Taking it slowly, but doing it well.

wishingthemortgaheaway · 10 January 2018 at 11:14PM

pinkypig wrote: »

Well done on all your flyladying, I must check it out. My daily sweep and wipe keeps everything neat and manageable but I hardly ever deep clean and usually feel a bit ashamed of what I find when I do:o

PP xx

I'm pretty good at the day to day stuff (and I have a not very reliable cleaner) but I need to get to the bottom of the clutter. I've set myself the challenge of Doug a car boot in the Spring, so this is helping me sort through the junk. So far, living room & Pickle's room have been properly decluttered, I cleaned our bedroom today, but didn't open the cupboard doors. That's for another time. The cellar is filling up with car boot stuff. Before I go much further I need to get into the cellar and pack it/price it ready for the car boot, otherwise it will be a mammoth task the night before.

wishingthemortgaheaway · 11 January 2018 at 9:41PM

Today has been a nsd. Woop woop I haven't really left the house, I did take Pickle to and pick him up from the Childminder's, but that doesn't really count.

Today I've done some paperwork for one of my volunteering roles. Reviewing and rewriting policies and guidelines. All very dull, but very important.

My flylady tasks were connected with the hall, stairs & landing. Not actually a big job really as I generally keep them quite clear.
Now I've done all the 'low hanging fruit' in terms of cleaning, it's just the biggies to go. Bathroom isn't too bad, a lot of cleaning, but not much clutter. Dining room has hubby's work equipment in it, which means it never feels like it's clear, but actually, not much else. Then there's the kitchen - we are kitchen hoarders, I have every baking gadget, hubby has every coffee making gadget. That will be a joy (not!!!) oh well. Onwards & upwards.

Had a little Tilly tidy today from the phone bill but that's all.

Tomorrow is food shop day, I've entered everything I think I need into my supermarket. Hubby is now home for 2 weeks at least (he's on jury service from Monday) so we'll have fresh meals every night. He hates freezer reheats. So food bill will be going up. I've meal planned from tomorrow until next Wednesday, and hoping I can eek out left over veg and freezer finds for the rest of the week. We shall see. My supermarket says £40, let's see what I can shave off that when I get there tomorrow.

Have a good night all.

MSE January Goals
1) £210 Mop pot
Target 1 - overpay interest amount: £13.24/£72.25
Target 2 - next brick on the count down house: 0/£52.11
Target 3 - £210 total overpayment: 0/£85.64

2) EF to £2000
£35/£150 for January.

3) £2 coin challenge - will report at the end of the year.

4) NSD challenge
6/15

5) jean challenge, will document monthly not daily.

6) Bullet journal tasks completed.
12/14
5/7 days all tasks completed.

wishingthemortgaheaway · 14 January 2018 at 5:03AM

I've started this post two night in a row and fallen asleep both times. Now it is 3:30 am and I am up with a Pickle who is incapable of sleeping through for more than 3 nights in a row.
Tonight this is despite the fact we've been out in the fresh air all day and walked a long way for little legs.
I've now been up with him for over an hour, not sure how long hubby was up with him before that, so probably looking at about 5am back in bed. Oh joy.

Money wise, not a huge amount happening. Food shop on friday came in at just under £40 and a nsd on Saturday (thanks to wildlife park membership tickets)

Flyladying has come to a halt, thanks to Pickle & hubby being around, but the rooms I blitzed this week are still looking good. Kitchen and dining room are desperate for a sort out, but that depends on work this week.
Sunday's limited (due to time) to do list involves cleaner proofing the house ready for Monday. Really hoping cleaner comes this week. However, as she hasn't been this week, and I'm pretty sure I haven't already done it. The cleaning money from 8th Jan can be overpaid into my 'deep clean' pot which tops it up to the £150 I want in there.
This means:
1) any extra going forward (so £20 in Feb because it's a 4 week month) can be split between the EF and the mop pot.
2) if I continue to Fly lady as well as I have been, I won't need to pay out for a deep clean and I can split the deep clean money between the same two pots.

Budgets holding up well. I've meal planned up to and including Wednesday, but I'm hoping that that can stretch with some freezer foraging. So that, along with the fact we are away the last weekend and half week of January means I'm hoping that I've only got 1 decent sized food shop left to do this month and £135 left in the pot.

