Lulabelle's MFW Diary

lulabelle1

A little bit more spending on Christmas presents earlier.... nearly there now. Just the main present to buy for each of the DC - waiting until next Friday to see if we can get a better deal.

I've remembered to use TCB for online spends, so that's growing nicely. Hopefully they pay out quick ish.... I've had to book a few business trips so have booked flights, car parks & hotels via TCB to - every little helps!

Seems to be a bit chiller now, so a little bit of heating on during the day - DH and I both work from home and I can't type too well if my fingers are cold!

Luckyinlife

defiantly colder today

the cash back site's are great they normally pay out withing a month or so not that long really

lulabelle1

Gosh, it was a tad windy last night... Long story short, we ended up putting all of our garden furniture in the kitchen as it was blowing around the garden, despite it being wrapped in tarpaulin and weighted down!

Nice and calm out there now but think it's going to get a bit windy again later.

Still waiting for my S&S ISA and DS1's JISA to be moved across - L&G seem to be taking their time with it.

Currently considering moving my pension across to a SIPP with them as well. At the moment it bimbles along without me really thinking much about it until I see the annual statement. I'm sure that a pro-active approach would be the best way forward with this too....

Heading off out now for a nice brisk walk before settling down at my desk for the day. Feeling the need to blow off the cobwebs!

lulabelle1

Loved my walk this morning, stupid me wore the wrong trainers though and I got a blister half way round. Will try again tomorrow, with the correct trainers this time!

lulabelle1

Opened my SIPP today and completed the forms to move across my existing pension pot. It's more of a thimble than a pot.

I haven't hardly made any pension contributions since I started working for my own company. I had it in my head that I wanted to use spare money for OP's, saves and B2L funding etc.

Not sure why I've changed my view but I've decided that I will have the company pay in an employers contribution and reduce the salary I receive. Once I work out the net impact of doing this, it really seems to make sense. (Less PAYE - so saving on tax and NI, will cancel my own contribution, will also be able to claim for child benefit again due to lower PAYE). Seems to all make sense.

So, just need to jiggle around with the figures and decide what will go to SIPP, S&S ISA, B2L saves & OP's......

lulabelle1

Pay day at last and the money has been shuffled and all but disappeared. It was fun for the 5 minutes or so that it lasted.

DH's CC has been cancelled as someone tried to fraudulently use it yesterday, grrrrr.

Still awaiting some refunds from a few returns, so having to keep and eye and chase them.

TCB - everything seems to track very quickly which is great, but weeks later, nothing is confirmed.... maybe that's normal? Can't remember how long it used to take with Quidco.

Off on some travel adventures Sunday and not back until Friday, so shall try and be a super saver in the meantime and hopefully I won't have any confessions to list when I am back.

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Have a good trip. Let's catch up in December for a coffee.

Best wishes Tilly x x

lulabelle1

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS wrote: »

Have a good trip. Let's catch up in December for a coffee.

Best wishes Tilly x x

Thanks Tilly, will do..... And, yes please - that will be lovely, I shall look forward to it xx

lulabelle1

...And Back!

After a few big lie in's I'm over my jet lag from last weeks travels

Food spends - looks like we will end up spending less than we did last month. Actually, I've just realised that it's the last day of November, so off to check on the grand total........

Hmmm, Friday's big shop haven't appeared on the CC yet, so won't know the total until it appears...

Christmas shopping - pretty much done. Just some odds and sods left to buy but I'm going to be having them delivered directly to the recipients as I won't be seeing them, so a little early to order them yet.

DS1's JISA is now up and running - the money transferred across the other day and I've already invested it for him.

Just waiting now for my S&S Isa and SIP, but I guess the SIP may take a while to transfer across.

Cancelled the cleaner last week - doing 4 weeks notice so as of the week before Christmas we'll be doing it ourselves

I bought a couple of its last week whilst away.... it was impossible to resist - Abercrombie & Fitch had 40% off everything in store...... so, I indulged and bought some new PJ's, jumper and cardigan for myself and some bits for DH too.....I only had a carry on case, so that helped me stay in control

Normal service will resume with December pay day as financially we'll be kind of back to normal following the extension/kitchen etc so can start to make some small monthly OP's and savings etc...

lulabelle1

Just checked and my S&S ISA has now been transferred across so have just invested the proceeds