My 2020 Vision

XSpender

Hello

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas. DH and I had some extra last minute gifts and we had some wonderful family experiences and met up with almost all our immediate family.

This weekend has been a bit spendy as we have booked next year’s holiday and bought some grown up furniture for DS room as he still had his nursery furniture including the chest of drawers with baby changer on top!

DH is now back to work and I am off until Friday. The house is upside down and there is a mountain of washing and ironing to do. Guess that’s what I will be doing this week then.;)

I am also working on our budget and have set some goals for 2015. I will receive my first pay from my new job at the end of the month and I want to make sure we get the most out of my increased income without frittering it away.

We both want to lose weight before our holiday and will sign up for SW on line this week, ready to start in Jan.

Goals for 2015

• Pay off my cc
• Pay of DH cc
• Pay off secured loan (this one pops up every year )
• Save £10,000 (towards new house deposit)
• Start making interest and capital payments to mortgage by EOY
• Stick to budget for summer holiday (looking good so far)
• One other short half term break (centreparcs?) within budget
• Makeover of our bedroom – carpet, curtains, bedding and paint
• Makeover of DS bedroom – furniture, pictures, lamp, bedding, rug
• Mrs XS to lose 1 stone maximum and Mr XS to lose 2 stone minimum

To achieve this the plan is to live on no more than 50% of our income. I will be tracking this in my monthly round up.

XSpender

2 posts in 2 days! You can tell I am off work;) DS is at DMIL today and I have been a lazy moo.:o


After dropping DS off I did a small, mainly fruit and veg, shop at Mr T as I had to return some shrunken PJs. I have been craving fresh fruit this week after the beige-ness of Christmas food.


I have made a loaf in the bread maker and am resisting eating it warm with lashings of butter.:o:p


We signed up for SW last night so I have been planning our meals for this weekend and next week. It's proving rather difficult as I am away 2 nights (restaurant food:eek:), DH can't cook for himself really and will pick at what is in the fridge and I am GF and he isn't! I have ended up almost doing 2 meal plans which will need to be shopped for at the end of the week. Lots of soup will be on the menu I think.


We have a black tie event in 6 weeks time which will be our first weight loss goal, half a stone for me and 1 stone for DH.


Nothing happening moneywise as I don't get paid until tomorrow, bank account has been checked and spreadsheet updated.


I have been working through the goal setting method on Mortgage Free in Three's blog. Just the final step of cutting and sticking to do.:)

XSpender

We were up early to take my car to get serviced this morning but DH took it in for me so we are still in our PJs and DS is taking the decorations off the tree.


I am sick of the decorations by new year and the tree looks dead so it is time to take them all down. I bought some big storage boxes at ikeea last week to store them all in as I usually end up with bags of stuff in the loft and cant find half of it next Christmas!


I got paid today so have paid another chunk off the cards and should be able to manage another £1000 if we are careful by the end of the month and stick to our budgets. One will be settled next month and the other will take another 3 months as we will also need to save for our holiday at the same time.


Plans for today:


1) All decorations down - done
2) Dust and vacuum living room - done
3) Change sheets
4) Think of something tempting to make for tea as DH had a very upset stomach last night and is off his food.
5) Last 2 loads of washing - 1 done
6) Sort out more stuff for the tip - filled half a bin liner with old knickers and tights last night! How many pairs does one woman need? - Christmas tree

XSpender

WFH today and having a quick break to put a jumper on (instead of the heating) and make a cuppa to warm up.


It's actually nice to be back to work today and to get back into a routine. I go away with work Sunday though which will be a bit of a wrench after being at home for over a week.


DH has been ill most of last week with a tummy bug so we still have Christmas food to declutter:eek: We have lots of booze in but have decided to have a dry January which will help with the weight loss goals hopefully.


DH has nicknamed our £10K savings challenge as 'The Coffers' and so far I have emptied my £2 coin savings pot which I started in May to put in. We also had a rare splurge on a couple of scratch cards on NYE and won £35:T and I have a NI fiver, a TT, a STC balance and the £10 that is already in the account bringing the opening balance to £169.63


I have thought of a few short terms goals for Jan:

• Spending diary to be kept
• Stick to food budget - max £400 inc dog/toiletries etc.
• Dry January (excluding possible baby head wetting for DH for niece)
• Lunch to work everyday for DH (I can buy mine with a work allowance due to travelling so much but need to use it)
• Complete and follow Jack Black Mindstore goal setting
• Stick to SW plan and lose 2 lb minimum me, 7lb DH
• Additional £1000 to my CC/savings (not decided how to split it yet)
• Take my vitamins everyday

XSpender

Ooooo I've just realised I have had 2 NSDs in a row. Tomorrow won't be one as we are going into the city to buy DS some new school shoes and I need to post something abroad, buy a card and some stamps. I do have a Christmas gift to return so I may even end up in the black.:)


I was working from home today and really enjoyed my work. This is such a contrast to this time last year when I was waiting to start a secondment I didn't really want to do but was keeping me from being made redundant which turned into a bit of a nightmare job and made me ill. I am in such a different place this year and with a 100% pay rise:rotfl:


I did some number crunching today and with a bit of focus and an eye on our spending we could have the loan and the CCs cleared, paid for our holiday our spending money and bought some new suitcases and clothes before we go away on 2nd August. How great will we feel then lying by the pool? It might even distract me from my not-bikini-ready body;)


We don't normally get new clothes and suitcases to go on holiday by the way but we haven't had a 2 week beach holiday since 2005 and only own 1 suitcase and a carry on!

