NST July 2024: A July jaunt around Madrid

thriftylass

Hello,

I'm still here and ready for July, please count me in.

f0xh0les

I did have to check a couple of times that nobody had committed random acts of violence....

thriftylass

The July payments towards debt have been made, envelopes stuffed and the first weekly shop came in under budget. Long may this continue. 

Over the next six weeks we haven't really planned a holiday as such, maybe just the one long weekend. On the days that I'm off with the kids I have mainly free trips planned, the beach, a park etc with picnic. Not really pool weather this year which will save me replacing the garden pool (cat claws are not blow up pool friendly, and cat liked to sit on the edge and go fishing for bugs). 

Bought some new ear plugs yesterday and what a difference, I can still feel DH snoring but at least barely hear it now. Worth the investment. Need to nip back into town tonight. Took the kids to spend some of their pocket money yesterday and one toy is already broken (not by us). Really don't like going into town now. Having to explain to the kids the state of the town and the people you see now even before lunch is sad. 

Oh summer memories, I seem to get more and more flash backs to childhood memories nowadays, mainly through smell. I loved climbing trees, riding my bike, splashing in water (the sea, a river, a puddle), the smell of wet hot concrete or soil after a rain shower, being allowed to go and pick fruit and veg in my gran's garden, walking bare feet, the way planes sound different in summer air, children's voices in back gardens and the list goes on. I walk barefoot in my garden as soon as it's warm enough, will climb any tree I can when out for a walk (don't give a hoot what DH or DC think when I get the side eye), and love nipping out in the garden picking strawberries and rasbeprries just now and eating them without washing (mum used to say dirt cleans the stomach, lol).

Anyhooo,  have a good day and a fabulous July

Shrewbie

Sorry to those I have not numbered yet! having a manic day at work... and I still need to set out my stall! oh dear!

DrCarrie

Hi Gang, 

Checking in with a spend-free day. 
- Grateful for Sunday roast leftovers
- Going to Yoga this morning - 6.30am 
- For mother nature watering the tomato plants. 

leftatthetrafficlights

M - is for MONEY - the sordid topic of coin. Holidays stretch our budgets and we should all have a good idea of what we will spend, and a strategy for sticking to the plan. If you are taking a leaf out of the Spanish book and having a staycation, good for you! If not, think of ways you can make your holiday cheaper, can you cook at home some of the time or take picnics out?

No holidays planned until September and that's already budgeted for. However, I will be spending some time with my dd & grandbaby so we'll be doing free stuff like visiting the cathedral, feeding ducks and going to the beach. He likes picnics so we'll do a couple of those 

A - is for ADVENTURE - What does adventure look like to you. Think back to your childhood, what signalled to you that summer had arrived? Was it free or did it cost money? Did you do it alone or with other people? Do that thing! 

I had a mis-spent youth so I'm not touching that one!! 😳😂  I'm definitely going to spend more time walking though and will find a couple of new routes 

D - is for DEBT AND SAVINGS  Do you have a way of visualising your progress with paying down debt or saving? I can’t remember which MSEer it was (their name will come to me as soon as I post this) who was saving to buy a house (not the deposit, this was the entire purchase price!) and they made a spreadsheet with bricks to represent a specific percentage of their savings. It kept them motivated. 

I'm currently concentrating on two savings funds and one of the ways I can build them more quickly is by sticking to my grocery budget and my storecupboard challenge 

R - is for RAKS (RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS) think about how you can make someone’s day better and in turn, your own.

I don't go out much but will do what I can with this 

I - Is for IDEAL DAY. What does your ideal ideal day look like (no limits) from waking up to going to bed. Take one aspect and do it this summer! 

My ideal day is relaxing in my garden, listening to the birds and my waterfalls - I intend to do a lot of that (weather permitting) this month! I'm going to make sure that I get all the things I need to do completed in the mornings so that my afternoons are free for my siestas 😁

D- Is for DANCING. Put on your headphones and dance/chair/chaise-longue dance to your favourite tune every day for a week. 

I don't do dancing so I'll just sing my head off! 

Grateful today for a lovely morning walk, deer and hedgehogs in my garden, a good day of cleaning, listening to excellent tunes on YouTube and an unexpected couple of hours with my grandbaby 😍

f0xh0les

Okay, so it's July ...  hello July!  I lost most of June to covid - it was in the house for 4 weeks, so I am behind with all my plans, but we are all okay again, which is the main thing.  Turning down paid work hurt though.

M - is for MONEY -  School breaks up on 11th (hooray!)  but I have to go away for work for a week  14th -20th and then DH is away 25th - 28th for a friends birthday, so going away this month is not looking good, unless I abandon DH, or we do 3-day breaks ... will have to think on this. I am always a 'Last Minute Larry' because work will keep changing the dates for the events and hotels, and DH  arranges things with his friends that I have to work around.   Time to take control.

A - is for ADVENTURE -  I did not come from a family that did holidays.   It is long past time I took control.  I love the beach but DS1 hates sand, I would walk along a beach until I fell off the end, DS4 complains if he has to walk across a zebra crossing.... and we all burn in less than an hour.  It makes things difficult.   But I am determined to get them away from their computers for a couple of days.  Also they need to see their grandparents because they are both in their 70s now and will not last forever.  It would be much easier if they were fun people, but they are not.

D - is for DEBT AND SAVINGS  - No debt, Mortgage paid off but the house needs work doing to it. I have £7k saved for new bathrooms but DS3 wants to spend it on a holiday.  I want a functioning shower or two. 

R - is for RAKS  Volunteering is regular, and I am giving my two 80+ yr old men lifts while one recovers from cataract surgery and cannot drive, and I keep finding the other one (who has knee problems) struggling down the road and picking him up  and driving him home.  It is bizarre the amount of times I drive past that man!  Those are my regular acts of kindness.  I will try and find some random ones to throw in there.

I - Is for IDEAL DAY. Walking, Sand, Coffee and Cake, no computers,  nobody talking about wifi or computers.  Puffins.  Otters.   Guardian Quick Crossword.  Kingfishers.  Reading until 2am. Going to sleep with the radio on. Seals.  Not having to wake anyone up at 7am.  The Election  Results (hypothetically - still scarred by 52/48)

D- Is for DANCING. I have put a couple of old CDs in the car for when I am driving.  Steering wheel Karaoke and Traffic Light dancing. 

1/7   Small spend day at the supermarket buying 'missing bits' to do the rest of the week, all the bills flew out of my account, £1k moved to bathroom fund, and there is enough left in the kitty to be going on with. 

 Got told there is a job coming up that I should apply for.  Might actually do it this time.

Shrewbie

Everyone who's signed up so far should have a number. Get your fans and factor 50 ready because we will start our  tour of Madrid tomorrow!! 

beanielou

Shrewbie said:

Everyone who's signed up so far should have a number. Get your fans and factor 50 ready because we will start our  tour of Madrid tomorrow!! 

Looking forward to it. 

Thrifty_Taylor

Did Norwegian & put the washing on the clothes horse before breakfast. Work went ok, but a bit of a blip first thing. End-of-term-itis is definitely setting in! Spent some if the day taking things off walls.

Shopped around online for new pet insurance, so a spend day.

Did 2 sewing jobs after tea. An additional hour of sewing done to get the second thing done, as the customer was checking up on its progress & DS3 is heading in to town tomorrow, so can drop it off. Therefore I've not done anything for myself tonight 😢 must remedy this tomorrow!

Grateful for me & the teacher being on the same wavelength in assembly, DS3 making passion cake (I've yet to taste it, as it's cooling, but it smells nice!), & reading at breakfast time