NST NIFTY NOVEMBER

Calling14

Hi can I join please. Thinking I need to focus more on my finances atm. Taking it Mothernerd has morphed into Grandmanerd. Welcome to the Granny club. 

Today been to gym light exercise as planter fascilitis is making my life hell causing knee and shin splint pain. Hey ho otherwise bouncy, nice tiny walk to see swans in park after. Off to change calenders, sort out cv, maybe pop into local theatre job fair.  

thriftylass

Calling14 said:

Hi can I join please. Thinking I need to focus more on my finances atm. Taking it Mothernerd has morphed into Grandmanerd. Welcome to the Granny club. 

I was wondering, lol, as the name sounded similar and the things in her posts sounded familiar. 

We went to the trade fair at work and came back with some linen shopping bags and a couple of nice notebooks. Also walked past the community food waste place and acquired some broccoli, vegan sausages, bread and spring onions, which all will come in handy this week.

grandmanerd

f0xh0les, you are still turtle no 55. 

Little Extras
I spend a  lot of time in bed - well usually during the day it's on the bed. I do what I can and then when various bits start to nag I come back to the bed to rest (there isn't a lot of room downstairs and DS3 starts sighing if I'm there too long - my breathing's too noisy, I have the laptop on too loud, it may be time to accept  the need for hearing aids but I have several urgent appointments to book in and get done) and the kitchen is a mess - I need a replacement but it's better to wait until they (and hopefully half the furniture) are gone. It's dark dirty and depressing. My bedroom's the only place that really feels like mine (and the bits of shelving that are properly sorted with rows of canisters/ jars lined up in alphabetical order - when the bathroom overspill isn't coming through the hole in the ceiling).

So on the bed (in it atm, I've just had my shower and need to make sure I'm fully dry before I do the rest of my morning routine). I want to be more mobile but I'm starting from where I am. So I need to pack in as many 'little extras' as I can. When I decided I was going to go and have my shower I took my CPAP mask for washing, a cup to get water and a bowl to add to the bag of pots and recycling to go back to the kitchen. As I got off the bed I picked up the broken pencil, the bread bag from the fruit loaf I've finished off and other rubbish into the bin bag.

in the bathroom I filled my water cup (drank one cup and refilled it to take a cup back with me), ran warm water and washing up liquid into the mask bowl and left it to soak, took my glasses off and cleaned them (I mostly leave them in my room so I thought I'd wash them properly whilst I had them in the bathroom). I had my shower, used the spray to work on a yellowish patch on the side of the bath whilst it was warming and finished the shower by using the hot water to ease my aching muscles and sore joints.

I rinsed the mask and wrapped it up to spend the day drying, put the glasses on, picked up my water (put it inside a deep box on the bed to avoid spills), sprayed my shoulder with ibuprofen spray (a holiday purchase which I'm trying to use up), scooped up books to bring back in my room - space on my newly created L-shaped workspace (2 sides of a dismantled wardrobe, the 'bookshelves are the drawers from the wardrobe). Picked up the bag I'm using for paper recycling (it fell off the bed in the night), moved the antiseptic cream I found yesterday near to my space in the bed (but not where I would sit on it which happened at weekend - did you know you can squeeze cream from a tube that has the top screwed on?).

I climbed onto the bed and moved all the pillows (including a firm couch cushion I brought from mum's) to move them into daytime (upright) mode rather than nighttime (flattish but with a slope) mode. Saw bits of stuff in the gap between the mattress and the headboard so pulled that all out (no money but a few pens and a roll of sellotape). I also opened the top drawer on the drawer next to the bed (can't open it when the cushions are in position.

I've taken out vix, sleep balm (lavender so I use it for headaches), a lip balm (have been using an ancient lipstick when I was ill but my lips felt very dry by last week so want something kinder (already used a tiny end of roll scrap), more antiseptic cream (will still put it on the shopping list as I'm really missing HB and sometimes had difficulty finding it, especially the larger tubes (I want to avoid having to go in shops in December as far as possible). Also took out the white votives, a few large tealights and a box of cook's matches from the drawer and a couple of old but cut to size support bandages for my ankle.

Now this was an especially productive 'trip to the bathroom to take a shower'. There will be days when I'm holding onto the door frames for support and I'll be doing well to scoop up a handful of rubbish, give the bathroom sink a quick wipe and grab a new book to read or some sewing or paperwork to do in bed. But I'll continue to do as much as I can, any way I can. Time to use antiseptic cream then do some meal planning and setting up habit trackers.

