Peonie's journey to smart money management

EchoDelta

Good luck with the ivf Peonie. Got everything crossed for you.

Peonie

Thanks WABL - I do like the good news :-) Did they have 2 embryos put back in? For my age group they now will not do it as it's not as safe for babies and the mums - there's a whole website, I think it's NHS, that they tell us to look at. Although it would be lovely to complete our family in one go at the end of the day I want a healthy child.

Thanks Echo, my treatment plan has been changed so I will start in and around a week.

I need to check my present stash. I've remembered something I bought for my mum a couple of months ago.

Peonie

Last night I got itchy feet and paid an extra £25 off the mortgage. I've looked at the SOA and hope to OP £100 off this month (white rabbits) and will need to up the amount I contribute to the joint account to £900 to cover what Mr P used to add.

This month I'm going to keep some money aside for shopping in the sales to buy gifts and some clothes.

Mr P just bought a piece of equipment for his business that has gone on the credit card so he will need to pay that off next year. For Christmas I've got an iP@d (also on the credit card) so any Xmas money I get will go straight to pay off the debt and I may have to contribute a bit more.

My plans for Christmas include extensively reviewing my Spreadsheets to make sure everything is present and correct. Then to make any adjustments to the pots.

Back in October we attached a double layer of bubble wrap to the draughtiest window in the house and it's really made a difference.

I've been accepted for a flex-direct account. :T

As for plans for 2014, they are:
1. Have a baby (but you already knew that one).
2. Reach my interim Mfi3 target - I am lagging behind.
3. Pay off my credit card debt.
4. Save for the plumbers fee - as we seem to have spent it - oops.
5. Work on the house - including essential work to the bricks and pointing, finish the kitchen, start the master bedroom.
6. Go on holiday - we have a week in the UK booked and hopefully a few weekends will be spent visiting friends.
7. Buy a new to us car and sell the other two - it will mean dipping into savings or getting a loan.
8. Win the lottery.

I'm not sure if all of that can be done on our income but I'll give it a good try.

I already have got my maternity/baby/sunny day fund but it does not include mortgage OPs and we don't have a money earmarked for future cycles of IVF. That will either be paid for out of the rainy day fund or by CC.

Now I must go and wash the bedding.

Peonie

Hmmm, is the definition of crazy wanting to bid on maternity clothes when you are not pregnant? Thankfully I did not.

As I went missing for a few months I'll probably continue to remember little bits and pieces of money saving activity, like using a comparison site to renew my car insurance a couple of hours before we went on holiday. We saved an extra £50 and went with the same company.

Tonight we ate last nights oq au vin. Mmmm we've not had it in a long time. Tomorrow we're having chilli and everything is ready to be cooked tomorrow night. Even the onions are chopped!

I've already changed my mind about the amount I'm contributing to the joint account. I've knocked it down by £100 to £800 a month.

I've just OP'd our second largest amount - £174.95. I wanted it to be more but Mr P thought it be best we held some back as it's Christmas. Why the pennies? You know me, I have to round it down to a zero. Plus I've knocked another month off the mortgage :T And updated my signature so it is now:
_________________
Sunny day fund (12k in 2013) no. 114: £3,416/£3,416, achieved 100%. :T
MFiT3 no. 86: Reduce mortgage from £146,800 to £125,000.
Mortgage now: December 2013, at £141,200, end date March 2036.
Mortgage at its highest: July 2011, at £154,000, end date July 2036.
_________________

I've joined the 2014 MFW challenge and plan to knock of £3120. Right, now to update Mfi3.

Has anyone else thought about their goals for 2014? I can't remember if I set any goals for 2013. I'd better go back and check.

Peonie

In the last few months I lost my exercise mojo. Seeing all the skinny women on holiday made me get it back. I have a lot of catching up to do; I'm 320 Km's behind. With only 3 months to go can I make my target? I hope so.

newgirly

Hi Peonie, well done oping just before Xmas, I've been terrible this year

Peonie

My treatment's been put back a month because of the Christmas shut down - gutted.

Peonie

I found my aims for 2013, apparently not too many:

With 2012 behind us it's time for the old challenges to go and the new to be added. I'll be adding MFiT3 (reduce mortgage to £125,000) and my sunny day (maternity) fund (savings of £3,416).

I'll do a yearly round up at the end of the year.

I'd best get moving to get to the pet shop to buy Christmas presents. And Mr P said I can get him a kitchen ceiling light for Christmas. Don't feel too bad for him. Last year I got 2 bedroom lamps.

gallygirl

Sorry about the treatment hon. Possibly better to wait another month though than try to fit in to hospital schedules?

newgirly

Sorry to hear about delay Peonie, hang in there x