NST OCTOBERFEST

grandmanerd

beanielou said:

@grandmanerd. So have I got this right? You are moving downstairs & are going to have a new kitchen and a downstairs toilet & shower? I really hope so. Xx

Yes. Ultimately I need a bungalow (and to live in a different house from DS3 and Beloved). But as it will take a while to gather my funds together (half the proceeds of the sale grandma's house and DS3 and Beloved to take out a mortgage to buy this house off me) I'm aiming to make this house as comfortable as possible for me now. And I'm getting rid of accumulated junk acquired over the years (I still have a piece of torus skirting board under the stairs). I'm looking at every single thing and deciding if I need it in my life. I suspect I could get rid of even more if DS3 would let me (some things were saved on the basis that one or other of us would be moving out). Also until I started getting my pension last January, I didn't really have enough to live on (DS3's contribution was needed to cover basic bills and food) so I've held onto things that were past their best.

dizzyblnd

Hi everyone. Proud to say it’s nsd #2 here. Tomorrow won’t be as I need to get petrol in my car and order a few bits online. The sun shone for a little while today allowing me to get outside for a very short walk. Very much needed. I’m trying to embrace autumn and the idea of hygge but it’s a slow process. 

apple_muncher

I used my 10% off coupon in liddle today so made the most of it, buying food bank items.

Today I am grateful for having the money to be able to donate, for success in deconstructing some needle felting and turning it into something better, for dh getting home in time for me to collect Pip, for getting offered an interview tomorrow (where the interviewers will be the friend who encouraged me to apply and a good friend I used to work with 🤣), for my friendly neighbourhood.

dizzyblnd

Good luck in the interview Apple

ldee2111

Please add me to the challenge @mothernerd

Happy Halloween month, turtles!

I’ve managed 2 NSDs so far.

Budgets are done, savings are saved, and our mortgage-free date is inching closer—still aiming for April 2025!

About a week ago, I excitedly booked a three-night festive break in Scotland for December for DS, OH, and me. I wanted to do something special for DS before someone bursts his bauble about the whole business. Sometimes, I feel so sad that DS is growing up, and I just wish I could hit the rewind or pause button. The tooth fairy came the other night to take a fifth baby tooth away. 😭 

The spur of the moment booking of the festive trip is a rare move for me because I’ve committed to spending money I don’t currently have! So now I’ve got the challenge of finding magic money over the next two months to cover the trip. I’m expecting a refund from my previous energy provider, so I’ll probably put some of that towards the trip. It’s going to take some serious belt-tightening for the next couple of months… she says, as she books a summer holiday!

Have a good day, turtles! x

ladybird1106

3 nsd. Spent another day wading through dad’s paperwork and contacting relevant people. Highlight of the day was seeing a friend who come to let me off load mentally 

Grateful for
1. a lovely friend visiting me.
2. The allotment still providing us with lots of fruit and veg
3. miss giddy chops (she’s a dog) knowing when I need comforting.
love 🐞

Betharooni

Still on NSD #2 and unlikely to move from that until at least Tuesday, as am going away for a long weekend again. Will try to keep spending as low as I can this weekend but will have to pay for meals etc. Spending the weekend with friends and seeing my favourite actor, so should be good for my mh. Am thankful for my amazing friends, having enough money to afford to go away and have hugs with my favourite actor and using food up from the freezer and fridge before going away during this week.

B x

grandmanerd

I wrote something earlier but lost it as I started on the fourth bit. However I have listened to a clutter fairy podcast this afternoon and she had this to say about the holidays (it's a bit more intense in the US - it starts now and runs until the New Year) "Pick out your favourite parts of your traditions (that may be getting family together, food or presents). Then work out the most pared down version of that that you can. 

If you have small children you may want to go to town with decorating but once they're at college you need to start cutting back. She cites one customer who altered the recipe for a dressing slightly (she added celery) and one of her grown up children stood up and screamed at her that 'she had ruined thanksgiving'. We must all be aware of the older generation (and ourselves as we age) and appreciate that what used to be simple may now be too much and share the burden.

She also recommends experience presents and enjoying other people's decorations - having a meal at one of the large establishments where they really go to town.

I don't know quite how today went. I did a food order yesterday which was cancelled (my bank is being super cautious about money going out of my account. So this afternoon I did another order to be delivered tomorrow and that has been cancelled too. The bank texted me to see if I had ordered various items (2 were £0.00 items) and I texted back Y. They then said I was free to pay for the items but the SM had already cancelled the order and I didn't have the energy to go back. So tomorrow I will do an early dash to a real SM and get the things I need (taxi both ways). My legs are a lot better but I'm not using all my available energy for the day walking to the SM.

Grateful for the things in the cupboard, finding a suitable replacement wash bag (I keep one week's pills in a see through small bag - it was part of one of mum's larger toiletries bags - and it's started cracking and scraping my fingers) and banter with the homeless community (they took my fence panel onto the car park yesterday but they were using it to try to dry out their clothing). 

DrCarrie

I missed yesterday, sorry not caught up up in all your news. 

I bought some flowers yesterday, there is a local grower and I love her and her flowers. Ethical, organic flowers.

Today was spend free day number 2. 

Grateful for
- getting out for a walk - squelching across the washlands
- getting new sunglasses - I ordered ages ago
- a nice interaction with my collage and friend  - things are changing and he will likely be my line manager, we stepped back from our friendship, and we are finding that hard, sad , and difficult but required, had at least 3 cries about it today. 

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for a sunny day, for being able to give pip a lie in before going to school, for enjoying the interview and getting the job (😎), for selling a bookcase on gumt and it leaving the house, for Pip making it through the week.