NST: February 2023 Freedom

apple_muncher

Get well soon ldee. Today I am grateful for my counsellor, a tough workout, dc going to school for the whole day, dh having a useful meeting with an IFA, for the Tarte tatin a friend made for us.

f0xh0les

Poor ldee - at least you know it runs its course quickly.

Today I am grateful for a nice walk, bargains at Herr Ron, and a fantastic pizza for supper (yeast is FAB), oh! and getting stuff dry on the line.

DrCarrie

Hey gang, welcome to lovely new Turtles joining the thrifty adventures, home-making wonders, and general MSE experts...this is where we hang out. Maybe that should be swimming around. 

The flat is really at 6's and 7's, a frog swallowed and a casserole made. 

I am grateful for a colleaguewho can manipulate excel., my lovely team and said casserole, sausage butterbean leek and apple. Quick braise and done, delish. 

I bought some bits and ent fr a very quick walk, bit mostly life was work.

DawnW

Evening all,

Hope you feel better soon @idee. I've been busy today and feel slightly ropy myself now - hopefully it will pass, but DD and family have got / had the dreaded sick bug too   I don't usually get those, so hoping I don't this time!

No NSD here, as it was weekly shopping day. It was also change the bed and do the washing day, as it was good outside drying weather again

Made a stew in the SC for future dinners, but we had stir fry tonight, using up various sad veg from the fridge, and a stir fry sauce sachet from the back of the larder. Also made soup for lunches, so not much cooking needed tomorrow, just some potatoes to go with the stew.

Other things:

Plenty of walking today, as OH dropped me at work after shopping, and I walked back. Did the early morning dog walk, too.

No decluttering today, but I have been making good progress with this over the last few weeks.

Checked the banks, and the monthly bills have gone out, but the payment for our new front door, which was fitted yesterday, doesn't seem to have done so yet. I must check again tomorrow.

We have another house job waiting to be done, probably at the end of this month or the beginning of next, the leaky skylight in the kitchen needs replacing. We had planned and budgeted for the door, but not the skylight, thank goodness for emergency funds! I suppose it is only an emergency when it pours down with rain, but I am sure it won't be long until that happens again and we end up with big puddles on the kitchen floor.

Grateful today for a windy day to dry the washing, lack of rain and emergency funds.

Dfw38

Evening, setting out my hopes for this month.
Freedom: am decluttering the house at a good rate (9 boxes full of unwanted stuff during January). I am having a frog freeing February, basically to rid myself of frogs that have been put off. I am aiming for 28.
Exercise: I have been advised by my Dr not to run the marathon this year due to anaemia and the risk of heart problems so I am walking it instead. Walking 5-6 times a week, currently a long walk on Sundays (16 miles this coming one) and alternating between 4 and 8 miles from Tues to Fri. The amout walked each week increases until a week before the marathon so I should be able to start shifting the 2 and a half stone I want to get shot of.
Budgets: Money is tight at the moment. We have got our most expensive quarter from now: car insurance, house insurance, TV licence, car tax and mot and service. So we are trying to save where we can. We just spent some of dhs sproutmas bonus on some paint so I can decorate 3 bedrooms.
Rules: 
Unburden: stuff - decluttering is under way and hopeful to get rid of 100 boxes by end of year. Paperwork- I need to get better organised and only keep what we actually need.
Use up- I am on a use up mission to help with the budget section.
Advance planning: 14th Feb, no plans we have half term so will do some stuff with dc - see 2 trips section. Sproutmas, I got hold of a sproutmas saving card from sainsbobs and have put £23 on today. I have a tendency to hoard my nectar points for sproutmas and then blow it on clothes for the dc etc instead 🙄. Birthdays, I have a dc birthday in March and need to buy some bits. Next lot are in the summer and I have over 50% of the stuff already. 
Reject: something I struggle with but will work on this month for sure. Need to learn not to take thinks so personally. 
Recharge: being under the weather at the minute has made me realise that I don't ever  consider what I need and am sacrificing myself on behalf of others. Not too bad every now and then but I didn't realise until this morning that I didn't eat at all yesterday.  Was running around trying to get things done for family and was too tired by evening. I need to stop this because it will only contribute to being run down. I have made up for eating today 😋 
You; self care isn't ever on my priority list so I need to work on that. The only thing I do is the walking for the marathon, the only peace and quiet I get. 
2 trips - a trip to our town in half term for free activities for the dc. I think we will have a trip to a wood we haven't visited before- cycling distance and we keep saying we will go but never do- we always go to our usual one.
One hundred days: I would like to have finished the marathon in a respectful time, to have decorated all 3 bedrooms, to make a start on the garden revamp, to have lost at least a stone. 
2 books read: have 2 from the library. Going to start one tomorrow. 
3 gratitudes: will do. When I followed last month (rather than join in) I really missed posting my gratitudes. 
Aiming for 15 nsd.

Dfw38

Hope you feel better soon Idee. 
Thanks for adding me to the group!
No nsd for me today. Should be one tomorrow. Did a tip run - had a whole boot load and it felt so good just to chuck it! Did a 12k walk today. Defrosting and organising my small freezer as my days 🐸. 
Grateful for:
1. A bright sunny day for my walk.
2. Snuggles with ds.
3. Iron tablets working so I don't feel completely wiped out today.

beanielou

Not sure I am actually aiming for anything this month other than to be more on an even financial keel & hopefully my anxiety & stress levels will improve. 

apple_muncher

beanie, that sounds like a good thing to be doing. We're all cheering you on and toni'sfriend will be waving the pompoms for you. "Be stubborn in your goals, but flexible in your methods." That's today's quote. Just don't expect one every day, eh?!😂

beanielou

Thanks you @apple_muncher.
This DLA to PIP has taken more out of me than I thought.

f0xh0les

@Dfw38 About your iron - just in case you don't know.

A cup of tea reduces iron absorption by about 75%-80%, and a cup of coffee by about 60%. The stronger you make them, the greater the effect will be. So it's best to avoid tea and coffee for two hours before and after taking your iron..

If you are going to take them, you might as well do it as effectively as possible.