Want to be a mfw but worried?

ally18

January again and after a busy Christmas, am now back at work. So glad to be back into a routine again .

M1 - £48,604 - Hopefully end date will be Oct 2023 just before I turn 57 instead of the current date of 2036.

Out of the Christmas cash funds, I managed to save £140 cash. This has been left in my envelope for decisions later. £100 may go back into Mr Ts savings account for the bonus amount. I spent the vouchers on food and M&S gift card on clothes . £133 on clothes, never done that much before, I felt quite guilty!

Anyway, I have started again on the surveys and have converted 1500 points to vouchers already for next Christmas. I plan to keep doing these all year to see how much I can get again. I won't be switching banks this year and have already sorted my car insurance and breakdown so no further cashback gained here. Car insurance this month was £160 and breakdown £26. As this was saved for throughout last year, I find that my bills account is £444 in credit. I think I will put half into the decorating account and leave the rest for car bills as I know a new cam belt may be needed this year.

So, for January, as the freezer is still full and the cupboards too, I will be spending little on groceries hopefully.

DD2 has had a place offered to her at the uni of her choice where DD1 is. So she is very happy, DD1 is not and DD3 is her usual charming self . Girls!!!!!

I need to lose weight.........again!

ally18

amycool wrote: »

We bought a Hyundai Getz a few years ago and it's been brilliant (touch wood!). It's coming up to 9 years old but always sails through MOTs and services. Hopefully your daughter's will be the same.

I only know 2 people whose parents bought them a car so I wouldn't feel bad that you don't give your kids everything they want. It sounds like you're doing brilliantly!

Thank you Amy, for your comments. My daughter absolutely loves her "Rosie" and goes everywhere at the moment. She is even looking into getting a 2nd part time job now to make sure she has the money saved for costs for it. She collects the toys that sit on her dashboard and wave in the sun. The joy she is getting from the car has made me very happy too. Hopefully it will give her many years of reliable running.

ally18

jodles16 wrote: »

Hello! Just had a look through your diary, you have done an amazing job over the last three years! Im sorry about the person who has been making life unpleasant and hope it has now stopped! Your daughters all sound like they are doing well, and landlords of students do seem to get away with not caring much!

Jodles

Thanks Jodles for your comments. I put up a false camera on my wall so fingers crossed, people will think twice about the egg throwing again in future.
My DD1 has had enough of the house share and will definitely move back to halls this September, she says. I have to say, the house is horrible. I don't know how landlords get away with what they do sometimes.

ally18

thriftylynny wrote: »

Well done Ally paying off M2 , i did the same a couple of years ago & kept at it till it was gone , was very hard work tho but i am so pleased i don't have it hanging over my head now & am now managing to bash M1 down quite a bit ! You do so well , i know only too well how much willpower & self sacrifice it takes to keep it all going on your own , lounge sounds lovely btw !

Thanks thriftylynny,
I am very pleased M2 has gone, I feel like I have achieved something now.
The only drawback of doing up my lounge now is that people don't use it . Because it's the first time in 20 years that I have had a new carpet, I put a few rules in place; no shoes and no food in that room.
So now the kids are always in the dining room or upstairs in their rooms so I am the only one in there. All my family came on Boxing Day and I had 12 people in my dining room all squashed eating and drinking. Bit daft really isn't it :rotfl:I've become very paranoid over my lovely carpet.

ally18

First overpayment to m1 made today for this year! M1 now at £48,254.

Another survey completed last night and I transferred my points over into Mr S vouchers for Xmas 2015, £10 so far.

The breakdown purchase yesterday achieved a £4 cashback and another purchase I made for my mother gave me another £4 :j so £8 in TCB so far.

Nsd yesterday and today as using up Sunday's excess Shepherds Pie for lunch. Tonight I will be making Brocolli and Stilton soup out of the leftovers from xmas. That will do lunch tomorrow and Thursday.

I have now taken to bringing my tea in to work and eating this around 5.30 due to suffering from acute heartburn and indigestion if I eat late. I haven't suffered any since Monday so it is working. Plus this helps in no more snacking at home because I am eating better. I have had to start meal planning in earnest, so as to sort this out in the evenings. I am rooting through the freezer and using things up now. Plus the girls are eating better meals.

Grocery budget for Jan is £160 and diesel is £40. This is being put in tonight. The last ct has been paid and the wr amount has gone straight to cc to pay for the tv we had just before xmas. Stoozing interest for this month is £6.

ally18

Ok, first week has gone and no shopping bought as yet. I have been using up all frozen veg etc and making soups for work so lots of nsds. This week is spicy parsnip soup as last week it was broccolli and stilton. I will be making this one again for next week as I still have lots of stilton left over.
Yesterday I spoke with VM and threatened to leave due to the price increase. I only joined them in November because we needed to have wifi internet at home for the girls study but I had to include telephone as well even though I don't use a landline. Anyway, I managed to obtain a credit on my account to cover the price increase for the next 10 months. I just need to make sure the credit money is not spent on anything else as it will be left in the account to cover!
Eating earlier is working, no problems so far so very happy with this.
I am going to try the 5:2 programme for a while to see if I can shift some pounds too. Fasting day today and ok so far.
No other money issues this week as far as I know. Surveys are very slow but I did get cashback for dd2's car insurance today which has been passed on. She was very happy.
I did more painting at the weekend. I have decided to try and get things improved throughout my house as and when I can, so some window sills were repainted and woodwork in the bathroom was redone. All with gloss that I had sitting in the cupboard so no spend. Plus it looks nicer.

ally18

Update for January – mortgage now stands at £47,930.
Grocery budget - £30 was unspent so this has gone into the pot, hopefully to save for Xmas 2015. Already in there is the £100 unspent from xmas 2014 so this is now in Mr Ts account with an added £6 already gained.
Entertainment fund - £30 was unspent so again, this is now in a pot for emergency entertainment.
I have decided that my £50 emergency budget is not wasted each month so this is going straight into the account via standing order. I plan to not waste money on things now so if I don’t actually need it, it is not going to be bought.
I still have not spent the £47 left on M&S gift card, this will be left on there.
Bills account has been started again for this year so there are amounts being put away to cover each of the following:
· Car – MOT, Service, Rescue, Insurance, Tax and emergency extras
· House Insurance
· Boiler Service
· TV Licence
· Plus extras ie allotment
· Xmas & Birthdays
· Holiday
· Savings
· Emergency fund
Monthly DDs go into a separate account, as does house expenditure. I have £20 left over each month as I have cancelled my gym membership!

Right all sorted for another year.

ally18

Ok, 2nd op made for this year – m stands at £47,530.


Last payment date should be July 2023 if I manage to stick to my target. The actual Building Society end date is really October 2036. I am trying to knock off 13 years.


Managed to complete more surveys and have transferred over enough points for another £10 M&S voucher, therefore total now at £57.

Allotment side of things -
Onion seeds have taken in the propagator, now need to start the red ones going. If weather is better this weekend, I plan to go and do a little digging.

ally18

3rd op now made - m stands at £47 k.

Red onion seeds have done terribly so I will have to start again with those. In the meantime, the allotment now has paths and a coldframe. Potatoes are chitting away on the window sill.
All budgets stuck to last month, I used the left over in January to stock up on major items from c***o such as tea, coffee, bleach, washing up liquid, juice. These will now last me for the next 6 months (maybe longer).

More surveys done, up to 1950 points. Will leave them in and convert to money later in the month.

Still on track.

Luckyinlife

wow great overpayments well done 45k is sooo close well done :]