NBTY finances the next adventure

Nottoobadyet

Greetings, all!

As some of you know, I am entering a new phase of my life. After 2 years of scrimping and saving and paying off, I am finally debt free.

Never one to rest on my laurels, I am making big life changes that need to be financed. I work for an international charity, and I want to get my career on the fast track by moving out to a country programme. This is super exciting, but will almost certainly mean a pay cut in real terms. Therefore, I need to get moving on financing the adventure!

I expect to go in the new financial year, so approximately April /May. By this time, I need to finance:

[STRIKE]A new laptop as current one dead and I will no longer be able to rely on work’s (£300 ish)[/STRIKE] sister brought this from America for me, but has no sense of money so bought a more expensive one and it cost £400 :mad:
A cavity filling in back tooth (£150)
Paying off other dental work (£450)
[STRIKE]Spending money on 3 week holiday to Nepal and Thailand in November / December (£800, hopefully wont spend it all )[/STRIKE] spent much less, about £600, and included ALL of this years Crimbo shopping :T
A digital camera (£150 ish)
Hopefully about £5,000 of savings (starting at 0! To buffer what will likely be two skint years)


This will be a huge challenge as there isn’t much time and have so much to do! I would love it if some of you want to come along on the ride.

Ideally, I would also pay for (in cash!) a trip home to America in February for my granddad’s 90th birthday, but that was just suggested yesterday so I haven’t really looked into it yet.

Nottoobadyet

SO - strategies!

Something I really need to focus on is meal planning. I have been good at making plans but less good at keeping them. It should be easier now that its winter though, since hearty food is cheaper. I have been batch cooking for the first time, and I see leftovers appearing on plans for a while!

I'll be cross posting my meal plans so you can all keep me accountable.

Nottoobadyet

Cross posting this week's meal plan!

Greetings all!

Next Friday we are going away for 3 weeks (in which there will be no meal planning as we'll probably be eating Mo Mo in Himalayan tea houses every single night!) so we need to eat up whats here and not spend much!

Tonight - Leek and pearl barley soup with oniony bread (both L/O)
Friday - maybe out for bonfire night, if not pasta pesto with any sad veg from the fridge
Saturday - veggie fritatta (spinach, onion, sweet potato, regular potato and and toms) with peas or other veg from freezer
Sunday - jacket potatoes or rice with hm chili from freezer
Monday - Not sure as out at a committee meeting. Maybe veggie burgers with veg from freezer once home
Tuesday - curried lentil soup with veg - probably lots of carrots, as thats whats in the fridge!
Wednesday and Thursday - Anything not eaten before!
Friday - plane food YAY

Lunches are leftovers, of which we will have many!

Nottoobadyet

Nottoobadyet wrote: »

Tonight - L[STRIKE]eek and pearl barley soup with oniony bread (both L/O)[/STRIKE] eaten, yum!
Friday - maybe out for bonfire night, if not pasta pesto with any sad veg from the fridgewere out for bonfire night
Saturday - veggie fritatta (spinach, onion, sweet potato, regular potato and and toms) with peas or other veg from freezerhad the pasta pesto not eaten yesterday
Sunday - jacket potatoes or rice with hm chili from freezer
Monday - Not sure as out at a committee meeting. Maybe veggie burgers with veg from freezer once home
Tuesday - curried lentil soup with veg - probably lots of carrots, as thats whats in the fridge! Doh, no carrots after all, where did they go?
Wednesday and Thursday - Anything not eaten before!
Friday - plane food YAY

OK so SOME MP success... still need to work on it!!

Swinstie73

Hey NTBY, just found your new diary, was wondering why no updates on old one, duh!

Sounds like a good plan you got going, and well done for being debt free, v jealous!

Nottoobadyet

Heyo! thanks for dropping in, obviously I havent been very good at keeping this one up to date either... When I got back I was so excited to see your name on the most recent post of the roll of honour (thought you had won the loto!), but it was in support of F_F. Cant wait to see you there for real!

MSE things have been going ok here - holiday came in under budget, and I managed to get all my x mas presents while gone so there shouldnt be much additional holiday spending. I'm going to spend NYE with a good friend on the continent, and have bought those tickets through ryanair / easyjet for not too much. Meal planning is going well so far so under budget on food for December. Im loving using the daily MSE thread - its keeping me on the straight and narrow.

Work STILL hasnt really clarified whats going on with the move, which is annoying as I have quite a few things to work out and book (like granddad's birthday and an imminent relationship collapse!!). I'll need to push for it this week as it'd be good to get details before xmas.

Swinstie73

Hey NTBY, updates please...