To new beginnings. To the pursuit of...somethingness.

satchmo1

Man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. John F. Kennedy — Inaugural Address, Jan. 20, 1961

NorthernLas

Cheri -

From Red velvet chocolate heartache by Harry Eastwood

250g glace cherries
3 med eggs
180g caster sugar
200g finely grated potato
100g rice flour (plus 2 tbsp more on a plate)
100g ground almonds
1tsp almond extract
2tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
zest of 1/2 lemon


Filling is sour cherry jam (from any well known european budget supermarche)
Topping is toasted almond flakes, icing sugar and 1/4tsp cinnamon


2 18cm x 5cm loose bottomed tins
Oven 180deg


Oil tins and line with baking parchment. Cut cherries in half and toss in rice flour. Whisk eggs and sugar for 5mins. Beat in grated potato and then the rest of ingreds. Divide into tins and cook for 30mins. While cake is in oven toast almons by dry frying (watch as these burn easily). When skewer comes out clean remove cakes from oven and cool for 10mins. Take paper off and stick jam in middle and almonds/icing sugar/cinnamon on top.

ENJOY!!!!

MrsMoo2U

Oooo now that sounds divine, where is the chocolate though? I must try this one.

NorthernLas

No chocolate in this one , it's the fat free, no milk, gluten free CHERRY AND ALMOND CAKE (Red velvet chocolate heartache is the name of her book, but looking at my post there is no wonder you were confuzzled!!!)

NL

MrsMoo2U

I dont care that there is no chocolate, it still sounds divine.

Firewalker

cherisong wrote: »

• work out percentages a la Firewalker to allocate future funds
  

Hi Cheri, this one is not hard but needs preparation; which I am sure you have and have done. The question is: do you have a record of your expenditure over some time (three to six months is best)? If you do you will know what you spend on different categoires.

Option 1: the balanced money formula

Now have a look at your record of expenditure and put the categories into three groups: needs, wants and savings (savings for many of us will include, in this case 'negative wealth' repayment). Rule is that up to 50% of your income can go on needs, 30% on wants and 20% on savings. Please note that the 'needs' are the very basic needs of shelter, food and clothes 'that keep you warm'. For most people the 'needs' will be about 30% of income (ours are).

My feeling is that although this may be useful for you to apply it is more a check against what it should be - doing this exercise makes you feel better or if not decide which category to change. But it doesn't help much with the guilt of spending on self.

Option 2:

Every month (automatically) transfer 10% of your income in a savings account that is not touched - not giving it to relatives, not helping anyone, not eating into it when you 'need' to. This can be touched only for investments - either financial or business ones.

Transfer another 6-8% in an account - I call this one 'I am so worth it'. This one is for fun and for what makes you feel really good and deals away with the guilt of spending on fun and self when you should be saving/helping/building/hoarding. Go to a bar, cinema, theater etc. Although the rule generally is that it should be spend every month I find that we don't - we spend about half of this one and the other half funds bigger things (last skiing trip, a trip to Sofia in the summer etc.).

I am assuming that you already have an emergence fund - I reckon for us in the UK £1,000 'just in case' fund is more than suffcient.

BTW after setting the proportion see what is left and if it is insufficent for 'needs' and some wants (for your regular but frugal expenditure) adjust the proportions - these are guidlines rather than restrictions.

Firewalker

MrsMoo2U

Thanks FW. I dont have a spot on record of expenditure over that period of time but this month I have written everything down as I spent money into a little journal.
I know that I have overspent on food and underspent on other areas so I am getting there. I have never really considered allowing amounts for different things and so I always come bottom of the list when it comes to spending on me. This is something that I do intend to turn around. That being the case this month I have made sure that we have gone out on at least one outing. (talk by Man who rode to Beijing). I have also had lots of other things to spend money on that are completely out of the norm this month. Things are progressing in putting together my future so things moneywise will be worse before they start to improve again. I have decided not to fret over this as it is a long term investment. When I worked out my networth based on your spreadsheet I was pleasantly surprised. Thanks for pulling that light switch!

MrsMoo2U

Garden

• [STRIKE]remove dead hebe from front (thanks to Pippi's blog for reminding me.[/STRIKE]
• visit garden centre and get a few bedding plants then put them in
• buy a burning bin

Home

• [STRIKE]clean bathroom[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]put mirror up in bathroo[/STRIKE]m
• [STRIKE]hoover and dust[/STRIKE]
• declutter 2 boxes[

• MoneyThis is more a list for the month than the weekend.
• set up a spreadsheet on old computer for Austria funds
• [STRIKE]set up a spreadsheet for home funds[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]work out percentages a la Firewalker to allocate future funds[/STRIKE] a rough guesstimate to get me started will be reviewed
• still investigating Austrian Banks
• open a new savings account

• Me
• [STRIKE]start reading "why not fly[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]1 hour photography course[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]1 hour german per da[/STRIKE]y
• [STRIKE]some blog research Set up a new blog and started researching for posts - all about austrian adventure[/STRIKE]

For Us
walk to the Lakes and the Red Kite feeding centre
[STRIKE][STRIKE]Chill out on the sofa watching iplayer programme[/STRIKE][/STRIKE]s

niccatw

Mondays are the potholes in the road of life. Tom Wilson

(Except next Monday because I will have a day off and be exploring an arty "Spring Fling" with a friend. )

MrsMoo2U

Ah, Nic. I never think like that you see. Mr C hates Sundays because he says that he is already thinking about Monday. I love Sundays because it is the last day before the next week brings a whole new set of challenges to be tackled.
I often leave him this little note in his lunch box on a Monday. I found it on thinkexist but I have no idea who said it

“Many years ago in a period commonly know as Next Friday Afternoon, there lived a King who was very Gloomy on Tuesday mornings because he was so Sad thinking about how Unhappy he had been on Monday and how completely Mournful he would be on Wednesday”