NST February frugality and frolics

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  • apple_muncher
    apple_muncher Posts: 14,662
    First Anniversary Mortgage-free Glee! First Post Name Dropper
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    Today I am grateful for getting some marking finished, for cheerful pupils, for getting some prep done, for hm coleslaw, for going to see the Wizard of Oz, for looking at possible accommodation when we go to see MIL, for good things to read here in mse-land.
    NST March lion #8; NSD ; MFW9/3/23 Whoop Whoop!!!
  • misstara
    misstara Posts: 3,871
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post I've been Money Tipped!
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    Food expenditure - Spent £18.26 so now £63.32/£170

    Budgets - As well as food spends, I also bought petrol today (£38.16) and spent £2.20 on a coffee (was at a football match through work and it was freezing!) plus £56 (on credit card :() for GNR entry, YNAB updated

    Useful leftovers - no frogs ticked off today

    Aim to take your lunch to work every day - home at lunchtime today

    Remind yourself of what you have and be grateful - a lie in, clean bedding, a job that allows me to do fun stuff :D

    You should pay to your debt or savings first and live on what is left - nothing paid today

    Spend Free Days - still on 3/18

    Exercise is important - went to a gym class today
    Debt Dec 2022 - £2972.68. Current debt - £0 (100% paid). Flat deposit - £10527.15/£15000 (70.2% saved). Emergency fund - £1356.48/£1500 (90.4% saved).
  • F Food Expenditure. Decide on your food expenditure for the month - do not exceed it.
    £200 per month. Went food shopping, spent £27.71. I'm going to try and stretch my food shop for the week. The larder and freezer are well stocked £27.71/£200

    E Excursions and entertainment should be planned before the month starts.
    BF 50th birthday party 23/02/19
    Concert - 2 night City break 24/02/19. Paid previously. Frugal efforts in February will provide spending money for the trip.

    B Budgets should be set before the start of the month.
    Updated budget on spreadsheet with food £27.71 and purchased petrol £25.01

    R Reduce your planned food expenditure in accordance with the table below. Will be tough, but will attempt it to keep as close to it as possible.
    Reduced my food budget by £50 this month and will evulate at the end of February.

    U Useful leftovers. If there is anything from last month or a previous challenge which you found useful, keep on doing it (tackling those frogs, ditching bad habits and replacing them with good ones). Small changes that last are preferable to dramatic ones that peter out.
    Dinner was from the freezer.

    Aim to take your lunch to work every day (unless you have a free
    or heavily subsidised canteen. Similarly prepare for hospital appointments or days out by taking your own food and drink when possible.
    1/12 Homemade soup for lunch

    R Remind yourself of what you have and be grateful. This is a tough challenge but I am not asking anyone to live on a bowl of rice a day. You can choose to add your gratitudes on here or to record them privately.
    Grateful for a walk with my BF, hugs from DS, my electric blanket and a good book.

    Y You should pay to your debt or savings first and live on what is left. Ideally pay it on the first of the month/ payday. I appreciate that some of you have money coming in at different times and may need to accommodate existing standing orders/ direct debits.
    Credit card payment made.

    S Spend Free Days (SFDs).
    Aiming for 18 SFDs.
    Still on 4/18.

    R Regular check ins are recommended, daily if possible.
    I'm here:j

    V Turtles generally avoid the consumer fest of bad taste on the 14th of the month. If you and your significant other choose to celebrate, make it yourself. If there is no significant other, then celebrate your singledom in whatever way you choose - pampering, slothing, singing a la Bridget Jones or hiding under the bedclothes. Think I will be doing pampering. See when the day comes around.
    DP present bought in the sale.
    DP planning on cooking.

    I Indoors/outdoors. Regular exercise is important. Will try and go out for a walk each day.
    Indoors - I mentioned being a hermit. I would like you to see this as a positive step. Spring may be around the corner but winter often has a sting in its tail. Nurture and protect yourself. Huddle by the fire, go to bed early, read, have hot drinks and comforting home made soup. Recharge your batteries. Rest and conserve your energy. Guard your mental health. Write down 10 things that help improve your mood and practice them regularly.
    10000 steps.
    Walk with my BF.


    V Vending machines, coffee shops, takeaways (everything from an Indian banquet to a pastie or a bag of chips) are forbidden (except for those who have them as part of a budgeted family evening).
    None

    A Advance planning.
    Meal planning and making meals from scratch (no food waste) are your friends.
    Meal plan for next week.

    Good night. Xx
  • sashanut
    sashanut Posts: 3,252
    Combo Breaker First Post First Anniversary Mortgage-free Glee!
    Forumite

    Hi all
    :j

    Survived the trip to the dentists & last visit to come in about 2 weeks, then should be all done.

    F Food Expenditure Aiming for £225 for the month, down from about £275.. already done a bit of spending so no NSDs as yet. Shopping already spent £139.56/225


    E Excursions and entertainment should be planned. ....we may though go out on Friday to look at a new to us car...

