NST June - Turtle Power

thriftylass

Hello fellow turtles,

I've been AWOL as I tripped, flipped on my back and couldn't turn my shell back over,  but all good now . Because of that though I lost count of my NSDs and overspend a little. Still, looking at my budget spreadsheet, things went OK for the first month back on here. Looking forward to some extra money next month (no more childcare vouchers) and hopefully a promotion (or finally being awarded the right payscale after August). So things are looking up Also being on here improved my meal planning again etc. Thank you 

Just booked my holidays for the summer and I will only work 3 day weeks for the next 6 weeks to cover the days DH is away caring for his dad and the kids are off school, or we can swap some weeks to give him a break. We'll have a long holiday together again in October. 

lcc86

Evening turtles 

Yesterday I was extremely bad and almost fell off the turtle wagon. I'd decided (in my head of course) that I needed a new car (which I don't) so I applied for a loan and starting seriously browsing for cars. Absolute craziness, I decided that my new job coming up meant I could afford it so why not?! Luckily I came to my senses last night and realised that I do not in fact "need" a new car and was just entranced by a shiny object! Cancelled the loan application first thing this morning and gave my head a wobble as they say. My car does need a little work but that'll cost a damn sight less than a new one. I don't really know what I was thinking, I always let lifestyle creep happen and I really need to not find ways to spend money "just because". I'm just glad I caught myself in time and didn't get myself in a big old hole.

Anyway, in non MSE news, I did some volunteering yesterday in the soaring heat, my hayfever really didn't appreciate being in an actual hay barn but I still enjoyed it. Yesterday was a NSD.

Today is also a NSD, been following up some recruitment bits and bobs for the new job and just keeping busy at work. My grandparent manager accidentally outed me as leaving in a meeting which I wasn't happy about but what can you do...

Chrystal

Well done for coming to your senses in time @lcc86, well and truly saved an own goal there! 

f0xh0les

Good job @lcc86   it is easy to slip up when all that advertising is telling you what you 'need' to be 'successful'.  There is a reason the advertising budget for chocolate is more than for apples. It doesn't make it good for you though.

It is difficult when you are having to look after both ends of the age ranges at the same time @thriftylass .  It sounds like you have this all thought through, and are well aware  all the plans  can all go to hell in a handcart with no warning at all!  Shout 'Plot Twist! '  and do your best.  It is all any of us can do.

No spends today, but I did pay for more carpets yesterday, it was a planned spend, and I shoved it on the credit card for the points (S&M) rather than straight  out of savings, where the money for it is sitting.  Another job off the list.  Fitting on Friday

Went round the house knocking small jobs off the list -  touching up paintwork dinks, filling holes, moving bits of furniture around, and finding the right bits and bobs needed to get another few jobs off the list tomorrow.

All food from stores, stopped DH from nipping to the chip shop for a bag of supplemental chips, I fried 3 large potatoes in cubes  instead and then stuffed the kids full of ice cream, and made sure they drank lots.  They are not drinking enough in this heat.   

Keep drinking Turtles! and remember ice poles and ice lollies are useful for people who don't want to drink, whether they are youngsters or oldsters.  It is all liquid.

Thrifty_Taylor

Well reined in @lcc86!

NSD#15
Did most of a yoga workout & Norwegian before breakfast. Woke 2 DS's up again - numerous times!

Work went well, really hot sitting outside this afternoon, getting chalk "tatoos' painted in my hands.

Unpicked some dress sleeves when I got home, did my 100 skips, then went to a friend's to walk alongside her riding her horse. Didn't go in for a cuppa afterwards, picked DS3 up who had started walking the 5 miles from the bus stop.

Grateful for a good day, a nice walk & catch up, not staying out too late then rushing to do everything before bedtime

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for getting to the gym, for my liddle f+v box, for having some carcasses in the kitchen (🤣🤣🤣), for DH being out for several hours and away from his flat pack phobia, for lovely builder friend feeding us tonight.

Shrewbie

I hear you are finally having a summer over there!! enjoy it :-) we had a strange localised storm in one part of Madrid yesterday, trees uprooted and all sorts of chaos. I didn't think things like that existed, they're calling it a "blowout", (I think they're probably being dramatic but either way I'm very glad I wasn't caught in it, as it only rained where I was, which caught everyone off guard nonetheless; on my way home I saw a whole wedding party absolutely drenched!)

I haven't checked in for a while. Started TAW again from week 8 after a hiatus. It has been easy to get back into, which surprised me. 
Finally seeing a doctor today about my cough that I can't seem to shake off. 
Lots of work to finish before I can head off on hols (Lake District with my fam) I've never been so really looking forward to it.
Grateful for that end-of.-term feeling, for feeling motivated, for sleeping well last night. 

Thrifty_Taylor

Did yoga & Norwegian. Was dreading today - transition day & turning into a composite class. My pupil returned after a couple of days off & the day proved extremely stressful for us both! Chatted with the new teacher at the end of the day (who is also new to our school), then walked to the C00p. Got 5 cartons of cranberry juice reduced to half price, so will make my big monthly shop cheaper at the weekend.

Watched an episode of Corrie with DS1, then after tea did a couple of sewing jobs.

Will have to go out & doy skips in a minute. Hope the evening's rain has now stopped!

Grateful for the bell at 3.30, that we're back in our normal class tomorrow, 5 work days left until the holidays

grandmanerd

Just read through 29 posts. Thanks for the apple info - I have quite a lot ( bit more than golf ball size) in clusters of 2 and 3.

I may have to appear in a new guise - supergrandmanerd? Have managed to move a few more accounts over to the new laptop (I can order food, read my online books and watch movies/ series) but still need to do my bank account, MSE and a couple of others - think pin't'rest I just set up and after a while it worked out who I was from topics I was interested in. Not sure if I can access my downloaded cross-stitch patterns but may be able to make it up by 'patching' the trees from the completed ones.

In other news, hayfever is in full swing (didn't put a face mask on as I wasn't going anywhere but then spent quite a long time outside so I'm doing 'rasping' breathing. However I do seem to be getting more done although the gap between what I can do in a day and the amount of things to be done is still huge. I have set up a few things where other people did the work. Some very productive days but some very creaky days following on from that. I've ordered pills (one MIA but was going to order the rest by the end of the week so asked for everything - system delays at both the doctor's and the pharmacy are making it a bit of a lottery), contacted my gardener to let me know when they have a free day to come and organise my garden, asked about going to buy a new to us washing machine but no-one was interested (it's the one I'll be leaving here - they didn't even realise it was broken). 

Lots of things to be grateful - hayfever pills, my bed, the couch (I'm more comfortable downstairs on the couch and making little forays into the mess - even DS3 commented on the progress I've made), books, games and films, medicinal creams, the NHS, cold flannels, sleep, progress.

apple_muncher

Shrewbie, are you ok to set up July's challenge? I think you'd offered?