misscousinitt's MF Diary

misscousinitt

Happy Hump Day!

Nothing happening on the money front today.

Lamb Casserole for tea using yellow stickered diced lamb and using up veggies in the fridge.

MCI

misscousinitt

Casserole was good - even better at just £2.00 for the whole meal.

Mum's birthday today - so off to see her after my massage booked for 6pm.

LO Pulled Pork (out of the freezer) in wraps with salad, creme fraiche and chips tonight (if DH isn't going out) - if he is, he will have to fend for himself and I will have a veggie burger.

Friday tomorrow - how quick has this week gone??

MCI

Karmacat

Absolutely - I look back and each evening it's flashed by! Makes me want to pack more in, I confess

misscousinitt

What a difference a few days makes.

Had a good weekend visiting old friends and having a good catch up.

Then on Sunday, we went to have a look at kitchens............

I need more money......

But I have worked out how I can get more money and it does mean that the overpaying won't start till next month and it will be every other month until we get the big jobs (kitchen & roof) done.

It makes sense as I don't really want to get into debt (unless it's 0% credit) - DH keeps banging on about finance, but I'm really not up for that.

The initial plan is to start the kitchen mid June (when we get back from holiday) and then the roof in the Autumn...trouble is the kitchen I like is in the sale NOW!! So we are going up there tomorrow to book a design appointment.

We have decided that as we are going to be staying in this house for 25 years+ that we shouldn't skimp on the important things (like the kitchen) - but obviously, if we can get it as a discount - that's a really good idea - might mean clearing the spare room so we have somewhere to put it all, but I'm up for that if we save some money.

As we are reaching the end of the first quarter of the year (already) I have been looking back at our goals and and see where we are.

Looking after the £s:
Budgets - in process as we are still getting the bills in and waiting for our first lot of rent to arrive (and my pay increase which wasn't originally factored in as we didn't know it was going to happen). We should be sorted first week of April with this.
Increase Income - rent on it's way next week, £co on relevant purchases, a few surveys done (not as many as I would like), another toy fair booked in for April, haven't started e-bay yet...
Day to Day - meal planning happening but not always stuck to - must do better, freezer inventory done - next one due next week.
Start OPing - will now be 01 May!

Making our house a home
Compile a list - not done
Swap Gas/Elec Meters - job for next month
Continue to sort each room out - not done, but keeping up to date with housework - starting again this weekend
Make the house a home - pictures put up in the lounge which has made it look more homey - we have been out to look for furnishings and furniture, but haven't found what we are looking for.

Looking after ourselves
Healthy Meals/Lunches - going relatively well - still sticking mainly to veg and fish at lunchtime; adding salad and more fruit to DH lunches
Treats - well we've had quite a few meals out (even if only cheap and cheerful - which has got to stop!), and we have booked a holiday which is long overdue.
Time for relaxation - yoga classes are continuing and I am now trying to do my DVD once a week too, beauty treats booked up for the next few months and I have vouchers to help pay for them, seen old friends and school friends since January.
Doing more things together - now the rental is sorted we are doing bits on a Sunday - pottering in the garden, going kitchen shopping!, seriously - we have been out a couple of times because of birthday and valentines day and DH's birthday present will mean we have something to do together in April too...

Looking after others
Mum's - not much done really - got to plan some stuff in
Charity - minimum done - again organisation is the key

Phew...

Still alot to get on with, think I need to make better use of my calendar to plan what I have got to do.

Hope everyone is well - sorry for the epic post!

MCI

Karmacat

It sounds really good, MCI! Ever such a lot going on, actually!

Totally agree with your reasoning on the kitchen - the whole 25 years/don't skimp/get it on sale if you can thing. Good for you!

misscousinitt

Hi everyone - hope you all had great a great Easter.

We did as little as possible!! Makes a nice change.

Sunday - went for a drink for a couple of hours in the afternoon.
Monday - DH Birthday - just pottered about doing what we wanted to - I did seedlings and seeds, he played games on his phone and read books - cooked a meal in the evening.
Tuesday - off to the Donington Museum; had lunch in the cafe and went for a posh pub meal early evening - lovely.

Back to work today - boo!

We have received our first rent payment!!!

I have moved £77.32 to Kitchen Fund.
The rest is in the little savings account as a lump, but I've noted down the breakdown between tax, repairs allowance, insurance etc... and of course the first parts of our first OP!!!!

Need to analyse the rest of the accounts before swapping and moving stuff about - there will be a little bit, just don't know how much.

Kitchen designer is coming on Saturday and they will hold the extra Easter 15% they have off sale prices for one more week for us while we decide what we are doing.

So glad it's a three day week.

Happy Hump Day everyone!

MCI

Kittenkirst

Ooooooooh so exciting about the kitchen designer coming out!!

misscousinitt

Kittenkirst wrote: »

Ooooooooh so exciting about the kitchen designer coming out!!

Hi Kittenkirst:) Thanks for dropping by.

It is exciting - but also nervous about how much it is all going to cost - mustn't scrimp - got to have what I want (within reason of course).

MCI

misscousinitt

So, today is pay day - thank goodness...

Kitchen Fund has benefited from:

£14 sweep of my bank account
£5 from the sale of another SW Cut Out (Luke Skywalker this time)
£150 from pay rise
£250 from dividend
TOTAL: £419.00

There will be another £24 to go in when I claim back my dental expenses from Paycare - must get that done (DH need to do this too from January!!!)

There should be some more when I sweep the joint account, but this won't happen to at least the weekend.

Lovely weather again today, wish I wasn't at work and then I could enjoy it more - but might have a potter when I get home (if it's not too dark by then).

Meal planning almost complete and I really hope we can stick to it better this month (though we are planning a couple of meals out - one cheap and cheerful, the other as part of DHs Birthday pressie) - though I was quite surprised when I surveyed the freezers last weekend to find that there isn't that much left in there - need to be a bit more inventive with some stubborn bits and pieces that just need to be used.

Need to apply for EHIC cards for when we go away as ours are way out of date. The holiday is getting closer (thank goodness) and we are so looking forward to going away.

Slowly catching up with the diaries - hope everyone's week is going well.

MCI

misscousinitt

Sneaking a cheeky £3.58 into the House Fund - interest on current account.

MCI