    B Budgets None set as yet - other than food - & all DDs already out.

    U Useful leftovers Will also carry on with frogs. Need to make a list for DH also, there are plenty of things he can be doing. Massive frog today - inventoried one of the fridges -yaay!

    A Aim to take your lunch
    Don't work outside the home but will aim to take snacks/lunch/etc when we go out.

    R Remind yourself
    Much milder weather, my mini daffs starting to flower in the greenhouse, mad animals & tasty lunch from fridge diving.

    Y You should pay your debt or savings first Have no debt other than a cc paid off in full each month. However, savings needed for dental work & also for house renovations, so will take care of that. Paid back joint account for dental work again.

    S Spend Free Days (SFDs) Still 1/18

    U Use it up Keep using up what we have, have done some shopping already but should only need fresh F&V & bread, plus animals food/litter. Used up dome things from fridge as I now know what is in there & what needs to be used up first. Need to do other fridge but have a visitor tomorrow, he comes for lunch & he always stays for hours, must enjoy himself LOL..

    R Regular check ins Here

    V Cards only .. in the nut household

    I Indoors/outdoors My only regular exercise is gardening, which I try to do most days. Walked a lot when away need to have slightly better weather to do much around here. No gardening today a little bit of exercise with the pooches at lunchtime.

    Indoors - being a hermit. More hermitude this evening, had planned an easy meal after injections etc this afternoon, they always knock me out,


    V Vending machines etc Rarely use but do have the occasional takeaway as part of family meal. Maybe once a month, but no plans so far.

    A Advance planning This is a problem for me, I don't plan in advance but decide what to have on an almost daily basis. I know I have to get more organised, so will inventory both fridges...as a starting point. Have not inventoried yet , will do tomorrow. Done Fridge one :T

    Garden prep - up to today - has been going on apace, not with planting as the ground has been frozen but with pruning & some greenhouse stuff. No veg as yet but it's a bit early for here. Will go through seeds - I have loads - and see what I need if anything. Also have lots of pots of paint for projects inside & outside the house - once decluttered enough to decorate.. No gardening or projects today.


    Go Turtles!!!
    New start JAN15 - NOT BUYING IT 2015 :eek:. Long haul DFW #145 : 2011 DEBTBUSTING : £5500 OD GONE, £2000 OD - GONE £93,610.30 cc & loan debt - GONE 27.6.14 FINALLY DEBT & MORTGAGE FREE :happyhear
  • f0xh0les
    f0xh0les Posts: 6,817
    First Anniversary Mortgage-free Glee! Photogenic Name Dropper
    Forumite
    NSD2. Just plodding on, getting things done. Nothing major, nothing glamorous. Paid in a few cheques for the kids' birthdays, kept away from all coffee shops (was very tempted in a' oh sod it,'kind of way, but resisted) 7 school days to go until half term. In a bit of an odd mood already today. If my kids were Sesame Street, they would be brought to you by the words truculent, belligerent, and quarrelsome. Which is so exhausting. And then they appear at the top of the stairs, when it is time to leave, wearing nothing but a pair of pants, and reading a book.:mad:
    4/10/22One Year Mortgage Free Yay!
    NSTurtle # 55 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢🐢🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 🐢 No Turtle gets left behind.[/b]
    ******PROUD MEMBER OF THE TOFU EATING COALITION OF CHAOS !!!******
  • mothernerd
    mothernerd Posts: 4,827
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post Debt-free and Proud!
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    You don't fear change, you fear the unknown. If you knew the future was great, you would welcome the change needed to get there. Well the future IS great. Proceed.

    When you need something to believe in, start with yourself.

    Never forget how wildly capable you are.

    You often feel tired not because you've done too much but because you have done too little of what lights sparks in your soul.


    I'm one of the poor meal planners. I do batch cook but my normal system was just to list what was in my freezer - 5 chilli, 4 bacon soup, 2 butterbean casserole, 5 onion soup etc and then choose what I wanted each day. It does work better if you can decide the night before and get it out ready (or pick a few to eat over the next couple of days).

    I have struggled with cooking especially over the past year. Partly adjusting to things I cannot do right handed because of arthritis, not being at home so much because of looking after mum and a gradual slowing down (maybe the onset of things which hadn't yet been defined plus a compromised immune system).

    I have read a lot of advice (on here/ TED talks/ pinterest) from those who have chronic illnesses or are crippled by depression. The CBT I did last year made me realise that where I thought I was living with my depression (managing to be happy each day etc) I had in fact let it dictate a lot of what I did in my life.

    We all have Crises in our life from getting flu (so wooly headed your brain doesn't work) times when depression leaves you limp like a rag doll shaken by a dog, worry about a loved one or just one more thing piled onto an overflowing plate.

    I'm going to put down a few things that have helped me. Take note of them, use them when you need to, ignore them if you want.

