EH is Back - and going Onwards, and Upwards!

taxi73

glad you've had a lovely day

Pippajo

Happy Boxing Day EH! Sounds like you have had a lovely few days.

EssexHebridean

Quick update:

Lots of lovely goodies for christmas including some foodie luxury bits we were running out of - Maldon salt, balsamic vinegar, some spices etc (Vanilla pods...mmmmm!), some lovely books (Economy Gastronomy, British Regional Cooking, and several on Wartime and the 1940's, plus others), Some knickers (always needed and means some of my more elderly ones can head for the great undie drawer in the sky!) Clinique face powder (mine is running terribly low so that's excellent as saves me a big expenditure) and Olay Serum which I have used and liked. Lots of other stuff too - I feel as though I have been very spoilt!

We have eaten and drunk well - and half the christmas cake has come back with us. We've left a great chunk with Mum and Dad too, and some for my Aunt, but MrEH always makes a HUGE one!

MrEH's "years supply of..." box went down well once again - he now has more deodorant than you can shake a stick at, and the bathroom cabinet is packed to bursting, but we should at least see the difference as the levels drop as things are used up over the next few months. I will keep on with the toiletries challenge and genuinely do NOT need to buy anything for a while, although I am intending to get the Sanctuary set with the three body butters in - Boots now have it reduced to £6 which makes it a real bargain, and if I can't get one down here Palema has kindly offered to grab one for me and will either pass it on when I see her next or can post it to me. I have been onto Boots.com and have ordered a S&G "Pamper Proof" set for our niece's christmas present for next year, plus two lots of christmas cards and some gift tags - for the princely sun of £14.25 - bargain there I think. I need to check out Tesco's sale for wrapping paper too - that's a task for the next few days as we will need more paper for next year and I see no point in not buying it half price.

Mortgage statement arrived - and we have broken through the 80k barrier which is a good end to the year - I haven't quite achieved my aim of knocking an additional year off the final date but we have knocked 9 months more off it so I'm fairly happy with that. We won't be in a position to increase the overpayments any more in the near future, but do intend to apply the two months when we don't pay council tax/water rates to it again in 2011 so that will give a small boost. So far as the flat is concerned I think we are also going to throw some of the money from our savings to getting the bathroom redone sooner rather than later, and we would also like to get the front room painted, although that would be avery much a "lick & promise" job - it does desparately need doing though.



End of update - off to Twickenham for the rugby with friends tomorrow - we are going to theirs for lunch, then the rugby, then back to theirs for supper and staying over. Should be a really nice couple of days hopefully - so long as Harlequins win that is! He is a fantastic cook so eating with them is always a treat!

ps - Mum has convinced me I need one of those OWL energy meters so I will be prowling eBay in the new year!

mineallmine

HI EH - that sounds like a fun day out. Yes the Owl is the monitor I was on about. We managed to get a monitor from Maplin for about £10/£20 - think it was on offer. And it is fantastic. Works wirelessly and tells you so much. Ours isn't an Owl make but some generic brand. Before you buy one check with your energy supplier as they may supply one free. I love technology like this.

Well done on the mortgage 9 months is pretty damn close to your 12 month target. Look forward to hearing about your 2011 targets.

Lemon_Tree

i got one for free from Eon recently which you can plug into your puter and make pretty charts with

sounds like you got some goodies in Boots, i'm also planning on trying to get some nice wrapping paper in the sales, the stuff we got this year cheap kept breaking and your finger went through it whilst you were wrapping.

Well done for knocking all those months off your mortgage. This year i've been able to send literally only a few quid to our mortgage, but at least it's a start. Probably not made much difference but hey it means we know what to do when we really get the chance to overpay.

EssexHebridean

Happy new year to all Of you - and thanks for all your support these last few months, very much appreciated! Am currently sitting in the pub in Dartmouth with MrEH and the inlaws - all in fancy dress! (I am a bad fairy - which seems somehow appropriate!)

Lemon_Tree

lol wish i could see photo's lol

have a Happy New year, hope 2011 is a good one and brings happiness, joy and maybe a cuppa in Ipswich

EssexHebridean

Hi LT - there are indeed photos - Pippi may have spotted them already as they are on FB! (If you're a fellow facebooker PM me your details and I'll find you!) Oh - before I forget - I'm in Ipswich on Jan 22nd - if you've not got any plans for that day fancy meeting somewhere for that cuppa? I'm there for a meal in the evening, but could meet up late afternoon-ish if that would suit you?

I have done some money shuffling this evening - a small TopCashBack payment has been shifted to the holiday fund, and the accounts rounded down to transfer the odds to the VSP account - I'm surprised how well that's building up, a good thing as at the moment that is the only way I can fulfill my urge to save!

OK - some aims for January then - I am reluctant to do "New Years Resolutions" as such, as I have a habit of failing miserably, however I am intending to try to set myself some goals and targets for the year. So, January:
Return to our previous habit of having one completely "TV Free" night per week - probably Tuesdays.
Sort out our insurances - I know that there is a saving to be made, and we intended to do it a while ago, but everything going on with my job etc made us forget about it.
A really frugal month will be required, so I am going to aim for at least 15 NSD's in the month. I've never realy aimed for a set number in the past so this is something new for me.
The only groceries I will buy this month will be fruit & veg, milk, household (cleaning) items and perhaps a chicken.
I will not buy ANY toiletries in the course of the month, and will also post this on the No Toiletries challenge thread to make certain I have to stick to it. I don't need anything so theoretically this should not be difficult!

Let the fun commence! :rotfl:

mineallmine

EssexHebridean wrote: »

Return to our previous habit of having one completely "TV Free" night per week - probably Tuesdays.
Sort out our insurances - I know that there is a saving to be made, and we intended to do it a while ago, but everything going on with my job etc made us forget about it.
A really frugal month will be required, so I am going to aim for at least 15 NSD's in the month. I've never realy aimed for a set number in the past so this is something new for me.
The only groceries I will buy this month will be fruit & veg, milk, household (cleaning) items and perhaps a chicken.
I will not buy ANY toiletries in the course of the month, and will also post this on the No Toiletries challenge thread to make certain I have to stick to it. I don't need anything so theoretically this should not be difficult!

Let the fun commence! :rotfl:

Love the idea of a TV free evening - you get so much more done I find and the evening seems to last longer too.

Lemon_Tree

hi EH am sending you a PM with my details. I'll check on the 22nd, if it's a weekend i have a feeling thats when we're going to see the outlaws.