My 2020 Vision

XSpender

More good news:)

Good news #1 - finally got a bil from the energy company after switching last summer and they have reduced my DD by £16.27 from next month and I have a nice chunky credit to cover this winter's usage.:)

Good news #2 - out of curiosity I thought I checked the price of some old bank shares I have got and they have increased quite a bit since I last checked. Still not back to pre credit crunch levels by any means and I dont plan to do anything with them but it's nice to know:)

XSpender

I have an unexpected days holiday today as I have to use up holidays before I leave work as they won't pay you for them. I have had my leave date confirmed and it all seems very sad but also very close:eek::(

I checked the banking today and my energy supplier have refunded me £145 of my chunky credit which I will transfer straight to the ISA.

My cleaner comes today and I didn't want to cancel at such short notice so I will go the shopping centre and buy DH birthday cards, a 30th card, a kids party present, get my eyebrows done and have a pair of jeans taken up while she does her thing.

Ooo I wonder if the new hairdresser I was going to try can fit me in?

I have to go to a works dinner on Monday night and as the jeans are dark and more material like than jeany I am hoping I can get away with these and a dressy sweater and heels. Otherwise I will have to buy something I am not likely to wear often. We wear jeans to work and I don't go out much:rotfl:

DH suggested we had a meeting this weekend to agree a savings target for the month. I know he was pleased with what we saved out of dec pay but not sure if he was taking the pxxx:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Habibiboo

XSpender wrote: »

P*M I have been reading, Becoming Minamilist and the simple year and frugal girl. They are all American and can be a bit Christian for my taste but I just ignore those bits;)

.

:wave:
XSpender, have you looked at Frugaldom's blog (she runs the Frugal living thread)? Lots of good stuff on her blog, it's my go-to place for a quiet cuppa and a spot of frugal thinking!

Happy weekend BTW!

Pearla*Merle

Hellooo XSpender, I've finally caught up after being somewhat AWOL for a while! You've been quiet lately, I hope all is ok?

XSpender wrote: »

I have been looking at houses in a slightly different area to where we were planning to move to in a few years. It is semi rural which would suit us and next to what was our preferred area. The problem with our preferred area is that I don’t like the houses; they are all on top of each other in big maze like estates :rotfl: The houses in the other location are just what I want and cheaper. I did some number crunching and if we continue to save when mortgage #2 is paid off, chucking it all at the mortgage I think we could move in 2017. I showed DH the type of house we could get and that we could move in2017 and he nearly fell off his chair. Hopefully this will motivate him to save too.:);)

Sounds fabulous! How exciting that you're so near your goal

XSpender

Hi Pearla*Merle thanks for popping in. I will pop over to your diary for a catch up:)

I have started my new secondment and am worn out and working long hours so have been trying to read threads and diaries but not got much to say on my own diary. Probably because I have spent a bit more on food and DH birthday than planned too:o. 2.5 weeks until pay day:eek:

We had a good look at exactly where the houses were and have decided against them as the are on top of each other. I live on an estate but this was all squashed together. Have seen another area we like and TBH if we could get the right house on our estate we would stay here.

I had my hair done at the cheaper local place and it's great so no more £124 cut and colours for me:o:)

XSpender

I am loving my new role at work. There may be an opportunity to go permanent but I won't know if this is likely until a lot closer to my leave date:eek: I was concerned that the money may not be what I was looking for this year but if I include bonus it is less than a £1000 away.

We have decided to cancel our cleaner and this will cover the shortage if I get offered a permanent job. That isn't why we have cancelled her, she does a good job, we are just becoming much more focused on saving.

Savings/OP were £335 this month which is, I think, our first proper grown up savings. We certainly haven't deprived ourselves as we have bought a new dishwasher on a special half price offer from the manufacturers due to a fault (it was 6 years old and cream crackered anyway), pans with 75% off and 2 new bedside cabinets and lights.

