NST July 2022: A Turtle Triathlon

Thrifty_Taylor

Poor kitten @firsview, it'll just have to sit on the chaise lounge instead & get lots of strokes, it'll soon feel better!
Went for a walk with DH after breakfast, posted 2 more eboy sales. Was a slightly cooler wind, but still managed in short sleeves. After dinner, I did 2 lots of garden painting jobs & picked the last of the currants. Filled a 2 litre tub. Will have to make a crumble tomorrow. Brought the washing in, after tea when the rain started to fall then crocheted all evening & watched recorded programmes. Was nearly a NSD, then I realised next door's birthday is soon, so bid on some of her expensive toiletries on eboy & was successful, so saved quite a bit. Off to bed soon to finish my book.

Grateful for a dry day, getting jobs done & hearing from a friend

BadBookkeeper

A rainy day today here and just meant I couldn’t be bothered to do much!

- A bit of an unintended spend.  Budgeted £10 to meet a friend for brunch (thinking tea & bacon bap). Ended up with bacon, poached eggs, toast & beans and offered ‘my treat’ so paid for my friend, so overspend of £5.40.  Whoops!

- Not counting above as a waste as thoroughly enjoyed & fitted into my Slimming globe plan.  Fuel used & spent time on my phone but not counting as wasting time just me time!!

- Food all to plan today so no stress with that but should have cleaned house today but couldn’t be bothered so would have been a half ar$ed job so left it!!  This will cause stress in a few days but for now, sod it! 

- Watching old videos of ds made me smile as did meeting a friend for lunch.  Also watched the film Belfast this afternoon which felt indulgent but enjoyed it.

- Budget adjustments made to cover overspend.  Hoping fuel lasts until Friday.

- Nothing money saving today unless going to m&s cafe and overspending, but walking straight out afterwards and not looking through 50% sale counts??! 

-Not NSD so still 9/16 with 8 days to go doable but not sure I’ll make it.  

Toni'sfriend

We did get a two and a half mile walk yesterday but it rained heavily overnight with strong winds and it hasn't improved this morning so I think a walk today might be out of the question. I do have lots of cooking, cleaning and decluttering I can be getting on with so I'll probably do that instead. We're never happy, are we? first it was too hot last week and now I'm complaining about the rain!

Better get started whilst the enthusiasm is still there. It tends to disappear very quickly where housework is concerned.

grandmanerd

Sorry to keep dipping in and out. Yesterday I was very dizzy (combination of things I think - air pressure etc). Did do a few things but no sudden moves and definitely no bending down. Nearly got the washing up under control (think they rounded their pots up, some went in the dishwasher but there were more piled by the sink). Still using up toiletries and cleaning stuff (need to bring down the spare washing up bottle which had made it's way up to the bathroom door - shoe hanger with clear plastic pockets MN recommended buy).

Potted up some of the small tomato plants (they're outdoor ones but these few are going on the front room windowsill as they're in metal pots without holes, the rest will go in larger pots when I've harvested the potatoes as I should have some spaces on the metal chair raised bed. I have an old set of garden chairs, director style but the canvas bits have been going (I was in 2 of them when it happened) and I've been saving them to make a 'raised bed'. It's basically a row of 5 chairs spaced out with a builders' plank (another long time save) across the seat area with large pots on top so they're at the right height for me to work on them easily. It was the first bit I sorted back in February/ March. The potatoes (ones that didn't grow last year - pea sized) were put in largest size pots (50 l) in the spaces between the chairs with smaller pots balanced on the rims. Now they're ready to harvest and the pots can be reused (quick grow crops and maybe roots for the winter).

Did a mini fridge clear out and rounded up various other types of rubbish/ recycling. Think an average of 2 bin bags has made made it's way to the bins every day (mostly recycling but the paper is collected in a sack and the cans in an opaque bin bag and then decanted when there are enough to be worth the trip. Moved around some of the tins on the under the stairs shelves (it's a pantry but not yet up to p!nt"r"st standards). Stuff from mum's and stuff they buy are skewing my organised pantry dreams. However I did decant 3 bags of tins and dry ingredients onto the shelves (5 minutes at a time). One load of washing done but intermittent rain kept it in the WM.

Little men are still busy - they sent the climbing wall back to wherever it normally lives and I think the portaloos were collected and later I saw them loading tables and chairs into one of their vans. The poor lad who drives the fork lift was still working in the dark on Friday night - I say lad because he must be half the age of most of the other workmen and a couple of them are old enough to be his grandad.

I've done some filing, tidying and putting random small items in a small basket (will be sorted into categories later but putting them in the basket prevents them rolling off the bed every five minutes. I have a couple of lists of things to tackle but I'm trying to make it into a game (lots of 5 minutes jobs and then back to resting when things get difficult).

I've had a minor wobble (felt like a tsunami at the time). I was hauling myself upstairs and just thought that I couldn't cope any longer and wanted to go back to the bungalow. I think I hate the bungalow - love the generous outdoor space but the tiny bedroom's useless (probably because mum had patio doors put in) and the kitchen and bathroom don't suit me. Mr Builder said I needed a one bed downstairs flat (one nearest to me is just a box - a bit more room than you'd get in a nursing home but more packed in). DS2 wants me to have the yard like next doors - a few plants in pots and a large seating area. 

By yesterday I'd concluded that I like my little house but I need to move DS3 and Beloved on (or sell my house to them and start afresh somewhere near), get the necessary changes in place and maybe think about a ground floor extension (sorry if I'm repeating myself). 