XSpender

Spendy day today. Went into the city but DS didn't need new school shoes when measured. We did pick up 2 good quality huuuugggeeee suitcases for our holiday in the sale. They are very big but very light. I don't usually take much on hols so not sure how I will fill mine, DH takes even less!


We also bought new kitchen knives in the sale as I only have 2 out of a block of 6 [EMAIL="gl0b@l"]gl0b@l[/EMAIL] knives left. Very expensive knives,(bought for us as a gift a few years back) sharp, but not very strong. We have replaced them with 5 knives, a sharpener, scissors and a wooden block for the price of 2 small [EMAIL="gl0b@als"]gl0b@als[/EMAIL]!:eek:


DH and DS spent their Christmas money/vouchers on new games and I bought the ha1ry b1kers new cook book and a rare treat (GF cookery) magazine.


I go away tomorrow afternoon so tomorrow will be spent packing, getting the house straight including putting the Christmas stuff and the new suitcases in the loft and doing a small food shop. DH wants to spend the rest of his Christmas money on some boots so we will have a quick visit to the local shopping centre but want to have a quiet day before I go away. I am back late Tuesday so not too bad.


We also paid the money into our coffers today and there will be some STC after today's spend to add and a small TT I am sure.


I am hoping not to spend anything at all Mon and Tue as it should all be covered by work and would really like not to spend anything until Friday.


I need to get on the healthy eating wagon from Monday as I have not eaten anything different since joining SW and my first weigh in is on Monday:eek: I did buy some Cadbury fudge today as they are only a few sins but don't think this counts even though I haven't eaten any yet:rotfl:

XSpender

Shattered tonight but glad to be home after a long drive and 2 nights away:kisses3:

Managed NSDs yesterday and today, didn't even stop for coffee and chocolate when I was starving on tonight's 5 hour drive.:)

The Coffers has gone up a tiny bit due to a small STC and a TT from rounding the current account down.

I'm still on track for a NSD tomorrow too:A

Right now though I'm off up t' wooden hill to t' land of nod as my Grandad used to say :heart2:

XSpender

I have completed my first week proper week doing my new job and have loved it even if my 5am start is now catching up with me. I was buzzing all the way home but now feel bit down in the dumps:( Don't know what all that is about???


I have managed 2 NSDS this week so far. I thought it would be better but we were tempted by a takeaway and DH bought beers. Still, we haven't spent much and almost all the food I bought for this weeks meals is still in the fridge and edible as I haven't felt like cooking this week due to long days.:o


I will need to buy some easy bits for DH as I am away 3 nights early next week.


We are planning a quiet weekend this weekend as it is blowing a hooligan out there.


I still haven't decided what to do with the surplus in the account. It is nice to see the balance in there so I may leave it until pay day and then move it about.


DH and I have decided that as it is very likely we will move late 2016 or early 2017 we are not going to spend any money on this house. it will need a lick of paint and maybe 1 bedroom carpet if it still looks bad after cleaning but that is all it's getting. We have also worked out what we need to save by then to make this happen.


My teeny tiny TT to the coffers today won't have had much impact but every bit helps.;)

XSpender

Hello


I am home after being stranded in the snow in Scotland:eek: Good job I always pack extra knickers:)


WFH this morning and need to have a tidy up before the cleaner comes. Upstairs is a mess as we have brought forward our 2015 bedroom makeover and have a new carpet and fitted wardrobes coming next week. There goes the surplus I had in the account:o


We discussed our plans for moving and DH wants to have another years savings to add to our deposit so it has been moved back to 2018 which is still within our timescale. I think it will probably end up earlier as we are bursting at the seams in this house.


We were just going to get a carpet and redecorate our room but we can't live with the fitted wardrobes we have (poorly thought out purchase from MFI 8 years ago but all we could afford at the time) for another 3 years as the storage in them is rubbish and in a small house you need good storage.


I am determined to be lying by the pool at the beginning of August with our secured loan and credit cards paid off but there is a gap of about £4200 we will need to find:eek:. I may be due a tax rebate and DH has the potential to earn additional bonuses.


The secured loan is the priority really as, even though the rate is much lower, the payment is large and if we throw everything at it, as well as paying for our holiday, it will free up around £500/month to throw at the cards.


If we clear everything by August it means that the rest of the year we can save for Christmas and for the deposit coffers.

XSpender

Oh dear, DH and I have been looking at right move:o We know we cant afford to move yet but it will hopefully spur us in to saving more.


DH has also confirmed he is likely to get his additional bonus which will go towards the £4000 shortfall.


Small amount spent today on some beers for DH.


Popped in to see my DM and DSDad as had some time between appointments today which was nice. My DM was showing me pictures of my old family home that is up for sale (we left in 1988) and the garden looks tiny! I always remember the garden as a huge space and I was almost an adult when we left. The interior bears no resemblance to when we lived there with some rooms knocked together.


This weekends plans are:

• DS swimming lesson
• School shoes for DS
• Food shopping
• Paint bedroom - ceiling, walls (at least 2 coats), gloss
• Pack for going away Sunday
• Play with DS CAT train set (still in the box since Christmas as we bought the wrong batteries twice:o :eek:)
• A really good sort out of the clothes and carp taken out of our old wardrobes so that we only put in the new ones what we will actually use/wear
• Work on our budgets to see if we can save a little on our food budget but also work out how we can eat better when I am away/working late

That should keep me out of mischief;)