NST April 2022: April opportunities

apple_muncher

Keep your eyes open for the little wins, turtles.

Yesterday, I mixed a tin of butter beans with a tin of baked beans and added some sweet chili sauce. Dh loved it and it was so much tastier than plain beans.

This morning,dc wanted to take some chocs as a thanks to their friend's mum who often gives them a lift home. We didn't have any in, but we did have some creme eggs bought in readiness for when we see dh's dd1 soon. So dc took them and they were easy to replace at just £1.75.

ldee2111

Here we go April…was she not the human who hung about with the Ninja Turtles? 

I’m feeling good about this month. It’s OH and DS’s birthdays, Mum will be home from Oz, and the days are getting longer and brighter. 

This month and beyond really, I’ll be trying my best to avoid unnecessary spends, and saving as much as I can. Those unnecessaries are necessary to avoid for us to pay off our mortgage and go on holidays. If I keep to the budget, we should be MF in 5 years! All I need to do is stick to the plan! And hope nothing major happens like the roof caves in. I’ll keep track of spends this month as requested of us turtles - I think it’ll be helpful to do it. 

The thermostat has been turned down. And nagging about switching off lights and appliances has been turned up.

The bad habit that is going is checking my phone when I wake up in the very, very early hours. I’ve had enough of giving myself a telling off at two in the morning.

Grateful today that OH liked his pressies, that DS ate his packed lunch, and for having these two loves in my life. 

P.s I have no idea why all this is centred?!

DawnW

Evening all  

My thoughts on the challenge:

Apply yourself to yourself. Look after YOU first. - I will try to be more mindful, as time just passes really quickly from one week to the next and 'nothing' seems to happen, if that makes sense. The weather is foul today, but it will get warmer and I love to spend time outside in the garden.

Avoid unnecessary spends. Consider everything. I must apply myself to this, as there were a couple of hiccups last month. However, the two purchases I am thinking of will make my life easier, so not all bad.

Pay to debt/savings first and live off the rest. I don't have debt these days, and savings are sorted for April.

Plan ahead: 4 birthdays this month, and Easter of course, so will need to buy some chocolate or something for the little ones. I have two of the birthday presents sorted already.

Prepare for next winter. We have refilled the larger log store with seasoned logs, and this will remain untouched until next winter. Firewood has risen in price a lot over the last few months, and I can't see it going down any time soon, while the alternatives are so expensive. I am thinking of getting our old, leaky, draughty front door replaced, which will obviously be quite a large outlay. We had the small conservatory at the back of the house done last year, and it has made the sitting room, which it adjoins via a large single glazed window, much warmer.

Remember those who are struggling, I donate to the local food bank each week when I do my own shopping, as there is a handy trolley just past the checkouts for donations. Even a couple of tins or whatever helps. Our local one puts up a list of items that they are short of on FB, which is useful.

Report in every day. Will try to do this, though I am bad at it 

Identify the things you do well and celebrate them. - I will think about this one.

Invest in yourself, your family, your home And this.

Income vs outgoings. I am reasonably good at this, as I run a small business. And of course, the end of the Financial Year is approaching, so I will need to deal with that.

Lose one bad habit. - I don't smoke or gamble, and hardly drink, but I do eat too much junk between meals. I need to lose a bit of weight, so will attend to this.

Live the sort of life you want to have. - A lovely idea, but everything is so depressing at the moment. Everyone seems to be in firefighting mode just to keep up with everything. I will try to be a bit more positive

NSDs - I will try for 16, though I am not good at them!

Gratitudes - just one big one today, that I have enough, when so many people do not.

BadBookkeeper

Todays update 

2 kitchen cupboards emptied cleaned & reorganised as part of my declutter challenge.

I’ve not bought a ‘something to go with it’ present for my friends birthday to go with a gift card.  Feels mean!!

Updated todays spends in notebook.

Been to watch DS at footy training & going to cinema later so won’t be scrolling through fb

NSD 0/16.  Bought DS an Easter gift (budgeted) and a vest top to go under a top to make it wearable (not budgeted).  Cinema ticketed budgeted for but not the booking fee or snacks (eye opener on day 1)!  

Grateful for

lighter nights to watch footy training 
Friday
Night out at the cinema

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for the snow flurries (I adore snow!!!), for liddle having their 85% chocolate back in stock, for dc finishing early for the hols, for responses from parents about their children who I teach, for finishing an awesome book and having another one to move onto- phew, for dc getting themself ready for a very busy day tomorrow.

