The BIG Plan...

MummyEm

Almost two months since I last posted - MUST TO BETTER

Still ticking along with our standard monthly OP. Also still OPing a little extra each month to make sure we pay off a full £1k capital. I will update my sig shortly with details of this.

This month I have also
-OP'd £2 that I almost spent on a snack whilst out but decided to be good
-OP'd £30 as cleaner will be having day off
-Paid back next £10,000.00 family repayment installment
-Booked cheap summer holiday to France £500 lovely accommodation with pool. Will be loading up the car with food and taking bikes to keep costs down as much as possible
-Two items sold on eb@y need to calculate exactly but around £60 post fees and postage I think.

Plans for April

-Planned work on front drive and garden to start. All money to cover this is ready in savings

DH and I are busy planning a couple of big expensive holidays for next year to celebrate some big birthdays. Savings currently being diverted to this and next round of family loan repayment. Original plan was to repay over four years but have now repaid 50% in 15 months :T I'd love to get this fully paid by end of 2016 (36 months) Without these holidays I know we could repay more quickly but next year will only come around once!

Currently catching up on diaries and eb@ying like mad today so will pop back in soon

MummyEm

Signature updated with OP figures for Feb & Mar. Amazing how the amounts do add up.

Frugal meal plan organised for the week using up quite a bit from freezer and stores. I'd like to clear the freezer back over April to make sure everything in there is food that we regularly eat. Mr T delivery booked. I have planned in a new recipe for this week as we've been getting a little bored recently eating the same meals fairly frequently. I will try to plan one new meal a week over this month. I used to do this and it did help to introduce a wider variety to our mealplan.
I have also ordered a new cookbook (not so MSE I know) but I will get rid of 2/3 to cover the cost and make space for the new one.

Now up to 8 listings on eb@y but half of those are for a friend so I will do another 4 of my own before I get the kids and I some lunch.

SavingRaven

Hi MummyEm,

I've just read your diary from the beginning and it's amazing how similar your journey is to mine! We also started with a £280k mortgage (which we took on in 2013) and owe £40k to family which we borrowed to do renovations last year.

Took exactly the same approach to phases too; emergency fund, paying back loan; OPing. I'm working through them one by one (see sig) but reading your diary has made me want to OP now, even just a little bit.

Keep up the good work - I'm running away to subscribe
SR x

MummyEm

Hi SavingRaven

Wow it really does seem that we've been on a very similar path. Are you all finished with you renovations? We pretty much are but still have some painting that we've been putting off for about a year. DH and I actually made a start on this over the weekend (well mostly DH as he is much better at it than me!).

Do you have a diary?

MummyEm

Just completed another MSE task today - Signed up for the Free Postcode Lottery. I'd heard it mentioned a few times and kept meaning to take a look. Completely free - funded by Ad revenue on the site and a daily chance to win £80!

If anyone reading wants to sign up, I'd be grateful for anyone using my referral link -

http://freepostcodelottery.com/?ref=249501

MummyEm

Oh dear online grocery shopping failure with Mr T.

Was making HM pizza for this evening but the mozzarella cheese delivered today is 3 days out of date and smells awful! Have had refund and £5 extra 'good will' voucher so we will forgive Mr T. Menu plan rejigged, will pop to shops on way back from work for replacement cheese and have something else tonight instead.

SavingRaven

Hi MummyEm!

We're also pretty much finished bar some extra DIY jobs (fitting skirting = boring!) and some painting. Using funds from selling and quidco to pay for paint etc so trying not to go too off plan.

I do have a diary, [URL="http://https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5157289here[/URL] - hopefully that shows up!

Look forward to reading more posts - v inspiring stuff.
SR

MummyEm

SavingRaven wrote: »

Hi MummyEm!

We're also pretty much finished bar some extra DIY jobs (fitting skirting = boring!) and some painting. Using funds from selling and quidco to pay for paint etc so trying not to go too off plan.

I do have a diary, [URL="http://https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5157289here[/URL] - hopefully that shows up!

Look forward to reading more posts - v inspiring stuff.
SR

It takes sooo much motivation to get those little bits and pieces finished doesn't it?!

I will have a read through your diary if I get a few minutes this evening once the kiddies are in bed. I find it really motivating reading diaries - much more than writing my own which is why I am so terrible at updating here!

MummyEm

To wrap up my day

-50p earned on 1P0ll. Haven't done any for the last few weeks so must get back into the habit of checking daily
-2 loads of washing dried without use of the tumbler
-15 items added to eb@y (11 of which are my own). Have pulled out 3 cookery books to part with too so I may do those this evening
-declutter to carrier bags full of shoes/clothes for rag bin to raise funds for local charity project

MummyEm

MSE activities yesterday and today

-took lunch to work
-OP made standard monthly OP £134.54
-Additional OP's so far £87.40 bringing balance down to £261600.00
-Freepostcodelottery checked but not a winner...
-1P0ll survey done 30p added to running total

Need to check gas and electric meters today and update account