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

Thanks all for the kind words and wishes, it means a lot.

Back to work this week, and it is FULL ON - but enjoying the ride as much as I can

Am keeping a running total of my savings to incentivise me to make the effort. Not including staff discount or yellow sticker bargains unless I made significant savings or effort to secure them.

1 Jan £2.50 taking flask of hot chocolate to the park, 20p money off in shop
2 Jan £9 online shoe order vs buying in shop (plus got a third pair) + £3.60 cashback
3 Jan £5.60 saved in travel
4 Jan £3 saved on bus fair by walking
5 Jan £1.50 saved on bus fair, £1.79 on PYO Offers

We did a free park visit on New Year’s Day to one just 15 mins away. Kids loved it and we will definitely be back again.

I took the kids to get their feet measured, but the shop didn’t take Amex and I didn’t have an alternative payment method. I literally had to fish my kids old shoes out of the recycling bin in the shop, and surgically remove their “new shoes” from their feet . Upside is when I got home I ordered the shoes DS wanted, plus found a half price pair for play at the weekends, and also a half price pair for DD2. Result: THREE pairs of shoes for £9 less than the shop, plus £3.60 cashback.

My travel card has now expired, and I’m only three days a week so pay as you go is the best bet. I’m also using my tight-fisted nature to encourage me to walk to and from the tube to home. It’s a good 20 mon Walk and saves £1.50 each way. When the weather improves I’ll be really motivated to cycle as then I’ll also save on tube fair :j!

We’ve bought the extra food for the weekend, I’ve spent £35 on shops this week and definitely don’t need another major shop for next week. I do enjoy my top up shops though

Diet is going really well, lost 6.5lbs since Boxing Day and my blood sugar issues have disappeared.

Some personal spends on egg cooker for work (£9.99), a few £1 decaf soya lattes and some cheap self help books off Amazon. Plus a beautiful storm lantern for our bedroom, reduced from £20 to £2. But all in budget and all appropriate for my New Years resolutions... to follow shortly!

But first a child to cuddle in bed and a house to tidy for guests :eek:!

pinkypig wrote: »

Goodness well done you on the £ and the lbs:T:T:T

Enjoy your weekend in your tidy house:)

PP xx

Thanks PP, am pleased with the weight loss and that I’ve managed to still keep an eye on money saving, no matter how small. I’ve made most of the big changes in my finances so now it’ll be a case of keeping YNAB up to date , setting a monthly budget and sticking to it. I’m very much still in a post Christmas want to buy ALL THE THINGS mood but am trying to focus that on making the odd grocery saving! I hope it passes soon though.

Visitors cancelled so House not quite tidy :rotfl: but good enough. Now have two huge chickens need to roast :eek:.

This weekend’s ta dahh list
* [STRIKE]keep the dishwasher rebooted[/STRIKE]
* [STRIKE]laundry x [STRIKE]4[/STRIKE] 2[/STRIKE]
* KM cds
* Walk not done, but did get DD2 over to the park for an hour or so today
* toning session
* write application for work training scheme
* [STRIKE]make roast dinner [/STRIKE]
* tidy living room
* [STRIKE]Change beddings x 5[/STRIKE]
* [STRIKE]send armchair photos over for reupholster quote[/STRIKE]
* [STRIKE]reply to houseswappers x 2[/STRIKE]
* New Years wishes to previous house swappers one left to go
* Finish digi library book
* read self help samples to choose which want to read, see which available for free via library systems
* [STRIKE]90th birthday party[/STRIKE]
* [STRIKE]return cellophane[/STRIKE]
* [STRIKE]return candles to boots[/STRIKE]
* [STRIKE]watch mc!!!!! episode 2[/STRIKE]
* post New Years resolutions
* [STRIKE]update YNAB[/STRIKE]

Additional saving:
* cleaner didn’t come so £36 saved

Theme of the year: the year of recovery

Exercise - integrate three exercise sessions into my week

Financial - maximise our pension contributions for tax efficiency, restart overpaying the mortgage, start investing in the stock market.

Relationships/family - deepen relationships with key friends and family

Diet - reduce carb intake and quit sugar. Lose 2 stone

Spiritual world - develop understanding and practice of self-care

Fun/interests - make the most of what we have and where we are

Home/Surroundings- make our home fresh and clutter free

Career/Skills - develop mentoring and coaching skills

Positivity/Confidence - learn and practice CBT, develop a joyful mindset

themadvix wrote: »

Great round up of the week's savings there MW.

Your NY resolutions tire me out just looking at them! I thought this was meant to be a year of recovery?! I'm sure you'll do well with them though.

:rotfl: :rotfl: they may look a lot but I have a whole year, right :rotfl::rotfl:. I think now I’m feeling better I’m trying to get the balance between rest and making positive changes which in themselves are a form of recovery/ way of avoiding future relapses.

Will give a bit more detail on each

Exercise - am planning to cycle to/from work at least once a week, which will also save money. Joining free running club after work once a week so can be home by bedtime as of next week. And looking to do yoga on my day off. Totally attainable I think.

Financial - these changes will be made in new tax year (April) and set us as regular deductions, so won’t have to revisit more than once every six months or so. Will go cautious on the OP/ investments so not struggling to make ends meet each month, that would be stressful.

Relationships - I need to make sure I see a friend a week, and want to move towards more regular contact with people. This is an end of year goal. I will focus on it more once I’ve lost the weight

Diet - started Boxing Day and have already lost 8lbs! So even if weight loss slows to 1.5lb a week, should be at target in three months :eek::j. Then a period of learning how to eat for maintenance - say 2 months. And then should have more time for other goals.

Spiritual World - I’ve now bought two self care books in the 99p amazon sales. I just need to read them and develop a plan. This will be part of my day off project.

Fun/interests - I realise we spent a lot of time money and energy travelling last year. We still will have 2-3 foreign holidays but less weekend breaks. We want to do less, and more locally. We also both get free or cheap access to a lot of places so we want to make the most of these. So this one is about doing less than last year, but still having (lower key) family days out to look forward to.

Home/Surroundings - we’ve been here 10 years and the house is getting pretty grubby and tired. I want to enjoy spending more time here and also make it easier to swap. I started KM a few years ago, finished three categories last year, and now want to complete the whole thing. The small changes I’ve been making are a delight and make it much easier to enjoy the home. Again, this will be a day off project. The OH is tasked with painting :rotfl:, we will do living room kitchen and dining room before end of March :eek:, then our bedroom and the two youngest kids rooms by August. Ignoring the teens as she’s trashing it anyway :mad::rotfl:. We hope to get another 8-10 years out of this redecoration.

Career/Skills - this will be in work time as I’ve been accepted as a mentor :j

Positivity and confidence - I have an online CBT course I paid for that will expire in August so need to start it in March.

I hope that’s a bit more meat and that all my goals support my recovery. Weight gain, clutter and the house being a state are big downers for me so clearing them this year and tackling some mental gremlins seems like the perfect way to recover. I’m taking time to read and light candles too don’t worry