NST August 2021: Lights, Camera, Action!

Calling14

Hugs to all your turtles and families struggling or poorly at this time.

Sorry not been about last couple of days, feeling bit fed up and lonely tbh. Then I retreat into my shell but somehow my credit card manages to slip out.  Not sure why but I bought a water feature from aldee looks good online bet it will not look as good when it gets here. Also bought a throw and a cushion and made a horrible chair look cute in my bedroom.

Given myself a shake and back today to be frugal as I need to pay my car insurance in a few weeks.

My boss is so annoying today, I really don't get how you can't care about anyone but yourself. Sales girl was in tears in my office not sleeping, trying to find another job. She also has no idea when she is finishing and she hasn't been here that long for redundancy payment.  So I am hiding in my room or I will snap at him today, he is trying to penny pinch in the office whilst booking his yachting holiday.

I still haven't been given a date yet for finishing but luckily has to give me 3 months notice.

Going for a long walk at lunchtime to cool down.

Grateful for

Friday and booked Monday off work

£6 from surveys today.

New knickers arriving today Yeah !

Thrifty_Taylor

Yippee @icc86! Enjoy your pampering ☺️
Hugs to everyone who needs them x

A beautiful sunny day in Orkney, phoned work to say I'll return on Monday. Picked mum up & we visited 2 charity shops, before heading to the supermarkets. Was glad we did, I bought a brand new pair of leather up to the knee boots (I've been looking for ages, but didn't see any the right price!) £3, an expensive branded jumper £2, material to cover DS1 headboard to match his newly decorated room £1, then in the other shop, a replacement keyboard for our pc £3. So chuffed!
Managed to get a veg box at L1dl too.
Put shopping away, had a nap then pruned the branches off the bushes down our driveway that keep setting the reversing sensor off every day. DS2 cut the grass to earn towards paying me back for an item he wanted.
Looking forward to a night by the TV with my knitting
Grateful for great bargains, pottering outside, hubby's homemade sweet & sour for tea

f0xh0les

What a fab day Thrifty, well done!

Not a NSD here, had to buy some cordial as the kids were whining. Spent £1 and messed up my otherwise frugal day.

Gratitudes: My walnut and plum soda bread  is lush - I doubled the salt content -  a heaped teaspoon - it is now a perfect thing of absolute beauty.  Only spending a single solitary pound. The nights drawing in.

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for free workouts, for dc enjoying time with a friend, for finding dh some shorts and dc a tee and jacket in a ch shop, for having more than enough, for my rasps, for starting a new book.

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Deni_debt-free_dreamer said:

Taking car to garage this morning for check up (FoC unless they find something that needs sorting...) 

oh hahahaha - not They found 4 things that need sorting so i am facing a bill of £650+.  Drat it, needed 2 new tyres (half expected that) which cost £199, paid out of current account.  Also 2 shock absorber things which makes up the rest.  They can't do that till next week but do offer a payment plan so i'm paying over 6 months and it's interest free.  Also asked about DD1's car that is due for MOT and service and they confirmed it needs a new cam belt so those 3 things will cost about £700.  The dealer used to offer free breakdown for having my car serviced there but they don't do that  anymore - didn't bother to tell me though.  So now i need to find breakdown cover too   Did get my car washed FoC so my car looks shiny. 

DD1 was going to babysit today and would've earned about £80 but the little girl is poorly so it got cancelled.   So not a good day for either of our finances, sigh. 

While my car was costing me a fortune, i went for a walk with a friend, clocking up 14000 steps and getting very hot.  I twinged my back putting my walking boots on so felt sore the rest of the day.  Glad it is cooler now as i will go to bed with a hot water bottle.  

Collegue told me the chief exec did a team briefing and we are having a phased return back to the office and expected in work for 2 days a week; that didn't improve my mood!  I said i think i'll have to look for another job.... 

Been to book group this eve and had some french cremont (think that's how its spelled, champagne but can't be called that as not from champagne-region - french friend says it is medicinal  

Calling - your job situation sounds stressful

Gratitudes - nice evening with fellow book lovers; that i can pay for my car in installments and don't need to use my CC; hot water bottle for my sore back

love to turtles 
Deni x

mothernerd

I have done some work in the yard, did an extra grooming task in the bathroom this morning. Sorry if I've already told you the next bit - don't know if I'm coming or going.