Oh and a new alarm clock that is so loud I am sure it wakes the neighbours in the next street:eek:

Because we have bought all the above and paid for DH birthday presents and still managed to save we have agreed to increase our ISA savings by £100 month from the end of the month. I would like to increase it to £500 plus the 52 week challenge (for Christmas) over the next month or 2.

XSpender

I tried to log on to nwide to increase the dd to the ISA and my account is locked out:mad:

I should finish early tomorrow as the first part of my work project has been delivered so I am planning to go to aldee and tescimos to do a shop and to take back 2 items. I also need to pop into b&m to look for a toy for a party DS is attending on Sunday.

Not sure what we are doing this weekend. I have had a manic week so may just chill out and go for a walk somewhere. DH has been talking about needing a new suit for work and I could also do with a few bits. We have a casual dress code at work and I wear jeans most days but I could do with some tops, mine are getting a bit worn out. We will probably end up shopping;)

XSpender

My requested lie in never happened, as usual, and DS has had me up since 7.15am. He just wants to come and find me when he is downstairs with DH.

Plans for today are:

Take DS and an old trike to dmil. Trike is being given to her neighbour son will be coming back later;) Done
Two big car loads to the tip of the loft contents that have been in the garage for 18 months:T Done
Tip all the old work stuff in the back of my car Done
Return item to mr t Done
Pay in change from change pig - £27.50
Buy toiletries and a couple of gf bits Done
Buy new suit for DH Done
Buy new coat and couple of work bits for me Done
Dust and va !!! living room
Clean and mop kitchen
Change and wash all bedding
Bake something nice to fill my new Emma br1dg3water tins that have just arrived this morning - flapjack probably:)

TT balance in account and a few bits in other accounts -£20. Will TT the £10 for returned item as this was from last months money and the change that will be paid into day, a total of just under £50.

As my ISA log on details have got locked:mad: I will send these payments to the mortgage account. It is all being used to pay off the secured this year so it doesn't matter where it goes really.

I have also paid to another account the next 3 weeks of the 52 week challenge and am up to week 12 now. This pot is for Christmas as we usually use DH bonus at the end of the year but this will be needed to clear the secured so this pot will be our total budget.

Note to self - don't forget to update 2014 challenge

XSpender

I did a tot up while sat in my jarmas this morning and we have saved/OP almost £1000 since 22nd Jan. DH couldn't believe it and neither could I based on our previous uselessness with saving:D

We have targeted ourselves to save an extra £108.71 to make it £1100 by 20th March. We had agreed to save an extra £100 this month but this was before we decided to buy new work clothes. It will be tight as we also have car tax and DMIL 70th birthday this month.

We have a few items to sell after the garage clear out which DH will list on FB this weekend

XSpender

Woke up very early this morning following a very vivid dream and finally got up about 7. The first load of washing is about to go on the line and then it's eggy bread for my breakfast. DS already been fed and DH still in bed.

Yesterday we spent....a lot.:o. New suit for DH (20% off in marks), a coat, a skirt and 4 tops for me, some new sofa cushions (mine were so faded they no longer matched the curtains:o) and a stock up on toiletries which were all on offer luckily. We also bought a 2nd hang ps3 game for DS who keeps pinching the control off DH.

I also couldn't resist 2 tickets to the cinema to watch alive streaming of Warhorse. I have always wanted to see this so it was too good an opportunity to miss. Much cheaper than 2 theatre tickets and a trip to London too;)

I can't remember the last time we spent so much in one day, it felt strange but a few years ago we would have been wracked with guilt as it would have all been on maxed out cc:o

This has left things a little bit tight this month, but not impossible, so my loose idea of using up the freezer and cupboard contents is now a definite as I have spent £97 on groceries/toiletries since Friday:eek:

DS is at a party at lunchtime but the rest of the day will be spent on:

Housework - upstairs and downstairs
Change and wash all bedding and line dry
Washing - 2 or 3 loads
Ironing - DH
Make flapjack
Make slow cooker lentil and bacon soup
Make apple and berry crumble

The £108 challenge doesn't look possible now but if I can add the £8 to the savings and not use the cards at all this month that will be an achievement.