NST Joyful July

x_raphael_xx · 4 July 2017 at 8:20PM

f0xh0les wrote: »

Just wrote a post listing all my woes and then lost the lot.

Hot tip...Try pressing the back button once. I should go back to the 'reply to thread' box with your typings intact. Worked for me a couple of times.

Another good day in work. We had to pop out for a meeting with an account holder, as we'd had a couple of minor issues in the last couple of weeks. Ended up not talking about the issues at all and just having a general chat about the city & its upcoming developements. With a free cup of tea

Bf was going into work late, so knowing Duncan would be okay past my usual home time, I decided to walk into work so I could run home. I really miss walking into work, but I drive so I can get home for Duncan quickly. It was beneficial too, as I found 6p in roadkill

YOU If you don't like it, change it. Weight & Fitness. 5 Mile run accomplished today.

FRUGAL The Frugalwoods are having another Uber Frugal Month Challenge I found the email interesting today. We don't have tv, nothing on we want to watch so would rather save the tv licence money and subscripton fees. I've gone through my budget to see if there is another monthly thing I could cut out, but it's all useful. I could cut out my contact subscription, but I prefer contacts to glasses, and I get free eye tests and a free pair of glasses yearly. I could cut my gym, but its a tiny £12.99 a month (compared to £40 to the gym I used to go to years ago) and I enjoy going.
My other 'treats' are my saxophone lessons, which were once a week, but now twice a month due to my shifts, and my single personal trainer session a month. I would love to have more regular training, but I've limited myself to once a month as a catch up and to keep myself on the straight and narrow. She did mention how I have lost weight in my face last time I went, so it's a good boost too!
The only thing I really could get rid of is the car, if it wasn't for Duncan I would get rid of it today, especially as I enjoy the walk to work, but I need to rush home for him. When we move however, (fingers crossed soon) I will be right next door to work so bf will be giving his car to his mum, who needs a decent car, and he is taking mine off me. So we will go down to one car.

USE what you have. Bf is home late today, so I decided to bung my last diet chef meal in the microwave.

LOOK after you. I'm going to pop a film on after this post, and wait for bf to get home to bring me a cup of tea.

UNLESS you have a specific reason you should avoid takeaways etc Avoided

YOU will aim for 16 NO Spend Days 4/20 Another NSD so far so good

JOY Find 3 things to be grateful for at the end of each day.
1) A nice misty morning walk to work.

2) A little break from the usual work week to pop out and have a chat & tea.
3) Duncan finally settling down after a mad evening and having a snuggle.

PlaysNicely · 4 July 2017 at 8:23PM

:wave:

Hope everyone's ok! Checking in with today's action:
1) NSDs: Had to make dog food & milk purchase so still on 3 / 16.

2) At least one store cupboard menu week this month: Another frugal cupboard meal tonight: chickpea, green pepper & carrot curry, with rice. Tried to max out the savings by doubling the curry quantity - meal for tonight & other into freezer for quick tea another time: roasted peppers & garlic whilst curry cooking in oven; used third of cooked chickpeas with roasted red pepper & chilli oil to make humous; rest of roast peppers to go into hm quiche tomorrow.
This has been a useful run of 4 cupboard cooking days in a row, but current run will have to end Thurs as now just about no veg left, just salad leaves growing in garden which will be used tomorrow!

3) Try to up my own income in some way (legally, of course! Have been asked to go over to gallery on Friday to see what the job involves.

4) My NST health goal: 10,000 steps a day (as total of 70,000 across a week)! 7,800 today as busy desk-based work day & hubby only wanted shorter dog walk as he was busy with other things! So 34,735 / 70,000 - going to need to get a couple of power walks in!

5) No FleaBay shopping for the whole month - achieved again today = 4 / 31. Fits in nicely with today's UF challenge. One of my 72 hour wait strategies is to work out how much the shopping in the basket equates to as my hourly work rate - knowing I'd have to work for 4 hours to 'pay' for an item can sometimes be enough to make me forget the idea!

6) Frugal focus: sourcing instead of spending:
* valance in progress
* evening will be spent with knitting patterns to find doll or ted I can knit for great-niece's upcoming 1st birthday - materials to be sourced from stash rather than shops!

Simple pleasures:

Excuse to get knitting patterns out!

Getting a grotty work task completed ahead of schedule & using the extra time to clear my work space: uncluttered space = less cluttered mind!

OH cut the grass, garden's looking green & calm!

Hope everyone else has had a good day, PN x

swimminginaseaofdebt · 4 July 2017 at 9:26PM

Evening everyone,

Racked up my 2nd NSD of the month today.

Didn’t make it to the dentist or the charity shop as I have a bit of cold which is refusing to budge. Have rescheduled the dentists appointment though the receptionist was none too happy and I’ve been firmly told next time I cancel I’ll have to pay a cancellation fee.

The little one was at the childminders for a few hours today so I batch cooked him some cheesy tomato risotto and carrot and lentil soup. Also popped a wash on though the weather is awful so I had to hang the clothes inside. Patiently waiting for the summer to arrive…….

Managed to complete some surveys, grab a shower and read a bit of my book.