Budgets - not formalised but added some big expenditure yesterday, potentially for this month (this week even). DS2 sent me a photo up my granddaughter in a tiger suit yesterday. We exchanged messages (I had a list of questions to ask) and I've suggested meeting at my local  garden centre (probably on a Sunday when It'll be quieter). It's a huge garden centre, famous throughout the NW and won many awards. It's over a roundabout which crosses the Lancs, and just squeezes into Cheshire. They have a choice of places to eat (it's my turn to pay, I didn't pay for a meal or a drink whilst we were in N Wales for the ex's funeral) including afternoon teas and a tapas bar - there's even a pet friendly restaurant, so I could get a  doggy fix.

I know it's expensive but they do wonderful colour themed Christmas displays (they're already up - someone had asked) have children's play areas and things like fish in ponds. I've only ever bought garden things there except when I was sorting my brother's house out after he died, I found £50 worth of garden vouchers in a drawer. Mum said I could have them and they were both in date and could be used anywhere in the store and I spent an afternoon there deciding how to spend them - some decorations, some potted plants and a selection of festive treats from the food hall. I've suggested we make it a new Christmas tradition - the baby will enjoy it and if she gets overwhelmed there are quieter parts we can retreat to and lots of indoor space if it's raining. 

Baby's mum and I both enjoy gardening (they still have a few grafted veg plants on sale and lots of fruit bushes) and it has an 'outlet' with medium to high end stores - Edinburgh W00l mill - as well as real and fake Christmas trees. 

I suggested that it was easier to travel with the baby for the next two years. Okay they need a lot of equipment but after that you get into complications about whether Father Christmas will know where they are and if you take all the gifts and stocking bits and then have to bring back extra gifts - well  you get to the point when you say firmly, "We're staying home" and give people the option of coming along or doing a grand tour in any available weekends in the run up to the big day. Anyway darling daughter out law's mum lives in N Ireland, her dad's down south and her grandma's in Scotland, so I said it would be fine if they wanted to spend 'baby's first Christmas' with one of them. I want to see her but don't need to see present opening on the big day.

Glad I brought the subject up because after a short pause, DS2 said they were going to N Ireland for a 'big family do' as her sister, who also had a baby in the summer, is coming all the way from Australia with her family. DS2 sounded a bit bemused by the 'big family do' but he's very adaptable and will go with the flow. It was a bit like when he went to uni and was bewildered by all his friends talking about their agas (he will hang out with posh friends). I guess every family's Christmas is different in the same way that every family's version of Monopoly is different - 'Oh yes, we play by the proper rules' but then you go into it. Baby bro was only 6 yo when we started to play and it took him forever just to count his moves out by the dice throws and if anyone tried to take over  he went back to where he had been and did it again, so there were lots of bits we cut out. I once played with my cousins who lived next door and the boy who's 6 weeks older than me insisted on being the banker and used all the money in the box as his personal slush fund.

So I'm allowing £250 for meals (will do DS1 in a minute) and any gifts I still have to buy (I have a book in mind for DS2 and will spend some money on the latest books in several series I'm reading or might actually get round to sorting out the tablety things the boys gave me (DS1 and DS2 bought it for their dad when he was in hospital, so it's nearly brand new) and buy kindley versions. Anyway, if I get hard copies, I'll wrap them up and save them for Christmas Eve (Icelandic tradition - I've gathered a few bits about different customs to share with you, starting with today's - 'it was all stolen from the pagans'.)

I'm going to contact DS1 and suggest meeting up for a meal in Mc either this month (preferably) or next. Again it's my turn to pay. We used to do this most month's pre-pandemic but I haven't seen them since April (when they paid) and not seen grandpuppy since early summer 2021. If they ask me to stay for Christmas I will accept (third time lucky - in 2020 it was out of the question for me and mum and last year mum made me cancel roughly two weeks before as I 'wasn't picking up from the biug she'd passed onto me in August). 

Now will have to leave you and get myself to Art Therapy. It's happening, I'm going (and taking 5 books back to the library as well)

ldee2111

Setting out my stall for NIFTY NOVEMBER

N   NO GUILT. 

I think the moratorium on the ‘C’ word is in place for DS and his school friends until 1st December. But good to know I can use it on here if I need to. It’ll always be sprouts day to me though - the only day of the year when those trumpet-triggers will pass my lips. 

I     IDEAL world.

To be mortgage free and going on adventures. It’s work in progress and trying to have fun with it in the process. Slow and steady. We’re getting there bit by bit. 

