A stay at home mummy who wants to be a mfw - Yes I can and Yes I will!

I_want_a_baby

happycamel - thankyou!! Why did I not think of that??

Hope you are ok - I will come and have a read of your diary to fine out!

I_want_a_baby

Afternoon All!

Feeling a real need to start being stricter with my money again.
Just had the PPI cheque come through and had this 'burning a hole in my pocket' feeling.
We have received way too much money to waste it so need to stop spending unless nessesary now.

I am going to try and keep a spending diary on here again to keep me focused and to make my spending accountable and therefore keep spending sensible.

So today:
£1 children in need donation given to the nursery

Going to aim to have 8 NSD's by the end of the month.

Lets see how I get on!

Stacey x

I_want_a_baby

One thing in our life that is severely lacking is time for my husband & I out together.

I am going to start saving 20p's, 10p's & 5p's up for this and then arrange a night out when we reach £50. Might take a while but at least we will save for it.

So basically when I empty purse at the end of the week =
Food/takeaway cash leftover =
notes, £2's, £1's & 50p's all into Mortgage OP
20p's, 10p's & 5p's into date night fund
2p's for arcades on holiday & 1p's for carnival processions.

Fritter money leftover - all into bucket list tin for family fun & memories.

any money left in online accounts/budgets will go to mortgage op.

Just off to count out the sealed tins for my 'starting again from now' moment .

I_want_a_baby

Lost post again!! must remember to save first!!

Quick summary -

Mortgage op sealed tin £94.50
Added from last weeks leftover food money £4.50
Total £99.00

Date night tin £18.75
Added from last weeks leftover food money £2.35
Total £21.10

Bucket list tin £0.00 (start this next week as fritter money now kept separate).

Mini Envelopes in back of cash purse -
Random act of kindness £6/£10
Sponsorship/giving - £6/£10
Nursery Extras £10/£10
SHTF Fund £20/£50

Feel better now it is all counted up.

Watching the pennies from now!

Stacey x

CathT

Just caught up and see you have moved in, huge congratulations! Love your idea of date night spending too - I might pinch it.

You really have done so well, I'll bet you will hammer down this mortgage in no time.

Cariad71

Hi Stacey,

I've just read your diary from start to finish! You are inspiring. You have achieved so much and are very focused. Good luck to you and your family in your new home x

I_want_a_baby

Morning All!

Thanks CathT - I think it has been at least 18 months since my husband and I went out 'just us' instead of for someones birthday etc. We don't budget for it at all and even if we can make it a 6 monthly thing by saving the change it will make a big difference.

Really hoping to make a big effort on reducing the mortgage during the 5 year fix. We would also like to get a dog at some point in the future - maybe as a reward for achieiving my MFiT-T3 challenge?? Now there is something to focus on!

Cariad71 thankyou for your comment! I think for me it is about focusing on what you really want. Reducing the mortgage (and one day being mortgage free), will give us the freedom to bring the children up with the type of memories we want them to have, have better quality food and the occassional holiday or nice thing for the home, give us extra spending money per month to socialise with friends, maintain our date nights/relationship, join groups or take up hobbies.

Little things like the fact that my husband would like to take up clay pigeon shooting once or twice a month and I would like to go swimming weekly and eventually one day we would like to move back into a village.

We want to travel with the children - mainly in the UK. We want to visit the depths of scotland, resevoirs in wales and the channel islands. We want to climb peaks, swim in lakes and see waterfalls.

I also want to enhance the childrens education and passion to learn by taking them to museums, galleries, castles and let them see the sights and history of our country.

All these things whilst not being grand in scale cost money and some of them where travel & accomodation is needed will cost quite a bit. So the decision really is do I need this [fill the blank] or would I like to reduce the mortgage and have the above?

When I am 50 and I have adult children I want to look back on all the memories we made because I am sure I wont remember the stuff we bought for them/us/house.

2013 will be when I start concentrating on my goals fully as we will be unpacked and ready to start the year afresh.

Looking forward to the challenge, good times, memories, and fun!

I will update here with our progress, with money saved and memories made - especially our bucket list of 200 things to do!

Hoping to find some £'s to go into OP fund tonight.

Stacey x

museumworker

lovely post stacey, and great way of looking at things. Your kids will remember the fun you had, not the stuff they didn't. Look forward to seeing your 2013 goals x

I_want_a_baby

Thankyou Museumworker! Have started working on the goals & will post them soon :-)

Found some leftover change!

£5.50 to mortgage OP sealed tin
£104.50 New Total

£0.70 to date night sealed tin
£21.80 New Total

Will tidy up the online accounts/budgets later and see if I can find another OP! :-)

Stacey x

CathT

That really is a lovely post Stacey, your focus is inspiring.