Making the future happen - museumworker's MFW diary Pt 2

museumworker

Great news today - DD2 has outgrown her milk allergy!
This means we will save a small fortune on special milk, yoghurt etc, and make life a lot easier. Well worth the 5 hour hospital appointment.

My other MFW thing today was buying reduced M+S Christmas tea bags for 42p for 40. I don't drink tea, but have it in to offer guests. It is just black tea, blended to suit Christmas flavours, but hopefully will taste ok on its own too!

museumworker

Worked out the allergy saving to be approximately £5 a week, just on the soya substitutes! Very pleased. We have some stocks to use up but will transition to full fat cows milk. Am wondering whether should get organic for her, or if regular would be fine.

Yesterday was full on at work - across 3 sites - ended up buying toastie at work to save time at £3.08. Did bring all snacks in which is something.

Purchased train tickets for our hotel stay in Feb, £57 for 4 of us. Saved £8 as remembered DS is under 5 just before paying :rotfl:! Need to buy a F&F railcard before travelling but get one for the discounted price of £10 as have an annual travelcard.

Had a glass of wine (or two ) from bottle got free with our hotel stay, then fell asleep putting DS to bed! So had a long sleep although feel a bit rough this morning!

Today have some family time with the youngest, DD1 is at her free orchestra (haven't managed packed lunch ) and then this evening OH and I are going to the theatre :j! Won a pair of tickets from a comping group this week, just need to purchase and send some stamps as a thank you. Babysitter booked, we have budgeted to have a babysitter once a month so this is January's session.

museumworker

Aargh, felt dreadful yesterday, ended up needing long nap in afternoon which made taking kids out impossible. I had hoped to stalk Courgette on her London trip too, that'll have to wait until her next visit :rotfl: Did feel bit better after the nap, made it to the theatre despite intermittent pain and clingy kids The show was great and laughter being the best medicine felt much better after. £40 on babysitter and £3 on a coke for the OH.

Today was stepMIL bday lunch, a nice gathering in pub not been to before. I was mindful of not overeating as trying to shift the Christmas bulge. Ordered mini roast, had lime and soda and tap water, then really didn't fancy a pudding!! So I think my lunch was about £7 - cheaper than the kids! It really was enough, I just had avocado on toast for tea. So eating smaller was my MFW thing today. OH made up for it with his three meat roast and extra sides with pudding, but that's his call!

Just spent £77 buying professional membership, card will get me into museums free internationally! As have four overseas holidays booked this year already know will get good use of it and see the money back.

Booked eurotunnel for Belgium trip in Easter, £170. Now just need to resist urge to buy loads of travel guides!! Any recommendations for Belgium particularly for families gladly accepted.

museumworker

Oh gawd....
Crazy week, working a few long days (14 hours on Tues!)
Did OH's tax return last night. The good news is we did it. The bad news is we owe nearly £2K - and haven't set aside the money!! We have depleted our immediately accessible savings which is not good news. So the only reason we could overpay last year is that we used our savings for it. Feeling very stupid and despondent.

Secret_Saving_Squirrel

Oh dear. But that is what savings are for and you will soon build them up again. X

museumworker

Thanks SSS, that's a very positive way of looking at it. There is some potential light at the end of the tunnel, the OH has spoken to the tax man and his tax code changed but for some reason his employer didn't update it. It means he has definitely paid too much tax so am hoping when we recalculate that will reduce the bill somewhat!

Have been keeping a closer eye on finances. I avoided need to buy lunch by £5 trip to supermarket, which sorted out 3 days worth of lunch and snacks. I also had free lunch and dinner at work one day this week.

Returned clothes and got over £300 refund. Yesterday took kids to museum which we got in free to with my work pass, took loads of snacks and just spent £3.30 on humus, grapes and breadsticks for lunch. It was a really nice day out although a bit stressful looking after both on my own, am so tired!

Got a £40 Amazon voucher from a focus group did last year which am hoping to use to cover my kindle book purchases for the foreseeable.

Need to pay daughter's grade exam tonight but will have the money from the refund.

Roll on payday!

museumworker

We had a tax reimbursement so dashing on before get son to school to record an OP of £1530.55 - our first of the year :j!

OH also had bonus, so just working out how much can go to OP vs savings. We have some big expenses on the horizon and still haven't got to grips with our monthly outgoings so trying to be cautious.

greent

That's a nice start to the year - and yeay to the fact the possible bill turned into a definite tax refund
x

museumworker

Some fantastic news to update... We no longer have a 6 figure mortgage!! :j We have gone under the £100k mark, mostly thanks to a bonus OP took this year as was below the tax threshold.

Recording OPs
£3,136.85 2 April (bonus)
£976.85 6 May (from salary)
£444.04 6 May (from savings so would go under 100k!)

We've had a really expensive few months due to lots of pre-booked travel, and paying out for future travel too. Had some lovely family moments but looking forward to quieter and cheaper months to come - and can hopefully up our OPs too as a result!

DD has got herself on an amazing weekend music school from September, very proud! It will be £1800 pa in fees but will stop paying approx £500pa to school in lesson fees, which will go someway towards it. And it's such an amazing opportunity, it's completely worth the money.

museumworker

Recording June's OP of £1376.85 from salary.

Will update with current mortgage balance when I phone FD to check later.

Today I worked from home, and made free lunch from random stuff in the cupboards (REALLY random - spam anyone?!). Not a NSD though as needed greeting cards, stamps, and strawberries, plus present for party.

I've drawn up an exchange contract with a family in Denmark for Easter next year, spurred on by fact flights dropped to £65 return each! Setting an email alert has been really helpful, that's £20 each less than when I first started looking. I'm also talking potential exchange with Lisbon next year, just need to brainstorm some dates.

I have entered a few comps to win tickets to a food festival, fingers crossed as I've been for 3 years running on freebies, tickets are quite expensive! I gave up comping few months back due to stress so seeing if I can ease myself back into comping in a much more focused and less time consuming manner.

Have taken two bags of clothes to charity from DD's room, resisted buying anything. Pulled out one dress that want to see if OH can make DD2 a dress or a least a skirt from the material as it's really pretty.

OH on way home in uber home from central London with kidney pain :eek: Hope he's ok.