Balancing not just the budget

RosaBernicia

Thank you for the slow cooking tips lovelies - that saves me some worrying and experimenting! My concern was exactly as you say MT, it doesn't save time and effort if I have to cook the meat separately and wash that up! I will look at some in town and will also have a quick look at espresso machines. My bargain one died as it started to leak :eek: so that's been disposed of. I didn't use it a lot so it's a lower priority than a slow cooker, but I might think about getting one again.

I have finished decluttering the flat! :j:T:j Winter clothes were put away today and I've hovered throughout as that didn't get done while there were boxes everywhere. It's by no means perfect as there is still cleaning to be done and probably more things I can get rid of, but the major re-organisation is finished. I know where everything is now and the layout is so much better. I will move to doing the FlyLady cleaning zones again and that will mean that everything gets deep cleaned at least once a month.

I dropped off all the CS stuff by car on Friday, but have already got at least four carrier bags more. I also need to put things on 3bay at some point, as that would clear away the things that have been hanging around for ages. I never did complain about the dress that was too worn and it is late to do that now but I will perhaps drop them a message before I leave feedback and see what they say. I've also found a couple more things to sell as I have tried to clearly think through whether I would actually wear an item, whether or not I already have something else similar. I found a gorgeous evening jacket today that I remember buying from a charity shop when I temped in a very expensive area of town, and all the other staff were amazed I got it for so little. But it's been in a storage box for about ten years because I don't actually wear that colour and even if I went to the kind of event where I could wear it, I wouldn't because it doesn't suit my style any more. So it's on a hanger waiting to be 3bayed.

I haven't tackled the garden, or actually finished the other jobs I set for this week, because I found my motivation took a dive after sorting the cupboard and it all began to feel like work, work, work. So I had a little time out and felt much happier when I started again today, especially as it was the last bit to the finish line! I will start on the garden in the evenings this week but am also going to make sure I set time aside for fun stuff. It's too easy to slip back into thinking that I can't go out or do stuff when I've got work or study waiting, and that mindset needs to change now that my studying is finished.

Off to bed early as I must take the car for its MOT tomorrow and that means both clearing the carp out of the boot and leaving well before my usual work time!


Rosa xx

kerri_gt

Just a quick fly by for me - house is taking over RL (entire weekend spent fence painting - thank goodness it doesn't need doing for another 4yrs!)

I recall - and i think it was Mr Jamie O who has a stew recipe (something like Jool's favourite stew) or something where he says he doesn't bother browning the meat beforehand as not even he can tell the difference.

RosaBernicia

kerri_gt wrote: »

Just a quick fly by for me - house is taking over RL (entire weekend spent fence painting - thank goodness it doesn't need doing for another 4yrs!)

I recall - and i think it was Mr Jamie O who has a stew recipe (something like Jool's favourite stew) or something where he says he doesn't bother browning the meat beforehand as not even he can tell the difference.

Thanks Kerri

I think we have a decision on this one - especially as we now have celebrity endorsement too

RosaBernicia

Quick YNAB check as I hadn't matched up all of the accounts for a week or so.

All still OK apart from the previously mentioned 3bay purchases, but those will come out of the next paycheque so still OK in this month. They're already on the wall and I'm happy wiith them - they will hold their value, even if they were expensive, so I don't feel it was extravagance (and we're talking under £100 total, anyway, not huuuuge spends).

I am also a bit over budget on the car fund . Turns out this time was a major service with spark plugs required and I also got the brake pads sorted as they would have needed doing in about 3 months anyway. It will also need front tyres soon but not immediately, so I will make a note and check them regularly, but can then get them either through the garage or at one of the tyre places when required. So by the time I've also paid the tax and insurance I will be about £70 over what's in the pot. It would be covered with September's input, but that feels like cheating and it shouldn't be necessary when I now have some flexibility - so I will just pay it all this month and start again in September with an increased amount.

My Holyfx account reward has shown up now I shifted a second direct debit, and I'm waiting grumpily on some TCB cashback as the transaction for my laptop is wrong but they ask you to wait til the confirmed amount shows before complaining in case it gets sorted then. So there's a little more non pay income there. I also need to do some 3bay listings but my weekends are getting booked up!