Esmeralda2662

@apple_muncher, thanks for setting April up. Can I be cheeky and ask which book you've just finished? I'm making a list to look out for at car boots or CS.

OH took leftover planks to friend to use in his garden then realised he could have built a flower planter or trough to block view of next door. He's too generous to a fault, poor chap.

Garden is coming on well. Fences on both sides replaced and stained. First coat of duck egg blue on shed. New 6ft gate bought for back garden. 

I bought us a starter+drink at pub to keep us going while out. Very nice and a chance to warm up.

Water colour class tomorrow with friend for her birthday. This is also a treat for me as it is so absorbing. Bought orzo salad to take as I'll be home too late to prep one tonight. Got to get my art stuff packed later.

Day 1 and already nearly 1/10th of my budget has gone on petrol, car tax/insurance, the lunch and some food. Better pull my horns in from now on. At least tomorrow has already been paid for.

Saw the mobile speed camera as I came out of petrol station tonight but was only doing 25. Haven't seen it there before. Definitely don't want to waste money on a ticket when it's avoidable.

No NSD today.

Gratitudes: following the speed limit, a lovely lunch, the garden starting to look nice, being off work. X

Thrifty_Taylor

Please count me in @apple_muncher, thank you for this new thread.

I haven't had chance to put money in my sinking funds, etc yet, as have been working today, then straight to town to do my big monthly shop. Spent less than last month, partly due to the fact that some shelves were empty, & partly because 2 of my DS's are away for a week (they've just messaged to say they're now on the boat, will arrive in Aberdeen @7am. First big adventure together without me or DH). No birthdays this month, but will be cracking on with some DIY, which I've been saving up for. Still a few bits to get, but will do it as cheap as possible (offcut of lino, free door to collect over the weekend, etc).

A good day at work, though tricky at the end of the day, but something I feel I did well, & I'm proud of, was to calm an extremely distressed child.

Grateful for the holidays starting now 😃, amazing scenery on our island (this is the view from the school where I work. The hill is on the next island, & is the highest point here. I climbed it last year for the first time, & plan to do so again this year twice!!), my family

DrCarrie

Morning, early check in today.

No NSD yesterday, got some food in and got out and about. Butcher is delivering today as well. Very busy day at work of doing 'not work' very expensive glorified administrator for most of the day! 

I really need to try and get myself back on track, I fell down a bit of a hole last month, and my wellbeing practices fell off the cliff. I am going to get some bread made and get a chili in the slow cooker. I am going over to my Dad and step mum's later for dinner and tomorrow mum step mum and I are going on a foraging course (which was a Christmas gift), blooming cold though!

Grateful for (yesterday)
- a friend reaching out and getting a date in the diary
- my colleague 'B', we are getting some stuff over the line
- Red wine

greent

apple_muncher said

 

Apply yourself to yourself. Look after YOU first.  - I need to overhaul my diet and lose some weight this month. Too many post op treats and very little movement adds up to even more excess weight. It needs to stop! Just some walking being added in for moment. Need to rebook chiropractor for shoulder/ back/ hip - had to cancel yesterday's appt as 3 of my kids tested positive this past week 😱😷🤧 And I need to dye amd wax my eyebrows 😁

Avoid unnecessary spends. Consider everything. - we are rubbish at this. I will try harder.

Pay to debt/savings first and live off the rest. Auto payments to savings. Will do some extra ro my sipp, isa and DH's PB account.

Plan ahead: look first at April and at what you are expecting from the month and how it affects your budget.  - April is Ds1s bday and also means him back feom uni for a few weeks - fuel to collect/ return him and increased food spends. 2 weeks of school hols. Car insurance for my new to me car.

Prepare for next winter. Rising fuel prices are hitting us all and impacting every aspect of our lives. - we've sadly had the heating back on with cold weather and 3 poorly people.

Remember those who are struggling, who are worse off than you. - sorting a bag to fo to cs. 

Report in every day. 

Identify the things you do well and celebrate them.

Invest in yourself, your family, your home - the things that really matter to you.

Income vs outgoings. Finances are why we are on this thread.

Lose one bad habit.

Live the sort of life you want to have. I want calm, uncomplicated and fun!

Gratitudes for yesterday - getting through a full week back at work on full hours, hot cross buns at breaktime at school, lots of pretty solar lights in the garden

shabbychic12

Been missing in action for March 😂 nearly wasn’t going to join April but l need to too. Please add me xx