Quids in for a Limited Time

Maiden_Mum · 2 January 2017 at 9:11PM

Hi. Let me introduce myself. I am an old time user and lately a frequent browser. There is me, my husband & my two kids age 17 & 15. I have £56,000 owing on my mortgage which is on a tracker rate of currently 1.14 which is really good I think. I do make the odd overpayment on it as it kinda gives me a happy feeling the same as say buying a new top or dress does but tbh I think I would be better off putting any spare money in a savings account in view of the rate.
To be honest though much as I would like to clear the mortgage as soon as possible, there are other things that I would like money for such as home improvements and driving lessons & a car for my daughter. So this is going to really be more of a savings diary than anything else. If anyone wants to join me that would be great but my main reason for doing this is I hope to keep me focused.
I have added up all our incomings and outgoings and in theory we should have loads left over every month for savings but the reality is we actually don't! We don't have any debts & do have a small amount of savings but its a bit of a mystery where the money actually goes so I have also started a spending diary to establish that! Life has been good the last year as my ex-husband has been paying maintenance which he never did previously so last year we had our first foreign holiday in six years and we have had a much better social life than we were previously able to and the kids have been able to experience some new things.
I am aware however that as some of our money is maintenance paid from my ex-husband that will be ending at some point soon in view of my children's ages - hence the title of this thread.
Thanks for reading so far!

Maiden_Mum · 2 January 2017 at 10:05PM

I've really got to get our grocery spends down. In October & November we spent an eye-watering amount of over £700 each month and in December £550 which I think is about what we spend most months. The thing is I do shop at Aldi, Lidl, Makro &Home Bargains for some of the shopping but also Asda & Tesco, particularly for the branded stuff we like such as ketchup, baked beans, pickle & pickled onions plus the gluten-free stuff that I need for my son. That amount is for every thing bought in a supermarket so includes dog food, toiletries and cleaning stuff but even so, it's way more than our mortgage costs us every month!

choccielover · 2 January 2017 at 10:20PM

What gluten free stuff do you need?

I'm coeliac and buy barely and specific gluten free goods. Does he get the prescribed goods?

I eat clean and from scratch which ensures I stick to gluten free, the contents of half the gluten free goods worry me and I find them very calorie dense.

Oh, welcome by the way

Maiden_Mum · 3 January 2017 at 10:11AM

Hi choccielover, thanks for commenting. It is my 15 year old son that is Coeliac and I'm afraid his idea his idea of eating clean would be opening a fresh packet of biscuits or chocolate instead of one that is already open! We used to get bread and biscuits on prescription but after years of eating the bread he now doesn't like it and likes Schar paninis or rolls instead and we can no longer get biscuits on prescription. I suppose he is a typical teenager boy though, i.e. he likes his junk & his carbs!
I've got to get back into baking again as that is cheaper than buying biscuits and cakes. I have been making some proper dinners the last few days that has probably helped a bit - chicken casserole NY's Day, Kedgeree last night & beef casserole tonight. I seem to send a lot of time looking through recipe books but not enough time actually cooking the meals or even planning what to make.
House wise, three out of our four bedrooms are now decorated but there is still a lot that needs doing in the house such as a new kitchen & new carpets. Even if we had the money saved up,, I'm not really sure how would be the best way to go about getting a new kitchen. We certainly cant afford to go somewhere like Magnet or even B & Q.
Thing is, I can't help but feel that I would like another holiday abroad. It was so lovely last year and I feel that time is running out for family holidays as my daughter will be 18 this year and might not want to come with us for much longer. She has already said that she doesn't want to come if we go in England. Aargh I need to win the lottery which seeing as I don't even do it, no chance there!

Maiden_Mum · 4 January 2017 at 9:26PM

Well a positive thing is that OH rang Sky & managed to get our monthly repayment reduced from £125 a month down to £84 which is great.
The bad new is that I have already managed to spend a fair amount on food already & we are only at the start of the month. This is partly because I was near an Aldi & Lidl so took the opportunity to stock up while there. The cupboards & freezers are pretty full although I was wondering about using a £6 off £40 Sainsburys vouchers to stock up even more, lol!
I think I might do a SOA although maybe not to publish it.
I have also just discovered a savings diary forum and was wondering whether I should change this diary to there as mortgage reductions will I realise be fairly low & infrequent.

ourcornercottage · 5 January 2017 at 12:25AM

Try this site to bulk buy gluten free bread and sweet treats

http://www.wheat-freebakerydirect.co.uk

The bread freezes well.