And I'd forgotten the kinda critical point that doing anything in the garden is weather dependent - so nothing's got done there today!

Hope all is well with everybody though perhaps hopefully a little more exciting than things here :rotfl:


Rosa xx

MuffinTops

Sorry to hear about your car needing more money than is in the pot. I'm the same as you though in that I like to then get all the bits I can done so that I can start afresh.

Good luck with TCB getting sorted.

Nothing exciting going on here either! MTxx

Tinkerbelle2000

At least the damage wasn't too far over your budget and you are preparing for next year. If I had prepared I would have had a different car :rotfl:

Tink xx

ZTD

RosaBernicia wrote: »

I am also a bit over budget on the car fund . Turns out this time was a major service with spark plugs required and I also got the brake pads sorted as they would have needed doing in about 3 months anyway. It will also need front tyres soon but not immediately, so I will make a note and check them regularly, but can then get them either through the garage or at one of the tyre places when required. So by the time I've also paid the tax and insurance I will be about £70 over what's in the pot. It would be covered with September's input, but that feels like cheating and it shouldn't be necessary when I now have some flexibility - so I will just pay it all this month and start again in September with an increased amount.

Don't imagine a car will be all "minor service" expenses. You'll need a large buffer in there for the unpredicted expenses, which means putting in rather more. If you're over budget for consumables like tyres and pads, then you are going to be seriously over budget for replacing a oxygen sensor, or a broken suspension spring.

moneyonmymindsam

Well done with The CS clearout


Good luck with the sales - although I am currently lacking motivation to even list it
Sam xxx

RosaBernicia

moneyonmymindsam wrote: »

Well done with The CS clearout

Good luck with the sales - although I am currently lacking motivation to even list it
Sam xxx

Thanks Sam

I haven't got round to it either - will be trying to motivate myself to do it next Sunday.


Rosa xx

RosaBernicia

Thanks for the car costs sympathy. When I thought it through I don't know how I came up with that amount, as it will only cover basics for the year. I'm going to redo my budget soon anyway, once I get the laptop paid for and used to having my whole salary to play with, so will up the amount that goes into the pot.

I've got nearly all the car admin done now and there's only a couple of areas still to tackle in the house. Paperwork needs looking at but shouldn't be a huge issue. The garden is the big thing. I am loving having the place tidied again, particularly the kitchen as I reshuffled the counter and it makes using stuff much easier.

However I haven't been sleeping very well, partly because I've not been going to bed when I intend to and also because I read too late, telling myself that I haven't done anything else fun in the evening. That needs to stop. It will fade out anyway as the admin backlog gets cleared but I do want to get back into good habits there.

I'm also eating badly for similar reasons - I haven't even tried to cook recently when I've been doing other things in the evenings and I'd like that to change. I stopped off in the big retail park this evening to look at slow cookers and thought I'd decided on one til I've checked reviews. Now I'm thinking of spending a bit more and getting an expensive one that will do risotto too - being gluten free, that would be good and I LOVE risotto but do find I don't cook it when I get in late. If it cooks while I'm at work that would be fab. I'm not going to get one straight away but it's in the Amazon shopping basket to remind me.

I also stopped off at Ald1 and fell in love with them again :rotfl: . I'm going to go back to the plan of getting meat from Wa1ro5e as it's the best I can find for British, ethical and reasonably cheap when frozen or on offer. (By way of contrast, the frozen chicken in Ald1 is from Brazil if you look at the cheap stuff and Poland for the premium.) I can also stock up on gf bread etc there. Veg can come from Ald1 as they have plenty of British and it's easy enough to stop off on the way home.

Having read DIA's post about courgetti I have just made the mistake of looking at spiralizers and am now thinking longingly of sweet potato curly fries that would be definitely gluten free... on one hand, I don't need any more kitchen gadgets I don't use, on the other hand anything quick and healthy would be good... will see where I get to with other things first!

Budget is still OK although my food bill the last couple of months has been horrendous. It needs to come down a bit in future .

And so it's Hump Day (as MT says) pretty much over... the weekend is now that much closer! :j


Rosa xx