.
Learn something new. Probably some craft projects (like a mother's day card) and continue to try new recipes (especially veggie/ vegan).
Eat well yes - lots of veggies and use ups
Rest well yes. Exercise  planning low impact workouts (punch in slow motion with no sharp movements)
Cherish (have had a David Cassidy earworm all day) Will start some expanded gratitudes and habit tracking in my mindfulness book. Will also cherish mum and myself.
Out and about Although I have been doing tough boring jobs, I am really enjoying being out in the yard. I have a few minutes just sitting on a garden chair whenever I need to.
Aim for 17 NSDs At the moment I'm counting every day that money is spent eg today counts as a spend day even though mum paid for the taxis and it was with vouchers that were paid for last April (and we have loads because we haven't been anywhere). I need to have as few spend days as possible (more in budgets) and travelling to appointments is medical.
Sow some seeds Already have some on the go but want more. I will have to go into town to collect my new glasses when they are ready and intend to pay some cash into the bank, collect my puzzle mag (must have put the order in too late, hoping subscription starts next month), visit the community shop and go to Wilco for another 50 litre bag of compost (and a few other things - like more builder's buckets for a £1 each if they have them in stock). Hoping the effort I am putting into shifting stones and soil and building raised beds (and putting the polytunnels back in place) will bear fruit later (no more getting down on the floor to do things).
Think Ponder the year ahead - pondering in full swing.
Extend a hand will do (May do some gate/ window things for mums, children and dog walkers - make people smile).
RULES
Budgets
At the moment my Carer's Allowance goes in the bank and all the standing orders/ direct debits for my house go out of it. This leaves me with a monthly deficit of £4.50 but in May when DS3 recommences paying me his share towards the household, I should start increasing my savings quite significantly (he paid me several months in advance so that I could pay the WTC people for the 'overpayment' they made - they returned the money but were probably able to celebrate getting me to end my claim and close my business). Mum is paying all the bills here but I have set sensible limits on what I can spend (despite mum's conviction that I am hellbent on spending all her money, her bank balance continues to rise each month) so I'm counting any days when money is spent. This will be a spendy week because I have to go for my glasses (cost of the glasses cancels out the 2 Council Tax 'free' months). This month I will also be allocating myself a personal spending limit - probably £50.  I have reached the top of the vaccination tree and have the choice of taxiing both ways (estimating £20 each way as getting to the airport costs that and it's roughly the same sort of distance) or going on 'an awfully big adventure' involving 3 or more bus/ train/ tram rides and being out most of the day. I'm leaning towards the adventure (still need to plot public transport times to each of 3 possible venues) in which case I will have a healthy balance. I'm not planning to make this a regular feature. 
£5 treat  may not take this if I've already 'overspent' (aka spending anything at all other than money given to me as presents). I am planning on more pampering, more healthy habits, lots more fun and finding humour in all situations.
Report daily Here I am. Today I am grateful for having a plan, for the NHS and all it's wonderful workers and volunteers, for every time I woke up during the night, checked the time and realised I could sleep for a while longer.

Porridgecat

I've had a think about this month's challenge:

Re-set your thinking. I've allowed myself to become less self sufficient in some areas, too often easier to let MrPorridge do things than work out how to do them for myself if its outside my comfort zone.

Offload your excess baggage – definitely stuff, continue to declutter and find ways to do this

Listen to people carefully and make them feel appreciated by doing so. Need to do this more with MrPorridge

Learn something new, Not sure what, I'll have to ponder this one.

Eat well – Need to do this, I've eaten really badly this lockdown, especially the days when I go into school, something to do with the totes of crisps in my classroom.

Rest well too – my sleep is really bad at the moment, unfortunately I think some of it might be hormonal.

Cherish each day and tell us of at least 3 gratitudes for it. Will try and do this

Out and about. Spent some time pottering around the garden and did feel better for it. 

Aim for 17 NSDs. Today wasn't one! had to pop into Lidl for something for MIL and cleaned up the reduced section, lots of good bits for 90p

Sow some seeds. I have already planted tomatoes, peppers and chillies. They're from ones in the kitchen, I always do tomatoes this way but haven't tried peppers or chillies before, I shall see. 

Think about and ponder the year ahead. Lots to ponder with all the changes going on at work.

Extend a hand to others – I'll carry on doing the food drops through school and Fareshare (curious vegetables included) donations to cat charity in Corfu and wildlife and cat charities in the UK. I need to rethink and probably increase monthly payment to MSF as I am aware we give lots more to animal charities than humans.

Today I am grateful for an unusually affectionate and cuddly cat, yellow sticker bargains to help the food budget and MrPorridge who puts up with a lot and agrees to me spending some of his hard earned cash on neutering foreign kitties.

apple_muncher

Mothernerd - could you adventures to the appt and get a taxi back? Halves the costs but you still get a fair whack of time out.

mothernerd

apple_muncher said:

Mothernerd - could you adventures to the appt and get a taxi back? Halves the costs but you still get a fair whack of time  

One anybus ticket will do for the whole day and there is a day ticket that covers train journeys too - not sure about how you pay for the tram (DS1 will know). I love the trams but have never been on one (Manchester ones, been on the Blackpool ones of course). To be honest I'm not even sure they take money on buses any more - most people have things on their phones - prepaid amounts or what used to be season tickets - one month, 3 month, a year. 

It might work the other way round. Get friendly local taxi driver to take me to where I'm supposed to be going and on time, no need to wonder which jab I will get (so be out again in 5 -10 minutes or have to wait for 15 minutes afterwards). So that's the necessary bit dealt with then could take my time getting back to Manchester centre and then home by bus/ public transport. Wouldn't want to take a risk on using Manchester Black cabs.

When DS2 was in hospital (he had been there all day and only phoned me at 7pm), I Left the house immediately and set off for Manchester but had only the vaguest idea where the hospital was after that. Found my way through the hospital and to his bed, stayed for a while (they kept saying he would be out the next day - they only assessed people on that ward). Got back to Manchester town centre, bus from Piccadilly had just gone. Walked across to Shude Hill - last bus there had gone. Across to the train station - missed that by 5 minutes too. Used my phone to access phone banking to transfer money from one bank account to another, then I could draw cash out. Approached the line of Black cabs. Driver had no idea where my home town was, but suggested an extortionate amount, insisted he could find it and tried to lock me in the cab. As I forced my way out he lowered his original guesstimate but I was utterly exhausted and had had enough. Walked round the corner, into a hotel and paid for one night with my credit card. It cost a bit more than the taxi driver was asking but I had a hot bath and fell into bed and had already worked out that by the time I had got home, I would only get a few hours sleep before coming back into Manchester in the morning rush hour to be back at the hospital by 9 am (if DS2 was to be discharged). 

In the morning I woke refreshed, checked out, found a cheap cafe to have a full breakfast, meandered across town making a few purchases (dressing gown, couple of long sleeve t-shirts, a toothbrush and a pack of travel sizes of his favourite toiletries) then arrived back for the first of many long days sitting by his bedside (one of his flatmates would arrive in the evening with games/ videos and stay the night, pretending to be asleep when the nurse came round). Each day they said he would be discharged, then did tests and decided he needed more blood. Finally discharged on the Friday. One night when I got home we gathered up all the loose change we could find, made up a shopping list of essentials (me, DS3, DS3's friend and two 'homeless' kids) and I gave them instructions to go to the SM, put all the change into the cash thing, then buy the items on the list. Other than that I picked up things at Piccadilly between getting off one bus and getting onto the other, paid exorbitant hospital gift shop prices and again in the evening, get off the hospital bus, into the mini SM for bread and other essentials and straight onto the bus home.

greent

Re-set your thinking. - snacking was absent at first but crept back in alte afternoon. Not too much timespent on phone games  

Offload your excess baggage - 1 flebay parcel posted today, another being collected tomorrow 

Eat well – meals today were good but snacks were unhealthy. 

Rest well too –  poor sleep  last night

Cherish each day and tell us of at least 3 gratitudes for it. -for DD enjoying day 1 at work, for having some confirmed work hours this month, for a gorgeous dinner, for fun playing word games with DS3 (also food for his vocal and spelling), for colourful solar lights in the garden

Out and about. -small bit of time in garden today. Impromptu afternoon walk with DH

Aim for 17 NSDs. - 0/17

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

evening everyone, had a really long day at work but a successful meeting this evening.  One of my challenges for this month is to be in bed with lights off before 11pm and reduce time on tech so to achieve that i will just post 3 gratitudes and catch up properly tomorrow:
gratitudes - lovely phone chat with friend over lunch; managed to successfully run a meeting for work this evening; got 2 lots of washing dry on the line
Deni x

facethemusic

My plan for the month.
Reset habits- get a better cleaning system in place, I'm leaning towards  15 minutes a day (on top of the daily basic stuff) and that would probably keep the house clean and tidy most of the time. I will report back on progress! 
Offload- "stuff"- we have too much, I have some boxes that haven't been unpacked or put in the loft. I will empty/sort one box a week. 
Listen- started this today, spent some time with a colleague who hopefully felt better after our conversation.
Learn- not sure about this. I think I will expand my baking skills- DD will help and enjoy the results. Also I'm aiming for at least an hour of job related study a week. 
Eat well- I do OK with meals, but could make healthier snack choices.
Rest- Buffy, im joining you in aiming for bed before midnight.
Gratitudes- will continue to post.
Out and about- fresh air is never in short supply in my life.
Sow seeds- still too cold up here to be attempting to grow anything (was -4 last night), but I will sort some pots out ready for April. I am aiming for 2 runs per week- sowing seeds for attempting my first park run if they restart in summer.
Extend a hand- will donate to the food bank collection at the village church.
£5 treat- no idea, will have to think about that.
Today was NSD 1/17. 
Grateful today for- card games with DD, a lovely walk at lunchtime with my dog, a plan for the month and some super turtles to keep me accountable when I veer off course. 
Remote_control- hello, everyone here is very friendly, counting NSDs (and reporting them) has definitely helped my budgets. 

Shrewbie

 Hi everyone and Welcome remote -control

Here is my plan for March

Re-set your thinking. 

Work smarter.

Try to minimise food and packaging waste

Exercise in the mornings -at home or outside, everyday even if it is only 15min.

speak to parents/sisters more.

Offload your excess baggage 

Need to stop dwelling in the past and berating myself for choices./comparing myself to my past self.

But be kinder to myself when I mess up

Listen to people carefully and make them feel appreciated by doing so.

Listen to my students more. Really get inside their heads and empathise.

Learn something new, or do something you haven’t done in a while

Planning a masters course

Look into new exercise class

Daily Spanish practice 

Eat well – 

Batch cook and meal plan

Make new dishes 

NO takeaways!!!!!!

Rest well too – 

No screens one hour before bedtime

Meditate before bed 

Try new falling asleep technique that a student mentioned to me

Cherish each day and tell us of at least 3 gratitudes for it.

Will do!

Out and about. 

Gym membership has ended and I’m thinking of investing in some rollerblades!

Aim for 17 NSDs. 

I shall try my best. Will try someone’s suggestion (sorry can’t remember who) of plotting NSDs on the calendar. 

Sow some seeds. 

Last weekend I prepared my pots and soil and yesterday I invested in pepper, tomato and salad seeds and I’m going to plant them on Wednesday.

Will try to sow some other metaphorical seeds too

Think about and ponder the year ahead. 

I’m definitely in a ponderation phase. I know that we need time to reflect and that those times often coincide to when I'm feeling a little lost. I’m hoping that taking time to reflect and go inward will be fruitful in the long run.

Extend a hand to others 

I keep saying I will look into volunteering and never do it. This month I will at least research and if I don’t manage to volunteer, I will donate anyway. 

Budgets

€120 for food

€120 for fun

f0xh0les

Still on 0 NSDs, did a shop last night, but still need to  shop today to pick up all the 'bits' from the random other places that do the nice extras.  Realised this is the last week before the school run starts - I have my eye on you,  Herr L  F&V boxes.

Volunteered yesterday, will have to nip in again for half an hour for a side project this afternoon.  Still need shorts for DS4 - not buying him long trousers for the last 20 weeks of term, he can grow as tall as he likes and unless he starts to look like David Hasselhoff c1987, they will do him until secondary school. -  Will offer his old uniform online for free.

Non-essential shops reopen on 12th April -and that means  the c/s!!

I have only bought myself clothes from the c/s for nearly 2 years now. Most of them not worn (still have the little round sticky dot on the washing instructions) but the S&M clearance 0xfam has closed during lockdown, so knicker shopping is going to have to be rethought. 

Small wins - I used 1/4 tank of petrol last month. There is nothing on the cc.  The washing is  on the line