F    FIRST pay off some debt or add to your savings, live on what is left. Set your Budgets.

15 NSDs please. 

Budget for November done! Wages now in respective digital 'envelopes'. November should be a quieter month with a lot less spends so I am going for the 15! Never made it yet but this is the month - I can feel it. 

T    THINK AHEAD 

OH and I meal plan every Friday ahead of Saturday Saneberries deliveries. I’ve also got some free chicken to use up this month (the free chicken will live in my memory for a long time. I’ll be an old, old lady telling my grandchildren about the time I got free chicken back in 2002.)

Y    YOUR HEALTH is important. Try to eat, drink and act in ways that support your physical and mental health and your immune system.

I really feel like a challenge this month - going for a daily YWA - one of her 10 minute yoga videos.  I’m going to do them after I drop off DS at school and before I log on for work. Work can wait for 10 minutes til it’s done. I’ll report my NSDs and YWADs this month to turtles. I get the ol’ SAD in the winter so getting outside is really important to me too. 

N    NOW The first week after the clocks go back has more accidents than any other week in the whole year.

I’ve got the night light plugged in so we don’t crash into walls or fall down the stairs. 

O    Think about OTHERS.

I’ve got a few things to go to the CS and I’ll be contributing some foodstuffs to the local foodbank. I don’t tend to give Christmas cards to family and friends (only neighbours). For years I have made a donation to charity and created a digital Christmas card - I’ll do the same this year. 

V     Have the VISION to understand that other people choose to celebrate in different ways, or not at all.

I will continue to do so.

E    EVALUATE any home made presents.

I do not do because I don’t have the skills 

M    MAKE  A LIST Check it twice. 

It's ironic that I once worked for a brain injury charity where I spoke to a lot of people about their techniques to manage their brain injury (one being lists!), and now having a brain injury myself (which includes short-term memory loss and lots of lists). I make lists on paper... on the kitchen whiteboard... on phone voice-recorder... even on the Alexa, I do all the lists! I should really change my name on here to ListDee! 

B    BASICS Do you have stamps? Have a list of extra (occasional) cleaning tasks and add them into your normal routine a few at a time (that's more of a New Year thing) 

I definitely have a freezer defrost on my list! And just a few other things. 

E    EVERY DAY (where possible) check in and give us 3 things you are grateful/ thankful for

Will do

R    Read Rest Relax Recharge 

Will do. 

ditty1234

Well I'm afraid my budget will be a bit of a joke as will be living off my extra cover work and there is no bookings firmed up yet. I have had a lot of extra expenses in October  a new phone and on Friday a car repair and the dog had a trim, all in all about £300. I have still come out with a small + so not too bad all in all. 
I still find sleeping and concentrations almost impossible, so I am only really doing day to day stuff. 
Yesterday's distraction was cooking borst soup and eating apple crumble. Tonight is leftovers with added sausages.
Christmas is conceptually sorted, but a fair few details missing.
Happy Tuesday everybody.

ldee2111

Had a busy workday so the 1st of November has flown in. 

After dropping DS at school, I walked the long way round to the car to get in a bit of exercise, fresh air, and vit D. I also got in day one of YWA - a 10 minute video focussed on neck and shoulders. YWA 1/30.

I spent the entirety of my lunchtime on SwagB and have now reached the 1,000 SB needed to get the bonus 2,000 SB via an MSE link. Always have a slight fear that these sites don't track things and I lose out on the bonus.

Watching this space >> for 3000 SB? <<

NSD 1/15  

Now off to make dinner and relax.

Grateful today for free yoga videos by Adrienne, for the entertainment of bird watching out our kitchen window (they're funny little creatures), and for OH being told he doesn't have the heart condition he was diagnosed with 3 years ago. 

Dfw38

Oooooh! Will have to check that jacket out thank you @apple_muncher. I think you are right @f0xh0les. Will be a no frills month with paying that off (almost finished present buying for Christmas, about £60 left of presents to get) but the thrill of one less debt is oh so tempting! Made £5 on v!nt€d so have paid that off the debt £195 to go on that one and then tackle the next 

DawnW

Evening all

Busy day today as I rejigged my sales unit. This involved crawling in the loft / eaves cupboard (my knee is still complaining about this part ), sorting through assorted boxes of tat, putting some of it in different boxes, carting it down the garden to the garage, putting it in the car, driving to the shop where I rent my sales space, unloading the car etc etc. It also entailed bringing back more boxes to be stowed in the loft. These are currently arranged not very tastefully in the living room, ready for their long journey up many stairs ...   So I think I have had my exercise quota for today!

