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

pammyj74

Sounds like you are really going for mseing this week. Kids and I love krispy cakes too, they are so easy to make, we should make them more often really.

Hope you have woke up feeling better today

[Deleted User]

Hey Pammy
Missed this post!Yep I do love rice krispy cakes- so easy and cheap to make


Happy Sunday all...
just vegging with a cuppa whilst working on motivation to fill in a job application which closes tomorrow ...
MF wise am trying to build up a buffer of savings to pay for some of this years necessities- including car (ins and MOT) and also new bathroom ..
Good news- Shopping has come in about £15 under £100 budget for this month- tho we may need a couple of bits like fruit and milk but should still be under £100 - reminds me it is possible to do so will definitely shop more carefully in the next few months as I know we can do it!

Also got a few more sales bits for pressies so my stash for the year is looking good!

I worked out if I spend a pound on chocolate/sweets every day (which I probably could do at work!) Thats £365 I could be OPing/saving :eek::eek: I feel a "no more buying chocolate at work" challenge coming on!!!

Am wondering peoples opinions on spending money- I have been taking mine out in cash, but find sometimes this is easier to spend on rubbish than if I was using my card...was wondering about trying next month on card so I think more carefully before buying anything...then if there is anything left over from this it can go straight into savings/OPing pot!

Feeling much more affected by the whole "doom and gloom" economy news around at the moment- on both employment and house prices....I supposed its all relative really but at the same time knowing the place I own isnt somewhere I could live forever (much too small) it does panic me if people mention house prices crashing/going down any further!!! I guess I dont know enough about it to know how it works.... maybe should stop listening to/reading the news...and count myself lucky I even have a mortgage/house to get stressed about!!

right- must stop procrastinating and get on with some useful work this afternoon

take care all

tyo x

mummyofonechild

Hi TYO

I do the same as you shopping wise. I take out £100 a week and that is my shopping money as well as for every day items. If I have any left at the end of the week I put it in an instant access savings account. I draw it out once a week on a Friday which is payday/tax credit day. Last year I managed to save £1200 just from saving the odds and ends left over at the end of the week.

Enjoy chilling

MOOC x

linz

Hi TYO,

Just reading a bit of your diary - I find not taking my purse to work helps, I leave it at home in the week or i'd be in the shop buying chocolate whenever I felt peckish. I do find it better to get cash out at the beginning of the week for food shopping rather than put it on cards, it's easier to keep track of what i've spent I find. I'm also more likely to shop more sensibly knowing I only have £xx left for the week. Each to their own, though, different ways work for different people.

[Deleted User]

Thanks guys - sorry its taken me a week to come back to this!
Mooc- sounds like a good idea and being disciplined with putting what you dont spend away!
I think for me cash burns a hole in my pocket whereas if I know I put it on the credit card (joint but always paid off in full every month) I think more about whether I need it! might try it for a month and see what works best!
Linz- good idea leaving the purse at home...I find I do feel a bit vulnerable without any cash or cards or access to some! though quite what "emergency" I would need it for if my car is full of petrol etc... I dont know!

This week has been manic and I find myself constantly exhausted by Friday!! how i managed going out to celebrate the weekend in the past I dont know!! :rotfl:

I have been thinking a lot lately about the MF goal and a lot of it for me is linked
job security. my whole purpose of OPing/being MF is to have more choice and less pressure career wise I do find it amazing how far people manage to stretch money (eg the frugal £4k a year living challenge!) and I think Im pretty good!

At the mo I am shoving any extra income into savings as I dont know what my situation in the future is going to be and it feels better to know I have a buffer ...

Dont think we've done too badly this month altho a couple of "extra" spends in the form of a wedding pressie and a little pre-payday splurge of magazines (which will come out of next months "fun" fund!) . Payday soon means I shall update the montly totals and see where we're at!

have a good friday all

tyo

wantabetterlife

Hi TYO, good to see you back , i have been using my CC for petrol, groceries etc but it has started annoying me that the things you buy this month are paid for next month and it is a pain when you are setting budgets etc.
So i will have my CC cleared this month by pay day and i am hoping it will be easier to control the finances...we will see. Have a good weekend

[Deleted User]

Thanks wabl
I agree I get annoyed/confused at what Ive spent where on cards- mrtyo will only buy stuff on CC whereas I use it just for food/petrol which gets paid off at the end of the month but I do find it hard to keep track!
think I may need to stick with the cash plan for next month but also gonna buy a spending diary to put down exactly what I spend each day/month!
Emergency fund looking healthy-ish need to work out exactly how much I need ..what do people reckon 3 months wages or 3 months outgoings??
Feel really skint at the mo even though I shouldnt!! Think it is all the saving for things coming up in the next 2 months!
Tasks for today:
*finish washing up...just trying to find motivation to do it!
*finish drying washing for work clothes for the week!
*pop to my nans house with some homemade cake (always puts the world in perspective does my nan! :rotfl:)
*then may meet up with a couple of friends for drinks this evening...(cheap of course!)

Have a good sunday all ..

pammyj74

Its our nature to worry when there are things out of our control like your work situation. But you are right in saying that you need to see that you are much better off than a lot of people who are in the same work situ. It still doesnt make it feel any better though does it.

I have started putting £20 a month away for car/mot and some away for xmas and school trips and this year is the first year I have paid for car ins straight out so putting that away each month as well now. I dont miss it as I was paying monthly before anyway. Definitely the car payments will be better for me when the time comes hopefully.

[Deleted User]

Hey Pammy
Yep it is hard, but in perspective not the end of the world .... I have a safe and secure roof over my head (and a lovely mrtyo to boot! ) and enough for food ...so the basics are met....

Good idea on the putting money aside each month- I must start doing that as have got totally confused how much I can save each month as Im never sure what is going out- next 3 months are going to be REALLY tight as have

MF news this week - not a lot , paid off joint cc in full this month so a clean slate for next month - ended up more than thought but is worth paying off psychologically to think we can start afresh from now just with food/petrol on it! we get points when we spend which can exchange for vouchers so worth doing it this way and paying off each month...

All savings going towards April/May expensive things but should be able to be a cheap month - want to be able to get our food shopping costs down again - I am better I think at downshifting to non-brands I notice when I do the shopping!

Also discovered that magazine I buy (every so often but still at £3.60 eeek!!) is on subscription with clubcard vouchers so am gonna get this when our next lot come on - should be a good saving and technically "free" !

Also have cinema/restaurant vouchers to use which I think we will use one lot this weekend.

Next 2 weekends are taken up with parties/weddings so thatll be fun - and all paid for ....

Also have an old phone still to sell and my last book on amazon- mrtyo has a load of old game stuff which his friend has offered to put on ebay so just needs nudging to take it round there!! then we are officially de-cluttered and all sold out methinks! :rotfl:

Also used my first TCB purchase to get breakdown cover with £30 cashback! never know how it works now- any tips for how long cashback etc.. takes?

Am really liking michelles idea of little things we do each day to be MF - a great motivator!

right must get off to work - have a great day all

tyo x

pammyj74

normally cashback takes a couple of months or more to clear. I did asda ins and it took nearly a year :eek: but got it in the end. bought kids lappy in Nov and that is now confirmed on tcb but still not paid yet.