Pay off mortgage and start having fun!

newgirly

Well me too really!

To do list :

Ring m and s to switch accounts and get dh to do the same , currently home phone out of action so it might have to wait until I'm at work next week.

Check accounts- I know I'm over budget for food spending this month already due to Tuesday's big shop, must do better in Nov. if I am to stick to the 1k budget.

Buy a Lego advent calendar for ds1 - he has declined my homemade one this year however it's not all bad as I've always wanted a Lego one and they have £5 off today previously he was "too old" for one of these, now at 16 he is not :rotfl:

newgirly

Still under budget for this month grocery wise, just checked and am at £296.45/ £333.33 still close as we have a family party for Halloween next Saturday to pay for too! If we go over I'll have a cheap November to make up for it. Went to a friends for dinner last night and she had pumpkin baileys which I tried and I can confirm its good need to get a bottle from tesco for the party before they sell out its on offer at £10 :beer:

Thought I'd do a rough plan of expenses I want to cover next month, this month has had extra spending on Halloween bits, rail discount card for dd, coat for ds2 , bag for ds2 but a gift meal for 2 (got a voucher for £10 off so it was £20)

November needs home and car insurance paying , but I should have enough in the savings pot to cover that. Also we are away for one night to a Xmas market with best friend and her hubby - a late 20th anniversary treat for us, so I want to put by £100 for that.

Other things to buy in November are quilts for the kids - 2x single and one double plus if I can I'll get a new one for us too, just cheap thick winter ones.

CathT

Xmas market sounds good. I managed to get to the Manchester one last year as was away with work.

November sounds expensive. I've done no Christmas preparations yet so could find myself in a similar situation!

newgirly

Hi cath, Xmas is nearly sorted ( bit of Xmas boasting there :rotfl:) not much else in my life is as organised to be honest!

Bought the spiced pumpkin baileys today, but am worried it's not as good as I think , perhaps I should test it out tonight just to be sure also bought a few meal deals for her next few days, never really get packaged food but fancied a rest. Tonight it's the £10 posh meal deal for me and dh £10 incl. wine and tomorrow we have 2x pizza meal deals and sides for 7 of us for £12 total - can't complain at the price really, although it feels wrong not having a roast.

Plans for Sunday are taking dd, her boyfriend and his dd pumpkin picking , am MOST excited about this as I've never been and am hoping it looks like hagrids back garden in Harry Potter.

I bought the quilts today , after looking online they had 20% off at Argos at the moment , so I bought the cheapest ones , they did have great reviews though £22 for two doubles and two singles 13.5 tog, they seem nice and thick. We used to have goose down which cost a fortune but I have to say I prefer cheap.

Payday Monday

newgirly

Have tested the pumpkin baileys a few times now

Pumpkin "picking" was not good! Dd's boyfriends dd was sick in the car poor thing, then big queues , then all that was there was already picked tiny expensive pumpkins lying around a field. We bought a couple of little strange looking ones, red and white and one covered with boils :rotfl: but I'll get the big ones at the supermarket it's much cheaper.

I've totally let myself down in the last week, I've been doing so well losing weight and it's like I've decided to rebel against myself and eat and drink for the sake of it fresh start tomorrow, weigh in Tuesday and hopefully not too much damage done!

Tomorrow's food :

30g porridge oats made with water, orange 165 cals

Tin of low calorie soup, satsuma , small Apple 300 cals

Low cal. Veggie moussaka, green veg, Greek low yoghurt, 450 cals

Plus the odd tea and carrot sticks /apples/ Alpen bar.

Don't want to be a diet bore but I need to commit to being good

newgirly

Very busy this week, our assistant manager is off and we have had lots of fast turn around orders. I did a few extra hours yesterday and dh went in at silly o'clock today again! I may go in later for a few more hours but the house is a TIP and it's pumpkin carving day so I really don't want to

Have not even made this months overpayment yet :eek: or for that matter checked what I've spent this month on supposedly "frugal October"

Dd has got herself a lot London based short term job, signing people up to be delivery cyclists/drivers , £10 ph base pay plus high commission :T she does 7 hours pw, hopefully she will be good at it - she can talk to anyone so that will help. She is also off for an interview for a work placement today too.

Back later for a financial update once I sort through it.

Secret_Saving_Squirrel

Very impressed with your Christmas preparations. You have inspired me to make a list. X

newgirly

Love Xmas sss so it's not really a chore

It's been pumpkin day today we settled on a giant pumpkin with the batman sign, a white pumpkin with a jack skelington face, various usual scary face small ones and the jewel in this year's crown of a pumpkin evil snowman, three pumpkins piled up with stick arms, holding a screaming small pumpkin with bashed up pumpkins to go in front of it, it's taken ds and I nearly all day, can you tell we are halloween mad :rotfl:

No accounts sorted so it's not much of mf diary really no spend day today as we were carving whilst watching horror films all day! House still a tip ( but with a sticky pumpkin floor currently!) washing all done and ironing up to date so not a total failure.

Plan for tomorrow- clean filthy house

CathT

We plan on doing our pumpkin this weekend, it won't be a fancy oneone as I'm not remotely creative. We have a friend who does amazing ones and now does them to order.

We're a bit boring and leave a tub of sweets by the front door to avoid the door being knocked all evening! Fortunately we only get 'trick or treaters' on the 31st.

newgirly

We are on a busy road and near the shops so do get quite a few, when we run out of sweets I stop answering

Out later for the opening of a new shop in London owned by the guys that have given us loads of work this year, can seem to find my current account card at the moment though (also used on the tube as contactless) will have to cancel if it's not found this morning which will be a right pain, and buy an oyster. The will be selling our products in their shops, so should make the effort even though at the moment a lazy evening at home sounds more tempting

To do list :

Write list for tomorrow's meal

Buy list

Clear up pumpkin mess

Clean whole house

Look for bank card and report lost if not found

Do nails for tonight

Decorate living room with all Halloween stuff

Check accounts and update if time