misscousinitt's MF Diary

misscousinitt

£3.16 added to the House Fund today (interest on Current Account) and £20 more of 50ps paid in the bank - so I will transfer that tomorrow.

Mum has given me the money back for the washer I bought for her - so that will be paid off the credit card just as soon as the cheque has cleared on Monday.

Tree taken down at Mum's last night and we are taking ours down tonight (just our luck - it's raining!)

Forgot to say in my update yesterday that I managed to do a bit of pottering on NYE and got the trough for our family friend's grave planted up and taken up there - bulbs were already coming through and I added some violas to the lavender that was already in there. Also trimmed some plants outside the front of Mum's that were trying to take over - a few bulbs sprouting there too...

Won't really have a chance for any more pottering for a couple of weeks - in Wales on Sunday and up North the weekend after - will have to see what I can fit in on Saturday inbetween all the paperwork I have to do!!!

Really considering giving up the allotment this year - my friend has a half share in it, so need to discuss it with her first - but I think we will be in agreement that with all the horsetail its just too much.

I have a big enough garden now to have a small veg plot and I have room for my greenhouse off the allotment - so I have no intention of stopping growing stuff - also have the use of about 2/3 of mum's garden if I want it!

I want to outline some goals for this year, but I think these will be finalised next week.

Salmon on the menu tonight (taken from the whole salmon bought before Christmas) - we have enough meat and fish to see us for many a supper - might outline my freezer contents too - just for the record lol

Hope everyone is well.

MCI

misscousinitt

£20 added to the House Fund - 50ps paid in yesterday.

All Christmas Decorations down and packed away last night - a bit sad, but will give us new incentive to put more of a stamp on our new house.

Put in an objection to the planning permission that has been put in for 35 properties on a school site adjacent to us - not going to go into too much detail - but I've just moved from a congested street where you can't park!

No more news on tenants just yet.

Lamb Dinner tonight - using up veggies in the fridge.

Proud of myself - cooked extra pasta and broccoli last night and had it with cherry toms, red pesto and some garlic cheese (heated in the micro) - was delish and was just using leftovers.

Starting to catch up with diaries slowly...

Happy Hump Day

MCI

misscousinitt

After catching up with a few diaries over the last few days, it has spurred me to make a list (what a shock for me :rotfl:).

Now we have moved, settled in to a degree and that tenants are waiting in the wings for the rental, it's time to take stock and make a few plans.

I have divided this into four areas:

Looking after the £s
Making our house a home
Looking after ourselves
Looking after others

I've jotted a few things down for each area which are probably subject to change as things go on - but gives us something to aim for.

Looking after the £s
- Re-look at the Budgets. This needs to be done at two stages - when the rental income starts coming in and when all the bills come in. See where we can reduce spending. But also include for treats. DH should also get some money back each month.
- Increase income. Rental income, surplus from joint a/c, surveys, £co, selling stuff via toy fairs and ebay etc...
- Day to day. Meal planning, freezer inventories.
- Start OPing again. To look after our future too.

Making our house a home
- Compile a list of what we need in the house and add some budget costings eg Roof, Carpets, Boiler, Kitchen, fittings and furnishings etc..
- Swap Gas/Elec meters from pre-payment to credit - this won't just save us money, but relieve pressure on worrying whether we have enough gas to put the heating on etc...
- Continue to sort each room out. Our problem areas at the moment are the attic (full of DH collectables); spare room (still got boxes, pictures and odd fixtures and fittings that need to be sorted) and study (full of my paperwork - even though greatly reduced - there is still loads to be sorted and filed).
- Make the house a home! Major problem at the moment is the lounge - new ideas and things required.

Looking after ourselves
Continuation of the relatively good habits started last year.

- Healthy meals: Cutting down on the amount of meat we eat at each meal
- Healthy lunches: I will continue to have 4/5 meat free (veg or fish only) lunches per week; more healthy lunch box solutions for DH.
- Treats: Life is for living. We are allowed to go out for the odd meal, have a takeaway, go on holiday, have a weekend away
- Time for relaxation: I will continue my yoga classes, I have an adult colouring book!, and the complete D3sperate H0usewives DVD collection. Continue to have a small beauty treat once a month. Seeing more of friends.
- Doing more things together: Walks on the weekend etc... need to plan more things together...we live together - but don't aways spend that much time together - was nice over the Christmas Break.

Looking after others
In the past, this has taken higher priority than anything else! This is still important, but I must learn to keep this within the realms of not letting it take over everything else - organisation is the key!

- Mum's House: Still a complete nightmare. Goals for this year are to get kitchen cleaned up, paint the lounge (the room my brother uses) and sort out the small bedroom as a library - these will all have knock on effects to getting the rest of the house sorted. One job at a time - each week.

- Charity Stuff: determined to get some sort of order to this in 2016. We need to raise approx £20k in funding and fundraising this year (there I've said it) and again it needs time effort and organisation.


Overall, I think alot of it is about getting into a routine with things.

Phew - glad I got all that down...

Now to get on and do it!

Wish me luck.

MCI

PS Going for our post New Year meal tonight. £65 towards it - £45 from accumulated change and £20 scratchcard win. Looking forward to it.

misscousinitt

Happy Friday!!!

Have done my meal plan for the rest of the month - I pretty much have all the 'proteins' in the freezer, so not much to add to the shopping list.