I did find the hospice furniture removal number whilst gathering stuff from my bedside trolley (it's been on the mini landing since I moved furniture round a few weeks ago. I phoned and I've arranged a furniture collection from mum's tomorrow (they had a slot free). I then messaged my niece about her wardrobes (I put them on the list) and she phoned me back to say she's been trying to persuade my brother to take the 'hospital' bed. So she's going to phone me back this evening but otherwise the men will take whatever they want to. Ex s-i-l is hiring a van either this Wed/Thurs or W/T of the following week to move various items (for herself, her daughter, presumably the WM to brother's house (niece had to phone every day trying to get a bulk waste collection for his old stuff). 

I've been looking at sales but have resolved not to buy more clothes until I've audited what I have. Money is looking a bit more hopeful. My niece thinks the money they have given me this month (now I'm an official poorly) is the regular monthly payment and I should get a lump sum back payment (from 3 months after I signed on/ notified them about my health). I'm also due to get my first c-o-l payment in the next week or two. I think I have enough to cover my energy DD (been running a deficit budget all year). I'm still not convinced I should be on UC but if I get accepted onto PIP (non-means tested) they will repay any UC from the date I initially applied (first phone call).

I need to go down for drinks (2 large and 2 small bottles of water and I can't budge the tops on any of them and of course the helper elves are fast asleep). If the kitchen is too depressing I will bring veg and boxes up here to chop up / tempt me to nibble. I've washed my mask and hose, need to do soem mindfulness exercises.

Lots of things make me smile, the baby photos on my phone, the birds (mostly, not sure about the one attempting to launch the dawn chorus at 3 am), the workmen on the car park, being able to get to the library unimpeded, winning a tug of war with some ivy (next door's just reached my bedroom window - it's already inside the windows next door).

firsview

Evening Turtles. Greetings from the ‘hotspot of holiday hell’ well, according to the news we are.
The traffic had disappeared as mysteriously as it came by the time I left the house this afternoon.
Needed milk, so no NSD, also had to pay my sister as she took one of my customers for the week I was on holiday.
Went to Dads and cut his hair, so got paid £5. I have been cutting his hair since I was a teenager and he has always paid me and I have always taken it. It’s all part of the game!
@Thrifty_Taylor the naughty kitten would like nothing better than to sit on the chaise longue and have a fuss made, but is hobbling through the undergrowth stalking something as we speak. Judging by the noise he is making, I don’t think he has been very successful.
Today I am grateful for the lack of traffic, picking my first runner beans and my tomatoes starting to ripen.

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for dc coming out with me this morning, for scrambled egg on toast for lunch, for getting more marking done, for dh making tea, for good coffee, for dc doing ok at the mo.

BadBookkeeper

Hello turtles.

- No spends at all today so nothing unintentional.

- Went browsing for house things today used my car but DH put fuel in.  Nothing wasted today. 

- Nothing stressy today and feel better now Mount Ironing has been conquered.

- An easy day made me smile today.

- Budgets all behaving.  Just have to sit tight until Friday.  I’m off on Thursday but money for that is in an envelope in cash so doesn’t affect my budgets.

- Nothing money saving today really except talking my DH out of breakfast out and came home to make a healthy version and cheaper. (Saving him money though not me)!

- NSD 10/16 today

Thrifty_Taylor

@firsview our male cat keeps going into the catio (which is attached to the house, so they can get fresh air, but not go near the main road) & bringing in baby shrews! Yesterday he was so proud of himself, always takes them into the bathroom, but it was dead. Tonight DS2 was in the bath, so he dropped it near the door, where it ran under the gap & stayed. DH caught it when DS2 got out the bath, & released it outside.
We've had rain most of the day today too. Didn't go for a walk, but got stuck into the sewing after helping DS1 complete his passport application. Haven't applied for one myself for 25 years, but managed to do it anyway!
Stopped sewing at 4pm, then did the ironing. Washed the dishes after tea, then had a soak in the bath, put a facemask on & read my book (holding it very close to my face as VERY shortsighted 🤣)
Grateful for happy customers, DS1 happy with my help, pampering

Esmeralda2662

Hi everyone, sorry I've been AWOL but struggling with motivation this month. I have, however, enjoyed following your trials and triumphs 😉

I'm managing to list every spend (big or small) but that's about it.Unfortunately my food budget has increased a lot this month but having seen the price increases on everyday items I can partially see why. Meal planning also required!

OH very poorly for almost a week. He thought it might be food poisoning after he undercooked some drumsticks in his air fryer but apparently there's also a horrible gastric bug about. He is only just starting to eat again and has lost a stone.

Bought DS a lovely frying pan from A*da as he's been struggling with a wok after their pan wore out. He's so thrilled, he keeps sending photos of the food he's cooking in it!

Decided to bake a cake at 10pm last night as my friend's calling in today. I thought the mix was runny but put it in the oven. As I tidied up I found the forgotten butter in the microwave, so had to scrape the warm mix back into the bowl with the butter and re-whisk! Bunged it back in the oven and it turned out perfect! Phew.

Looking after next doors lovely cats, 1 of them was in our garden and needed to go back through the fence to be fed. I foolishly tried to pick him up and got raked with razor sharp claws. No plasters except the ginormous ones for severed limbs 😂 but found some micropore which I stuck over the cleaned wounds. Learned my lesson.

Things to do: 1. Make meal plans. 2. Book car in for front suspension repairs. 3. Prepare budgets etc for Aug.

Gratitudes: A lovely brunch, walk and chat with my friend, OH starting to eat a little bit, mum and i finding a few bargains at the car boot. X

apple_muncher

Esmeralda, you may feel like you are struggling with motivation, but your post shows that you are plodding on effectively. Hope dh feels better.