On the brassic bench and loving it!

Crikey 6 months have passed since my last post and quite frankly I've achieve not much more than b*gger all :eek::o
Tell a lie I have redecorated DS bedroom but I failed in my attempts to get a cheap set of pine drawers on fleabay and haven't even revamped the ones we already have.
Instead we have spent an inordinate amount of money on frickin' cars and car repairs :mad::mad::mad:
Anyway with the left over money from Hubby's redundancy it's been clear we've been spending a bit too free and easy and this money isn't going to last forever at this rate. So decided need to put my big girl knickers on and get back to my MSE and thrifty ways and actually finish the projects I set myself.

I also want to get back to overpaying the mortgage. We only have about 14 years left on it and quite frankly I would chuck every single penny we had at getting rid of it but think that's a step too far for Hubby so in my own way, even though it's not a debt like CC's etc, I am going to pay off what I can. It's our only and largest debt so that's how I am going to treat it.

So plan is this:
Go through finances and see what monthly overpayment we can painlessly afford and set up the payment.
Start collecting up all my coppers and that small change we hate and start using this to chip away towards the mortgage. It's no great amounts but it's all got to mount up right?
Considering looking at listing unwanted stuff on fleabay BUT I find it an enormous time suckage for extremely small return so not sure.

Other plans are to get stuck into house redecorating (when I can pin H down to a decision on colour schemes) and to stop procrastinating about stuff. The latter is going to be a massive challenge :eek:

Get back to MSE ways, meal planning, sticking to shopping list and generally stop spending money as much. Which considering I have been lusting after a pair of converse pumps is a decision made at the wrong time ah well I shall have to make it my mission to see if I can source these pumps for as cheap as possible instead before I can justify the spend.

Here's hoping I can post on here more often than once every 6 months

castlelough wrote: »

Well Bitsy, how's it going?

The proverbial hit the fan :eek:
Hubby finds himself unexpectedly unemployed. Not a good situation to be in. So focus is instead on actually being able to PAY the mortgage rather than overpay it.

However it has made hubby realise how much we want rid of the mortgage (we wouldn't be quite so much up the creek if we didn't have that) so once he has a job, no matter what it pays We are determined to chip away at over paying the mortgage.

Right now it's survival and if I can take a positive from this crappy situation made me realise how I had slipped from being frugal. Not so any more.

But thanks for asking Castlelough

As usual I am neglecting this diary I think I need to regularly post each week to keep me focused.

anyway update is this: hubby managed to get a job on a 6 month fixed contract. He's done one month so far and he's still looking around for the right role for him. At least the wolf is kept from the door for a while longer.
So time to document the little MSE things I am doing to help stretch our finances and put towards overpaying this blasted mortgage. It's going to be all about the pennies

I have spent last 7 or so weeks doing weekly meal plan and for the most part sticking to it. I used to have a meal plan that ran for 7 weeks but I never stuck to it. I find I am more likely to stick to it when I do it weekly. The freezer is pretty full so it's time to use what I have.

My MSE jobs this week have been:
Meal planning
Listed some Happyland toys on local FB selling site
Made butter buns from scratch yesterday to go with HM chicken burger and HM wedges.
Checked hubby's oil on car, it was low so topped it up (best avoid expensive repairs through lack of maintenance)
Weekly shop was £45, need to see if I can get it lower next week.

MSE jobs to to
The kids have the church Christmas shoe boxes coming up so need to keep an eye out for any deals on suitable items to go in them
Having a small Halloween party for friends and their kids. Food will be made from scratch so need to make a list of what we will make
Start sounding out the kids for ideas of things they want from Father Christmas this year
Get money bags from bank so bag up the ridiculous amount of coppers we have and pay against the mortgage.
Check out what's on Approved Food more often, not interested in processed stuff but sometimes they have useful items in.

That will keep me busy next week

Loulou2010 wrote: »

We let ds 1 loosen with a toy catalogue and told him to circle what he likes the look off. Didn't quite expect him to circle the whole tthing in us girls toys :eek::rotfl: we are actually taking him to have a nose around toy shop and point out a couple of things he would really like then make a mental note of few little bits. He is the easier one out of the two to buy for

The Argos catalogue is known as the "I want book" in this house as the kids peruse it's pages going "I want this....." etc

Just sat and done my weekly meal planning. Found it a struggle tonight. We are big chicken eaters and trying to alternative recipes so we don't eat chicken every day feels like a mission some weeks, like today.
Not sure when I will fit in food shop this week with kids being off.....

Need to sit and plan Halloween food for Friday. Going to do curry for adults and finger food for kids as a friend and her children are coming for a wee halloween celebration before we head off to knock friends houses for trick or treating.

This week has some much needed spends. New winter coat for DD and I need some new underwear.

Christmas shoe box for school completed and sponsored by £oundland. Still some good bargains to be had and a nice stash of new things for kids who don't have anything.

Half term week has been planned. Minimal spends for half term fun, think most expensive is trip to Arboretum but I haven't been since I was a kid and it's the best time of year to go so am justifying the expense.
Time to browse Pinterest for some low budget Halloween decorations. I have some halloween bunting and some bits from last year already but the kids love their craft so it gives them something to do over the holiday. Hoping my stash of craft stuff will have all we need

Looking forward to the week ahead :j

MSE jobs
Re list Happyland Items on FB
Party food list for Friday
Check out Approved Food site
Register for guarantee on new hoover (my old Dyson finally gave up the ghost after nearly 14 years and it's second motor). I rarely bother to register guarantees.....no reason just laziness so making sure I register this one. Got a £100 trade in for the old hoover too