TYO's 2011 kicking the mortgage into shape...

[Deleted User]

Thanks toots ( I always feel wierd calling you that! )
hope the holiday is a good one!
when I say totally decluttered I mean "sold everything that is possible to sell and got rid of that which is not to a charity shop!" - place looks much tidier but it will be a challenge to keep on top of paperwork etc that comes in and then gets "filed" in piles on the floor!! :rotfl: when we move will have another bash at decluttering but for now everything has a "place" which it can be put back into and we are not bringing in hoards of junk/stuff on payday anymore so feels like a good achievement!

when people talk about buying and selling in the same market Im never sure what that means- other than a 6 month to a year wait is probably not the "same" market! but then hard to know what house prices will do in a year - I know when I bought they were rising at a rate that was impossible to keep up with savings, even when most of my monthly salary was going towards a deposit!...anyone have any thoughts on that? I know people seem divided about whether house prices will rise or fall ...its hard to know and given the location of mine it certainly keeps its value well which is good!
toots -would you sell yours in london and then commute from "up north" ?

Katsu
thanks - the £100 a month is a goal but tbh not sure I have stuck to it since going back to work! it was amazing and very reassuring to see what we could do if we had to tho ...! health issues would certainly push up some ingredients Im sure - found that out myself having to try out various dairy/gluten free diets a few years ago!.... but it is amazing what downbrading, using markets etc.. for veg and fruit (sounds from your post you are already on that one!) batch cooking/freezing etc can do...
in that £100 any extra spends on snacks at work like chocolate/crisps arent included and sure we both spend a fair bit of spending money on that out of either boredom or forgetting to bring stuff in from home! also doesnt cover if we are having people over for dinner etc a lot... but for us £100 is possible as an aim anyway! and if its nearer £150 its still much better than what we used to spend Im sure!

lunch out today and should be a cheapish spend -fiver or so , managed lunch and a drink for under £6 yesterday -plus another drink free with a voucher , so not doing too badly!

have a good sunday all

Courgette

No thoughts on your house I'm afraid but well done on the decluttering :beer: What triggered you to get rid of loads of stuff?

[Deleted User]

Thanks Courgette!
The trigger really was realising that it could be a way of making money! everything that could go on amazon/ebay etc.. did so , old phones etc. got found and sent off! MSEing was the main motivator!
to be honest it wasnt that we had too much clutter in the first place, but I liked the idea of being able to find everything/know where it was if I needed it so that involved also getting rid of things we no longer needed/used/wanted ....

pammyj74

Well done on decluttering, I should do that with kids toys and all our clothes. DDs wardrobe is full but all just shoved in.
wish I could shop at a costco but dont have any one that has a card I can use. Also I think I looked at the council MOT before and there wasnt one near enough to me.

SeriouslySeekingtoSave

Just catching up on your diary. Are you still job hunting and has it improved at all? Sounded absolutely dreadful, I. A 'it's damaging your health through stress' kind of way.

Radish72

Rightmove is just another name for house !!!!!! :rotfl:We look all the time and dream

I need to start de-cluttering again, once everything was at a level that it could be hidden away I stopped, house looks very streamlined but I daren't open any cupboards

[Deleted User]

Hey Pammy hope your okay?
Not got a costco card either- to be honest I think Im doing okay between asda, some stuff at tesco and rest at markets etc... but for bigger/bulk things itd be good!
good luck with the decluttering- maybe the kids could help as an incentive or for a car boot and they keep the spends for the stuff they have "decluttered"? cheap day out and might even make some money from it!

Hi SSS
Thanks for asking ...the job situation remains difficult but am keeping a look out , am hoping with the spring there are chances for a lot of new starts!

Hey Radish
yep totally right about rightmove! definitely into fantasy land on what I would do with a house like that etc..! :rotfl:
ah yes decluttering into cupboards....we do have some quite big ones, but Im telling myself the stuff in there is "organised clutter"!

Good day today
£6 on lunch and then £5 of spends plus vouchers towards easter eggs in tesco- 3 medium (Id say smallish) eggs for £2.50! Bought for everyone now so just need to hide them and not eat any before easter!
Made h/m soup from stuff in cupboards and fridge - was nice but a bit too heavy....anyone know if I can add extra water/stock to it once it has cooled to make it less like mashed veg?! :rotfl: anyway it tasted ok and dosed me up with vitamins and good stuff I guess and should do a few days lunches /dinners too!
Feel like I have constant huge bills going out every month at the mo still-have the basics food, roof, warmth , mrtyos unending dvd collection and I think probably a couple of free rental vouchers left from blockbuster! will just have to have a quiet social life for the next few months!

Just watching dancing on ice with a cuppa but have to keep closing my eyes when they do that head spin thing! I keep thinking theyre gonna knock themselves out!:eek:

[Deleted User]

Mornin all
Yay for Friday!
to top it off its sunny AND its payday!
Not much MF news...All extra money transfered to bathroom fund !
shopping sticking to budget and using leftovers- we have enough bread in the freezer to feed a small army so will need to be working to bring that down- if only so I can fit some other "proper" food in there! maybe a few "on toast" meals needed....
Will need to be a cheap/frugal month till bathroom is all paid for (sure I have said that every payday for the last few months!) Plan is then to sell my place so I may be mortgage free by the summer! :rotfl: ......
Then the quest to a huge mortgage (ie house!) begins!! not for a year or so at least until we've really saved but exciting!
Have a mobile to post off for recycling and also a few dvds so will see if they produce a few spare pennies....otherwise itll be cheap/free events from this weekend onwards methinks- couple of friends bdays this month but have the pressies already and will probably need to be designated driver to cut down on costs (and headaches the day after!)
Any other tips for stretching about £20 for the month including 2 birthdays and some kind of social life- very welcome!
hoping this month might be a clubcard voucher month (anyone know the answer?) which would free up some extra treats either in rewards or cutting down shopping bill!

have a good friday all

Froggy-G

Hey TYO :j

Did you ask your plumber/fitter if he had any discount at any tiles place? We got ours at 40% discount through our fitter.. According to our fitter, most tradesmen don't mind their customers using their discount code as they tend to get volume discount afterwards... Probably worth asking, you have nothing to lose...:p

Froggy

lincoln-potter

katsu wrote: »

I am incredibly impressed at £100 groceries for a month - I struggle to manage £200, but we do have special dietary requirements due to DH's health.

I don't know how you manager £200 a month Katsu let alone you TYO getting to £100.

We average about £60 a week.... puts me to shame