NST December A - Z

f0xh0les

I think I am on NSD 8, as I have not spent since Xmas Eve, but did not mention any NSDs  since the  8th.... I checked.

All these bank holidays mean I   still   have not been paid yet.   Oh well, maybe tomorrow?  The suspense!

I have half a Xmas cake left, no mice pies, no Xmas pud, no cream, and only half a drawer of food bits left in the freezer.  So I need to go to a shop tomorrow.  I think I catered quite well, did not go mad, bought  enough to see us through. I expected to have to go shopping today, but managed to eek everything out until tomorrow.   Got given a vegan pannetone in a lovely tin.  That will do us in January.  So will go and do a small shop tomorrow (still only about £10) and it will see us through until next year ( 3 whole days!!)

ldee2111

DS is away to grandparents’ so I have cleared out his toy box, bookshelf, and drawers - 7 bags of stuff! 3 bags for Gran’s house, 2 bags already away to OH’s parents’ house, a bag for friends’ baby, and a bag for the charity shop. 

Tomorrow I’ll spend some more time clearing and  will take bags to Mum’s and CS before DS gets  home and catches me in the act. 😂   

It has been an exceptionally spendy month for us so I’ll be tightening the purse strings in January. 

Grateful today for having the time to get things done, for getting to the end of the month with a few pounds left in the budget, and for staying awake long enough to watch a full film this evening.

Thrifty_Taylor

A frosty but calm morning here on our island. Went for a walk with hubby after breakfast, a route I haven't done for a long time. There were a few other people walking too. I commented on it being a nice day, as feel it's too late now to say merry Christmas & too early to wish a happy new year! Ironed the bookmark I made yesterday, along with the things off the clothes horse, put all the wrapping paper & unused cards back in the shed, then sent an email to a family member in America & printed off the pages to log my NSD next year. A friend messaged to see if I was free tonight, to go to look at the Christmas lights in the small town where I work. There are some lampposts with a translucent semi circle (flat side to the post) containing half a snowflake, with smaller snowflakes that flash & twinkle. Beautiful! We were going to do it last year, but never got round to it. Had a lovely time, taking photos & having a catch up. Home to a tepid bath & my book.
Grateful for 2 nice walks, writing appointments, etc in next year's diary, good books

Thrifty_Taylor

snowflake😍

lcc86

Beautiful lights @Thrifty_Taylor. 

Had a lovely time at my parents' house for Christmas. Ate and drank far too much, especially on Christmas eve, silly me forgot I'd donated blood and decided to drink all day! Didn't end well... 

Have racked up a few more NSD's but still only on 15. Aiming for 17 before the end of the year. Everything is paid for so no worries financially. 

I put my name forward for some overtime at my part-time job as I'm off until 4th Jan but haven't heard anything yet. I'm not fussed either way, got plenty of jobs to do around the house in the meantime!

f0xh0les

Happy Last Wednesday of the Year 2021

Got up early and was out of the house by 8.15, went to the wading bird store, the petrol station (ooh la la!), Mr T's and Herr L's.

Still have not been paid.  Should not need to spend any money until next year. Was home by 9.30 and still managed to be the only one up and about.

Food in the fridge, heat in the radiators, wet in the taps, last pack of tea bags in the caddy. Joy in my heart, Fog in my horn, Light in my life etc etc.

Oh, bought half price Mr T's Earl Grey (it has Xmas packaging- apparently that matters?? ) for £2.49 for 100 bags instead of £5.50, and free p&p over £20 and a 15% off code from v0ucherc0des website, plus 4% cashback (possibly) and S&M credit card points.  Huzzah!! Should keep me in teabags until Easter. Booked next  bl00d d0nation  - I went on Xmas Eve as well @lcc86

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

evening turtles

Lost my NSD as spent 20p on a CD at a NT place !  Had a lovely walk and catch up with my friend.  
Yesterday did some tidying up and put away some xmas presents ; also folded up some large pieces of wrapping paper and ribbon etc to use next year.  Got petrol and a few ingredients for soup.

