Pay off mortgage and start having fun!

teapot2

100 days - impressive. well done

newgirly

Thanks everyone, pretty pleased that I still don’t feel like drinking to be honest! I hopefully won’t ever drink again, life’s is so much better without it even though I was not a daily drinker.

Greent, sorry your Aunt had an unpleasant reaction to her coming out
I’m lucky that ds2 has the type of personality he does, he’s very confident and more than will to stand up for himself, we won’t put up with any -trying to put it politely- rubbish from family regarding this issue. On the flip side though it feels right to not excuse but to explain why relatives of an older generation are not as enlightened. Thats a hard one though, as personally there are no excuses for being a bigot.

Good day today, no work, tiny bit of housework done, both morning and afternoon spent with two friends, low cal peanut butter ice cream after dinner to look forward to - the perfect day :rotfl:

newgirly

Lazy Sunday today, much needed after various arrivals and exits during the night as the boys’ friend was home from uni for the weekend so they we’re out (well out then back then out again :rotfl:) I feel about 82 today, this could explain why some days I need to go to bed about 8pm

My online banking is down again for maintenance, I think it’s all going ok so far even if as usual I’ve had a burst of spending at the start of the month. There’s about £40 cash in my purse not earmarked for anything, plus £300 in the petty cash tin - thanks to the new higher budget. I’m going to keep an eye on this and see how much of a surplus there’s will be over the next few months, whilst not scrimping too much as that was not the idea.

Quite an mse day so far, making sure I’m getting my moneys worth from Netflix and conserving energy by sitting still :rotfl:

XSpender

Congratulations on the 100 (and a couple more) days off the drink x

newgirly

Hi xspender thanks for that, it is 100 days today

newgirly

Bit of a busy week so far, it’s the anniversary of when we lost our first Dd today so we will take some flowers later, we do still ‘do’ Valentine’s Day but it’s more low key, it’s usually just a reason to buy dh and the kids some chocolate

Off to the shopping centre later with best friend, which involves 90% sitting around chatting drinking coffee and 10% shopping

I’m itching to plan some mini breaks on a budget this year, we are having a bit of work done on the house soon which is budgeted for (well as much I can estimate it!) it just feels like everything hasn’t been on hold for so long financially and we have loosened the reins this year so I want to make them best use of then extra spending money.

So far we have a he fjords cruise in June (paid for last year and spending money saved) a 2 nighter to Amsterdam with kids and family (dad paying for for his 70th) in September.

Plus 2 nights in April with girlfriends to York - ive paid the train tickets for all so spending money will be that when returned -less than £100 as some are on a very low budget so we will do it cheaply.

So I’m really lucky to be doing all that, but financially they are sorted plus things are different at work now dh can actually use his holiday :T

We are not adventurous people and have spent most of our married lives doing caravan /cottage/centreparcs type breaks with the kids, so I would like to gradually build up what we do.

First on the list I may book is a short break to Corfu in May, BA flights, half board four star hotel next to Corfu town £232 each for Three nights. I’m only basing this on the fact I used to enjoy partying in Greece as a teenager and I loved the tv series about Gerald Durrell growing up in Corfu recently

newgirly

No breaks booked so far, dh has not checked we can have time off yet. Today I’m very happy after finally finding a tv unit for the living room in the exact style and width we needed. It was the Wrong colour though so I stained it, but only £17.50 :money: it’s perfect and goes really well with our danish 70’s theme and my grandparents vintage 60s back and white sideboard.

Last payment for the gym due soon :T plus I’m cancelling WW again (have been using mfp and weighing at home) so that’s a good monthly saving of around £45-55 pm , I’ve already budgeted the extra in this year’s figures mind, but a it’s still pleasing

Weight loss going slowly and steadily, just under 5lb in 25 days and I’ve been eating stuff I actually like quite a bit

newgirly

Four guests staying this morning after clubbing, so I’m up at 5am but cruelly have banned sleepovers in the living room as it’s the whole downstairs except the kitchen and I’ll have nowhere to go for half the day.

So a very early start means time to check the finances and make some plans, it’s 65 days until Easter Sunday which seems like a nice mini challenge length of time to achieve things.:D

newgirly

Ouch spending has gone a bit crazy this month

The good points are, mortgage/isa/premium bonds got paid jan and will in feb still. The bad points are I have £71.22 left to live on until 5th March :T

Luckily there is £300 in the petty cash tin, so I’m going to allow £20 a day until I can use the cc again on the 5th, it leaves a surplus of £30, £25 of whch I’m buying a premium bond with.

As this covers petrol it will be a tight month, I’ve already got used to spending more money with the higher budget and that’s not great as I would rather use it for travelling or spend it on the home than just fritter it on nice shower gel (hello body shop ) and too many flowers, pretty as they are.


Easter challenge time!

The idea is I have 65 days to save enough to take a trip on a plane somewhere with dh this will be from the cash that’s left from the monthly budget not spent, anything I earn like cashback or ebay sales, birthday money if received. The first £25 pm of this extra money will go in premium bonds before the holiday pot gets topped up though

It feels like time to get a bit more control over the budget again, just because we have made the budget higher doesn’t mean I should spend more without thought. Old style board here i come ......

CathT

I had to read the York trip twice as couldn't see the flights!!

Great savings on the ww budget, points is the same as calorie counting so save your money and feel free to eat foods you like! Definitely more sustainable that way too.