SmlSave's extremely small steps to reducing the mortgage

SmlSave

My attempt to get organised is slowly, slowly happening. I've not only listed the freezer contents but grouped them into meals - 26 easy meals squished into 3 small drawers! As my maternity pay finishes this month an eat it up challenge is certainly going to help us manage the Christmas season.

I've been reading memory girls blog and just have to make her naan breads. Liberated some yoghurt from mums to make them.

jodles16

Hello! Have enjoyed reading your diary, sounds like your doing great with the little ones!

Jodles

SmlSave

Nice to meet you jodles16, its a quiet diary here as my poor sleep deprived brain don't work so good.....

The nann breads were lovely by the way

My eating up challenge has gone so well that we've run out of rice, pasta, porridge, potatoes - all the basics we need to keep eating from the freezer!

SmlSave

I hope everyone has had a great Christmas

I was expecting ours to be a bit tight money wise but I got a Christmas bonus for the first time so we're almost Christmas neutral! :beer:

The kids are royally spoiled with a camera, kitchen set, walkers, trikes, enough chocolate to poison them and more.

Big wave from us all

greent

Merry Christmas to the Smls! Best wishes for 2015


xx

SmlSave

Thanks greent

I got a care package today from mum with turkey, ham and cheese so yum,yum,yum. Tried to give dad £20 towards Christmas dinner a couple of days ago and found he snuck it back into my bag when he visited.

Spent £8 going to a soft play today which actually was really worth it as the kids had a blast, I bumped into an old friend (only see once a year) and got to chat to some friendly mums. Didn't buy a coffee either as I have this fancy machine at home now Costs 50p-£1 which is much cheaper than Starbucks and I'm limiting myself to 2 a day

I'm hemming dd's curtains tonight (free and just fit the window!) as its operation own room tomorrow. She's 10 months and as dh is home and DS is at nannys it's the perfect time. Can't see us getting much sleep tomorrow as she's got used to sleeping right next to me and feeding when she likes. Got to be cruel to be kind though as a tired and working SmlSave is not a great mummy.

Going to be a fun new years eve.....

P.s. our £40k mortgage fix ends in Jan so it's going to be decision time soon. To remortgage it separately or to pay fee to get out of other fix to remortgage full amount.

SmlSave

Sooo, I'm back at work! It's nice to be earning again and money going into savings (I know the savings is only short term until the next DIY project but its nice to money moving around all the same)
I'm walking to work most days which has to help my waistline but it takes me past all the coffee shops and I succumb more often than not

My mortgage meeting with the bank was great They've valued our house much higher than I would have thought and atm we are under the 70% LTV!!!!!! :beer:

We have 14 weeks until the ERC drops to 1% on our large mortgage so I'm holding my breath and praying that the housing market and mortgage rates stay stable until then. :A please, please, please :A

Poor DD has been ill on and off since November and she's back to the Dr tomorrow with another ear infection. When drugged up she's delightful and can climb the stairs faster than DS running for chocolate :rotfl: she's also learnt to be quiet when doing it so several times I've had to run for it.

DS desperately needs a hair cut which I keep putting off. His speech suddenly just improved overnight along with a very active imagination. He keeps dressing up as a 'power ranger' which involves wearing different wellies, a pirate hat, sunglasses, a sword in one hand and a lizzard puppet on the other - wish I could post a picture for you to see!

SmlSave

Good news from Natwest - the mortgage rates are decreasing today! Here's my fingers crossed that the trend continues.

Been looking at garden design on pinterest and its got me itching to get the garden looking nice and productive. Oh my dreams of a mowed lawn, playhouse for the kids and fresh fruit/veg being ready to pick...:rotfl:...its as bad as looking at houses when you've no plans to move

What I should be doing is getting ready for
a) table top sale on Saturday
b) DD's christening in 4 weeks as well as 4 birthdays in the same week
c) Nan's 80th in 6 weeks
d) picking wallpaper for our bedroom being decorated

Sooo the main job the next two nights is to make signs and to pack up all the baby stuff I want to sell as no doubt it'll be manic on Saturday!

P.S DH cooked a delicious cauliflower/lentil curry yesterday so you can label me very impressed and I made a chocolate avocado pudding which I just have to share:


CHOCOLATE AVOCADO MOUSSE
INGREDIENTS
• 1 1/2 ripe avocados
• 1 large ripe banana
• 1/2 cup coco
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• ~1/2 cup sweetener of choice i.e. maple syrup, agave, date paste, honey
• ~1/4 cup milk
• Whipped cream for topping (optional but recommended)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Add all ingredients except cream into a food processor and blend until creamy and smooth. Add more milk to thin/help blend. Add more coco for a richer chocolate flavor. Add more sweetener of choice to enhance sweetness.
2. Divide between 6 small serving glasses, cover with plastic wrap (pressing the plastic wrap down on the pudding to prevent a skin from forming) and chill for a few hours, or overnight.
3. Before serving, top with cream and drizzle of salted peanut butter.
4. Leftovers will keep in the fridge up to a few days, though best when fresh.

I only used this as a guide, being too lazy to measure and refusing to waste ½ an avocado, and tasted as I went. I added a large spoonful of Nutella at the end as I wanted it more chocolaty and ate the lot with crushed digestive biscuits!

SmlSave

Well, the table top sale was a success! £64 made on kids clothes and then promptly spent on a meal out that evening :rotfl: Although...as the meal money came from DH's wallet I could always say it doesn't count?

£42 in change was taken to the bank today and moved to DIY savings so that's good and I just need to find the time to go over January's accounts.

I'm now busy thinking of the food to provide at DD's Christening/Birthday do and I'm thinking curry/chilli with rice/couscous and nibbles with trifle and cake so it can all be prepared beforehand. I might make cornbread too.......

SmlSave

Sooo, the [STRIKE]monsters[/STRIKE] children have been keeping us at night until last night I feel like I finally got a rest as I only got up three times and got to return to my own bed after each cuddle - what a change to how I used to view sleep :rotfl:

The grocery order for DD's christening/birthday has been ordered in preparation and comes to £50 with just what I consider the basics, so cornbread be d*mned

I got lucky with Approved food and ordered a load of wraps, packet rice and naans for pretty much half their normal price Lots of outdated chocolates so that everyone can get a little valentines gift from the kids too.

Its the time of year for our Home Insurance so I called Aviva to try and negotiate a lowered repayment and they tried to increase it by £70 instead :eek: So back to L&G we go, fingers crossed the the cashback follows through and its a grand saving of £40