Yesterday mum asked if I had planned a party - well I thought about it 3 months ago but didn't get any of the hiding bits in the freezer and getting them together gradually. Her birthday is on the BH weekend. She doesn't want presents or a party (last year was enjoyable but exhausting - people popping in from early morning until gone 7 pm) which is a great relief as I am feeling totally wiped out (have an appointment with the practice nurse on Monday and will try to discuss as many things as possible). 

So I messaged DS2 and DS1 to pass on the information. I think DS2 has ordered the rock roses she wanted and he and his gf are coming tomorrow. I said I might throw some food together. Did intend going to town today but was getting on well with the yard (sunshine dried out some of the soil patches so they could be swept up) and didn't want to change my dress.

Started trying to order some 'afternoon tea' type things but hit a snag (and have actually spent my food budget for the month) so have set to with things I had in. Chopped up what was left of a slightly ancient celery - nice parts into sticks for dips and not so nice bits for cooking or possibly Waldorf salad. Three peppers sliced (wider sticks for dips, narrow strips for salad and odd chunky bits for cooking). Pack of beetroot was drained, 2 beetroot sliced and 3 grated (orange juice based dressing in a separate jar).

Cooked 4 boiled eggs, then rice in a separate pan (added lemon juice, boiling water, went to the shed and brought back 5 of the ageing onions, chopped one very small and added to the rice with mixed herbs). Butter beans and kidney beans opened (kidney beans are half in with the rice and half in with the butter beans, for bean salad). Red onion thinly sliced to go with green salad.

Did a mini harvest yesterday and prepped them all today. I have broad beans (green and pink), beans for drying (will add to a stew or curry - not many, I think it was the end of a packet and I had space for them) and two largish containers of green beans - may put some of them in the bean salad. My first outdoor cucumber is ready (saw one nearly ready, then discovered this one hidden) so I might make salmon mousse (bought a tin of salmon for mum last festive season and it's still in the cupboard). Been a while since I made it (used tuna last time) and it's supposed to be done with cottage cheese and I only have plain yoghurt so will play with quantities to get the right consistency.

Plain yoghurt and hm tandoori mix mixed and mini chicken fillets added (marinading in the fridge). The mayonnaise is upended on top of a paper cup without it's top and hoping gravity will get it all out. Chopped lots of mushrooms (mum wanted button ones, which I ordered but ordinary ones were substituted. Will make crustless quiche and chop it into small squares and put them in cupcake cases (checked, we still have lots to use up) and then (probably tomorrow morning) I'll start on the cakes and go through the things in my fridge. Frozen berries are defrosting.

If DS2 and his gf don't want to eat or mum decides we are all having takeaway (there is money left in that budget) then I'll have sorted food for me and mum into the middle of next week (although if I make Waldorf salad, mum will have wolfed it all by teatime).

Washing machine is set up for work clothes and bedding and will set it off first thing.

Grateful for setting to and using my imagination, eating before I started cooking and hot showers.

lcc86

Afternoon turtles, currently at work in my zero hours job, been a pretty easygoing day thus far and we're just watching a film now (it's a children's home). Working until 10 but that will mean a NSD so all good!

Yesterday was really stressful at work, had loads of meetings and stuff to do even though it was my last day! Struggled to get everything done. I went into our office to collect some stuff - our office has been closed through covid as the council wanted to sell the building off, it was really weird being in there totally on my own just gathering my stuff. It was an odd way to end the current chapter. Looking forward to starting my new job on Monday.

Money wise I have definitely overspent this month but managed to overpay my credit card so it wasn't a waste! Have to plan to pay off this vet bill in September though. 

apple_muncher

Hope everything goes smoothly for you on Monday, lcc!

Today I am grateful for finding footwear + other essentials for dc early on, for two friends popping round and taking clothes for their kiddies, for the train driver waving to us, for some neighbours telling us we'd left the car window open, for my book.

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Evening

Back very sore this morning, took some meds from last time it happened and tried to keep moving, also sat with hot water bottle against back.  DD1 did a bit of shopping for me.  Back felt better this afternoon so have managed to do some chores and some sorting.  Got 2 bags for CS which might try to drop off tomorrow.  Had a couple of walks so acheived 10k steps.

Nice to just potter at home

Gratitudes - meds, being able to take it easy, DD1 going to the shops for me 

Deni x

f0xh0les

Still on NSD 9. Bought DS1 a lot of stuff for leaving home. Some of it very MSE.

He will at least be able to cook and eat off (and with) something. I am going to have a shadow following me when food shopping for the next few weeks. 

Grateful for : having a dryer to dry the laundry, asparagus,  saving pots and pans from a relative who wanted to throw them out- they are barely used and good quality. I only had to store them in the pantry for 2 years