Getting back on the MFW Wagon

Needhelpsaving · 30 March 2017 at 10:59AM

Yesterday evening was spent putting together the budget for the month ahead. I have logged into my internet banking this morning to check the exact amount I will be paid tomorrow (via pending transactions tab). The amount is higher than I anticipated :j

I have not allocated any mortgage OP's this month as I need to pay back the current account deficit created last month, pay up front for additional nursery fees (for 4 days OT this month) and we have both Car's needing to be insured this month.

So the challenges for this month are;

- Stay within budget!
- Generate OP's from other sources (Onepoll, Ebay, swagbucks, cashing out change in the mortgage piggy and under-spending in budget).

Needhelpsaving · 2 April 2017 at 10:10AM

Good morning!

All money was moved on Friday (payday) and the account deficit from last month has been sorted.

£10.71 from eBay sales and quidco sent to mortgage on Friday and I have withdrawn £6.86 from PayPal from 2 more eBay sales this morning to go to the mortgage too. The house is looking better from the decluttering that has gradually taken place since Dec last year.

1 day OT completed yesterday (8 hours), so that's more money for the pot next month. 1 have another 5 days OT confirmed for the rest of the month too, and this is likely to increase again at month end due to upcoming work. :T

Today will be spent meal planning and grabbing a top up shop to get us through next week, getting on top of jobs around the home.

The 4 NSDs planned for last week didn't happen, but spends were much lower than usual and we bought only what we needed (nappies, milk and a couple of bits to bake treats at home instead of buying them).

The repayment of the family loan is also moving in the right direction and we are now down to £5k

I am pleased that we are back on track and making small steps in the right direction.

Needhelpsaving · 5 April 2017 at 5:02AM

An early start for me this morning, as I couldn't sleep.

This week is going to be a bit of a whirlwind - huge amounts on at work to the point that I don't know whether I am coming or going. I will just persevere.

As a result, this week has been a very low spend week. £1 spent so far on some chocolate at work.

The £6.86 from Ebay has been sent to the mortgage as agreed and I have £20 in the mortgage piggy that needs to be sent to the mortgage today.

I am still sitting at £36.10 on OnePoll, but am logging in each day to check for new surveys.

Right, I need to go and dust off my motivation and make today a productive one.

Needhelpsaving · 7 April 2017 at 4:07PM

Ola!

I have that Friday feeling and the sun is shining! :dance:

Tonight will be spent getting things lined up for next week and doing some more OT at work (full days Sat & Sun). In total I have 7 days OT booked for this month now and with not sleeping properly, I am already starting to feel it

I have three bits ready to be listed on ebay this evening and also need to send both the £20 from the mortgage piggy (didn't do it the other day) and the money from a sale on ebay this morning to the mortgage.

Dinners for the weekend have been lined up on the meal plan :money:

Needhelpsaving · 15 April 2017 at 6:55AM

Just popping in after a week of not posting to keep this diary updated.

Very little progress has been made on the MFW front as I have been putting in the overtime.

Today will be spent getting the house back on track (its been a little neglected this week). I do need a couple of cleaning supplies, but am planning to walk to the local Asda and purchase the items with some of the price guarantee vouchers (£3.19) I have been reimbursed from the last 2 shops. This means that I will get some free exercise in too.

I have already checked Onepoll for new surveys (cue tumbleweed), have checked a market research site for any new focus groups in my area - again, nothing. I just need to get onto swagbucks to get some points accruing and upload a couple of receipts to receipt hog.

I feel that everything has slowed down since I met my emergency savings goal and wonder whether it is due to having set a target for the year (i.e. no immediate pressure to hit a target). So I will be setting a 1/2 year target of OPing a total of £2000 by 30/06/17.

Currently at £720.14/£2000

Needhelpsaving · 16 April 2017 at 8:15AM

:EasterBun Happy Easter!

Yesterday was spent cleaning as planned. The cleaning products needed were purchased with the Asda Price Guarantee vouchers, the only other spend was for some new socks (my current ones had started to sprout holes/looking ropey). £4 spent on a 5 pack of socks was the only out of pocket expense.

Today will be spent taking LO out for her birthday day trip - her birthday isn't until next Sunday, but as it's a show we have had to go the week before.

This afternoon will be spent at home, finishing the ironing and getting the last bit of washing done (plus eating some chocolate

).

I hope you all have a great day, wherever you are.

Needhelpsaving · 17 April 2017 at 6:07PM

Easter Sunday was a lazy day, spent the morning at a show, which was an early birthday present for LO and the afternoon was spent napping.

Today has been equally lazy, with the exception of actually listing some items on Ebay that were photographed weeks ago!

Right, i'm going to head back to my lazy evening ready to reset for the week ahead.

Needhelpsaving · 22 April 2017 at 7:50AM

Good morning.

One week to payday and the sun is shining :T

Today will be a busy one; I have listed out the jobs below to keep me on track;

- Get washing up to date and blowing on the line. - Done
- Change bed sheets.
- Take 2 old sets of curtains to the recycling bank (neither are fit for purpose). 1
set was replaced with some I found in Dunelm sale and 1 pair still to be sourced. - Done
- Take a bag of toys to the charity shop (LO's birthday tomorrow, so I have applied the 1 in, 1 out rule ahead of time). - Done
- Order new carpets for LO and master bedroom - this will be paid for by some of this months wage and will replace the carpets that have been down for nearly 9 years :eek: - Done
- Put together LO's birthday present. Done
- Meal plan for week ahead.

This month has been successful on the money front, with 7 days OT under my belt. I still need to run the numbers, but I think I should be able to OP about £400 even with buying new carpets.

Needhelpsaving · 27 April 2017 at 10:49AM

Good morning.

Today is my day off, so I have sat down and prepared the budget for May. The mortgage OP is going to come in lower than originally anticipated after someone bumped my parked car, but was kind enough not to leave their number to pay for the damage :mad:

Hey ho, I just have to get on with it; but it is maddening that people think this is acceptable.

This month an OP of £90.03 has been scheduled - this includes £20 for ebay sales made last weekend.

This month will see me paying off the remainder of the car insurance (both cars put on CC last month and paid off over 2 months) and the cost of two new bedroom carpets and underlay, which will replace the 9 year old ones that were put down when we moved in.

I have set myself a personal challenge of raising another £210 to stay on track with the MFW journey. I am aiming to do this via;

- Lots of ebaying.
- Hitting the £40 payout on onepoll (currently at £37.05)
- Earning vouchers through SB
- Meal planning to reduce grocery spends

Any other ideas would be very welcome.

Needhelpsaving · 27 April 2017 at 2:14PM

Tracker for May 2017 OP Target of £300. Payments found so far;

£9 left in current account on payday
£70.03 from salary
£20 from ebay sales (27/04/17)
£8 saving on new vests for LO (£3 saved from overestimating price & used £5 M&S voucher from SB).
£1.50 budgeted on birthday cards - found one in the cupboard
£80 shaved from grocery budget by meal planning for the month and costing out items.
£16 cashed out from Mortgage Piggy (change jar)
£0.96 underspend from budgeted grocery shop
£28.50 left from review of budget and cutting out LO new shoes (hasn't grown in size as I had thought and current shoes are in good nick).
£5 underspend on haircuts budget.
£1.79 from Quidco
£0.40 interest from savings account

Pending
£5.69 claim submitted to Quidco Clicksnap (TBC)
£6.78 to be transferred from shopping budget following reciept of Asda Price Guarantee vouchers.

Amount left to find = £58.82 (£46.35 once Clicksnap claim and APG confirmed/Received)

Getting back on the MFW Wagon

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