Mortgage Reduction Beginner to Novice - The Show Begins

HelenDaveKids

Bless you. Still not sure whether prefer collection -- will they turn up when they say, up to yet have had lovely people but when they first arrive at door it can be a little scary, or postage -- have i added it right, will it arrive, how dodgey does my parcel look (can't wrap stuff, i blame it on being left handed but its actually cos have no skills in that kind of thing)

Well done on OP

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

14 weeks of packed lunches and my lucky streak winning free m@rs bars ended with my 7th today - I can't complain!

£21 paid in MS fees and reimbursements

And so far a NSD... but going to Costc0 afterwork!!!

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

I have been absent from MFW boards and MSE website in general for a few days but you'll be pleased to know that I have been a veritable angel in the spending, MSE and MFW departments:

I’m approaching my final week of the packed lunch challenge. It’s second nature to me now whether making lunch as I cook dinner or whipping something (anything!) up in the morning before I rush out the door. So much so, that when I stayed the night at a colleagues house earlier this week (so that I could have a few drinks at the staff Christmas party), I brought in two packed lunches in a minor organisational miracle!

We have had a few more letters from The Coventry and Nationwide about the progress of our remortgage… nothing finalised yet. I hope it gets sorted soon as our fixed rate ends with The Coventry near the start of January so we’ll get stung for a higher rate soon!

I’ve had a few more MS fees and reimbursements paid to me (thanks to a bumper hoard of assignments in November). More importantly, I think I might be almost there with the company that owe me £40 for 4 assignments. They have promised £30 for the August and September assignments in my bank account by 17th Dec and £10 for the November assignment by 21st Dec. This is good news as they have good fees and logical reports so I quite like doing assignments for them – it was hard for me to get assertive and say “no more assignments till you sort my pay out” !

To chance my luck, I took the broken shredder with me to Costc0 and they happily refunded the cost. So that was £25 off a £107 Costc0 spend! Unfortunately we’re still without a shredder! The contents of my trolley were non-meat and mostly non-edible (yes I avoided the carrot cake and bubbles despite MrMRN saying to get a treat – he nearly distracted me enough for me to take my eye off the MSE ball!). When I priced up with mysupermarket at home, I’d saved £15 on the nose.

The freezer is nearly empty – you’d think I timed it perfectly with Christmas! If the meal plan works it’ll be empty, defrosted, cleaned and left switched off while we’re away. I’m not sure how much electricity we’ll save but every little helps! Unfortunately that will mean a big Costc0 meat shop early in January!

The last of the online Christmas present orders have been dispatched. MrMRN and I are heading to a lovely historic town on Saturday for a spot of together time, a nice lunch and literally the last three presents (require specific shops). I also have a coffee shop MS in that town so we can enjoy a free hot drink and nibble mid-shop!

lulabelle1

Very impressive MS MRN, well done! Please come and spread some of your MS ways to us naughty peeps who need a little it of help being good!

elantan

I was wondering where you were, I missed ya

Sorry to hear the work isn't so good it must be very frustrating for you

In good news ... Nails inc are on qvc right now if your interested

Well done on the packed lunches

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

Thanks Lulabelle and Elantan.

Naughty Elantan trying to lead me astray... I had a quick look at the QVC website and then closed the browser! That's the kind of restraint that's going to see me through 2013!

15th week of packed lunches completed today. Although it's a bit of an odd mix again! Anyway I am food shopping this evening so I'll pick up enough work snacks to see me through till Thursday and I just need a couple of items to assist in using the final bits from the freezer too. I need to check my vouchers/coupons at lunch time to decide between Tesc0 or [EMAIL="S@insbury's"]S@insbury's[/EMAIL]!

Work is still rubbish but I'm keeping my head down and getting on with it. I'm applying elsewhere on the quiet and very openly networking within my current sector! A junior colleague confronted me yesterday asking if I was looking to move... I denied saying I still have 18 months left on my contract followed by me waxing lyrical about how the drive can be really nice when the moon is out or if the sky is pretty and I like listening to the radio and having some thinking time to unwind before I get home (all rubbish, of course I hate the 1 hour 20 minute commute and the fuel costs are crippling!)

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Morning MRN, you really are avoiding temptation and 15 weeks of packed lunches is an amazing feat. I have bought more tins of soup to stock up my cupboard at work.

I haven't done a MSM comparison when shopping at Costc@ before, so may have a go and really work out the savings.

Good luck with the quiet job hunting.

Best wishes Tilly

elantan

ahhh the pain of lying about your work happiness, i feel ya, i am in the same boat although tbh everyone in my work knows i am looking lol

well done on resisting nails inc... i sat and watched the full show, saw loads of colours i loved, but didnt buy any .. was slightly surprised at myself by that

edinburgher

White lies about the commute and stuff are probably a great idea. I think it shows a great deal of maturity to keep up a cheerful front when you fancy a change - yet another thing that I need to try and work on in the new year. I'm thinking that 2013 will be the first time I set resolutions honestly!

Impressed with the packed lunches - we should start a "We're eating packed lunches to be MFW" challenge for 2013, I think you'd be the ideal founder and I'd happily be #2

lulabelle1

Great idea, my DH has been having packed lunches every day since last September! I think during the whole time he has maybe not took anything less than 5 times in total. He makes his coffee every morning too and takes it in in his thermos cup, although every now and then he might treat himself to a costa from the cafe at work.... Once in a blue moon though....

I work from home so it's easier for me, although every now and then I might indulge to a lunch out, so I think I might set myself some sort of challenge too......