The Crumpet family's journey to Mortgage Freedom:-)

Crumpets

I cannot believe it's November 1st today! I'm sitting in the conservatory watching the washing blowing on the line and the blue sky, it's lovely it feels wrong to be thinking seriously about Christmas today but that's what I've been doing this morning. I'd like to have my Christmas shopping finished by December 1st so that I can enjoy the run up to the big day and take my time with the christmas wrapping. I like to have a mulled wine or festive coffee and have my Christmas music on whilst doing it

Today we are having a sorting out day. Dh is setting up the computer in our new office area and I have unearthed a pile of books and photographs that have been in storage for about 2 years. It's lovely to get these things back out and be able to have them on display again. It also means I gain rather a lot of space back in the under stairs cupboard :T clearly though, some of the books haven't been missed so I will take them to the charity shop this week. I want to keep our new shelves as clutter free as possible

I'm hoping to make two new cushions today as well, I'm turning a vintage fruit crate into a footstool and I'm adding a cushion top to our piano stool. I have all the materials to do it, I just need some child free time to get it done. Chance would be a fine thing! :rotfl:

November goals

• All Christmas shopping done
• Living room completely finished
• Op £300 minimum
• Music magpie CDs and DVDs
• lose 3lbs
• Exercise 2 x a week

That will do for now

Crumpets x

Crumpets

I thought I would do a quick update on my October goals

Crumpets wrote: »

MF goals

OP £400 minimum - managed well over that £667.73
Try and stick to £250 grocery spend by using what we have in - will need to check but I expect to have failed
Keep heating off as long as possible - only had it on once for my mum
Carry on selling and decluttering - sold quite a bit this month, more to go though


Personal goals

Lose 5lbs -almost
Buy no clothes -failed :cool:
do exercise at least 3 x a week - have managed twice a week most weeks :T



Crumpets x

Crumpets

Back to the autumnal weather today and am currently sitting in front of the log burner, lovely and toasty

It's been a low key day today. I went shopping this morning, I spent £69 but I've started buying some things for Christmas. I got a bottle of presecco and a Christmas pudding today I also brought some mince pies and the kids have already demolished most of the box! My MiL took us out for a carvery lunch today and we're all still very full so it will be a very light meal tonight, if anything.:T

Back to school for everyone tomorrow :T all week the kids have been getting up before 7am, what's the betting they won't want to get up in the morning :mad: Ds is starting to take a packed lunch to pre school from tomorrow so the school fees will rise slightly but after christmas he'll get his free 15 hours a week so i'll be about £28 a week better off :T

Mortgage and regular overpayment will go out tomorrow so I'm looking forward to updating my signature :T There is still more DIY and housework to be done, but I think it can wait until tomorrow when I have a bit of child free time.

Crumpets x

Crumpets

Another lovely bright day here today, it was chilly going on the school run this morning but not too bad at all now. I've hung the washing on the line so hopefully it will partially dry so I don't need to have the clothes horse up for too long.

I had Pilates first thing after school drop off which was hard, but it felt good to be back doing it after a week off last week. The rest of this morning has been spent getting the house back into some kind of order after half term :eek: there is still plenty to do though (isn't there always:o) I've had another clear out of some toys, they are going up in the loft ready for a carboot sale next year. I also have 3 bags of stuff to take to the charity shop and a bag for the rag bin at school :T I'm very happy to have more stuff leave the house :T I also started listing some of the children's DVDs on eBay last night that don't get watched anymore. Hopefully they'll sell for more than music magpie have offered me.

Last night dh and I also caught up on our finances and we are only 1 month behind now which is great :T we did discover that we have been over spending slightly on clothes and things like popping out for a coffee or taking the kids to McDonald's so I am really going to be careful this month to try and recoup some of our overspends I really must not buy ANY clothes at all for at least this month and possibly next month too :eek: I have a few nights out planned this month but I'll just wear something I already have or see if I can borrow something off a friend :A

Mortgage payment has gone out today, but not the regular op, that must be tomorrow. I've updated my signature and made it a bit easier for me to see my progress. I feel really proud with what we've achieved so far and I feel that we have the balance right, of having a good life and doing what we can so we can have a good future too

Time for lunch now before collecting Ds from pre school. I hope he's enjoyed having his lunch at school today. He was very excitied to be taking his very own lunch box in today, bless him

Crumpets x

Pennypincher2

Hello, you are doing very well indeed and are an inspiration, shall be watching your progress with interest.
x

Goldiegirl

I'm no good at doing quotes when I'm on my iPad, but totally agree about balance - enjoy the here and now and plan for the future, that's always been my motto.

Crumpets

Hi pennypincher, thank you for your comment, do you have a diary?

