Pay off mortgage and start having fun!

greent

All sounding very organised, ng! xx

newgirly

Just about to get up after a late night checking Dd got in ok from her new work's Xmas do at ministry of sound, she was too late for a tube and helping her manager look for a drunk missing staff member! All good in the end.

It's count down time for league of gentlemen tickets going in sale at 9am :j my dilemma of how to pay has been solved - I wanted to get one for me, Dd and ds2 for Xmas but am up to limit (well a fair way over really) with all three of them so would have to find a lot extra. Then I realised it's not until September which is after their 18/21sts :T I can pay for theirs from the birthday savings and give them as birthday presents instead of Xmas, as far as I know he have no idea they will be live anyway as it's a bbc2 show so no advertising I'll pay for mine with Xmas money hopefully! Fingers crossed I get some now......

Mse plans for day:

- Check food budget - spent £90 odd in Aldi last night buying Xmas food and drink that will keep, I must be dangerously close to the £400 limit with still lots to get!

- Go to see Star Wars with dd with my pass and a meerkat free ticket

- take drinks to cinema

- go through topcashback for tickets

- go to jazz evening at pizza express with dh where hopefully he will pay :rotfl:

- do some slow cooker jackets for dinner for the boys so they won't get chips while we are out, plus you don't even need to use the microwave , even less effort required for them

newgirly

Another lazy day and we even skipped Star Wars as dd was tired, it's been her first free day for a long time so it's fair enough.

Accounts checked and £37.69 left in the grocery budget for the month :eek: plus £81 cash left for everything else, it will be squeaky!

I've also set up a monthly standing order for £230 to go to the isa for the birthday/Xmas/cruise savings. Another £25 pm is going to an esaver for car expenses (not tax) from January. I'll set up a standing order for a monthly op next year when I find out how much they will take by dd for the interest, the last year the interest charged has been £90 odd pm and he Dd has been for £198 so it should reduce a fair bit this year.

Total mortgage payments pm will be about £2,908 :eek: with £700 left to live on, but I'm feeling quite motivated right now, let's hope that lasts

Managed to get 3x fairly decent tickets for league of gentlemen this morning which had sold out of all stalls seats in 5 seconds! Crazy. I do do have to tell dd though as she had seen advert in town for them and was looking at buying them off viagogo for £££.

newgirly

Our dinner last night at pizza express jazz cafe (not including £32.50 each tickets) was £89.90 :eek: garlic bread and dough balls, 1x normal pizza 1x with the salad in the middle, bottle of cheap red , 2x beers , one coffee and mini dessert. Can't believe how much dearer than usual it was , even an extra £10 service charge applied. Wow.

Only the works xmas do left now, the company will pay for the food and dh will tell everyone they will do a whip and then probably pay for all the drinks too like he normally does :rotfl: I'm feeling like a bit of a bloater the last few weeks, I've put on a fair few pounds going out and having baileys in the house, need to get back on track with the diet as well as the finances after Xmas.

Mse plans for he day:

- Do all washing up to date and change all kids beds without having the heating whacked up all day do dry it all

- do a list for grocery shop and possibly do most if it

- buy some of the super cheap veg that's around , we don't need it for Xmas but it will last afterwards and I can make roasts with leftovers and soup.

- update mfw 2017 challenge , there will be no more payments this year now as Decembers might net will go in savings (what little here will be!)

- officially join 2018 challenge and set target :T

AlexLK

You're doing really well and still having a lot of fun. Despite the expense how was the Jazz cafe experience? My wife keeps saying we should go to an independent one in Newark on Trent when we go to the antiques / agri fairs there. Mind she's also made me realise how much I miss the crazy VIth form / uni days having dug out lots of old vinyl / CDs from the 90s. :rotfl:

We are also going to need to sort the eating, drinking and (lack of) exercise come the new year too. :eek:

newgirly

Jazz is not my thing Alex, but it was very atmospheric in the venue , a fairly small underground place in soho, they always have stuff on there and it's only 5 mins walk from Tottenham Court Road tube - get the inlaws to have littlek for the weekend and surprise your dw with a nice adults only night or two away

AlexLK

My wife would love that, NG. She also tells me on occasion she would like to go to London for a weekend together. Perhaps we could combine the two and a restaurant which beats our usual more dogs than people local. :rotfl:

smallholdingsister

I was really jealous of you until you mentioned the bill. Who was playing?

One of our faves plays there sometimes (Stacey Kent).

newgirly

Definitely Alex, the soho hotel is 5mins away and very nice

It was acoustic alchemy shs, I did have a look through their list of who's playing over the next few weeks, never heard of any of them though

Did another Aldi run and there were no chocolate robins on logs -boo , bad Aldi not having what I want in stock ever!

Bought stuff for Xmas eve and Boxing Day, changed the menu a bit to make life easier with a few more ready done bits.

AlexLK

London prices are a world away from a Derbyshire budget, :rotfl: ... Just had a look at The Soho Hotel which looks great, went onto booking.com to find 3 nights staying in a one-bedroom suite is £4,986. :eek: I'm ashamed to say I've spent that type of money before but am a reformed character now :A and if I book it will be the cheapest room available (superior room - £1,224) as that still looks a nice room.

Seriously considering this for Mrs K's birthday as I know she'd really enjoy a few nights away as a couple, thanks NG.