Two Pennies Left

Fortune_Smiles

We met up with DSS1 and girlfriend today in Covent Garden. They were visiting to attend a friend's housewarming party tonight so we took the opportunity to spend the day together. Weather was pants but the Christmas decorations were up and looked amazing.

MS impact:

• took the company car to the station - no additional cost
• parking and train tickets to Charing Cross - £31.40
• Mr F treated me to a paper to read on the train and a hot chocolate - £0
• lunch at the Palm C0urt Bra$$£rie - £53.94. Booked through Top Table and got starters and mains plus a Kir Royale for £17.50. Indulged in a couple of extra side dishes, a beer for Mr F and a bottle of red for the rest of us. Split the bill.
• left Mr F and DSS1 in the man creche (Punch & Judy pub) whilst girlfriend and I did some shopping - £0. Abstained from any purchasing as my Christmas shopping is complete but helped girlfriend to make her first Christmas present purchase
• joined the boys in the pub for drinks after - £20 from the entertainment budget
• Mr F treated us to a hot snack on the way home - £0

Lovely, lovely day and I'm started to feel really festive. Back home now and Mr F is already dozing. Won't be long before we trundle up the hill to Bedfordshire.

It's raining hard here now and the wind is picking up. I've just been out to bring in some bowls I'd left out with food in for the birds. Only out for a few minutes but came in soaked and freezing. Hope you all are warm, safe and dry tonight.

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

Can't wait for the decorating to be finished now - everything is covered in fine white dust. I've managed to organise things so that I'm at home tomorrow and am planning to start the clean up operation.


Recent MS:

• delivered Christmas presents to my niece and nephew in the port town yesterday. Drove the company car so no fuel costs
• treated my nephew to Sunday lunch (neice was working during the day) - £37
• Step class this morning - keeping up really well now
• off to Mr F's office this afternoon to do some one to one training with a new manager. Doing Mr F a favour so not paid but my travelling expenses will be met
• stopped off at the retail park on my way back so saved myself the time and fuel costs of going out again tomorrow. I've been asked to help out at a Christmas Card Workshop for the children at my local school. You have to design a card for the children to make and provide the makings - £25. All in a good cause though and I can keep some of the supplies to use again next year. Also picked up another can of paint for the hall - two lights coats were not quite enough! And some extra savoury bits for Mr F's lunch - it seems our attic mice have managed to get into the fridge and eat the pork pies :eek: Well that's Mr F's story and he's sticking to it :rotfl:
• a portion of this week's Lentil Chilli with tortillas for dinner tonight

As you can see, the spending continues and it's pricking my conscience. However, we have managed to have some fabulous treats, complete the Christmas shopping and get the hall decorated without dipping into the savings yet. Long may it continue.

Very pleased to get chores done this evening. It's been a busy weekend and I'm looking forward to having a day at home to catch up on a few things.

Off to check the mouse trap now - caught another two on Friday :eek:

Hope you've all had a good Monday

Fortune x

beanielou

Imagine the wee mice eating the pork pies :rotfl:

Fortune_Smiles

Had to delay the clean up operation today as the builder needed to do more rubbing down All finished now though so I'll make a start tomorrow after Zumba.

MS today:

• entered a few competitions. I did quite well with these about a year ago but got fed up so had a break. Lots of lovely prizes on offer in the run up to Christmas though so thought I'd give it another go
• a cupboard lunch
• the builder has had to cancel his next job because of the weather so I've nabbed him to do an extra day for me on some small maintenance jobs. They've been on my list for him to do for ages but he's been too busy so I've seized the opportunity. Might mean I have to dip into the savings now though
• did the Waitr0$£ shop. Used a £10 voucher from VO so should come in about £20 under budget. Have had to send them a reminder about the refunds from the very delayed shop as nothing has appeared in my account yet
• Tuna Pasta Bake from the meal plan for dinner tonight.

We have our first party of the season on Saturday - Mr F's first work party. I've planned what I'm going to wear. Just hoping the dress still fits! Must give it a try tomorrow.

Have a good evening

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

Mr F is driving home in his new company car. I know this because he has 'phoned me to tell me so and to test the blue tooth hands free. Fifty-one going on five :rotfl:I am preparing to make the necessary "Ooh", "Aah", etc noises and be taken out for a drive after dinner.

