Our attempt at being MF!!

CathT

Found and started reading that thread, thanks apple and good luck to all the challengers.

Small food shop of £9.04 yesterday so our daily average remaining spends are fortunately increasing by the day! Currently at £14.36 so a fuel purchase is likely to wipe that out.

Pumped up one of my tyres yesterday which kept resulting in a warning symbol as pressure has dropped. It was only that one so hoping there's no issue with it. Car brand new and I've only done 1500 miles so far.

Leftovers for dinner for me yesterday and dh made a chicken curry for the rest of the family.

Hoovered my car yesterday and wiped round with my favourite z0flora so hoping it still smells lovely this morning on my way to the gym. Planning to pop to @ldi as I believe their advent houses are on sale today. No idea what I'll put in them but they look pretty. Have bought dh a scratch off movie poster I've seen on a site promoted on social media. Hoping it will be well received! I have pointed out to ds 2 books in sainsburys I would like so he can tell dh, let's hope they don't go rearranging any stock!
Am tracking my Christmas related spends in my bujo this year. Am hoping little cash but mostly vouchers will feature. Had £3.50 from t3sco yesterday so now have £10 to double up there aswell.

Right, off to take body fat measurements, lost a lb of fat this week eating 2000 calories a day! Best get ready and build some muscle in the gym this morning!

chumpy45

All looking great CathT. You are inspiring me with all your gym activity and weight loss. I am trying to motivate myself to start the couch to 5K but never seem to get past the thinking about it stage. Good luck with your unusual combination meals. I think it would only be me eating those here too !

CathT

Thanks chumpy, I started off just increasing steps and tracking in mfp but on a lot higher cals than what it automatically sets people. Timed my workout this morning (arms) to coincide with @ldi opening so could pick up the advent house I wanted. There was a queue to get in and everyone seemed to be on a mission, was like a game show! Also picked up some veg and still spent less than our daily average. 19p Tilly tidy made, eaten cheaply from cupboards so should manage without a top up shop until midweek.

Homework done with ds today, we researched 'the big bang' and also started watching a Christmas film. Although we've watched it a few times he didn't remember any of it which was exciting for him.

Dh has got all the Christmas decs/boxes out for me to look for a countdown I was convinced we owned. It appears we don't actually have one! Will sort out boxes and tidy away in the shed until they are needed next month. Really want to go to the posh garden centre to see their Christmas displays but no one wants to go with me, not as much fun on my own!

CathT

Quick update from me as I really shouldn't still be awake at this hour!

22p Tilly tidy to mortgage this morning. Eaten cheaply today and have got some salmon and egg fried rice out of the freezer for tomorrow's dinners. Have some other leftovers floating around that can be used up.

NSD which has improved our average remaining daily spend. Dh took the children to the cinema but used his own spends. He's itching to go food shopping so I reminded him of our challenge!

Had scary pensions talk with colleagues earlier....off to check my pension pot!

pinkypig

Pensions (or lack of ) terrify me Cath:eek: It's a real dilemma trying to balance MOP and topping up the pension pot. I drive myself quite mad sometimes:p. I'm about to get the recommendations from the pensions advisor I saw recently. I hope it's not too depressing!
Hope you enjoyed your time off

CathT

Evening.


Not much to report but have made a couple of tilly tidies today - 11p and 50p, another OP of £2.28 knocks off that month!



Bit of a spendy day today, £30 on fuel topping up both cars and dh did a small top up shop. I continue to eat cheaply, batch cooked soup and rolls (from freezer) for lunch, salmon and rice from freezer for dinner with the same prepped for tomorrow. Also spotted h0bbycraft had an item back in stock I wanted so topped up spends to get some cheap christmas presents and birthday gifts to get free delivery and will also have earned some cashback. Not sure I will get time to actually get out to the shops so online shopping will at least help me make a start.


Went to the gym after work and did an hour of weights, didn't think i'd pushed myself that much until I walked down the stairs! As much as I am enjoying the gym I'm going to look through my training plan to see if I can do any workouts at home so can workout in the morning.


November spends


Supermarket £45.46
Fuel £30.02

CathT

pinkypig wrote: »

Pensions (or lack of ) terrify me Cath:eek: It's a real dilemma trying to balance MOP and topping up the pension pot. I drive myself quite mad sometimes:p. I'm about to get the recommendations from the pensions advisor I saw recently. I hope it's not too depressing!
Hope you enjoyed your time off

Think we cross posted PP. I naively thought my work pension was a good one but it seems I can't take the majority of it until I'm 68. Time to up the ante and broaden our savings/planning options.

Moneyfordreams

I hate the pensions worry... being only 48 I was too young to stay in the pension I've been in since a teenager. I keep the 55 rights I believe but will lose loads... I assumed I will be able to take old and new parts at 55... Will have to check it out

CathT

Hi mfd, it's the 2 pots that's confusing me. I do have special class but an algorithm I followed kept telling me I can't go at 55! I'm sure I could work very part time (from a financial point of view) at that point but early retirement is the dream!

48p Tilly tidy off mortgage, only need another 25p to knock off that month. Then the slog begins to knock off another one! Daily interest will drop to £6 a day in the new year and then £4 a day with new interest rate deal in April.

No food spends planned or needed but dh usually find a reason to pop to the supermarket. We do need milk but I can pick that up on way hone if needed. Think curry is planned for dinner, got mushrooms that need using so I'll probably have an omelette as don't think the chicken will stretch to 5 healthy appetites!

Was planning on waking early to do a weights workout from home today but couldn't get out of bed. Gym stuff is in the car so if I have any energy later (struggling with a sore throat virus) I'll pop to the gym. I know I need an early night but the evenings are the only time I get to do anything so am tending to stay up late pottering.

Just found some milk, we have two fridges. Definitely a nsd apart from crediting dd lunch money account as her water bottle leaked over her lunch yesterday.

Average remaining daily spends are down to £11.73, a mini challenge is needed with dh on board to stay away from supermarket and for me not to do anymore online shopping until payday! Still have a cc payment to make as bought something for dh in dollars so wanted to check the amount taken. This is going to deplete our daily average too! <hopes gym membership goes out after payday>

CathT

Well we didn't quite manage a NSD due to lunch money spends but did stay away from shops and online spending. Made a couple of tilly tidies and knocked off that month, new end date is April 2028 (113 months away?)


N@tionwide £100 for transferring account credited today so think I will probably overpay that too. Really easy money and would definitely recommend. Anyone interested just let me know as both people get £100 each.



Dh is wondering if the budget will stretch to wine tomorrow, we are down to £12.50 average daily spends so it depends if he is prepared to eat 'interesting' meals! :rotfl:


No energy for the gym and think I am brewing some kind of chest infection but did do a 50 minute weights workout at home after the children had gone to bed. Did shoulders and back so expecting to ache a little tomorrow.


DH present has worked out at just under £20 so need to pay that off credit card too, will get that paid off over the weekend. I wish the days to payday were going down as fast as the bank balance :rotfl: