NST December 2024 – the TARDIS awaits

ldee2111

Debt free date 

Mortgage-free date: April 2025 (as long as we keep to the savings routine, and we are). It was originally June 2040! Feeling so proud of ourselves but we’re not over the finish line yet! 

Organise your outgoings. 

Budgets done for the month. We weekly meal plan but December is one of those months where planning is easily derailed. 

Count up to 15. 

Will try. Let’s see how far I can get. 

“There is no such thing as an ordinary human.”

Will be treating myself well by stepping out of the room (literally and figuratively) when needed. 

One thousand days from December 1st takes us to August 28th 2027.

I’m intrigued! 

Retrain your browsing/tech habits

Definitely a resolution but starting now. Phone use is banned after 9pm… unless any of our parents are calling. Phone is set to allow calls from only our parents 24-hours a day. 

What kind of month do you want for yourself? 

I like taking time in December to reflect on the year that’s coming to an end and to be grateful for the experiences and people that have made the year beautiful and memorable. I like to look through photos for reminders. Although this month started with a bit of a bang, I like a slow end to the year. 

Here’s a space to make up your own rule for the month.

I must eat slower, savour flavour and stop before I’m uncomfortably full. 

Outings. Drop one.

That’s easy… the work Christmas get together! There’s been an exodus of colleagues this year (people I’ve worked with for years) and lots of new recruits that I don’t know because I’m rarely in the office these days. Being nearly 40, I can’t be bothered trying to join in with the chat of 20-somethings at a Christmas gathering. I know that might sound rude but it’s the truth. 

Slow living this month. In a potentially manic month, make a clear intention to keep your schedule and pace in check. 

Slow it is! 

Omm. Take care of your mental health. Do something every day this month that makes you feel good.

I’ll share my feel good thing, along with my gratitudes. 

No entry to any sales.

I’ve been putting money aside for a new Christmas tree. Hopefully this will be the final year for our old wonky one… and a new one will be found in the sales. I also plan to use gift money to replace a couple of my tired looking sweaters. 

Candles - Switch to candles and firelight after dark (or the high-tech adjustable hue bulb equivalents). And switch off your tech an hour before going to bed please.

Gladly.

Chase after awe and joy. 

Always.

Read fiction before bed. 

I’m currently reading a children’s Christmas story… not to DS… but to myself before lights out. And I plan to read all Dahl books on DS’s bookshelf in the new year. 

Exercise. 

This is something I need to make a conscious effort to do. 

Refuse to get sucked into guilt spending. Remove 31 items from your dwelling this month.

Will do. 

Remember that you are blessed.

Absolutely. 

grandmanerd

Yesterday I took 2 bags of donations to a charity shop and picked up 3 library books on the way back. Not sure what else I did (trips to the bins and watched a couple of films) but I was ready to go to sleep by 8 pm and then woke up at 3 am. Read and rested until it was time to take my pills, then ate, showered etc, I've written all but one of my cards but still need the addresses. A short letter in one and a long letter (I'm up to page 16 but it has spaces between each line and it's printed (friend has cataracts). I've also wrapped a pile of presents but have more to do. This evening I've done an online shop (I'd made a list but was going to split it in 2 but in the end I ordered nearly everything on the list, I just swapped two meat items for budget choices (turkey thighs to make another large stew stuffed with veg and turkey mince to make chilli - will add at least three tins of kidney beans.

Nearly everything was bought to use up food already in the house eg sausages to go with the frozen mash. Other plans are Butter bean casserole (onions, tinned tomatoes, carrots and butter beans, pearl barley optional), veg curry, crackers to have with the crab pate and various salads (pasta, potato, bean, coleslaw etc) and a bag of baking potatoes. So if tomorrow is still two wet to venture out, I'll be on the couch chopping veg and watching another movie or two.

Grateful for finally getting round to writing to people and making a start on the cards and wrapping, wearing enough layers to be warm, filling bin bags. 

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for our fences still being upright, for a lovely time with my stall at Pip's school fair (made about £100), for getting a coffee at the climbing centre to warm me up, for leftovers for tea, for my lovely warm bed!

Thrifty_Taylor

Awake early today, even though I didn't need to be! Did yoga & Norwegian.

Headed to town after breakfast. Met a couple who have commissioned a memory blanket for a newborn baby, from it's late grandma. Collected mum & we did the food shop. Dropped off & collected bags of sewing.

Shortened 6 pairs of trousers this afternoon & evening, then started knitting another Christmas present, whilst watching more if a series on the TV.

Grateful for a warm fire, decluttering more things, time to do my own thing

Betharooni

Not an NSD today as I got my hair cut and coloured so still on #5. Today was a crazy start as I overslept and had to panic to my hair appointment, but afterwards I’ve taken it reasonably easy, not wanting to venture out in the rubbish weather. I’ve done some knitting, tried a new-to-me recipe (not great but missing an ingredient so will try again with that ingredient at some point), watched a couple of Christmas films to try to get vaguely in the holiday spirit, watched a show on Stage1t, all-in-all it’s been a good day.

I'm thankful for getting my hair done so I feel a bit more human, watching the show on Stage1t which is likely to have been my last opportunity of the year to see my favourite actor and for sweet light-hearted Christmas films.

DawnW

NSD #6 for me today - go me!!

It is still very windy here, but no more rain so far. Visited old friends recently returned from living in France this morning, so an enjoyable couple of hours catching up They now live just a couple of miles from us, so it will be lovely to see more of them.

Photographed and listed a kitchen item this morning, so hoping that will go. A bargain price for what it is, but I don't use it and would rather have the space.

I have a casserole in the slow cooker for dinner tonight, and it will make another meal too.

I will get OH to help me write the Christmas cards this evening I think. I probably already have enough stamps for them.

Grateful today for seeing old friends, and for no damage to our property from this weekend's storm.

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for getting in a brisk walk in the fresh air, for tidying up a little, for easy food, for time with Pip, for finding a neighbour who will have our old garage/car park for their son for Cmas.

f0xh0les

Unexpected NSD6 today.  It has rained all day long, on the front of the house, pelting the living room window. 

So we raided the larder for lunch - oatcakes and ryv1ta knockoffs with cheese and pate and hummus. Nobody complained, but they didn't hang around for long.  Anyway, curry for supper with freezer oddities. Job done.

Laundry processed, football watched, stayed dry.

ldee2111

Staying on NSD 1 as today I bought a kitchen caddy to organise DS’s colouring pens, which were previously stored in the holder on his easel. The easel was cleaned up and dropped off at the charity shop this morning, along with four books, over 50 colouring pens, pencils, and crayons (don’t worry, he still has plenty left, so I’m not being a cruel mother), and three packs of playing cards that haven’t been used in at least a year.

We also treated ourselves to a takeaway pizza, as is our annual tradition when putting up the Christmas tree.

Grateful today for us all working together to get the Christmas tree up, for OH batch-cooking some meals for the week, for DS finally agreeing to part with his easel, which he’s had since the age of two, and for the blessings of shelter, warmth, food, health, and love in our lives.

basketcase

Been away in Edinburgh this weekend.  On Saturday I went to a Christmas Doo.  I expected to stop on the way down to treat myself to lunch but didn't then afterwards I drove the remaining 20-odd miles to DD's for an overnight visit.  I took down 2 spare Christmas decs, a Christmas wreath kit and an Advent Calendar.

Today I drove back after lunch, so no stops= no spending.

So I now have a total of 14/31 items out and a surprising 8/31 NSDs.

ETA: I can't add up!  My last total should have been 10 not 9, so today's total out should be 1.  Doh! 🙄