Car fuel pot hasn't been touched yet, but will be decimated come the end of the month. 1 work trip to and from Birmingham, then a week in London with 4 visits booked in, 3 about an hour's drive away, one public transport. Yes, these can all be claimed on expenses, but I won't see that until the end of Feb. It will be nice when it comes though. I've got £70 in the fuel budget on YNAB and £60 in the new expenses slush fund. My January expenses (about £50) will be paid half way through my visits week and my £70 YNAB fuel budget will reset that week too, so actually all is looking good there.

MOP pot & EF not growing at all quickly but 1) it never does for me at this point in the month,2) I'm not feeling the love for surveys & 3) I'm stockpiling all my stuff for selling to do a car boot in April time. I might put some bits up on a fb selling site when I sort through it. Not sure yet.

Right it looks like Pickle is asleep, so I'll do my updates then scout. Ack to bed for a couple of hours.

MSE January Goals
1) £210 Mop pot
Target 1 - overpay interest amount: £13.76/£72.25
Target 2 - next brick on the count down house: 0/£52.11
Target 3 - £210 total overpayment: 0/£85.64

2) EF to £2000
£35/£150 for January.

3) £2 coin challenge - will report at the end of the year.

4) NSD challenge
7/15

5) jean challenge, will document monthly not daily.

6) Bullet journal tasks completed.
0/0 - didn't write a list for Saturday what a rebel I am.
6/9 days all tasks completed.

wishingthemortgaheaway · 17 January 2018 at 10:17PM

Evening all, thanks to a non sleeping toddler and a D&v bug hubby and I are taking it turns to suffer with, I've been awol for a few days.

The last time I posted was the early hours of Sunday morning. So financial updates since then.
Sunday and Monday were not nsds. Sunday was a soft play gathering for some of pickle's friends and Monday required an emergency trip to Mr T's to pick up some additions to bulk out dinner as I invited a couple of friends over for dinner. They also had the baby wipes we use on offer, 50p a pack. So I bought a couple of boxes, which, along with the stash in the cellar should easily keep us going until the next time they are on offer.
Tuesday and today have been nsds, so my count is up by two.

I did however sort the car insurances and breakdown cover out today. No where near as money saving as many of you manage, but I did get our renewal quote improved by £500 and £30 cashback has tracked, so that will be nice when it comes through. I've transferred the surplus from the car insurance pot to the service & mot pot as I'm pretty sure the timing belt in my car needs replacing at the next service which is 'due soon' according to the notification in the car. I might book it in for next week, just to get it out of the way.

Other than that, nothing dramatic happening in our finances. (Which is good) I've got a supply day tomorrow, so that's £120 in the 'wage storage' pot and it should be a nsd.

Hubby working away at the weekend, so I should be able to stretch the food we have in the house out a bit longer (may just need a few bits, but nothing major)

I've submitted my additional hours & expenses forms for work, expenses are around £50, but additional hours will be heavily taxed as currently hmrc think it's my 2nd job. One of my jobs next week is to ring them up and get it all sorted.

Right, sleep time for me, a full day's teaching tomorrow is going to be a bit of a shock to the system.

MSE January Goals
1) £210 Mop pot
Target 1 - overpay interest amount: £35.49/£72.25
Target 2 - next brick on the count down house: 0/£52.11
Target 3 - £210 total overpayment: 0/£85.64

2) EF to £2000
£35/£150 for January.

3) £2 coin challenge - will report at the end of the year.

4) NSD challenge
9/15

5) jean challenge, will document monthly not daily.

6) Bullet journal tasks completed.
0/0 - and it's starting to show in the state of the house...
No idea what my count should be now, so giving up and pressing reset in February.

pinkypig · 17 January 2018 at 10:26PM

Good luck tomorrow - you'll cruise through I'm sure

Hope you're all feeling better, tummy bugs are the worst:(

PP xx

wishingthemortgaheaway · 17 January 2018 at 10:32PM

Thanks PP, I hope so, on all accounts.

wishingthemortgaheaway · 18 January 2018 at 9:10PM

well, I am pooped. First Day teaching all day in nearly 2 years, but I survived (they did ask if they could ask for me by name in the future, but we'll see if they do or not)
It was very different to the school I left. It just proves all schools are not the same and the pressure we were put under is not the same in all schools.