    First of all be kind to yourself. Flu/ depression/ worry has flattened you don't make things worse by beating yourself up.

    Go back to basics - Food, Clothes, Bills (we all need to eat, have things to wear and need to keep on top of expenditure). It doesn't have to be perfect just enough to keep things ticking over. When I'm writing an autumn thread I always advise putting a few meals in the freezer to cover times when you are too ill to cook.

    I also buy a few tins of soup and rice pudding. If my throat is sore I can live on yoghurt ice cream, soup and rice pudding for days. Not totally :money: or even diet friendly but I'm putting stuff in to keep me alive. The soup is also what I would have been given as a child so it makes me feel 'looked after' (mum only learnt to cook after we all left home). If you have never been so ill that whoever is feeling best goes to open the cans of soup (gastric flu when I was about 10, me and a friend huddled together with our 4 sick children, getting d & v just as the boys were recovering) then thank your lucky stars.

    Now is not the time for long term plans. Start with today - what are you going to eat right now/ rest of the day. You will feel better if you can have a bath and get dressed but sometimes you can only manage that when you are recovering. When you have had something to eat and are comfortable, you can think about the coming week/ month.

    Have a minimal to do list. Most housework tasks can be postponed (old style poorlies on here - very good on tasks we can all struggle with, like getting a duvet cover on). Grade the list by how urgent the items are and how difficult each task is. (On a bad day getting in the shower can be really hard).

    Learn new ways to do things. Be prepared to compromise. Using frozen onions (me) or a jar of cook in sauce (old style poorlies) is an acceptable trade off if it means you can cook a meal.

    My mission in life is not only to survive,but to thrive and to do so with some Passion, some Compassion, some Humour and some Style.
    NST SEP No 1 No Debt No mortgage
  • Maisie_M
    Maisie_M Posts: 1,524
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    [FONT=&quot]Food Expenditure – Setting a budget of £200 - spend £59.70[/FONT]
    [FONT=&quot]
    E Excursions and entertainment – none[/FONT]
    [FONT=&quot]
    [/FONT]
    [FONT=&quot]B[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Budgets [/FONT][FONT=&quot]all set[/FONT]
    [FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
    [FONT=&quot]R Reduce your planned food expenditure in accordance with the table below – done[/FONT]
    [FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
    [FONT=&quot]U Useful leftovers. No left overs used today[/FONT]
    [FONT=&quot]
    A Aim to take your lunch to work every day – yep Roast beef sarnies today

    R Remind yourself of what you have and be grateful. grateful for a mild evening so the heating was not needed[/FONT]
    [FONT=&quot]
    Y You should pay to your debt or savings first and live on what is left. dds done[/FONT]
    [FONT=&quot]
    S Spend Free Days (SFDs). 4/18 [/FONT]
    [FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
    [FONT=&quot]U Use it up. nothing yesterday[/FONT]
    [FONT=&quot]
    R Regular check ins are recommended. here

    V have steak in the freezer already which DH and I will have and we are getting each other the matching Dark and Light Night Furies [/FONT][FONT=&quot]😊[/FONT][FONT=&quot] which we love[/FONT][FONT=&quot]

    I Indoors/outdoors. steps done today[/FONT]
    [FONT=&quot]
    V Vending machines, coffee shops, takeaways – none[/FONT]
    [FONT=&quot]
    A Advance planning. Meal planning – forgot to take out mince for Tacos yesterday but we had meatballs instead which were planned for next week so just a wee tweek[/FONT]
    [FONT=&quot]
    L Let the challenge commence at midnight on 1st February 2019 and end on 28th February 2019 at midnight.[/FONT]
  • mothernerd
    mothernerd Posts: 4,827
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post Debt-free and Proud!
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    Hugs f0xh0les.
    My mission in life is not only to survive,but to thrive and to do so with some Passion, some Compassion, some Humour and some Style.
    NST SEP No 1 No Debt No mortgage
  • dolly84
    dolly84 Posts: 5,851
    First Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic First Post
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    f0xh0les - my DS is a nightmare at getting organised to leave the house, he knows what time we leave for school but waits until I call him to get his shoes on, I am generally busy trying to do other things and then we all end up rushing about.


    Went for a decent run last night and was going to cycle this morning but it is raining and windy and I already wasn't in the mood so haven't bothered. Going to do some ironing, clean the bathroom and my bedroom, sort out the grocery delivery and walk the dog then I think I will spend an hour reading my book.
    Debt Free and now a saver, conscious consumer, low waste lifestyler


    Fashion on the Ration 28/66
  • ponypal
    ponypal Posts: 416
    First Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic First Post
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    f0xh0les wrote: »
    Redbush teabags are in the teens now - I may be rid by the end of the weekend.


    haha your teabag count down is making me laugh! I feel the same about redbush :rotfl:
    Debt Free since December 2017#11 3-6 month Emergency Fund - £3,207.08/£6,000.00
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