Two Pennies Left

Skint_but_Optimistic

The picture looks gorgeous. You have a real gift.


I want to do yoga it looks so serene! I would have thought dynamic yoga would be a contradiction?

muddywhitechicken

Hello Fortune - I hope all is well

I saw this scarf last week and thought of you!

MWCx

Fortune_Smiles

Secret_Saving_Squirrel wrote: »

I love the picture, you have a real talent. Well done.

Thank you Squirrel. It's Land Rovers next though!

Skint_but_Optimistic wrote: »

The picture looks gorgeous. You have a real gift.

I want to do yoga it looks so serene! I would have thought dynamic yoga would be a contradiction?

I think yoga is deceptive SBO - it looks all serene and lovely but you're actually working really, really hard! Thank you for your kind comments about the picture.

muddywhitechicken wrote: »

Hello Fortune - I hope all is well

I saw this scarf last week and thought of you!

MWCx

That's fantastic MWC! I might just have to get that.


Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

Ok a bit of poetic licence there. I've been AWOL for a bit due to general busy life stuff and food poisoning :eek: Back with a vengeance now though - pay day so money shuffling and budget review has been completed. This months' post mortem:

• £110.91 extra household income received against budget. This is due to not paying pension contributions yet with Mr F's new employer and receiving an unexpected contribution from the company towards our consumption costs as he is based at home. There might also be a small underpayment in tax in there as well due to the change of employers
• an extra £278.11 for me :j which is the admin work pay I now get all for myself
• £10.99 under budget on landline and broadband. That's from negotiating my 8T contract down. They owe me £4 odd as well so that'll appear as a credit on next month's bill
• £19.98 under budget on my fuel costs
• £62.84 under budget on grocery costs
• £167.31 over budget on entertainment :eek: Lilies getting the better of me again. This is a balance payment for a ball we're going to in June, fuel costs for getting to and from York and some extra celebrations for Across-the-Lane-Neighbour's big birthday.
• £20 saved on my insurance costs
• £283.63 extra put into savings against budget. So that's in addition to our £500 plan :T

There were a few additional costs for gifts and things which I don't budget for but I'm quite happy with things overall this month as we seem to have matched our overspending with some oversaving.


The plan for May is to make some household improvements. DS2, fianc! and friends are stopping over with us on their travels and we're using that as a prompt to get the small bedroom sorted.


In the longer term we now have a wedding to plan for so that will be added to our general savings and house improvements goal.


Hope you're all doing well.


Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

The money put aside for household improvements this month has been spent already! A new small double bed and accessories to replace the current very old single bed (1960s) in the small bedroom. I shopped around and feel I've got value for money. Some of the purchases came from J0hn L£wi$ too so more voucher points accrued. I also used a H0u$£ of Fra$£r voucher from CP to buy bedding in their Blu£ Cr0$$ sale. Not only can the boys and their partners visit together and sleep comfortably, we will be able to market the house as having 3 double bedrooms when the time comes. Other MS:

• put an extra £50 into savings. This was from cutting costs on the bed purchase
• bought 2 stocking fillers for Christmas :eek: A couple of small games from J0hn L£wi$ were on offer and, as I was ordering anyway, I saved myself the postal costs
• Tillytidied the accounts
• Dynamic Yoga attended. It's only my 3rd week but I'm aleady improving
• Green Garden Vegetable Pie from the meal plan for supper http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/7522/green-garden-veg-pie. I used some leftover marscapone, ricotta and cream in the cheese sauce.

I'm doing well on the fitness stuff this week. Step, Yoga, Zumba today - I'll be super model size before you know it! And...your...back in the room Fortune :rotfl:


Fortune x

brizzledfw

Blimey just catching up..you're doing well! Those savings. Wow.

All sounding good..spending your money on loaves AND lilies. I like it

How's the painting going? Or no time for it?

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

I need to catch up on diaries. Well done on all the exercise - you're going great guns.

I love reading your posts

Tilly x x

Fortune_Smiles

brizzledfw wrote: »

Blimey just catching up..you're doing well! Those savings. Wow.

All sounding good..spending your money on loaves AND lilies. I like it

How's the painting going? Or no time for it?

Hi there Brizzle. Mr F's new job is making saving much easier although we are saving to contribute to DSS2's wedding as well as general savings now.


I've posted a couple of paintings recently - here they are if you missed them:
http://forum.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=65198710&postcount=1573
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=65247060&postcount=1586


Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS wrote: »

I need to catch up on diaries. Well done on all the exercise - you're going great guns.

I love reading your posts

Tilly x x

Hi Tilly. Yes, it seems I have caught discipline from somewhere :rotfl:I'll be missing Step on Friday though. I'm meeting up with a former colleague for lunch. Hopefully, the weather will be ok for walking to the pub. That's about a 6 mile return journey so there will be some damage limitation. Colleague has recently taken redundancy and is embarking on a slower pace of life - I'll ask her if she's got any words of wisdom.


Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

That discipline I've caught is sticking around :rotfl:

• Zumba class attended. My gym membership is definitely proving to be cheaper than a pay as you go at the moment
• Dentist appointment attended. Just a check and clean up. Nothing to pay as I have a monthly budget plan. It's the cheaper option for me as I have 2 visits a year. I still have 2 fillings that need replacing but I'm psyching myself up for those. The budget plan gives me 10% off treatments too
• popped into the little village whilst I was passing - picked up my prescription (I don't pay for those), £2.98 on lip salves, £13.80 on stamps
• topped up the fuel in my truck. I won't need to put anything more in her this month so £24.80 under budget
• came home to find that H0u$£ of Fra$£r had delivered the duvet set for the new bed. However, it's white (it looked cream in the pictures) which won't work with the current curtains, etc. So it will have to go back. It's a shame as I got it for £46 - reduced from £80 in the sale and using a £10 voucher. An alternative has been ordered from Laura A$hl£y (the only set I could find that would match). It's in the sale but will still cost me £36 more :eek: I hope I get my voucher back
• Waitr0$£ delivered - £26.80 under budget
• put another £69.03 into savings. This was from underspends on budget and tillytidies. I'm up to 41% of my original goal on savings now :T
• gave the shower wet room bit of the bathroom a thorough clean. Discovered there is mould growing on the silicone along the bottom seal. I have some of the HG remover which is often recommended on here so I'm going to give that a go
• leftover Green Garden Vegetable Pie for supper
• went out with some girlie chums for drinks. I drove so only £10 spent.

Now then friends in the box, I am already thinking about how to spend next month's home improvement budget. Should it be a new tumble dryer? New bed for the main guest room? Or new bed linen and curtains for my bedroom?


Downhill to the bank holiday weekend


Fortune x