Pay off mortgage and start having fun!

newgirly

Another pants day today, Dd has had her results withheld by her uni as there was a dispute (missing paperwork she’s sent in March) about her fees being paid by the finance dept. Ive held off while she rang for a week, so today she said I could help and I rang over 60 times :eek: still not sorted, even though we have verbal confirmation it’s all paid. Apparently if we want her results we can just make a payment today of over 9k :mad: if we don’t get anywhere tomorrow we will be going person. With sleeping bags if needs be!

Mse stuff done today :

Was a hermit at home so no spending

Nan bread pizzas again for dinner later as im addicted and they are low calorie

Finances all checked and doing ok, I’ve changed the grocery budget to £600pm now and it will be £300 on the cc and £300 cash so I can shop at c@stco regularly. This has meant I’m £300 short for this month as its switching partly from cc to cash.

Will do some early Xmas wrapping paper shopping later possibly as there are deals on at studi@ and we need a lot :xmastree:

About to cancel weightwatchers now as using mfp again which is so much more pleasant in my opinion and free

Op made of £6.65 from topcashback (first op in a while )

themadvix

Hope you get DD's result sorted soon. Is that her final year? (I've lost track!)

I'm having to adjust regarding CC spending as there's a Costco opening near-ish us soon. Don't want to get an Amex just yet as need it for lounge passes in US next year

newgirly

Hi vix, yes she’s finished now and it looks like it’s all approved but will be late being paid, so a 2-3 week wait but it’s confirmed that it’s being paid.
Let me know what you buy at c@stco if you don’t mind, I’m always fascinated by what others put in their trolley, dont want to miss a bargain

I’ve spent a bit today This year we are not going to the usual posh hotel at the xmas market with best friend and her dh as it’s fully booked in the only days we can get time off work. So I’ve done something a little spontaneous and booked flights to Budapest instead £144 including reserved seats and an extra small bag, then £189 for a lovely (hopefully!) four star hotel by the Xmas market,so £166.50 each for two nights.

We pay about £230 for one night in the usual xmas hotel, plus spending money will be a lot less. Ive put it on the cc but will pay for it in a month from the holiday pot

Also booking tickets tonight to go to the horse racing next Friday as we are in York for a few days, it’s one of those summer music ones, so we will also see tears for fears, it’s only few minutes drive from the flat in the city and tickets are £33 each which is not too bad and gives me a chance to dress up and maybe have a dance

Moving on to what this diary supposedly to be about now!

Mse things done today :

Everybody is out, so a night in front of the tv and marmite on toast for dinner with a cup of tea, no wine like the bad old days :A

Op made of £10 to try to alleviate some of my spending guilt

Washing dried on airers inside as it’s raining

newgirly

It’s been pouring here today, so there’s washing all around the house as the heated airer can’t keep up with the vast amounts we have. I should be waiting until it’s hot this week, but might run out of time to sort it and clothes :eek:

Did a shop at c@stco again today, slowly building up stores of items that we regularly use like soap powder, bleach etc. still working out what is worthwhile, lots seems more expensive, some is a similar price but better quality. However taking dh with me results in a much bigger bill!

newgirly

I need to achieve lots today as next week is very busy:

- take dh to see the lion king

- do all ironing

- make a lasagne

- book tickets to York races Friday

- sort outfits for races

- pack for break

- Confirm ds2 wants to go for an Indian on their birthday weds (ds1 does) and book for about 11 or 12 of us :eek:

- tidy and clean kitchen, try and find homes for Costco bits

- draw more cash for builders

- clean kids bedrooms as nobody here (don’t usually but it’s a good opportunity to do it properly)

- clean whole house from top to bottom

- check finances and see if I can make an op


Popped round my parents last night and they have decided to come on the cruise we booked for next year, it will sound terrible but we booked it while on the last one (with them) but didn’t tell them until afterwards. I assumed it was not really their thing as they can be a bit negative, ie. “only a few more days and we can go home” type comments. However it turns out they did like it. Dh very kindly asked them a few days ago. It should be ok and we won’t see them much, must have only been a couple of hours a day on the last one as they like to have their own space.

Anyway off to start the long list now

themadvix

Hope you got all your jobs done yesterday NG!

Re Costco, I don't buy much as almost everything comes wrapped in plastic! And unfortunately all of our regular buys do too. We will be buying the cats' chicken from there in the future (sorry local butcher, but your chicken isn't British and comes in a black, less recyclable tray, as well as being more expensive); pastries, because it's compulsory (but could be a problem as Costco will soon be much closer!) - we freeze them; cooked king prawns - again frozen, big bag and great for the freezer; large bag of oven chips - because sometimes making your own is too tedious and at least with a big bag it's less plastic per chip. So it's not a riveting selection!

debtfreeoneday

Sounds like the cruise should be manageable at least!

newgirly

Oops didn’t t release I had been awol for so long!

Hi debt free and vix thanks for stopping by and sorry for the delay hopefully the cruise will be ok - although I was shocked to read about the brawl on the ship (and same holiday) we have just been on ending in a massively brawl, I can’t really imagine that as for us it was quiet, full of older people and didn’t much seem like it had many drunk people :rotfl:

Vix, thanks for the nosey around your Costco trolley, I have never bothered looking for chips but will do thanks, meat is probably a good idea for us, but I might not sure massive pots of houmous are (for my waistline anyway!) thinking about it a lot of our spend is on drinks lately, cans for visitors and the vast amounts of children and their partners we seem to have acquired lately Those types of things are nice but not really necessary. I think I may have to adjust the budget for Costco to a more sensible level and get myself back in Aldi.

We have had a great few days in York, clearly didn’t need pack warm clothes due to the heat when we left so ending up very wet and slightly cold yesterday. Dh bought us both raincoats in primarni to help :rotfl:

I have spent quite a bit too, £55 in the Yankee candle outlet as they had some amazing bargains, so i got myself two jar candles for autumn (£6each) and a few bits for Xmas presents. Plus three bags in c@th kidston, one for my aunt for Xmas £55 reduced to £15 and a couple for me heavily reduced, one large bowling bag to use as a handbag on flights for electricals and big fabric overnight bag. They should be well used and long lasting

We went to York races Friday night which was good, totally different vibe from Newmarket or ascot - most people seemed relatively sober :rotfl: I was also dressed up like a xmas tree while most people seem down to be more casual. Good night though, dh bet on two races - first one he didn’t bet on the horse he wanted and I chose and lost , his horse would have won. Other race he chose and won £80 putting on £10.

Going home today as I’d like to have tomorrow before going back to work really, last week was so manic due to the kids birthdays. But was it not for family and friends I would stay forever, I LOVE York, plus staying a shiny new flat with all the comforts and no teenagers is bliss

Mortgage and financials to be updated later, as supposedly this is the subject of my diary :rotfl:

themadvix

:eek: to the brawl on the ship, that's definitely not what I envisage when I think of cruises!

I have a couple of Cath Kidston bags and they have lasted well. Bargains too by the sound of it!

Your diary definitely covers mortgage and financials more often than mine!

newgirly

Not sure about that vix! It used to be all about the daily ops, now I’m struggling to manage a monthly update

Having the kitchen done - if they ever start of course, has ruined my momentum and in my case some spending leads to some more spending, and then some more......

Still, keeping going whatever happens is the main aim. Sometimes it’s easy and sometimes I really don’t feel like it :rotfl:

Today’s spending has been relatively small :

Three new jumpers in the n@w look sale at a total cost of £7 :T

Two more sets of amazon packing cubes £6.98 each (bought one set months ago and it is brilliant )

£3.10 on tea and toast


Hopefully this week I will sort my life out a little, everything has been crazily busy lately and I’m running to catch up all the time. No food shop, meal planning or ironing done.