greent's mfw journey

brizzlegirl

Hope alls good greent and you're just busy in RL

Best wishes for Christmas x

greent

Super busy at the mo here - just with life, Xmas stuff, DD's 21st (was on Tues), the usual round of Xmas activities at school, invigilating Y11 exams, etc etc etc. Hit a wall last night when at swimming with DS3 and felt ill with exhaustion - came home at 6.30 and led on sofa and could literally feel myself going straight off. What I thought was a 15 min nap was over an hour deep sleep (And I've been going to bed before 10.30, so it's not as though I've had late nights - it's just the stuff to do etc)

Anyway, am feeling far less grumpy DW finally repaired and came back today (£75 to repair DW, another £75 to repair WM)

Took DD and her boyf out to lunch on Tues (M1ller and Cart3r in Cardiff) - used some tcb payout vouchers towards the cost! (Was reasonable at £115 for 2 courses and drinks for 4 people - especially when you consider that the 2 students ad 2 cocktails each - so that was £30+ and each had steak at another £35-ish between them (OH and I shared a large bottle of mineral water! ) However, I don't begrudge it (although I do sometimes wish that her birthday was in a different month!!) She was also thrilled with her present, thankfully :T

DS3 had a party to go to tonight, so whilst he was at the venue OH and I nipped to Morries (close to venue and not at all our usual shop) and scored a massive hit with YS items - panettone for 10p, Oreo doughnuts (twin packs for 6p), a cooked chicken for £1.25, packs of large bread rolls (6 to a pack) for 5p.... the fridge and freezer are looking full! :rotfl:

The students come home tomorrow- OH is doing the trip to collect them. We shall then do a bit of celebration at home for DD's bday - cake is ready for her in the kitchen Celebratory dinner is next weekend - figured that people may be a bit tired tomorrow night, so will likely have family takeout (definitely haemorrhaging money this month!)

OH's contract definitely ends next Thurs, so he has a few feelers out. SOme down time wouldn't eb a bad thing, though - and we have money in the business to allow for that :T


Oooh - almost forgot! - today I made the OP to take us over £8K ops for the year on the BTL! :j :T WHoop!

Talking of BTL - we had an issue (well, the tenant did) with 2 radiators (oil filled/ electric controlled - no mains gas to property) not heating up properly -letting agent offered to sort it, so I said yes please and said that the supplier had been very helpful when we had a non-working issue a couple of years ago (and was possibly similar) A week later I get a mail from agent with a quote form an electrician attached for supply and fit of 2 new different heaters, as apparently the supplier no longer did spare parts or sold these any more..... Slightly confused... you could put identical ones in your online basket from the supplier straight off and get to checkout - so OH messaged supplier, who said they still made and sold them....and gave details of how to check what may be wrong with the heaters. Messaged LA who said he'd get tenant to do the test- came back and it appeared that we just needed 2 parts replacing (non electrician work) We ordered these and got them delivered here and pointed out that it would appear that the electrician appointed by the letting agent was lying...…. Anyway, to cut a long story short, we've saved over £500 and are not giving any work to a lying tradesperson, and have had fantastic service from the original heating supplier

Whoops - just noticed the time - must organise small people to go to bed - times are all thrown by the party earlier on!

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend! xx

Karmacat

Wow, greent! Sorry you've been that exhausted, but you've done amazingly well! All the celebrations for the kids, taking care of the BTL, it just goes on and on. I hope you and your OH can get some downtime together over the holiday period.

apple_muncher

I almost did some ironing today -made me think of you!

newgirly

Glad your Dd had a good 21st, can you adopt me please? I would also like tickets for the cursed child for my birthday

Saving_Glut

Congrats greent on reaching your £8k op goal, terrific and inspiring achievement!

Well done on side-stepping lying tradesperson too. Smart move!

Plonter

Wow inspiring. Following this thread. Looks like a really happy holidays to you greent.

greent

apple_muncher wrote: »

I almost did some ironing today -made me think of you!

That made me proper :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:!!

newgirly wrote: »

Glad your Dd had a good 21st, can you adopt me please? I would also like tickets for the cursed child for my birthday

Haha! I'm most impressed at the fact you haven't already bought tickets, ng x - we had to factor in term dates, travel & accom for DD - so much easier when you're closer to London

Plonter wrote: »

Wow inspiring. Following this thread. Looks like a really happy holidays to you greent.

Thank you, Plonter - and hello and welcome!


