MFW newbie....

[Deleted User]

thats alrite Radish!
well done on the calories cancelled out! does it mean if I let mw have the code I also cancel out some calories ?...I like that deal! :rotfl:

have man flu at the moment (but worse!) so feeling a bit sorry for myself curling up on the sofa...over to a friends tonite tho (as long as she doesnt banish me for having lergie) so that should be nice and chilled at least!

no real MF news apart from that, am settled to the fact that probably wont make any significant OPs now this year but will have savings/general budget up to scratch for really kicking it next year , I would imagine (hope) that next yr also involves changing jobs so am hesitant to commit to anything too overambitious that I might not be able to keep up with , but I guess whilst the money is there it may as well go into the mortgage rather than be frittered away ...

am eeking out the food we have in the house till payday in 2 weeks ... can probably shop in a week or so time I guess and pay it off the credit card on payday , but want to get into the habit of going payday to payday rather than "Ill just spend a bit of next months money now"

also need to find a pic of a house to put in my wallet!

[Deleted User]

MF achievements this weekend..
*food shop should come in under budget for next month .. almost ready to defrost the freezer in time for next months big cook n freeze!
*cooked dinner tonight out of what was already in fridge/cupboards (actually turned out quite nice!) and enough for probably the next 2 days
*nearly enough points now for an amazon voucher £10 to spend on things
*got a load of chick lit books a friend was getting rid of - will take away temptation to spend amazon vouchers instantly :rotfl:
*found a pic of a house to put in my wallet to take away the temptation to spend! (I'll tell you if it works!)...

to do list:
get over man flu (hoping will be better by tomorrow!)
start exercising again (no one mention shred please :eek: ) ..am trying to use lunchbreaks for a walk (avoiding shops!)

feeling a bit demoralised about the size of the mortgage - our sector is likely to face cuts , which if not directly affecting me certainly makes it much harder than it was to move jobs ... I guess its no differnet to the same situation that everyone else is in , but I find I do worry about the economy and everything much more than I think I ever did! but better crack on at the mortgage while I can I guess! ..

Queen-Bee_2

Well done on your achievements... You're doing so well! A pile of new chick lit is as tempting as a warm blanket and a mug of hot chocolate - a perfect MFW way of snuggling up now the nights are drawing in!
QB

[Deleted User]

QB
ah chick lit and chocolate.... think I could get away with it now rather than go to work?... hmmm.... :rotfl:

I suppose not going to work doesnt count as being very MF ....ah the sacrifices I make!;)

Radish72

Deleted_User wrote: »

feeling a bit demoralised about the size of the mortgage and work situation - our sector is likely to face cuts , which if not directly affecting me certainly makes it much harder than it was to move jobs ... I guess its no differnet to the same situation that everyone else is in , but I find I do worry about the economy and everything much more than I think I ever did! probably doesnt help not being in a great work situation - makes it hard to see it being manageable long term, but the alternatives arent there anymore!

but better crack on at the mortgage while I can I guess! ..

TYO

Think it would help you to break down your mortgage into smaller chunks, so the task in hand doesn't seem so huge

I do a mixture of
under the next £1000 mark
daily interest rate under the next 10p

I understand the work situation, I generally hate work at the moment, but there are not many jobs to move to currently. My BF says to quit and we can manage of his wage. But I have decided to stick at it till next Christmas, purely to make indents into my mortgage which will then help when we get one together

[Deleted User]

Radish
you're absolutely right! I think setting a managable goal is a good idea ..Its very much my style to go "oh all this to go, may as well give up" (also applies to if I ever need to go on a diet- so if you have any other ideas for negating calories (mw am happy to pass you crisp packets, chocolate packets etc.. if would help!! :rotfl:) then let me know!)

so ...target one:
get mortgage to £125K this is a couple of grand so would probably take me till mid next year at some point (perhaps april if I work hard!)

target two:
lose 3lb by mid december (ready to put back on again at xmas!) ..will do the same with wt loss and break it down (not too much to go, just half a stone or so of cakes!) :rotfl: (ps this is a MF target in that I wont have to buy new clothes! )

target three:
keep shopping within budget of £100 p/m

target four:
keep a spending diary for the next few months to see whether "fun spends" limit for the month is realistic plus where it is going!! :rotfl:

target five:
keep filling ebay box ready for ebay or carboot sale next summer

hmmmm...looks like a good list for now - better go and do some real work in order to meet said list! I hear you on the jobs stuff Radish-sounds like setting a time limit at least gives some benefits (in terms of paying mortgage down) if you can manage to stick it- I think thats what Im telling myself too, I certainly wont stay forever where I am , but whilst its that or nothing I feel better working than not!

have a good day all , off to earn my mortgage payments now...

