The mindful MFW: A healthy, happy journey to a mortgage free life!

I did take on quite a bit! Plus she got into big trouble at school this week, VERY big, as in police involved. I can't say much more but it's been a tough few days.

Anyway, on MSE news... did big shop at Mr L on the weekend, our grocery budget up to about £140 :eek:! Today I got a £27 shop for £8.50 from Mr W so we are just above grocery budget. We have around £100 left for over 2 weeks but lots still in fridge and freezer, and I am hoping to avoid a big shop this weekend.

Top tip, if you buy the new Oce@n Spray Wh0leberry Cranberry juice, you can not only get it free via reclaim (see hotukdeals for link) but also get £2 back via Shopm!um.

Cycled to work day today. OH bought me a rack and mudguards as an early present, and fixed the bike chain last night. I managed a sunny but blustery cycle to work, I did get lost and my map blew away :rotfl: but made it to work in one piece! Am planning to cycle back home on Friday, 10 miles in one day was enough for me! Plus did 16,000 steps as well. Shattered! Hoping to cycle in and out at least once a week to build up stamina ready for when travelcard expires at the end of the year.

Mail survey work done on way home; have given feedback on museums so now just need to send in £27 expense claim. Also recording a £18.50 personal spend on Sat night.

Betterthanever wrote: »

Well done on the cycling. I try and cycle to work 2 days a week (when not suffering from a broken hip, that is!). Thankfully we have showers at work and a lot of us cycle, having bought decent bikes through the cycle to work scheme. We've also got somewhere safe to keep them which helps too. It saves me a fair bit, even just for those 2 days.....I'm almost resentful of paying bus fare at the moment....and can't wait to get fixed so I can ride in again!

Hope the broken hip is fixed soon, must be awful. We've also got somewhere safe to store the bikes, so I can cycle in and leave it which takes the pressure off whilst I build up some stamina.

themadvix wrote: »

Hope things setlle down with DD soon MW - you seem to have been through a lot recently, with DS too.

Just popping in to say thanks for putting me onto Shopm!um - now have 3 non-alcholic bottles of drink in ready for visitors/visiting/Christmas. Must go and get the alcoholic ones soon!

Thanks Madvix, you are right, I have a lot on my plate with the kids, let alone work and my own health. It can be quite wearing and I’m glad I got through this week without too much of a wobble, although I am very tired!

So pleased you're enjoying Shopm!um, it's a good app and nice to be able to get some cheap or free branded stuff in (even if we do insist on saving it for special occasions! I now have a nice stash of biscuits well out of reach of the kids, well until a gathering at least :rotfl:)

Secret_Saving_Squirrel wrote: »

Well done on building up the cycling stamina. Once you get used to it you will never want to get back on public transport again!

Thanks SSS, just cycled home. It was a lovely ride, along canals and marshes, hardly any on street riding. However, it was also a bit long (and wet - the skies opened at one point!) and took me 1 hr 20 mins - and that was starting from somewhere closer to home :eek:. Exhausted now and just eaten a few biscuits to perk me up so any health benefits are probably negligible . Am hoping to find a route which combines best of greenery with a slightly more direct route. And to keep out of the biscuit jar after :rotfl:.

Packed lunches today, and shiny new helmet finally arrived . £7 unbudgeted spend on 3 pairs of M&S tights today… all mine missing, it is definitely too cold for bear legs and only had £1 left on the M&S vouchers in my purse to take off the cost! I think I may have bought a size too big, but they’ll be ok with boots (that’s me trying to convince myself!) I’ll need more than 3 pairs but will make sure take in vouchers this time.

Tomorrow I have to take DD1 to her new Saturday music school, and it looks like it might be wet so probably have quiet afternoon with the littlies.

OH has bought me a cherry beer as a Friday night treat :beer: so if I don't fell asleep putting the kids to bed I'll enjoy that before an earlyish night.

Happy Friday everyone.

MW xx

I did get some beer madvix, although was too tired to finish it!

Took DD1 to her music school this morning, good news is we don't have to pay fees til end of October and will be for 10 monthly installments. This frees up £150 from this month's budget.

Whilst she did her induction I walked up a local high street to get some steps in, a part of London I used to live very near 20 years ago. It is rapidly changing, although still feels diverse and reminds me of what many parts of London used to be like before gentrification! Did a little bit of charity shopping and spent £7.50 on clothes for me - 2 dresses, gorgeous scandi hand knit mittens and a chunky hand knit scarf for winter. Not forever dresses but will help address current wardrobe shortages due to weight gain . I haven't set a clothes budget this month which is a bit of an error so these will go in unbudgeted spends (which is nearing £200 :eek:!)

Also spent £1.50 on some funky odd socks for DD1, might keep for xmas stocking so will come out of Xmas budget.

We have a big family birthday next year and looks like we'll be doing a group hire. This means Easter house swap isn't viable and will have to commit £370 of next year's £1k holiday budget to a 4 day break. Plus we'll need 2 days leave for a 4 day break, rather than 4 days for a 10 day break. On the plus side we'll have some quality time with the wider family, there's a great pool we can hang out in and we'll have an extra 2 days leave for later in the year.

£42 spent on shop which means only £50ish left for nearly two weeks :eek:! It was a £68 shop before discounts, plus lots of things half price on top of that, but still a bit ridiculous considering am trying to stick to a budget. Not helped by DD1 begging for things and as she's had a poor appetite lately I was loathe to say no. Plus bought some treats to stash for Xmas.

Returned DD1s uniform which didn't fit and bought one which did, although not with voucher so £9.75 spent from £30 uniform budget. Picked up DS xmas present too, looks great and well worth the £11 odd.

Bumped into friend unexpectedly and had much needed catch up, with food and drinks, £17.50 from personal spends. We've both had some difficult times this year and it was good to have a heart to heart.

Back home and getting kids to bed a little later this evening.