Have arranged to meet a friend and her daughter at soft play on Fri. Its turning into an expensive week as I also agreed to go for brunch on Sat with a few friends. Will need to turn into a hermit from next week onwards!

Fmess · 4 July 2017 at 9:33PM

Hi all,

Sorry fir my absence, it's exam marking season and the days are flying by in a blur. I'm knackered, quite teary, grumpy, ordering lots of takeaways and eating too much chocolate, but I'm hoping to be finished in two days, fingers crossed.

I've had 1 SFD due to the takeaways and chocolate.

I've also been trying to do online dating (poor timing but was trying to seize the day). I've been on a couple of dates but not found anyone very engaging in person.

Might be back tomorrow, or after I finish my marking.

abundant1972 · 4 July 2017 at 9:48PM

Evening all

Had a busy day at work and a later finish. I had packed my gym bag too - but decided on getting to work - that me going for 7 sessions a week was not sustainable nor very good for my body. So - rest day today... then back Wed/Thur, off Fri - in the weekend... That is 5 sessions I will aim for...

Today was a spend day as I decided to pay for my tea/coffee/birthday fund at work... but for the rest of the year, so it's all out the way in one go. Also had a little planned spend... again - trying to keep spends to the same day.

An early night for me tonight, and got a few things planned for tomorrow.

Today I am grateful for:

An emerging new daily routine
For discovering how nice early mornings can be
For a supportive work team

Night all

x

mothernerd · 4 July 2017 at 10:05PM

Welcome Munchin and IncyWincy21.

EE so glad the dog is feeling better. Spag bol is useful for hiding all manner of things.

indigowarrior what a joyful day with your children.

clippy girl good news on the sale.

Skint Teacher sounds like a bargain weekend.

Lauralozzle don't worry about the mistake, you won't get that bit wrong again. Learning new skills and developing at work is great.

apple 30 day shred awesome.

PlaysNicely the little rounding up bits will soon mount up.

greent hugs, look after yourself.

x_raphael_xx · 4 July 2017 at 10:12PM

swimminginaseaofdebt wrote: »

Didn’t make it to the dentist or the charity shop as I have a bit of cold which is refusing to budge. Have rescheduled the dentists appointment though the receptionist was none too happy and I’ve been firmly told next time I cancel I’ll have to pay a cancellation fee.

Would she rather you rocked up with a cold?? :undecided

Fmess wrote: »

I've also been trying to do online dating (poor timing but was trying to seize the day). I've been on a couple of dates but not found anyone very engaging in person.

Keep at it

I signed up for Plenty of Fish, it was free so I thought "Why not, not losing anything".
Found my now-ex on there, we were married for 5 years. Found my current bf on there too, we've been together now for just shy 2 years.
My dad met his now-wife on a dating site too. It can work out, you just have to trawl through the idiots!

mothernerd · 4 July 2017 at 10:39PM

swimming superb surveying.

f0xh0les divorce? (the joy of never having to see your in-laws again). Lie (in the nicest possible way) Say the children are comitted to summer activities and have made unbreakable arrangements with friends. For tackling the guilt gene I would read The Life Changing Joy of Not Giving a F**k (think there is a TED talk). You have a limited amount of time and energy and you have to choose who you care about and how much. You are the one who will break under the conflicting demands - remember Look after yourself. It isn't selfish when you are the one everyone else depends on.

I read something rather sad on BookFace yesterday. Not sure how much I agree with it, but it was something along the lines of 'Have you noticed that the people who care about others and make sure that every one else is all right, often end up quite lonely'.

I wouldn't advocate not caring at all but it is hard when there is no one there when you need support in return (because you're so reliable, dependable, the one to turn to in a crisis).

Florence J house cleaning and clearing sounds good.

x-raphael-x I'm another non-tv person. I watch old films and tv series on Utoob (currently enjoying the second series of Fat Friends). I don't think I have much in that category that I can cut. I have bought a puzzle magazine for the last three months. Last time it just popped into my head that the new one was out that day.

It can be a useful tool for measuring my concentration/ logical thinking (mood markers on the depression scale) but the last 2 I just sailed through. I am considering upgrading to a more difficult magazine. This would involve travelling to another town but that mag has lots of the puzzles I like (16 and 25 grid sudokus) so would last several months.

I am still struggling with the question of whether fizzy water is a need or a want. If I am being strict obviously plain tap water will keep me alive. Diet coke (especially branded) is a want, not a need and I am cutting that out altogether atm. But in the absence of a handy soda stream (as the frugalwoods have) is buying 3 x 2l bottles of fizzy water for a total cost of 51p a need or a want. Just thought a m*rs bar or single pack of crisp would cost more - that is a needless expensive. Ah well the 3 days are nearly up.

Fmess hugs and how brave to try internet dating. Isn't dog walking supposed to be a good way to meet potential partners (according to Davina) or does meeting the needs of your fur babies preclude that?

mothernerd · 5 July 2017 at 12:19AM

"The real things haven't changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong.":)

Laura Ingalls Wilder

mothernerd · 5 July 2017 at 12:21AM

How observant are you. So far I have three joyful Julys and two joyful Junes. Not going to edit out my mistakes.

NST Joyful July

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