NST AUGUST 2024

DawnW

Definite progress there @mothernerd  

Slowish morning. I walked the dog, cleaned the bathroom and weeded under the fruit trees in the garden. Cut down the everlasting sweet pea which had finished flowering and was about to scatter its seeds everywhere. I don't want that taking over the garden, pretty though it is when in flower! 

I found my missing hoodie, hung on a hook behind the bedroom door. Gave it a wash, now on the line, hopefully drying. It is always handy at this time of the year.

This afternoon I need to sort out the fridge, make a fish pie and a Greek spinach and feta thing, pick tomatoes and raspberries, and either OH or I need to go to the vet's and pick up the dog's regular flea treatment. If OH goes, he may well have a fit when he learns how much it costs    It works though, and it is one thing less to worry about.

grandmanerd

Well the mattress is out in the garden, getting damp but the headboard and the broken gaming chair have gone. Around mid morning I stood the two halves of the bed base on their ends - there was more on the floor than expected (stuff that had gone under the bed). After lunch I went back upstairs, cleared part of the floor, used an old top to wipe the floor - I wanted it wet enough to lift the bits of paper stuck to the floor but not to soak into the laminate. 

Next time I went back I moved the first half of the bed base against the radiator, then did the next part of the floor. Repeated the procedure, did more floor including the bit under the window that had been cut off. Discoveries included the final missing library book from last December, lots of the smaller pills (larger packets don't fall very far but the smallest pills and their boxes miss the ledges and fall right down) and a lion bar (still haven't eaten it but did have the single opal fruit I found).

A rubbish bag and a bag of paper have gone out and several small ones. I have part filled bags in different locations and just keep adding to them. DS3 had left the bath water in the bath so I put my bath board in upside down. I found a shampoo that Beloved is no longer using so I emptied that on top and every time I go in the bathroom, I use another shampoo bottle to push the board down into the water - it's now nearly clean with very little effort.

Stopped for tea and I think I'm done for the day. I'm wearing the trainers with thick hard insoles and the sore spots on my insteps have resurfaced. The last trip upstairs I drank nearly a litre of water. I've only a few pages left of the book I started last night and I watched a bit of my current series whilst eating.

Grateful for all and any progress, the growing list of things that are to leave my house, books and other entertainment, just keeping going.

Thrifty_Taylor

Another NSD

Headed to work a bit earlier again, to prepare for my pupil. Joined in PE so got a few steps in 😊 still having trouble getting my colleague to release her grip on things, despite being told to let me do certain things. 

Pinned a man into a coat, then spent 3 hours working through a bag of alterations. Another bag completed & out my bedroom now. A customer also picked his bag of repairs too 😃

Grateful for not getting stung by the wasp that I'd unknowingly taken into school on my fringe, the support of my work besties, happy customers, my bed in a minute! 🤣

grandmanerd

Another sack of rubbish, a sack of cans and a nearly full bag of paper collected from my old room. Lots of paper put together, that I might need as 'proof' for opening new bank accounts. I haven't slept well and still not feeling great (feeling better but not very much energy) so wrote a longish list (roughly an A5 page) of things to do and attempted to see what I could do without leaving the house.

Telephone banking was a waste of time. It wanted me to use the app, download the app, use the messaging service, say in a few words what I wanted to do - three times I tried and it still wanted me to give in and 'pay my credit card bill' (I don't have one). Then it offered to let me talk to a human being if I answered 3 levels of security including 2 out of 5 numbers I used once about 7 years ago. I gave up. tempus was fugit-ing so I gathered stuff, took 3 books back to the library and got on the bus to Bolton. 

Went in the newsagent's at the terminus and picked up a sandwich and a cold drink and a large print puzzle mag (I only had 2 l bottles at home and had enough heavy things to lug around) and jelly babies which I ate as I crossed the 3 town centre blocks to reach the bank - it refreshed me without needing to find a toilet afterwards.

All the bank windows were boarded up but it was open. A young man in a polo shirt asked if I needed help (no logos - didn't realise he was an employee) and then passed me onto a 'greeter' (not someone crying beanie). I explained the problem to her (this was follow up from meeting the bank woman at the library a fortnight ago). I haven't been well enough to go there and wasn't really well enough today but thought I needed to move things forward. After some shuffling between 3 employees (checking which skills they had so a more experienced worker dealt with me and another woman dealt with her appointment).

I have a new current account and an easy access savings account with most of my money split 1:3 between them and a small amount still in the account which keeps having money taken (because any refunds will be credited to that account. I still have to phone the fraud section because a number of withdrawals were taken in August (the bank employee couldn't understand why they hadn't blocked that retailer as they aren't my transactions). On the good side the bank had already credited me for the July transactions (I checked some against my list but I know I entered at least 45 incidents so haven't matched them all yet). 

Walked back across the town centre, had my sandwich and drink sitting on one of the many benches. I had intended going to Morries but decide it was too far - it's only a block from the bus station but if you pick the wrong side street you come to a dead end at the skateboard park and have to do a long detour. I nipped in HB who didn't have a lot of the things ours has but I bought 2 things to supplement what I had at home. Back to the terminus and straight onto a bus home, missed the start of rush hour. Everything hurts (back and leg joints mainly). I've eaten again and attempted another bag of rubbish/ recycling but I'm settling for small movements to ease out some of the kinks. However much was achieved especially as I was told they couldn't do some of what I wanted and I would have to wait 2 weeks for an appointment.