Goldiegirl, from what I've read on your diary you seem to have a good balance too, I'm hoping to get a lot more good ideas from your thread :beer:

Well it started out as a productive morning today, I was organised to take the kids to school, the washing was on the line by 8:30 and I was in town by 9am to do a few errands but I seem to have come to a stop now

I finally got around to paying almost £500 worth of cheques in the bank this morning! I've had them in my purse for weeks and weeks but I don't venture into town very often. Unfortunately all the money has either been overpaid already or is allocated for something else so no new overpayments today

I also had to buy dd1 a school jumper as coats don't seem to be the 'in thing' and it's getting pretty chilly now. It was only 2 degrees when I took her to the bus stop this morning and the car was all frosted up :eek: It will have to come out of the clothing fund but it can't be helped. I also got a few groceries in home bargains and despite being tempted to a coffee in town, Ds and I come home for a hot chocolate instead :A

I've made an enormous pot of vegetable soup with some veggies that were looking very sorry for themselves and I have a chicken and mushroom curry cooking in the slow cooker for dinner :T we have parents evening tonight at 5:15 so it will be nice to come home to dinner already cooked I can't wait to find out how dd2 has settled into school life!

I've also listed about 8 things on eBay, I have a huge box of vintage car badges that my grandad had stored since the 60's and 70's so I'm just going to list a few at a time and try and get rid of them. We had a bit of success selling some last year so hopefully they will sell.

Yesterday I brought my mums Christmas present, I just need to look for a pretty box to display it in :T no idea what the in laws want but I've been in touch with my sister in law to ask her for her Christmas list so hopefully I'll be able to get her and her bf sorted soon. :T

I think I'll have a coffee now and do bit of tidying before getting the girls from school

Crumpets x

Crumpets

I was soo close to having a NSD today but I had to go and get an emergency present for tomorrow, I nipped into tesco and got a dvd for my friends little boy.

This morning Ds and I took the doggy for a lovely walk at our local NT property. It was so lovely watching Ds and the doggy running around like the best of friends best of all it was free! I took some snacks with us to keep Ds happy and he was shattered when we got back.

This afternoon I had to take Ds to the hairdressers as his hair was all in his eyes. I've got to find a new salon to take him to though as it cost £17.50:eek: It seems a ridiculous price for a 2 year olds hair cut to me. It's only the village salon too, nothing fancy :cool:

Tomorrow I'm meeting a friend for a festive coffee, my budget is £5, so only 1 coffee and zero cakes allowed I also need to buy yet another birthday present as we have a weekend full of parties coming up and sadly my present box is lacking boys gifts.

We're not going to any fireworks tonight, but hopefully we will be going to a small local one tomorrow night.

Crumpets x :beer:

RoaringTwenties

Hi Crumpets, how are you? I haven't been on here for ages, lots to catch up on! Very well done on the OPs :T And seems you've made some good money on eBay, excellent . Glad you survived half term too, I did too [STRIKE]just[/STRIKE] :eek: :mad: And the diet seems to be going splendidly :j Everyone I know is on the 5:2 & is really finding it works for them. I smiled at you saying you don't know how you're not shoving cake down your throat given the kids' behaviour - my two were appalling tonight & I've just consumed half a pack of malted milk biscuits

Did I see something about a My Little Pony onesie back there?! Where on earth did you get that? It sounds fab! I just bought DS a Pudsey bear one from Asda. It's really fluffy & yellow with the spots on the hood & I just couldn't resist it

For what it's worth I think you have the balance absolutely right - you're taking this time with your kids, time you never get back - & still managing to shave years off the mortgage! Great stuff :T

Will try & pop on more often xx

Crumpets

Hi RT, long time no see! how are things with you? I hope you're ok, I often wonder what you're up to the my little pony onesie was a groupon special a while ago, it actually is a lot nicer than it appeared in the picture, I can't wait to give it to dd. the pudsey bear one sounds super cosy, I bet Ds will look really cute in it. Have the other half of the malted milk biscuits survived today or have you felt the need for them? :rotfl:

Well I haven't had the best day today, firstly I ran out of petrol on the way to soft play luckily dh wasn't far away and could come and rescue me. It meant that I was an hour late meeting my friend And I just realised I forgot to put yeast in the pizza dough in the bread machine :eek: I also put a table spoon of salt instead of a teaspoon in so dinner could be a bit interesting oh well these things haven't cost me any money, just time. I think the reason for both of these mistakes happening was rushing around trying to get things done quickly

We still haven't been to any fireworks yet, we decided not to go last night as the entry fee was quite steep, instead we are going to a free one at the local park tomorrow night. :T I went to my exercise class instead last night that I have already paid for, so it was the best choice for body and purse

Crumpets x