Two Pennies Left

lulabelle1

Oh dear.....Sounds like a wonderful evening though.... Had a little giggle when you talked about the jäger bomb! I love Jaegermeister but just by itself. Did you know that a little bit of it is good for your tummy? Sadly, too much has the reverse effect!

Hope you recover soon!

Fortune_Smiles

lulabelle1 wrote: »

Oh dear.....Sounds like a wonderful evening though.... Had a little giggle when you talked about the jäger bomb! I love Jaegermeister but just by itself. Did you know that a little bit of it is good for your tummy? Sadly, too much has the reverse effect!

Hope you recover soon!

Thanks lulabelle - I am feeling slightly better now but sadly still rocking the Jager tummy :rotfl:

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

I've decided to resign myself to the seasonal spending and just enjoy it. It's done now so no point in fretting about it. However, I am going to concentrate on all the good MS habits I've learnt to help minimise the damage, so...

• raided Mr F's change dish - 23p for Mr Marmite
• raided my purse for change - another 79p for Mr Marmite
• went to Step. Had to take it easy as my calf muscle is still a little stiff but I didn't want to miss another class or waste my membership fees!
• popped into the market town on the way home to pick up a few groceries - £6.57 (saved making a special trip)
• posted 2 Fleabay items - just a couple of pounds worth this time. One was a DVD I'd bought on Fleabay in the first place so I recouped some of the cost of that :T
• wrapped another couple of presents and boxed up those for the boys and their girlfriends so they are ready for DSS1 to collect when he comes down - saving on the postage costs
• called M&$ £n£rgy to register for an on-line account and give them my meter reading (I transfer to them on the 5th). I got £15 in vouchers from them today for joining up and signing up for paperless billing but I was expecting £30. Turns out you only get half for single fuel. They checked their records and I was quoted vouchers for dual fuel even though I'd put down electricity only so they've credited my account with £10 to make up for the mistake :T
• received a £10 L£i$ur£ Voucher from the McCain$ $wagbuck$ promotion :T
• cut the end off a tube of beauty product and turned it into a lid so as not to waste any (thank you $up£r$crimp£r$ for that tip)

Now what to do with the vouchers? Think I'll use the M&$ ones to buy some Christmas food treats and reduce my weekly food shopping bill.

We've been invited to a couple more Christmas socials - don't worry, these are low cost ones Drinks at a neighbours Christmas morning before we go out for lunch and a Open House at some friends the weekend before. Some home made fruit gin and nibbles will be all that is required of me.

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

Suddenly it's the end of the day - how did that happen?

Today it's been an NSD! Seems like the first one in ages. Am I a reformed character:rotfl:Other MS activity:

• attended a meeting this morning for the admin job - 1 hour's earnings and I picked up some other project work :j
• a cupboard lunch
• kept myself out of trouble with an afternoon's ironing
• Chorizo Pilaf from the meal plan for dinner tonight.

More saving than spending so I'm happy with that.

Hope you're having a good week

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

Having a very busy time right now so posts may be sporadic for a while. I have given in and transferred some of the decorating money from the savings into the current account as it was just a bit too tight if I tried to keep all of it back. However, all Christmas costs are now met/budgeted for so saving should resume in the New Year. Continuing with all my MS habits too.

Christmas can be such a difficult time for many and my thoughts go out to all who are struggling this year. Take care and I hope that the good luck you deserve comes soon.

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

... a day at home. Time to take stock:

• all Christmas presents have been bought. I realised yesterday that I'd fogotten my DB and DSIS :eek: Fortunately I'd received some vouchers from My Waitr0$£ and one of these was for 25% off hampers. When I went on line they had a Christmas hamper which already had 25% off so, with the voucher, I got a fabulous £70 hamper for half price. Only 6 presents left to wrap
• 2 Christmas cards to send by post. We have sent video Christmas cards starring the family this year. The money we would have normally spent on cards and posting will be going to H£lp for H£r0£s.
• we should have been going to Gloucestershire today for Mr F's second works Christmas party. However, an issue has come up in the local office so Mr F has to stay put today. We both have little colds as well so could do without the travel. It also means we won't have to shell out for the hotel and bar drinks :T Off to the local pantomime tomorrow (tickets paid for) and there'll be supper out after (budgeted for). Then it's just visits to friends and neighbours and I bought a few tins of biscuits/boxes of chocolates with the weekly food shop this week to take to those (still came in on budget)
• made about £45 on Fleabay sales this week. That's it now until after Christmas though, it just gets too manic trying to wrap and post everything in time. Mr F's company refunded my mileage for the coaching I've been doing with his new manager - £52.50. At 40p per mile that's about three times the amount I've actually used. I'll use that to fill the tank up this week and that will probably see me through to end January. A 2nd voucher from My Waitr0$£ will give me £5 off this week's food bill
• food deliveries for the Christmas period are booked. I'll have to remember to edit them in time though - I've ordered 4 bottles of Champagne each time to hold the delivery slot. If I forget we'll be having a very merry time at Gally's party :rotfl:

Haven't had time to put the tree up yet so I'll use my unexpected day at home to do that, wrap presents and get all seasonal.

Hope your plans are going well

Fortune x

Fortune_Smiles

Have been playing around with the mortgage overpayment calculator today and it's made me think about our goals for 2013. We've been concentrating on getting some savings together this year but, if we'd put this money towards the mortage we could have saved £0,000s in interest already. I do feel that we need a bit more in savings behind us so am thinking about a compromise.

I'm thinking about putting anything left over from our monthly budget into savings. This could be anything from £1 to £1,000 depending on the annual bills due in that month. That should allow us to increase the savings and pay for some home improvements.

That leaves the following for putting into the mortgage:

• a £50 monthly budgeted overpayment. We won't miss it and it means that something extra always gets paid each month
• rounding the mortgage balance down to full pounds each month. I've done this for December already - £34.
• the pay for my admin job. This varies according to the hours I do but adds up to about £1,000 per year. I don't include it in our monthly budget as it is variable and irregular so we won't miss that either
• the value of any vouchers I earn. I have a £10 Amaz0n voucher already for signing up to TCB today plus a £10 L£isure voucher from McCain$. My points for V0 and $wagbuck$ vouchers are adding up too. In addition, I'm thinking of accummulating some of the vouchers to cover birthdays and Christmas presents next year
• anything where we come in under budget. Eg I'm usually under budget on the groceries each week and we are occasionally under budget for entertainment
• Fleabay sales
• tidying up the bank a/cs to round numbers
• windfalls (we live in hope :rotfl:)

I think this will give us the right balance for now and, as the savings increase, we can have a rethink. I'd love to hear if you have any other ideas for bumping up the mortgage OPs.

Fortune x

brizzledfw

Good to have some goals Fortune.

I am a huge fan of rounding down the pennies and the pounds on the accounts and either paying towards cards, mortgage or savings - depends on where you personally are, really. Its simple, it makes a difference, means you check in on your accounts every day (or more!) and you really don't notice it.

Have a great Christmas. x

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Hi Fortune I am a nightmare for OPing any pennies in my bank accounts - whole numbers are fine, anything else gets moved. MrT laughs but as I said to him, we're not trying to clear this mortgage we are clearing this mortgage. There's no time for prevarication.

Your approach for 2013 looks marvellous and I am doing something similar and OPing the equivalent of MOCs, bargainous shopping etc.

Lets hope we all get some windfalls in 2013 :j

Have a fab weekend

Tilly x

Polkadot_Dress

Hi Fortune Smiles

Been catching up with your thread and loving your organised approach to this :T Something I need to copy myself!

Well done on how far you've come this year

Polkadot Dress x