Gratitudes - warm and cosy home; dry weather and lovely views for my walk today with friend; relaxed evening watching TV with the cats

love Deni

mothernerd

Not a great day but okay. I wanted to go to sleep early as I had a delivery scheduled between 7 am and 8 am. Couldn't get to sleep (tried, light off, light on again, read for a bit, dozed for a bit, time to get up). Felt sick and dizzy with tiredness and couldn't work out what I should eat. Delivery was late so had to phone up, ended up cancelling. Don't really need anything - order went in about 2 weeks ago and we've all been eating so little that we can manage. I have had the gorgeous lamb once but could only organise myself into making butties (seeded bread, a scrape of garlic mayo, beautiful but low effort).

Ordered a taxi for 11.15 am and asked DS3 to wake me at 11 am (needed to get to mum's for her food delivery - only a small one). Didn't get to sleep but read and relaxed a bit, then went downstairs to get food. Went to mum's. Sprayed everything (door and cupboard handles etc), food came - lots went straight in the shed, will sort another day (mainly tins and cleaning stuff). Did mum's washing, took away the melon (half left), cleared rubbish, made her hot and cold drinks. Put 2 bags of cardboard from my house into her bin. Paced myself, sat outside whilst waiting for food and lay reading on the bed later. Mum went for a lie down and fell asleep.

Didn't do any serious packing (one bedcover added to wash load, keeping the other for when I defrost the fridge/ freezer. Concentrated on the newly arrived food. New packs of bananas, apples and grapes - hoping she feels up to eating these in the coming week (threw out old yellowing apples and she made me bring the old grapes home on Monday). Froze two packs of scones (still some of the old ones), had bought digestives and walnut cake (again hoping she will feel up to eating these next week). Fresh baking potatoes, brought the old ones home. Basically I want her to have food in that will tempt her to eat (doctor is sending pills to help) but don't want her to look in the fridge and feel overwhelmed.

Left the milk there, one nasty one poured down the drain (she made me bring Monday's home). Will write a note for the milkman before Friday (she's not eating cereal and having oxo rather than tea and I drink very little milk - cheese sauce, custard and blancmange). 

Came home at 2.30 pm, had a nap and felt much better (but will still be able to sleep tonight). have been outside in the yard, hunted down some items to put in the newly emptied brown bin. Have also reclaimed one of my pans and it's lid and 2 cans of kidney beans (already reclaimed the box grater). Going to start a new budget category for saving from using stuff we have. Still working on reducing the pile of black bags the cleaners produced (removed boxes yesterday and squashed what was left from 5 bags into 1). Have also done 2 lots of washing, set the tumble dryer off (after taking about a sheep's worth of fluff out of the catcher thing). Emptied and reloaded the dishwasher, hung up and put away the clothes I brought home (my main difficulty is moving bags upstairs or into the kitchen), done a freezer and fridge audit (we're not going to starve). Getting them to organise and put away their stuff is still a work in progress but my room and the kitchen are much improved (just stuck on the bits I can't do alone).

Hoping to sleep soon and feel restored in the morning.

Grateful or mum having a sleep, enough food (heavy on the veg and cheese), making progress whilst under par.

Thrifty_Taylor

NSD#14
Met two of my good friends/colleagues at the sports centre & walked in the wind up the big hill nearby. On a clear day, you can see all the islands in our group (north of Scotland, south of Shetland). Nearly 5 miles by the time we returned to our cars. Took a while to warm up again once I'd got home, made a fire when hubby returned from his dialysis, then I had a nap! Continued writing in new pocket diary & wall calendar for next year, then started to prepare my folder for the new budgets. Totted up this year's totals & was quite stunned at the amount!! Will aim to make it lower next year. Washed the dishes, a couple of rows of knitting whilst watching a programme. Won't be long before I head to bed!
Grateful for walking up the hill (last went up when pregnant with DS1, who's nearly 20!!), seeing friends, being warm & cosy

lcc86

Afternoon turtles. Quiet day here, the car is being MOT'd and serviced, all passed but new tyres and exhaust will be needed soon. Will need to get saving for that. At least I'll be commuting by train come mid-Jan so don't need it done quite as urgently. 

Today I've finally finished laundry mountain (5 or 6 loads in the last two days for just two people!), cleaned the living room carpet and used a lint scraper to get up loads of pet hair, cleaned the bathroom and am about to batch cook a big pot of lentil soup. Then it should be time to walk down and get the car before dark.

Hope all the turtles are keeping safe and well in this weird betwixtmas period!