Grateful for helpful bank employees, comfortable bus seats, short queues.

abundant1972

Good evening 🌞

Sorry I have been AWOL for a few days - was changing my internet provider and it didn't run as smoothly as planned. Still - got a good deal and a £75 shopping voucher doing it through a comparison site. I plan to put the £75 I would have spent towards debt / getting a month ahead. I've been with the previous one for 5 years, but loyalty gets you nowhere. Haggling just got me the same price as the new package but no incentive, yet they offer incentives and great deals to new customs. Makes no sense that they don't have retention packages. 

Anyhow - had a good few days, and bagged another 3 NSDs.  

Budget done for September and money put aside. 

Today I am grateful for: 

1) The internet!!! 
2) A lovely sunny day 
3) Supportive colleagues

Today = NSD number 15

Thanks for August grandmanerd x
Thanks for running September Apple x 

beanielou

That’s a big step forward @grandmanerd. 

Glad no one was greeting 😆😆

Shrewbie

Happy Friday dearest turtles!

No NSDs for me this week but very small spends the last few days (a bread roll here and there to top up lunches)

Next week I shall mealplan!

My joy yesterday at finding out that I am now eligible for the scheme to help first-time buyers quickly turned to despair as I can find no suitable properties even with the revised budget. I am happy that I can at least start the search though, I just have to start thinking about neighbourhoods further out of the centre than I initially wanted (realised I can’t compromise on certain things, like having a terrace/balcony), and be patient. Also annoyed that I ended up switching my bank as one of the banks involved in the scheme (to give 90-100% mortgages) is the one I just switched away from. I might have a chat with them to see if taking out a credit card with them or something would help my chances at getting a mortgage. God knows how things work here.

Grateful for it being Friday, for having plans this weekend that don’t involve driving and for finally being able to start searching for a flat!

laura_lau

that's great news @Shrewbie enjoy your search! I might be weird but I did enjoy the browsing and the first few viewings, the excitement of the possibilities when buying your first home are really great! I still do go and browse sometimes, even if I'm in no position yet to upgrade!

These last few days have been rather busy and I had a major slump in motivation. I think I am starting to feel that I have barely taken any time off this year, and am now just holding it together until we go in a bit less than two weeks. 

I have been doing preparations for the wedding we are going to tomorrow, dress (mine) and suit (OH) have been tried on, they fit and look great, so no money has been spent in outfits. I bought a fascinator on Vint*d to match the colour of the dress, for which I used the latest money I received from some sales, so no expense there. I had to buy a card and put honeymoon contribution in there as a gift, but I was happy to do that.

My 8% fixed rate savings account is going to mature at the end of September, I did manage to steadily put away a small amount most months for the past year, and I am very happy I did that. I am going to use some of the amount to overpay credit cards and I am now looking to get a small construction job done in the bedroom (it's the first job I will be able to do after completing on the flat 3 years ago): there's a huge cupboard/closet that opens in the landing but takes up more than 1 square m in the bedroom, and, because of that, the furniture we already had doesn't fit correctly. I want to remove the closet wall from the bedroom and gain back that space so I can move the wardrobe in that corner and finally take the bed away from against the wall and have some space to walk around. Our mattress is sadly not fit for purpose anymore, and I finally found a great offer for the type of mattress we needed, which comes with an ottoman bedframe for storage. This will be delivered in October, so I was hoping to get the works done in the bedroom before then, so that when the bed gets delivered they can build it directly in its designed space. I would hate having to dismantle it all again and move it to get the works done in just a few months. Hopefully my saved money will be enough to cover the expense.

Today I'm grateful to have been invited to the wedding by a lovely new friend, for having found an offer for a new mattress at the right time.

grandmanerd

My CPAP machine says I slept for 11 hours. Even then the urge to get up and shower was fighting the desire to just lie where I was, all snug and warm. I did shower and washed my hair. Film club today and I had to force myself to go. I want to go. I need to socialise and film club is a very low key way to socialise but I still get collywobbles as the time approaches. 

I went and the film was very good but the new chairs are awful. I swapped to my walker when the pain in my back got unbearable but after a while that too was reaching my limit. I went to the toilet and then walked around the gallery next door, just to stretch my back a little. I've been on the couch since I got home and am just starting to feel comfortable (will write a note in my diary so I remember to take a cushion next time).

When I went to the bathroom I managed to pick up a handful of paper recycling and find the tablets I was short on this morning. I now have enough for one week, possibly two (they are part used foils). My next task is to bring in the dry washing and hang the last two items out.

Thanks to everyone who has taken part this month - I know we still have tomorrow. I know we are all looking forward to a little belt tightening next month, whilst living well. I will be continuing the great declutter project but hope I can get more bags out to the cs tomorrow.

Grateful for film club and all the volunteers, the comfy chairs downstairs in the library, a good exhibition to visit properly in the next fortnight. 

abundant1972

Evening everyone 🌘

Congrats Shrewbie - I was in my mid 40s when I got my mortgage on a first time buyers scheme - being single it was just so hard saving and getting on the ladder. I'll be working until I'm 110 mind you haha (not!). So glad I did - it's nice having that sense of security. That said - not the be all - I know mates that love not being so tied and having less responsibility, and plenty of friends just can't get on full stop. 

Well done for getting out grandmanerd. I can be the same with socialising - the idea can be overwhelming but I usually enjoy it after I've been - even if it takes it out of me. 

Lovely day today. Went for a drive out to Castleton and enjoyed the countryside with a friend. Lunch out so not an NSD but was some much needed friend therapy time. 

Today I am grateful for: 

1) A fantastic sunny day
2) Memories of good times with my family
3) My car and all the amazing places I can go in it

Today remains NSD number 15

Have a lovely evening x