So a nsd, the count is creeping up. And nothing else going on. Hubby is planning on having a lazy morning tomorrow before heading off for a job. I'm hoping this means I can get lots of housework/flyladying done and then chill out with Pickle over the weekend. Pickle is shattered (if he was sleeping a bit better he might not be quite so tired) he finds 3 days at the Childminder's every week quite tough, I think he would be more tired if he were in a nursery but he is still on the go all day. They go to a local playgroup twice a week, 2 lots of school run everyday. And yesterday they went on a walk in the wind. I'm so happy with the care and activities he gets with her but boy it's hard work when I've been working all day and we both get home together.

Enough moaning from me. My weekend has started. Trashy tv and a G&t for me.

Night all

MSE January Goals
1) £210 Mop pot
Target 1 - overpay interest amount: £35.49/£72.25
Target 2 - next brick on the count down house: 0/£52.11
Target 3 - £210 total overpayment: 0/£85.64

2) EF to £2000
£35/£150 for January.

3) £2 coin challenge - will report at the end of the year.

4) NSD challenge
10/15

5) jean challenge, will document monthly not daily.

6) Bullet journal tasks completed.
0/0 - again, need to write a mega list for tomorrow and stick to it.
No idea what my count should be now, so giving up and pressing reset in February.

wishingthemortgaheaway · 19 January 2018 at 8:16AM

Just had a quick 'middle of the month review' of my ynab spending categories, have I become a hermit?

These are the amounts left In each category:

Groceries: £121/250
Household goods: £56.00/£100
Spending money: £62.00/£100
Restaurants: £75.00/£100
Stuff I'll forget: £35.00/£90 (but I have spent £60 on a new track for the front room blinds.
Fuel: £70/£70 (and still half a tank left) I will need to fill up one of the cars this week as I've got lots of work miles to do, nearly 1000, all on expenses, but I won't get that until the end of Feb.

So, today, when I go out, I'm going to chill a little over spending and hope not everything runs out next week and I can top up the EF and the mop pot.

wishingthemortgaheaway · 19 January 2018 at 7:52PM

Today is the classic example of why you don't go to the supermarket without a list. I suppose it could have been worse, but I do have the line from 'eat well for less' - "all this food and not a single meal there" going round in my head. In my defence, hubby is away all weekend, so Pickle and I will live on freezer meals, so it was only really lunch things I needed.

£30 spent did include some cleaning products so not all bad. Other than that, not a lot happening, come on end of the month, I want to overpay my mortgage.

MSE January Goals
1) £210 Mop pot
Target 1 - overpay interest amount: £39.96/£72.25
Target 2 - next brick on the count down house: 0/£52.11
Target 3 - £210 total overpayment: 0/£85.64

2) EF to £2000
£35/£150 for January.

3) £2 coin challenge - will report at the end of the year.

4) NSD challenge
10/15

5) jean challenge, will document monthly not daily.

6) Bullet journal tasks completed.
Lots done, but lots to do tonight and I didn't write a list as it would have been too scary.
No idea what my count should be now, so giving up and pressing reset in February.

wishingthemortgaheaway · 20 January 2018 at 6:55PM

A nsd for me today woop woop. I did take Pickle out for a bit to find some snow on the hill tops to crunch in. Lots of snow, but non of it on public land, so no sledging which was a real shame.

I'm so tired today, I think this week has caught up on me, so I'm going to put Pickle to bed, have a quick trip round the house having a bit of a tidy and then head off to bed myself.

Church tomorrow, then nothing else planned, so potentially a nsd as well, but who knows what will happen.

Sleep well everyone.

MSE January Goals
1) £210 Mop pot
Target 1 - overpay interest amount: £39.96/£72.25
Target 2 - next brick on the count down house: 0/£52.11
Target 3 - £210 total overpayment: 0/£85.64

2) EF to £2000
£35/£150 for January.

3) £2 coin challenge - will report at the end of the year.

4) NSD challenge
11/15

5) jean challenge, will document monthly not daily.

6) Bullet journal tasks completed.
A few bits and pieces done today.
No idea what my count should be now, so giving up and pressing reset in February.

Taking it slowly, but doing it well.

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