Also swallowed one of the frogs I have in my sights for this month - I paid mine and OH's self assessment tax bills, so it definitely wasn't a NSD

Did a little bit of paperwork for my small biz

OH made fish cakes for dinner. There will be enough for tomorrow's lunch too  

Grateful today for OH prepping food and that there aren't even more boxes to take upstairs than there actually are!

x_raphael_xx

N   NO GUILT. NO 'shoulds', 'oughts' or 'have to's. I have an invert show to go to in a couple of weeks, I wasn't planning on going as its in Brighton, but I'm meeting up with someone to pick up a custom made enclosure (Alien themed) My dad lives down that way so at least I can visit him to make it a worthwhile trip. It does mean I'll have to drive, it's about 5 hours each way. Not looking forward to the journey, and it will be an expensive weekend. We're planning on trying to overpay on the mortgage, so I've been feeling very guilty with the upcoming spends.

I     IDEAL world, ideal celebration. Honestly, my ideal world is just to chill at home alone with my animals. The only thing that niggles at my mind is my ever expanding to-do list. So to work towards my ideal, I need to get stuff done!

F    FIRST pay off some debt or add to your savings. Budgets have been set. Apart from my weekend away, I have no plans to spend. We want to make a big hit towards the mortgage so I want to keep to essential spending only. 0/15 NSDs Today I had to spend £6 on crickets and locusts for the frogs & chameleon.

T    THINK AHEAD Meal plan is easy enough. I generally just have a protein source, veg and rice. Freezer has already been stocked up with protein, I'll just need the odd bits of veg. I did forget to take something out the freezer this morning for tea, but the bf rescued the situation with a tin of spam. (Spam, egg & chips went down a treat)

Y    YOUR HEALTH is important. I have a couple of dentist appointments this month. I'm desperate to get these braces off now. So I must remember to wear my elastics every night. I have also started my marathon training which must take priority.
I fell back to sleep this morning so wasn't able to get to the gym before work, but went immediately after and got my workout done.

N    NOW The clocks go back. Luckily I live across the road from work. I do need to start running outside, so I will make sure my headtorch is charged up, and the bf knows my run route for those early morning jogs.

O    Think about OTHERS. Instead of christmas presents for family and friends I donate to charity. I split donations between an animal charity, a veteran charity and a cancer charity. I have also donated a couple of my baby scorpions as prizes for a charity invert raffle that someone in the invert community is running. (Last year I won beetles and mantises!)

V     Have the VISION to understand that other people choose to celebrate in different ways, or not at all.

E    EVALUATE any home made presents. I started a birthday gift for a friend a year ago! A crossstitch that I spent a couple of hours on, then dropped for a year. I need to work on this! I've missed the window for her birthday this year (it's on the 14th Nov) and will definately not be finished in time for xmas, but I need to get in the habit of working on it.

M    MAKE  A LIST Check it twice. I like my to-do lists they don't always get completed thou.

B    BASICS Its the SIL turn for xmas dinner this year, so no sweats there. My basics will be my daily pet chores.

E    EVERY DAY give us 3 things you are grateful/ thankful for

1. I am grateful Mr Noodle the snake is getting more at ease with being handled. (I'm handling daily for like 10 mins)
   
2. I am grateful the tarantula survived the fall when Mr Noodle knocked its enclosure to the floor during this evenings handling.
   
3. I am grateful the tarantula didn't run off when the lid flew off on impact (it's a tiny baby, and would have been lost forever)

R    Read Rest Relax Recharge   
I plan on heading to bed for 9 each night and reading.

Dfw38

Wasn't a no spend day for me today. Big bills (mortgage and energy) came out today so utilised the day to get a small top up shop. Didn't get to the loft today but took down the decorations for Halloween and put them in the box ready.  Hoped to get more done in the house but ds (20 months) was asleep in the living room and I didn't have the heart to wake him and move him to his own room, he has been poorly with teething and upset tummy so thought I would snuggle him on the sofa instead  much more fun! Managed a tip run and dropped books off @ the library. Tonight after dinner I am going to continue organising the boxes for the loft and get organised for tomorrow. Rest day from running tomorrow but am tempted to wake at 5 just to get a couple of quiet jobs done and enjoy breakfast before dc are up causing bedlam. 
Grateful for ds seemingly feeling better (was full of mischief and giggles after his sofa snooze), support from 2nd dd teacher, the wonderful squirrels and beaver leaders who selflessly do so much to help children (and have helped mine without a second thought).