NST March 2022: March movement

ldee2111

apple_muncher said:

Thrifty, happy birthday to ds1. Hope he's had a great day.

Don't forget to change the clocks, turtles.

Today I am grateful for good bus connections, for the bedside table I got for dc being reduced from 20 to £5, and for getting it home on the bus, for some lovely conversations with lovely people, for my tulips having a fringe of colour.

Any objections if I set up April in the next few days?

Go for it @apple_muncher x

Shrewbie

Thank you for offering to run April apple

Hope all is OK F0xh0les

Green t so glad the cancer was all removed.

Your hike sounded wonderful thrifty

March was too spendy for me. Budgets blown. I have to rein it in in April. It should be a relatively quiet month, no trips planned and bff is going to the UK for Easter so I’ll plan some me time which will be cheap.

This weekend kind of went down the drain as I let my hair down a bit too much on Fri, first time in ages I’ve spent Saturday with my head down the toilet. I didn’t enjoy it. But today is a new day.

Grateful for hangovers being temporary, for being able to pick up and carry on after a blip. for this thread keeping me motivated.

xx

ditty1234

Hi sorry to be a bit patchy in attendance. Yesterday was nsd and pure garden joy, I even put things outside, that I think will have to go back in later in teh week when there is more 0 degrees. 
This morning I am upset that ds1 has no idea it is mothering sunday. But mainly that his friend who is visiting, has not reminded him or mentioned it! He is usually kind and does a little somehting. ( I didn't expect ds1 to do anythign himself as such). DS2 very bluntly stated he can't afford a card, but we had a lovely chat yesterday. So that is fine. 
Today should be nsd, and hopefully tomorrow, I also have 2 more bags to take to the charity shop to after work. Boom bang gone.
Don't know how I wil make it through the month financially, but it usually happens all by itself, so fingers crossed. 

firsview

@ditty1234 I feel your hurt! DS1 is in Canada, so has no idea, DD announced yesterday she had no idea it was  Mothers Day today and why didn’t anyone tell her and DS2 has bought me a card but only because OH reminded him and paid for it. My whole life seems to revolve around doing things for them as I am sure yours does, but they never seem to feel they should show any sort of appreciation!

ditty1234

firsview said:

@ditty1234 I feel your hurt! DS1 is in Canada, so has no idea, DD announced yesterday she had no idea it was  Mothers Day today and why didn’t anyone tell her and DS2 has bought me a card but only because OH reminded him and paid for it. My whole life seems to revolve around doing things for them as I am sure yours does, but they never seem to feel they should show any sort of appreciation!

I feel ds1 saw post above on my screen, now embarrassed, but am getting take out dinner! Now feel guilty of prodding. @firsview just secretly buy yurself something you want, and know that you are a good mum. I think a good chat or a homecooked meal, is what really warms my heart, so I shall  have a nice meal later w ds1.

ldee2111

Hi turtles and Happy Mother’s Day x

It’s taken me a few weeks to calm down from the hyper-spend mindset from our holiday. But this week I’ve felt more like my frugal self. The runny money tap has been turned off! 

Sunday sweep - underspends that are going into savings this week:

Food 30.56

Transport 71.90

Leisure 0

Thanks to nectar points, I underspent by 30.56 this week. Getting big underspends from our transport budget because I still budget for daily train travel to the office for both OH and I. I’ve kept that in place the whole of lockdown because we’ve not known when things would change and I didn’t want to start relying on having that extra money. OH is now back in the office some days, but I doubt we’ll ever be back in full time again. I did have a 40 underspend in leisure but I’m holding on to it for OH’s birthday next week as I suggested we go out for a meal. 

This week I set up spare change transfers on our current account. I miss saving coins in a piggy bank, sorting them into neat little towers, putting them into bank bags, and taking a trip to the bank to pay them in. As a kid, it taught me how to save. But hard cash is mostly a thing of the past for me now, so I’m going to adapt and save my virtual spare change. 

