Mortgage freedom..Shala_moo's attempt at a diary..

shala_moo

Thanks Ammonite, you reminded me to go and log into eb*y!:D hope you've managed to get back to bed for some rest, 4am is no time to be awake xx

I made myself a christmas playlist on Sp0tify last night so this afternoon consists of decorating the Xmas cakes, making onion chutney (just got round to it) whilst dancing and singing round the kitchen like a loon :j that should relieve some of the stress and high blood pressure may even get OH to join in as he said he's going to really get into the xmas spirit this year!!!

off to read some diaries for a bit, hope everyone is well, i've seen some awful pictures on the news this morning of flooding..

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

I thought I was getting into the Christmas spirit... then I noticed over-the-road neighbours have put their decorations up. It's still November!

shala_moo

I've just joined C0nsumerpulse from a link that Unhappy Shopper kindly put on her thread... the post is here incase anyone wants to join.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=57497301&postcount=203

shala_moo

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice wrote: »

I thought I was getting into the Christmas spirit... then I noticed over-the-road neighbours have put their decorations up. It's still November!

I know! There is a house up the road that is already covered in lights, i keep meaning to take a picture of it. I'm all for the xmas spirit but the MSE in me thinks " what about the electricity bill":money:what would Martin say!

I've bought some solar fairy lights for outside this year.. :A

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

To be honest their TV is that large and their tropical fish tank would rival a floodlit great barrier reef (plus they never close their living room curtains)... the extra light up santa and penguin (yeah I know!) doesn't really make much of an impact.

shala_moo

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice wrote: »

To be honest their TV is that large and their tropical fish tank would rival a floodlit great barrier reef (plus they never close their living room curtains)... the extra light up santa and penguin (yeah I know!) doesn't really make much of an impact.

oohh the expense!! send :money: round! :rotfl:

Well it was a bit of a shopping day for me today...

Went to B&* to look at their xmas stuff as I had 25% off, but i was sorely disappointed. I don't think they have all of their display out yet, or at least I hope not because it was pretty poor. Spend =£0

Popped to our local town to get some red peppers and chilli to make chilli jam :
Car park = £1.10 :eek:
Top in New L0ok = £9.99 (desparate for clothes)
H0me Bargains = £19.70(peppers, some xmas bits, some house bits and some scented candles :whistle:)
Thortons outlet= £8 (diabetic choc for my dad's xmas pressie)
Checked in to as many shops as possible = £0.95 made

Then went to do the food shopping :
Sainsbobs = £43 (only £34 for us though) used £6 off voucher and nectar points (£17.50) to reduce the bill, received another £6 off £40 voucher and 10p off petrol voucher :T

S*insburys has F0x's bisquits (as per Vinnie) on offer at the moment, pretty much half price so I bought some packs of them instead of spending £6 on a tin of biscuits this year for Xmas... i reckon i've spend £4 on three times as many biscuits as you get in the tin. I'm now ready for visitors!!




Money saving stuff today :

• entered Quidco competition
• logged into ebay - nect*r competition
• surveys done
• checked into shops
• bought 'ingredients' for making snack boxes(like Gr*ze), this wk choc drops, almonds and coconut
• logged onto Swagb*cks - once I reach pay out then i shall cancel my account
• eating left overs for tea

Have a good evening xx

shala_moo

Not much MSE to report today.. i'm waiting for OH to pay me on Friday then i can transfer some more money back to my savings.. :j

I have, however, been busy in the kitchen. I baked cakes yesterday and homemade cheese and onion bread today. I also made a small cheese and onion chutney flatbread,for a picnic lunch at work tomorrow :drool: Total cost was approx 60p..

I've also decorated my homemade chutneys and pickled onions with some labels I printed off the internet.. you can customise the labels then print and stick on your jars.. linky below..

http://www.jamlabelizer.com/

I read somewhere on the internet once that you could stick the labels on the jars with milk, so naturally I tried it! I'm shocked but it really does work well..

This is what the jars look like, so much more professional than last year.. Evrything's a bit brown at the moment but I still have chilli jam and whiskey marmalade to make, they'll be a bit more colourful!

unhappy_shopper

Your homemade chutneys and pickled onions look yummier with those labels.:)

shala_moo

Thanks US, i'm pleased they look a bit more professional this year than other years.. it's sad how simple things can cheer me so much!

Well it's been a busy ole weekend, my sister came to stay for a few days and we visited the Good Food show. It was a really nice day out, if a little expensive. I paid for the tickets and the car park (£10:eek:) and she bought pretty much all the food in the place! She's a bit of a spender... We also went to watch the local city lights being switched on on Thursday which was a lovely christmassy thing to do, plus we got to see Santa!

Yesterday I showed my sister my money/budget spreadsheet, she was so impressed that I've had to set her one up :rotfl:she's so excited to get home and fill in her mortgage spreadsheet so she can see how much she can knock off it by uping her overpayment.

OH has paid me his bill money so i'll update my numbers in the next post..

shala_moo

So MSE activity :

• updated my money spreadsheet
• paid off monthly credit card
• moved £210 back to savings pot
• My dad has put up the curtains in the dining room, less heat escaping
• the radiators all now have foil behind them to redirect the heat
• turned down the radiator in the spare room now the sister has gone home
• expecting to do much overtime next week at work
• free creuset ramekins and square dish for renewing my Good Food magazine subscription at the show (it was a present from my sister for xmas)
• free samples at the show of soup, toothpaste, gravy pots and chocolates mmm
• no supermarket shopping this week
• had a chat to my sister and decided we have far too much food on xmas day so we shall be cutting down a bit this year
• need to move Hal1fax reward to savings pot
• received free diet c0ke to try, also signed up to free gravy trial and J20 trial
• onepoll now up to £38.10
• surveys updated
• adp0ints a measley 93 points
• items added onto consumerpulse