Pay off mortgage and start having fun!

newgirly

Its my first week of new working days, I decided to change my thurs to a Monday, it feels like I have gained a day in the week now plus of course hopefully I will get a few extra days bank hols too :T

I was very good and went to the gym last night and intend to go for a swim tonight and then gym again weds and Friday.

Not much to report financially , spent £55 in mr t last night in the way home from work, still have quiet a lot of food in so I probably shouldn't have got so much

I wrote to the premium bond people as I have lost an old bond and they have replied saying they can't find any record if it , seems odd as I won £50 a few years ago and they posted the cheque to this address. I have more forms to go back, I just want to start buying them before I get tempted to spend it instead.

Pearla*Merle

Good thinking on the bank holidays

Hope the stress lessens for Mr NG & you all soon x

newgirly

Thanks Pearla.


Its not been a good week, dh has had 2 days off work due to stress, and he is a man who usually goes in even with a sickness bug. It was not nice , but he has spent two days in bed and seems a lot better.


Other than that not much has happened except work and gym this week, I went shopping at mr t again and spent too much money as I have not been in the mood to cook what is in the fridge , so we have had lots of greek salad and houmous.


Its been no spend week except for food, I'm planning on spending online this weekend - some live theatre cinema tickets plus the deposit for a festival ticket for dd £50.

newgirly

I've just received confirmation of purchase of our first premium bond (well second if you count the £50 one I had as a child!) its a bit sad but it really cheered me up

Saving is something we have never done and it feels quite grown up :rotfl:

Because we has a low spend January on the cc, we have a bit of a surplus when we get paid at the end of feb, after debts and bills about £300 ish, now do I buy more bonds, save it or splash out a little on fun stuff ?

I took back the evening dress I bought the other day, it fits perfectly as I've lost a few pounds, but the problem is I want to lose quite a bit more than that and they didn't have a smaller size. End result is no refund as it was over 50% off, so I have a £50 gift card, so I will use some of it for mil's birthday next month. Worst case scenario I can't find a dress I can always borrow one of my best friends , she has lots of nice dress in various sizes.

I have a fridge full of veg and freezers full of all sorts of odds and ends , so I suppose I should stop being lazy and cook something with it all before it goes off , maybe veggie curry.

newgirly

It's been a spendy weekend:

£75 on cinema tickets to see theatre again (the curious incident of the dog in the night time) for us five plus parents
£31.40 for dd and I to see king Lear (cinema again)
£65 for the deposit plus extra day fee for reading festival for dd

All not exactly essential

Dd will be paying for her own ticket - basic price £210 :eek: but I might help her out with money to take with her and buying bits. I must resist the temptation to book a hotel and follow her to make sure she is ok without her mummy though :rotfl:

The upshot is I have spent all but £15 of this months cc budget , I shall stick £15 of petrol in and them I have £60 cash plus whatever I use form next months surplus. I have arranged a shopping day out with my friend on Thursday so will have lunch out, plus it would be nice to treat myself to something new , but I seem to find it impossible to buy stuff at the moment , I looked around for a top last week and either don't like stuff or can't bear to part with the money.

I have finally cooked some of the dodgy looking veg in the fridge, a aubergine and chickpea curry and a big pot of finely chopped veg and tomato spicy pasta sauce.

The diet that was going so well has stopped since the stress started woth dh again last week, I need to get cracking again tomorrow as I did lose about 5lb and don't want to put it all back on.

Sorry for not keeping up with diaries properly lately, it's just been a bit manic lately, hope everyone is well

norfolkdream

Oh I've been meaning to look into premuim bonds but dont know much about them, you just reminded me.

Alchemilla

Goodness. I paid about a tenner for Reading...about a hundred years ago when i last went- simple minds headlined!!

newgirly

Ooh I used to like simple minds

Hi nd, I have always thought premium bonds were a bad move as the effective rate is so low, but at the moment who cares really everywhere has low rates , plus there is always the chance you may win big.

SmlSave

An aubergine and chickpea curry sounds nice ng, may I have the recipe? I love aubergine but can't cook it much as DH and DS aren't keen.

daisy_1571

Because we has a low spend January on the cc, we have a bit of a surplus when we get paid at the end of feb, after debts and bills about £300 ish, now do I buy more bonds, save it or splash out a little on fun stuff ?


Hi NG

I now use the principal of percentages so if any money comes in unexpectedly is easy to work out what to do with it. Like you I used to endlessly think about all the different things that could be done with it. Currently our percentages are settled on 50% to mortgage (since this is a big priority to us) 25% to new kitchen fund and 25% as "fun money" for us to do what ever we want. Usually this means we spit it 12.5% each and that way we have some fun money of our won. This principle works on whatever money you get - overtime money, winnings, present money etc etc and means you are getting a little bit further with each of the conflicting priorities but you always get a little bit of fun money to "treat" yourself with.

Hope this helps

Daisy