The hall is decorated :T (looks fab) and I have the house to myself again :T The clean-up operation is in full swing - one woman's battle against dust :rotfl:

MS:

• £Co have paid me the princely sum of £3.42
• the builder only charged me £20 for the extra day of maintenance. He is a friend but that's just silly. I couldn't get him to take any more so presented him with a case of Gr0l$ch DSS1 brought with him on his last visit. No cost to us but I think it was appreciated
• attended some training for my admin job this morning which are chargeable hours
• a cupboard lunch
• Meatball Stew for dinner from the meal plan tonight. I've made enough for two meals so I don't have to cook tomorrow
• no Step tomorrow. I tore my calf muscle a tiny bit on Monday and, after trying Zumba yesterday, think I'd be better off resting it for a few days. Or at least until Saturday when we are off to Mr F's first works party where dancing will be compulsory :rotfl:Will spend the Step time in hand to hand combat with the dust :rotfl:
• tried on dress for said party which still looks good...and, I found a new pair of black tights hiding in the back of my tights draw so no outfit spending required :T

I have received my first Christmas present! A package arrived yesterday addressed to me... so I opened it. The invoice inside, however, was for Mr F. It was an Aspinal leather glasses case from the Christmas list I'd given to Mr F last week :j The company had addressed it to me by mistake. Sad I won't get the thrill of opening it Christmas morning but thrilled that Mr F said I could have it now :T

So, Christmas has come early for both of us.

Ho, ho, ho

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

I am typing whilst waiting for my hot pink nail varnish to dry and pondering on whether I should be posting right now. There are definately more lillies than bread going on at the moment and that will continue until after Christmas. Feels like I'm writing a money spending diary at the moment rather than a money saving one. Havng said that, the diary is making me very conscious of the spending and very grateful that we have the opportunity to do so much right now. If it wasn't for the MS habits I've picked up from the Forum I don't think we'd have as much money to spend. I thought it might help me if I captured all our achievements from the last month so I can see where the money has gone:

• decorating - £637.99
• Christmas presents bought - £476.26
• boiler serviced and repaired - £268.32
• Klargester emptied and serviced (oh the glamour of my life) - £163 :rotfl:
• tickets to War Horse for Mr F's birthday next year - £171
• tickets to the Church Christmas Carol Service - £25
• tickets to the local Pantomime - £31
• god daughter's 21st birthday present and card - £42.58
• lunch with nephew - £37.16 inc tip
• trip to Covent Garden and lunch with DSS1 and girlfriend - £85.34
• Cinema - £8.80
• lunch on Remembrance Sunday - £24.30

Ouch! I'm happy about the maintenance and improvement work in the house as that was all budgeted for or necessary if unexpected. The Christmas presents came in on budget too although I know we're quite generous on these. I could probably have done better on the 21st present if I'd given myself more time and I could have skipped both the lunches as these were a bit indulgent.

There's more to come too. We've got hotel and bar bills for two Christmas parties to meet, a 50th birthday present to find, Christmas Day lunch out, Boxing Day lunch out, tea at the Ritz and possibly more.

I know it will all be wonderful and worth the money but I'm starting to feel a bit carried away and know we'll need to dip into the savings at some stage. Tips for getting the lid put back on would be very welcome.

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

Don't know why I'm beating myself up about dipping into the savings. I'd ring fenced money in October for the decorating and that only went into the savings because the builder was delayed. I suppose once it hits the account I hate having to take it back out.

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

I've decided I will continue to post my current extravagance. It will make sure I am fully aware of the extent of the spending and that, in itself, will help to put the brakes on. I am doing some money saving stuff as well and I think it's important for me to make a note of that.

Yesterday's spending and saving:

• a cupboard lunch
• a DIY manicure
• drove to Mr F's works Christmas party in the company car so no additional costs for fuel
• wore an outfit I already had - this is quite significant for me because when I was working I'd have bought a new outfit for every event
• 3 course meal, 3 tribute bands and disco - £20 employee contribution but Mr F paid for this from his personal spends
• £40 spent on drinks (hotel prices :eek:) but this could have been worse. The company provided wine with the meal but Mr F wanted to buy his team a Christmas drink
• overnight stay at the hotel - £65 including breakfast

We had a lovely evening and, as Mr F is new to the organisation, it was important that we went. Culturally, there's an expectation that all the managers attend anyway and you do get to know people much better in social situations.

I am paying in other ways today though. We were standing at the bar when one of Mr F's team (a young lad) asked if we wanted a drink. I politely refused on the grounds that I'd had far too much already only to find a glass being thrust into my hand any way - it was a Jagerbomb. Being ultra-trendy and cool I obviously knew what this was (I had no idea) and knocked it back as the others did. Never, ever, ever again

I am currently lying on the sofa in front of the log burner being tended to by Mr F (who infuriatingly never suffers from hangovers). A glass of R£$0lv£ and a mug of hot chocolate have done nothing to remedy the situation. At least it looks like today will be an NSD :rotfl:

Hope you're faring better after your Saturday nights.

Fortune x

beanielou

Fortune Smiles is such a good user name for you I think.

Fortune_Smiles

beanielou wrote: »

Fortune Smiles is such a good user name for you I think.

Thanks Beanielou. I do feel very, very lucky at the moment but guilty about being so extravagant. Perhaps that's a good thing - if it didn't bother me I'd probably spend like that all year :eek:

Fortune x