I renegotiated with sky today. Basic to package £22.50 down to £5.65 per month. Bonus!

Maiden_Mum · 5 January 2017 at 6:12PM

Thanks Ourcornercottage. I have heard of that sire but never actually used it. I will have a look.

I'm hoping for a quiet, money-saving couple of weeks at least socially. I don't have anything socially planned & I dare say it will do us good just to have a quiet month. I have also been good at taking a packed lunch to work every day.
I wonder what percentage of take home salary people generally save..

Maiden_Mum · 8 January 2017 at 6:16PM

Feeling a bit panicky & also cross with myself! I used the £6 off £40 voucher at Sainsburys yesterday which was a bit reckless as I was actually struggling to find things that were good value for the last ten pounds of the forty. I feel panicky because I have already spent quite a lot of money already on food this month and it is the one area that I could really cut back on and make substantive savings with. I also went through all my food cupboards today and felt so cross and disappointed with myself. I must have thrown out at least 70 or 80 items that were out of date! Not just a little out of date - I would have no qualms at eating things a bit out of date but some of these things were years out!
Why do I buy so much I ask myself? I think there are a few reasons. 1. I actually feel a bit panicky if stocks of things are getting low! Why I feel like this I have no idea! I have never been starving before. 2. Some of it is opportunity buying particularly for gluten-free food e.g. some of the stuff was gluten-free food that was bought from Waitrose not too long ago because I happened to be in a part of town that I very rarely go to. 3. Some of the gluten-free food I buy is what I like the look of, not what my son would in all probability like! 4. I buy baking stuff but then don't get round to actually baking.

Maiden_Mum · 8 January 2017 at 6:19PM

I have to remember that firstly if I want a holiday this year there is very little time left to pay for one and secondly to remember that our income will for various reasons be probably heavily reduced by the end of this year!
Note to self - STOP SPENDING SO MUCH ON FOOD EVERY WEEK AND SAVE, SAVE, SAVE!

Maiden_Mum · 8 January 2017 at 6:23PM

Although I don't actually have any debts as such, I think this thread would be better in Debt Free diaries as my actual mortgage will probably not be getting too many extra payments at the moment.
Can Admin or anyone tell me if it is possible to move it and if so how?

Maiden_Mum · 10 January 2017 at 7:48PM

Ok here is the list for me to refer to of food that needs to be used up soonish or at least thought about because otherwise I will forget it is there:

Sweet Mandarin G/Free Sweet N Sour sauce BB 04/17
Tikka Free From Curry Paste BB 04/19
Free From Porridge Oats BB 22/3/17
Tin of Coconut Milk BB 19/1/17
Paremesan type Cheese BB 19/01/97
Sharwoods Egg Noodles BB 03/03/17
1/4 Box of Free From Lasagne sheets BB 8/18
Poppadoms BB 14/01/17
1 Gluten free Bread Sauce BB 10/17
2 Normal bread sauces BB 4/17 & 6/18
1 Schwartz Paprika Chicken BB 4/18- G/free?
! Schwartz Meatballs in Tomato sauce mix BB 3/18 G/Free?
11/2 Fajita Seasoning mix BB 6/18
1 Schwartz Balti mix BB 3/18
5 Sweet Chilli & Garlic sauces G/free BB 11/18
1 Schwartz Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork BB 4/18 Yes G/free
1 Gluten free Dumpling mix BB Jan 17

1 Dark Brown Soft Sugar BB 3/17
2 Bags of Caster Sugar
2 icing sugar
2 Free From Self Raising flours BB 3/17 & 5/17
1 Free From Plain flour BB 4/17
1 Betty Crocker G/Free Choc Icing BB 7/17
1 Lime juice BB 12/16
2 Milk Chocolates & 2 dark chocolates BB 7/17
1 Chocolate Free From cake Mix BB 4/17

Quids in for a Limited Time

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