Gallygirl's "A journey of 121,226.67 pounds begins with a single penny" diary

nattypants

There are no right words in this situation, so :grouphug:

NPX

Alchemilla

God bless, GG. X

gallygirl

Happy New Year everyone _party_.

Lovely few days with friends, for a change we ate too much rather than drank too much. OD'd on carbs today - toast, fish'n'chips'n'bread'n'butter, mince pie, Xmas Cake and just had some pasta . About to start preparing for tomorrow's diet by eating all the fattening food in the house . Chocolate brussel sprouts anyone? No alcohol from today for 17 days :T:eek::T.

pavlovs_dog

gallygirl wrote: »

Chocolate brussel sprouts anyone?

chocolate eh? Wonder if that'll make the resulting farts smell any sweeter :think:

gallygirl

Mr GG has just asked if I had updated this so here goes....

gallygirl wrote: »

2013 Challenges

1. Reduce debt to Mr GG:
Start - £57,032
Target - £38,176
Reduction - £18,856
This should be doable.
£32,078, Reduction of £24.954. This includes a negotiated 5k reduction , so £19,954 :T.

2. Reduce overall mortgage debt:
Start - £118,936
Target - £86,908
Reduction - £32,028
Hmmmmm. Actually £26,653 . A few big repair bills and taking holidays out of joint account . Plus not letting out Spain house means income down and had to fork out for costs.

3. Weight. Really need to tackle this - again . Starting off with no alcohol for 3 weeks till hol, then again when I get back till Easter hols (unless something big on). Realistically need to lose 1.5 stone :eek:. Would like to lose more though :eek::eek::eek:.

Em, probably 1.5 on . Back at SW Monday. No further comment necessary, but if there was it would feature self-loathing etc .

4. Exercise. Linked to 3 obviously. Started well, according to myfitnesspal I have already done my cardiovascular exercise for the week :T. Just another 51 to go then :rotfl:. Think I am entitled to sit on sofa for a whole and watch Obese: 1 year to save my life .
Exercise? Oh yes, I remember that . Walking will feature.

5. Eating/cooking/shopping. Again, linked to 3. Not done too bad in past year, need to continue to meal plan, batch cook etc.
Slipped a bit but ok overall, going back on diet will help with planning (but not with week one, freezer drawer one, goats cheese & icecream :rotfl:)

6. Spending. Took a while to convince me the separate bank account with lots of pots worked but now I like it :T. Need to cut down on all spends that don't fit in the categories . Will keep it going till end of March, as that's when I started it, and replan budget then for next year.
Yup, like this and have continued with it. It seems Tilly does know what she's talking about :rotfl:.

7. Garden. Sort out as cheaply as possible. Stones and retaining bit of treated wood for bottom of garden won't cost much. [STRIKE]Need Want Need Want [/STRIKE] would like 2 steamer chairs and low table. May compromise on THIS :rotfl:. Seriously, once stones are down I will move the bench from the front and put down there. If I do use the corner the way I envisage I will look to get something. No good leaving bench there as it's not v comfy .
Done (but not as cheaply as possible as 'got some men in' and had a large tree removed. Another reason 2 not met). Very small area but pleased with it. Bought a cheap bistro type set off ebay, still have steamer chair lust though :rotfl:.


Think I'll stop at Lucky 7 .

ETA:

8. Learn to swim PROPERLY, i.e. without head sticking out of water . Swimming is the only exercise I really enjoy, apart from walking, but it gives me headaches as it puts strain on my neck. Have just sent email about 1 2 1 lessons. Won't be cheap :eek:
Done :T but not practiced. Need to get back into it and may book some more lessons at some stage.

.

Oh dear. Not so good after number 1. Need to think about these for 2014......

gallygirl

Just posted at start of diary.....

gallygirl wrote: »

2014 Challenges

1. Reduce debt to Mr GG:
Target Reduction of 20k.
This should be doable.

2. Reduce overall mortgage debt:
Planning on selling one btl and buying another, cheaper so don't really know what overall picture will be.

3. Weight:
Get to target weight - and stay there this time . Race you Helen .

4. Exercise:
To be honest, I'm basically too lazy . But will be doing a lot of walking and some swimming.

5. Eating/cooking/shopping:
Yup, will definitely be eating . Will be planning etc all the way, using Aldi, especially Super Six, and coupons.

6. Spending:
Continue with separate pots. Remind myself it is 'real money' :rotfl:.

7. Garden:
Will set a target of NOT buying steamer chairs :cool:.
The soil is heavy clay and would need thousands to correct - large drainage channels, remove clay, replace with topsoil. That's not going to happen. But I have enjoyed eating salad leaves (had some on Xmas Eve :xmassign:) and tomatoes, will continue with this and strawbs and see what else I can do .


8. Learn to swim PROPERLY:
See how much I can remember :rotfl: and practice. A few times at least before the summer.

9. Make time for friends and family, don't sweat the small stuff, keep house clean & tidy (including Room of Doom :eek:).

10. Work hard and keep job :eek:. As that is needed for all the above to happen.

There, that should keep me off the streets for a while.

nattypants

I'm thinking of restarting the money envelopes - only the 3 though; groceries, petrol and fun. This is the only way I can keep a genuine tab on my spends, working with cash only definitely curtails me.

PS 6 days, and as far as I know nothing signed. Should I be feeling ever so slightly concerned .....

gallygirl

nattypants wrote: »

PS 6 days, and as far as I know nothing signed. Should I be feeling ever so slightly concerned .....

Deep breathing in order - and phonecall Monday morning I think!

gallygirl

83p Tilly Tidy today and £1.04 yesterday :money:.

Wifi pirating on train later :money:.

Back to fat club last night - :eek:. Paid for 12 weeks which saved £20 :money:.

Glad to get back to work for a rest yesterday - Sunday was spent being an unpaid pensions, banking and CV advisor to most people I know :money:. Apart from DD :kisses3:who's got it sorted and Mr GG :kisses2: [STRIKE]who does what I tell him[/STRIKE] who had worked through some things on Saturday :money:.

Happy Tuesday .

Radish72

Happy New Year GG

Think I would still rather be doing the unpaid stuff than being at work

Not sure how I'm going to cope this week doing 5 days, but hooray for being Wednesday tomorrow (and then only a week till payday)