Our attempt at being MF!!

CathT

Well results are back from gp and nothing suspect,I'm now clueless as to why I'm not getting better!

Childrens' pyjamas sorted sorted out as planned. They now have 5 pairs each of suitable matching, well fitting pyjamas. I contacted a friend who supports a few charities and she will take them for a charity that supports children affected by the Chernobyl disaster. Also have a couple of bags to take to charity shop which dh will also sort out. Fingers crossed they don't just sit in his boot as per usual!

The children spent some of their bristmas money yesterday so will chat to them about saving the rest. This has reminded me I need to sort out regular savers again so have added this to my 2017 list ( still very much a work in progress).

Spends have remained minimal the last few days and we are making cheap meals. I actually can't remember the last time we did a 'big' food shop. Doing more frequent shops for what we actually need is working for us at the moment. Working today then off for another 4 days which I intend to be productive before the daily grind of full time work and building chaos resumes!

smallholdingsister

Cath - you know the thing about putting your oxygen mask on first? Please please have a rest and get well.

Is your DH not nagging you to slow down? (Bet he is!).

AlexLK

Cath, have a few days rest. Don't go out, forget about everything else that is going on and just have a few really quiet days.

CathT

Thanks both, I do need to slow down. Went back to the GP and got sent for chest x-ray and given 3rd course of antibiotics. Surely now I have to get well!

Am just managing to plod and not much productivity happening. I still haven't finished setting 2017 goals! Hopefully get a chance over the next couple of days but lack of energy has resulted in reduced brain function!!

Have had a few books sitting in my basket on @mazon so decided to reserve them this morning from w@tetstones and dh collected them. Am aiming to be incredibly positive in 2017 so have bought 'feel the fear and do it anyway' and 'the chimp paradox'. Am aiming to read at least 10 pages a day alongside my fiction book.

No plans for the rest of the day apart from decluttering the rrest of the treat food and some reading. We took the tree down earlier and dh commented how it all fit in the box my better than usual. Box tightly taped together to secure and then we noticed a pile of branches on the rug! they have just been shoved into a carrier bag. Charity shop bags still in dh boot but out of the house at least.

Totted up food spends this month and we only spent £237! Am really pleased with that and had commented to dh that I bet some people spend that on their Christmas food shop. No wasteful spending here, we spent about £200 on Christmas presents as had some nect@r points and didnt go mad. We've still had a wonderful Christmas though and the children haven't gone without. It also feels good to be starting the new year without any Christmas debt.

Have a lovely new year, dh is taking the children to a party at a friend's and I'll be at home with a book and a hot chocolate.

Muser1

Glad you stayed at home for a relax. Get well soon x

CathT

Thank you Muser, still coughing away and exhausted but I have improved!!

Have gone through some figures today and updated the spreadsheet. Ss shows we will end the year on £76,855 if we continue with our regular OP of £308. Target is to reduce this to £76000 which means just over an extra £70 a month to find. So far £15 comes from t3sco accounts so the rest will have to come from selling items, y0ugov and clever money shuffling. I also worked out that when we remortgage in March 2019 (these 5 year fixed deals fly by!) We could reduce the term to 8 years (based on an interest rate of 4% - just a random figure). This means we would clear this part of the mortgage when I'm 44 and dh 50. This is definitely motivation and i tried to explain to dh the choices this would give us.

CathT

2017 goals.

I've tried to divide these into different categories. They're not very inspiring and I wanted to get dh on board but he's not really into goal setting (think he needs to do some personal development).

Financial

Reduce mortgage part 1 to £76,000
Clear t3sco balance
Reduce 0% cc to £6,400 (reduction of £1,722)
Build EF to £1500
Set up regular saver for children

Home

Complete our extension!!!
Decorated hall. Stairs and landing
Continue to decluttering

Life

Enjoy our first holiday abroad
Take and be in more photographs
Maximise time in mornings, evenings and weekends
Read 10 pages of personal development daily
Have less screen time

debtfreeoneday

I cant' wait until we can remortgage in 2 years time!

museumworker

Sorry to hear you've been so unwell for such a long time. Hope the third lot of antibiotics clear it, whatever IT is! Meanwhile rest will hopefully help. December is a rubbish month to feel unwell, there's so much going on.

CathT wrote: »

Totted up food spends this month and we only spent £237! Am really pleased with that and had commented to dh that I bet some people spend that on their Christmas food shop. No wasteful spending here, we spent about £200 on Christmas presents as had some nect@r points and didnt go mad. We've still had a wonderful Christmas though and the children haven't gone without. It also feels good to be starting the new year without any Christmas debt.

Er, WOW :eek::eek: on December food shopping. We did nearly spend that on our Christmas shop :o: I'm not joking about our finances being way out of control. Any cheap but healthy food recipes for lazy/busy working mums?

Muser1

Almost identical goals to mine Cath. I'll be cheering you on x