So.… it's Xmas Eve - wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :xmastree: :xmastree:

Since I last posted everyone has finished work. uni/ school (obv!) The last week of school was a whirlwind of things happening - school performances, work, carol concerts on an evening, Dr/. donating blood/ dentist appts (various), meetings for coffee and lunch with relatives - and an unexpected vet appointment for a suddenly-poorly g-pig, who sadly died just before the vet saw her It's quite strange being down to just 2 - and they are clearly missing the other one

Had a lovely dinner out on Saturday night for DD's 21st - gorgeous food

All shopping (food etc) now done. I need to wrap 3 actual presents and then finish off wrapping the stocking presents from FC :santa2: - I'd say they're about 80% done, so only a few left (little things in their stockings - choc coins, something else treat-y usually a book, socks, smellies and something else a little more interesting (eg: DS3 has a Leg0 keyring, DD a HP fridge magnet) A little bit of cleaning/ tidying to finish off today, the dining room to dress for tomorrow and the veg to prep and then the day is set for games and Xmas films Easy dinner of Nand0s fakeaway (one of our faves) and then bed eventually. Bestie and her husband are also coming here today at some point

Children are 'banned' from our bedroom tomorrow morning until 7am. If the smalls awake before (there's no 'if' really.....) they get to go into the students' beds (both have doubles, so plenty of room for a smaller sibling in there ) and then they all come up to us at 7am - with their stockings and (important bit here ) - cups of tea for OH and I. They all pile in/ on the bed then and open up their stockings - it's tradition now

Not sure I have any plans to get back on here, so...…. :xmassign: to one and all! - wishing you peaceful and fun holidays and the very best for 2019! xxx

Karmacat

And to you and yours, greent, the very best of holidays, and the very best for the year ahead. It sounds like you have a wonderful holiday planned, and everyone's pulling together to create a really special time. Lovely.

greent

I'm getting itchy feet to start planning for 2019, so thought I'd go back to June's 'progress' report for 2018 and carry on from there....

greent wrote: »

(Nothing really new for 2018 - it's a take stock, get rid of debt kinda year and then re-assess after that. Biggest change will be if DS1 goes off to uni, which he is really looking forward to )

• Make memories together - good ones! - Definitely a keeper - we've had family games continue, a day trip to Leg0land (financed by CC vouchers), meals out, a day to Slimbridge with smalls, clearing student flat with DD (and finally meeting her bf's dad ) and DS1 survived A2 exams, DS2 survived his first year of secondary school. OH and I went to Westonbirt to see Billy Bragg, Paul Heaton & Jackie Abbott. (Also meant to see Tears for Fears earlier in year but their tour was cancelled) DD went to her first stadium gig - Ed Sheeran in Cardiff.OH and I had 3 days in Vienna by ourselves and saw my aunt (haven't seen her in years), as a family we had a last-minute 5 days in Centre Parcs in the Summer (brilliant fun) and 4 of us (OH, myself and the smalls) had a week in Portugal in Oct.
  DS1 not only survived his A2 exams but had decent results and ended up going to uni last minute - has completed first semester and is loving uni life :T He also passed his driving test, which cost me mega bucks to out him on my insurance! :eek: DD is now in her final year at uni.
  OH's contract finally came to an end - started as a 6 month contract (and he hated it!) and got extended and extended and extended.... it ended up lasting 23 months, so we can't complain!
  A large piece of guttering fell down from the back roof whilst I was sat on the sofa in front of the patio doors - made me jump! And we ended the year with one of our 3 g-pigs dying unexpectedly this month
• Little jobs which need doing around the house - spreadsheet to be updated over Xmas hols and timescales decided upon. Some of these will be achieved along with kitchen, as we've asked tradespeople to do the small jobs along with the kitchen job. Definitely want more progress on this in 2018 than in 2017! Ideally I would like to achieve something and update the list every month - as well as kitchen, we've had our shower fully replaced/ new tiling, 2 radiators elsewhere in house changed, guttering changed (after a large piece fell off in a storm!), an electrical issue with landing and hallway lights sorted, an electrical fault found under flooring and rectified (thankfully no damage). Haven't really done much in 2nd half of the year, although kitchen has been painted, and hall/ stairs/ landings have been decorated. Need to update s/sheet and see what we can achieve in 2019
• Kitchen remodel - now delayed (by kitchen co) for a couple of weeks. However, I want it in essence done by my bday (early March) and properly finished by end of April. We have most of the money in an account, but anything which gets put on 0% CC to be repaid in 2018 - kitchen done, except for new blinds - courier lost them so they have had to be re-ordered and are made to measure, so have been delayed until Jan. No kitchen debt left
• Tackle various bits of debt (eg: OH's car loan, possible tax credits overpayment, 0% CC debt) - would like it ALL gone by end of 10/18 - ALL gone by 06/18 :j
  
