The long road to being mortgage free!

ammonite

Been baking today so I didn't waste 4 eggs that I knew I wouldn't get chance to cook with. Of course I now have 3 dozen cakes instead and a pretty full freezer as I've been doing lots of my batch cooking. Well I would have 3 dozen cakes if I hadn't been taste testing them of course

Made OH's lunch for tomorrow which means I won't have to go salad shopping until later in the week which I'm pleased about as I couldn't be bothered getting dressed today! Lazy or what!

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

ammonite wrote: »

Well I would have 3 dozen cakes if I hadn't been taste testing them of course

No point freezing if you haven't taste-tested first!

At least yours made it to the freezer - my batch of Red Velvet cupcakes from Friday never made it!

quintwins

Ohh yummy feel free to send me some cakes

ammonite

*sends virtual cakes to everyone*

They are really nice actually but I did manage to freeze the majority of them this time instead of eating them!

For anyone doing reviews, the Chow bonus this month is tablets, TVs and perfumes. I might have to pull my finger out and get reviewing some perfumes to make a few extra pennies. Still going with DY, I'm on £42, need £50 to cash out. After this I may cash out for Amazon vouchers until Christmas as that is where I usually buy most of my Christmas gifts. There is only a £20 threshold on Amazon vouchers so much easier to reach and will hopefully keep me motivated to plug away at it.

Also read on someone elses diary about a budgeting app for your phone. I have totally forgotten who recommended it but I'm going to be trying it this month for both groceries, petrol and socialising to see what we are spending. I think having it on my phone may be helpful.

Haven't had the heating on for the last few nights or mornings, we have just wrapped up in blankets and dressing gowns and kept nice and warm.

Still waiting on quotes for the work on the house, hopefully not too much longer now!

Hoping to get to the end of the week without having to top car up with petrol.

Jobs to do:

- Organise rest of workmen to come and give quotes
- Update my grocery spends and signature
- Tidy mass of paperwork
- Do a budget for next year
- Write a list of things still needed for the baby.

newgirly

Doing a budget for next year is an idea I might steal today! All the finances are in a diary from the £1 shop so I might have to go and buy a new one and start planning.:D

Well done on keeping the heating off, its starting to get chilly now though isn't it :snow_grin

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

I had my boiler serviced last week and asked the bloke if it counts as turning my heating on! He was shocked to hear I hadn't turned it on since March! I'm holding off. I haven't felt the cold yet... although I did give our guest one of OH's jumpers at the weekend because he said he was cold!

ammonite

We had the heating on for limited (20 min) periods about 3 times last week. Usually we'd have left it on all night but I'm so fed up with the gas bill being so high that I'm really trying to leave it off! We will probably have to have it on when the baby gets here so the more we can leave it off now the better! Although in terms of Kilowatt hours we only use 10'000 per year which is quite low (think the average is about 16'000) however as we are both out of the house all day that is probably why it is low, hence me worrying about the bill when I'm at home all day. Pregnancy is definitely keeping me warmer though, I'm usually really nesh but not at the moment!

newgirly - a budget for next year for me is kind of necessary as I'm not going to be receiving full pay so need to figure out what we can and can't afford. The one for the year after will be even worse as I may be jobless so need to try and be as frugal as possible in the next 12 months.

quintwins

I've set my heat to come on at 8 in the morning for half an hr and so far we've been warm enough for the whole day, i don't think thats bad going, we have all been wearing jumpers tho, and been doing alot.It's suppose to get cold next week so i may set ot for half an hr in the middle of the night or strat lighting the fire before bed.


My budgets always the same every year, i tend to then run smaller monthly budgets as i find smaller targets more motivational, hence why i set myself a savings target every month

ammonite

Monthly budgets work for me on a day to day (or month to month!) basis bit as it will change quite a bit in the next year or so I need to work out how we will change our spending.

As a side note, if anyone would like referring to DooYoo (review-writing site), please just PM me your e-mail address. They are currently doing a referral bonus and I will get 500 points for everyone who is referred. I will happily help you and give you some tips too if you need them.

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

I think subliminally we all have annual budgets... we all know there's things we can't afford (Sky, extravagant food, annual memberships) and we modify accordingly if our finances change.