Have printed out my previous post so I have a reference in front of me when I'm planning my time and make sure that things are included.

We aren't going to Wales this Sunday, so I will be able to spread my jobs out a bit more over the weekend - hopefully, we can do something for ourselves Sunday afternoon if the weather allows.

Had our meal out last night and we were both good and chose veg and fish options - very nice. I have got the 2015 change pot in my bag today to pay in the bank - £45 in small change weighs a tonne!!!!

DH is having a naughty sandwich today...plus and apple and some grapes lol

I have got Vegetarian Club Sandwich - Toasted Wholemeal bread with hummus, baby spinach, tomatoes and grated carrot, and some grapes.

Tea tonight will be some form of fish & rice - either white fish with chorizo & tomato sauce or white fish with red pesto & HF creme fraiche sauce; haven't decided yet.

Yoga tonight too - first one of the year - looking forward to it.

I've got mainly paperwork to do tomorrow:

- Re-hash our spreadsheets for 2016
- Reconcile receipts, make credit card payments
- Tax return (shouldn't take me too long?)
- Charity paperwork: covering letter for bid, companies house return, charity commission return, minutes of last meeting

Also need to (or could with):

- Clearing out and washing the car (ready for my trip up North next weekend)
- Take scrap cans down to the Charity Office (raises a small amount)
- Drive the charity van around for a bit to make sure it's ok after standing over Christmas
- Planting some bulbs in small pots (to sell for charity) and larger pots (for around our garden).
- Sorting one box/or bag of paperwork from the study.
- Cleaning Mum's microwave and kitchen floor (baby steps).

Got a feeling I might not have much time for going for a walk on Sunday. Might do the MILs tax return on Sunday too???

Oh, forgot to say - on a night out tomorrow - old pub reunion - at least that's something DH and I will do together this weekend.

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend - will report back on my progress.

MCI

misscousinitt

6 birthday cards bought in the sale - £4 the lot - very happy!

MCI

misscousinitt

£3.10 from last night's meal budget transferred to the House Fund!

MCI

Goldiegirl

A great start to the year, MCI, loving the all the plans


I have one of those adult colouring books, but I never seem to find to time to do much. I've got some rather 'blobby' felt tip pens that I use, and some of the results are disappointing. I think I need some decent pencils to make me feel I'm doing a good job -will have to look into that, as the colouring is relaxing

misscousinitt

Okay, Okay...I might have bitten off more than I could chew at the weekend - why do things always get in the way of getting stuff done.

But:

- Spreadsheets done, receipts done
- Credit card - to be done when it arrives
- Paid £700 off the furniture we bought - £500 from renovation pot and £200 from surplus built in our joint current a/c (yes, I was surprised too)
- £15 added to House Fund from sale of SW cardboard cutouts.
- Companies House & Charity Commission Returns done, plus minutes
- Too rainy to sort out car - will get it sorted on one of the lunchtimes
- Scrap deposited and van taken for a run (it was fine)
- Too cold/rainy for planting
- 2 bags of paperwork sorted and filed

MIL was ill, so didn't do her tax return and I cooked Sunday tea at our house just for us.

The night out was good and not too costly!

Looking after the £s: Spreadsheets sorted, 1 survey done
Looking after ourselves: Veggie lunch again today, nice to go out with DH on Saturday night, 3 episodes of D3sperate H0usewives watched.

The rest went pear-shaped - oh well, it is a marathon, not a sprint!

Update on Rental - tenants paperwork is all in order, just waiting for gas/elec certs to be done and any work that needs to be done after assessment - DH is chasing - we are in their hands now!

Tonight's Tea is LO HM Lamb Pie from the freezer that I made before Christmas.

Charity meeting later - at least all the paperwork is ready.

to the loss of David Bowie RIP

MCI

misscousinitt

DH had started making dinner when I got in from my meeting at about 9.15pm

Nothing really on the money front.

Looking after ourselves:
- Going to the planning meeting for the new houses proposed for over the back of us tonight (together) :rotfl: - we know how have a great date...
- Fish lunch for me of Jacket Potato with Mackerel Fillets

Tea tonight will be one of two/three things tonight depending on when the meeting finishes:

1. Egg & Chips
2. Cheap & Cheerful
3. Takeaway

We shall see how things transpire....:)

MCI

misscousinitt

Fish fingers and chips it was!!! so fishy tea too...

Planning meeting was a bit emotional (need to write an e-mail to the Council Planning department summarising what DH and I thought).

Looking after ourselves
Small amount of meat for lunch yesterday in the form of a chunky chicken & vegetable soup (so mostly vegetables). Carrot and Coriander Soup today (for me and DH).

Looking after the £
- Been using a little oil filled rad in the lounge to top up the awful heating we have in the house and it's working out quite efficient and cost effective. (Freezing in our house!)
- DH gave me a couple of 50ps for the Penguin Pot!
- Cooked the joint of Turkey I cut off the crown from Christmas last night and had a 'second' Christmas Dinner - we have left overs so Turkey Egg Fried Rice it is tonight.
- Still no news on the rental - will get DH to push again tomorrow.

Need to get stuff sorted for my weekend away and get some of the chores done in advance or they will just get left till the following weekend.

Work is manic (again). Management meeting tomorrow - so things to get done for that - plus everything else! No rest for the wicked.

Oh well, nearly the weekend!

MCI