• Carry on supporting DD through Uni, DS1 through the end of VIth form and hopefully start of Uni, DS2 through the rest of his first year at secondary school and (towards the end of the year) DS3 in starting to prep for 11+ test - DONE - except for DS3 prep. His test isn't until 09/19, so have agreed we will start gentle prep over these holidays.....
• Continue to declutter - Marie Kondo style Mostly done except for the continual ongoing things needed. I want to re-gain a calm house (*most* of the time) I'd like to achieve 2018 items in 2018, but I'm not sure I can (am almost at 2017 in 2017 though! ) - abandoned keeping tally after laptop failed and lost my list. However, lots has left and am sure I probably got to pretty much 2018.
• Make £1000 from surveys/ selling unwanted/ unused/ unloved items discovered during decluttering! - £766 from sales achieved, so target not met - but we genuinely don't have much left to get rid of now. Also donated a fair amount to CS. Didn't really do surveys...
  
• Pensions - have made a start on this. 2018 will see us increase our contributions to co scheme (and co contributions are also increasing - both ahead of what the minimum requirements are) and probably an appointment with an IFA to gain a better understanding of what our options with our old pensions are - saw an IFA, and we have put on hold any ideas re our old DB pensions for now, but will continue to review occasionally. We now each pay in 10% to current co scheme, and co pays in 15%. Started a S&S ISA with VAnguard (poor results so far - good job I'm in it for the longer term! ) and have increased instant access savings/EF.
• Lose 2 dress sizes - no action taken until Nov, when I started tracking on MFP. Lost basically a dress size and then haven't tracked at all for last week and have certainly eaten to excess - but can still tell a difference from end of Oct.
• Review all finances to ensure current needs being met in best possible way and also set up a targeted savings plan come end of year - it tends to be a bit ad-hoc at the mo, and we could do better - S&S ISA opened. Monthly savings to instant access account increased (and not touched) Have also started (about 5 weeks ago) a savings account for 2020 holiday to Florida
• Ensure Co accounts and personal tax stuff submitted to accountant promptly again - Yes - both done. Tax bills for OH and myself paid a couple of months ago - nice not to go into 2019 owing HMRC anything
• Carry on targeting BTL IO mtge - target for 2018 is £4000 reduction - Smashed it - ended up making capital reduction of over £8k! :j :j
  
• A family holiday and maybe even anther night away just OH and myself - Yep - Vienna for the 2 of us, Centre PArcs for 6 of us and Portugal for 4 of us
• Continue with simplified life. - I resigned from the 2nd invigilation job - I've only did £100 worth this Summer and it wasn't worth the mental switching between the 2 schools.
• Health - I need to get fitter. My shoulder is much better than this time last year. However, I have lost a lot of cardio-type fitness in the 2nd half of the year and need to get this back up - and actually finish c25k this year! - I did some soft tissue damage to my left foot in Oct (which hurt until around March), followed by a bad break of one toe in Feb. Also had flu/ chest infection for 3 weeks in Jan, followed by anaemia (probably as a result of not eating properly with flu) Have been absolutely rubbish since. Have a trapped ulnar nerve in left wrist which I had physio for and need to keep up my exercises. Also have eczema on my legs, a different sort on my hands, something itchy on my elbows (blood test next week to rule out something nasty sounding) and a different very itchy rash in my neck. rear of scalp - falling apart!! Have a lot of creams to use..... took out a prepayment cert for my prescriptions - definitely had money's worth (hadn't been to GP in years (other than to start HRT) before all this!!)
• The garden -make it so that we enjoy spending time in there Ultimately (but definitely not in 2018!!) I would like it re-hard landscaped and remodelled as it needs it. - OH started building a deck at the top where we used to have a broken small patio but never completed it.. We did buy some lovely new hardy plants too We had a couple of BBQs and ate outside more, though
• Count my blessings each and every day - I like thinking at the end of the day about what I am thankful for - Yep. Some days are easier than others, though!