I’m feeling ready for April now. It’s OH and DS’s birthdays, Mum’s due home from Oz, we will find out if DS got into the school we requested, and it’s the start of my challenge to get us mortgage-free in 5 years! 

Grateful today for warm sunny weather, for a long lie-in, and time with OH and DS. x

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Evening

Woke up at stupid o'clock and went downstairs to see if the cat wanted to come in - both cats rarely stay out at night but one had decided to go out, she came back in but i couldn't get back to sleep ended up with a cuppa tea and read for 2 hours.  Then slept till 8am.
Made myself breakfast in bed and finished my book.
Walked to friend's house to drop off good luck card for new job and choccy treats.  She invited me in for brunch - had lovely chat and admired her garden and half decorated bedroom - will be lovely when finished.
Had phone call with DD2 who was sad to be missing MD but we will celebrate next week.  Went for a cuppa tea at DD1's bestie's house (my daughter #3) then DD1 came round - gave me some lovely earrings. 
Shower won't switch on - not sure if need new batteries but couldn't get the back off to check
Bought some apples and a couple of other things in the c00p - 4 items cost £8!!  Also paid for online exercise classes and paid for accommodation for a night away next month to see family.  
Having an easy tea and going to bed early.

Gratitudes - lovely spontaneous brunch with friend, seeing/speaking to DDs, having a lazy day without any work or housework of any description 

love Deni x

BadBookkeeper

Still 15/16 NSDs as had to buy a birthday card & giftcard today.  Should get the 16th tomorrow.

grateful for:
ds positive attitude at his footy match this morning.
family afternoon at my parents & my sister being there too
lovely cards & a bottle of fizz 

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for dc sleeping late, for late afternoon/evening sunshine, for the weeding I did the other day making a noticeable difference, for a friend lending me her copy of Richard Osman's second book - the new Thursday murder club mystery, for my morning coffee.

mothernerd

Yesterday I felt disappointed - I think I'm working fairly hard, but it doesn't seem to be making much difference (it will eventually) and I'm finding it hard to remember what I did earlier in the day (just have the aches and bramble scratches and thorns).  Bit sad that none of my helper elves turned up and definitely not up to going to the bungalow cleaning by myself (no buses on Saturday and cleaning's bad enough without paying money out to go and do it).

Was worried about DS2 turning up with Mother's Day gifts but no, not a peep from any of the boys. DS2 did phone late on and will come after work tomorrow, with a card. He did say something about new work (he was looking) and a direct bus from outside the workplace to here, so perhaps he's having to wait to be paid. I was worried because I thought he'd shout about the state of the house but I have piles of bags and boxes that I've unpacked and floor space that I've cleared. I've told him I found the telly but I'm trying to dissuade him from taking it to his dad in Wales (offered the smaller one which is only 6 months old). He thinks his dad is spending too much time in bed (they ran out of toes and have taken his feet) and he wanted to set the tv up so that he had to change position to watch it.

Today I've been mostly outside in the yard. All 4 of the large containers now have seed potatoes in, all the fruit bushes/ canes are planted in containers, the garlic is in a row in front of the fruit bushes, I've done more scraping, hoeing, sieving, picking out rubbish, weeds and stones, sawn up the tree I took down on Friday. I've put the last of the washing out to dry and emptied and reloaded the dishwasher (caught up now),been to various bins more times than I can count.

Not done well on food today -low on veg, not been shopping and need to plan a lot more. Still not made the bed (lots of sorting and finding places for things but not clear enough to remake the bed from scratch). Must go to the bungalow tomorrow, whether any helpers arrive or not (and order repeat prescription, and pack things for sending off and, and , and). I am very tired (taken myself to bed at 4 pm twice this week - not to sleep but tired to the point of falling over and needing to rest and unwind).

Grateful for a bed to sleep in, being warm enough, food though need more veg and variety, the garden tiers starting to take shape (everything is where I can reach easily though most should be fairly self-sufficient) and books.