Make hay whilst the sun shines.

DeterminedSingleMummy

Wow £233 per month just by switching that's amazing! More money to knock off the mortgage with!!

Have you tried meal prepping? I find if I have things ready in my fridge I'm less likely to be tempted in the shops. I do this with fruit as I used to be tempted to get fruit pots all the time which gets expensive but at the beginning of the week I make 5 fruit pots myself and just grab one every morning. I wish I could be one of those people who do all meals for the week but I'm just too lazy. But one or two meals/snacks helps loads and I'm slowly doing more every week.

MoneyMission

Hi DSM,
Food prepping is something I've just lost the plot with! When I was a SAHM I homemade all sorts. Am working pretty much full time at the mo so it's all got a bit tricky.
What fruit do you put in your pots at the beginning of the week? I love that idea. I could mix grapes, pineapple, blueberries. What else do you mix in?
I've just made some bread rolls which will see us for lunches next week. And have rice cakes in cupboard to put greek yoghurt and blueberries on.
Also have crackers with some soft cheese.
Currently got growing some mini cucumbers which are good to grab and go.
And nuts! I could make up pots of mixed nuts and dried fruit.
What else am I missing thats healthy? And filling for teenagers at the same time!
Any ideas welcome.

MoneyMission

And yes - £233 each month would be fab!

brizzledfw

All sounds good. Almonds are my go to snack these days. If you buy from an ethnic supermarket tend to be pretty good value..

Great to have you back

MoneyMission

Thanks Brizz. I do still read but have been so stretched with work and life recently that I just haven't been posting.

Am getting into a better place now though. I have 4 weeks to go until massive work deliverable - the biggest of my entire career. I'm pretty sure all my ducks are in a row but I've got some dependencies on a really flaky colleague which is causing me angst! Can't wait until it's done. Work have promised me that I can have a 'rest' until Christmas and just do my normal job without extra projects - can't wait!

Girl MM still asleep. She's been on a school trip for a week. I picked her up on Friday night (11pm) and she's been barely able to string a proper sentence together ever since! Probably not helped by the swimming party she went to yesterday afternoon.

OH and Boy MM are away this weekend too. Am so proud of boy. He's competing at an event for his hobby and has set a personal best! :T Looking forward to getting them back tonight.

Made courgette and orange cake yesterday as have a fair amount of courgettes coming through that need using up. Very yum.

Also made chocolate spread. We're trying to go palm oil free for environmental reasons which makes the shopping a tad tricky and has been another reason for losing the plot with the food. Anyway, girl MM misses her Nutella and we've tried a couple from ethical manufacturers but they were dark chocolate and didn't go down as well. Think my effort has been successful! Only trouble is that it needs using within two weeks - not good for the waistline given the main ingredients were butter, sugar and chocolate!

MoneyMission

Turns out I didn't do my numbers properly for the mortgage. When I spoke to the mortgage company, they ran the figures themselves and with the early repayment charge added on, we wouldn't end up saving anything over the remaining duration. Humph. Not to worry.

Had a touch of an embarrassing moment when the mortgage advisor asked me about our plans. I said I threw every spare pound at the mortgage and she said "Yes. I can see that. I'm looking at your account now". Guess she thought it was strange that I literally pay in £1's when we have them. £1 here, £4 there, £2 over there. I report the monthly total on here but pay it pretty much daily! There must be pages of transactions!

FloppyDisk

Nothing embarrassing about paying it off!

MoneyMission

FloppyDisk wrote: »

Nothing embarrassing about paying it off!

Guess not FloppyDisk!! It's all going in the right direction s-l-o-w-l-y!

DeterminedSingleMummy

Hey the fruit pots i make i litereally put anything in them that i know me and DD will eat and whatever I have managed to buy with yellow stickers:rotfl: mainly grapes, blueberries, pineapple, mango, strawberries (whole lasts longer) if you want inspiration just have a look at the fruit pots on the shops and just copy them :T that's what i do sometimes... see what I want to buy in the shop and then just make it at home :cool:

MoneyMission

Thanks DSM. I've bought some tinned pineapple as a basis for a fruit pot and that's about as far as I've got! Still sat in the cupboard waiting for me to do something with it.

Off camping for the weekend. We might get a little bit damp but I don't mind much - it's away with my family and not work!

OP of £166 for July just reported. We're still saving into other pots at the moment: replacing emergency fund after washing machine needed; summer childcare; bumping up the EF in case OH doesn't pass his probation at new job - it's a 6 month probation due to the position he's in which takes us through to October. If he does pass (and I've every confidence he will), the money will be a nice lump sum towards either the mortgage, general savings or perhaps a special holiday.