[Deleted User]

Drumroll please....

my nagging/obsessing has finally paid off!! :rotfl: :rotfl: as I was catching up on all the girly soaps and a weeks worth of casualty and holby city on iplayer last night.... what did I walk into the bedroom to find mrtyo doing?... :eek::eek::eek::eek:








thats right- a budget!! :rotfl:

so he is now figuring out how to up his mortgage payments , and has put a set amount each month into savings .....

on the non MSE front he didnt want the freezer meal Id got out yesterday so I had half and the other half may need to be wasted but I will forgive him just this once!


my brainwashing plan has finally paid off!!! :rotfl:

off to treat him to dinner and Harry Potter this evening to keep his motivation going and so he knows we dont have to give up everything (only the expensive stuff! )

Queen-Bee_2

WOW... what an achievement!! Re OH that is... Bribery works every time in my experience!

Casualty and Holby eh? Your guilty pleasures are exactly the same as mine
QB

[Deleted User]

Thanks QB - I am quite pleased with the achievement!! :rotfl:
am working on the principle that bribery will get me everywhere!
Love casualty and holby! generally watch on iplayer or nights OH is at work! I have tried several times to convert him but he's not having it!

MF wise I think we have both done a lot in terms of budgeting/cutting down as much as poss.
There are a couple of things though I think are still outstanding so wondered if anyone had any tips...

1)Internet/Phone: currently mrtyo's domain as he spends a lot of time playing computer games of some kind...I almost daren't suggest changing providers :eek: but its probably costing £35 + p/m for the phone/internet package ...

2) Electricty - just electric where we live , no gas, but coming in at over £100 p/m :eek: ... this may well go down thanks to my (slightly obsessive! :rotfl:) unplugging of things ... I try and use the oven to cook several things at once, not charge phone/laptops any more than needed ...the biggies I think are heating and computer/tv...because we are often at work differnet times of the day /night it essentially can mean heating/tv/computer can be on for me after work in the evening, then again if OH is working shifts in the middle of the night! also same can apply if we are off in the middle of the day! I havent come up with any great brainwaves on this one yet ... mrtyo feels that having the heating on low most of the time is less use of energy than heating up a room from scratch ...I dont know?... but it feels incredibly high!

apart from that 2011 looks set to be a good year for the start of the OP roll! :rotfl:

bit of shopping today, but will try and avoid spending as have got into the lull of "Ill just spend this month then pay it off on payday" so need to reign that in! need to get some food stuff (already budgeted) tho and am hoping I can leave my wish to go clothes shopping for the sales after xmas! other than that a chilled weekend of tv and dvds methinks!

[Deleted User]

Good day yesterday but not a NSD ...
got carried away with all the good charity shop bargains- spent about a fiver on me and also the kids as they had some cool toys!- so that was feel good money!
then another £12 (unbudgeted for) on food/snacks but got a lot for that money including massive load of veg/salad from the market for £2!
most xmas stuff sorted and have had to re-jig a few pressies, but definitely starting up a proper present box for next year!

5 days till payday ...am counting the hours! (mostly cos Ive spent a fair bit of the money pre-emptively!) but should still come out of it with £100 or so to spare

my amazon/carboot/charityshop pile seems to be growing again but not sure what will go where! a couple of things are quite sentimental so would want them to go to a good home (clothes but not that would fit me anymore!!) the rest am as happy it goes to charity, but if it looks like enough for a car boot will do that!

had a lovely roast today with a couple of guests round who appreciated my cooking! (plus theres at least enough meat for sandwiches tonight, tomorrow and dinner tomorrow not bad for a £3.50 chicken!) and just been chilling, reading some of the chick lit books Ive been given .. up v early for a long day (7am start) tomorrow so trying to get organised so Im not rushing in the morning!

its funny when I look back to a few months ago, how much things have changed...and only through having to go through such a tough few months (financially and otherwise) has really made such a positive impact and really changed the way I look at money - its amazing to feel so much more in control of it and not the other way round! (but am possibly in danger of becoming a thrift bore to most of my friends still living the credit card lifestyle! :rotfl:)

and.... by my counts only 33 (ish) days till xmas!! (according to a notice in a shop window anyway!)