Tiny little steps to being MF....

jedi82

Morning,

Have made a massive tilly tidy OP of.....wait for it......15p :rotfl: but have to remember that all those little pennies do add up to pounds.

We started to have a clear out this weekend and went through the DVDs and Wii games and will attempt the kids toys while they are at school. I went on music magpie and the prices were rubbish for the DVDs and games so not sure whether it would be better to ebay or car boot?

Have blown the grocery budget this month but have got full freezer etc and only 2 weeks to get through. Gonna make banana bread and cornflake cakes to use up stuff. No work tonight so feel as if I can get some stuff done.

Have a nice Monday (albeit cloudy and drizzly here)

Jedi x

jedi82

Just a quick update. Have decided to start ebaying stuff and to try and put something on every couple of days. Today started with a pair of DSs unworn trousers (still in packaging ) and got one watcher. Problem is that we have spent so long scrimping and saving that we don't really have much to sell but if I keep putting on little bits, hopefully I will see my paypal balance gradually increase.

Have just baked two banana loaves (although still have 5 manky bananas to use up so will look for another recipe) and a batch of twinks hobnobs cos these are one thing all three of my kids will eat, and that is a miracle in this house!!!

Jedi x

jedi82

Good morning,





Right need to get organised. Plan for today:

• [STRIKE]
• Hang out washing (can't wash anything else until this lot dries. It is at
  this time of year I wish I had a tumble drier)
• Check ebay
• [/STRIKE]
• Get dinners ready for tonight
• Get school stuff prepared for tomorrow
• Work tonight
• afternoon playdate with DD2
• Find something else to sell on ebay
• tilly tidy to mortgage
• [STRIKE]clear out cupboard under stairs (declutter!)[/STRIKE]

Okay, that should be it for today. Will also try and do a survey if I can. Also expecting a call from DD1s school cos she wasn't 100% this morning but I still made her go in (I think she was playing up but how do you tell?)

Have a good day
Jedi x

20vt-rs

jedi82 wrote: »

Have just baked two banana loaves (although still have 5 manky bananas to use up so will look for another recipe) and a batch of twinks hobnobs cos these are one thing all three of my kids will eat, and that is a miracle in this house!!!

Jedi x

Manky bananas are great in a smoothie, just blend a couple of them with some milk, ice cubes and a tablespoon of honey and you have a really nice snack or breakfast shake. If you have a sweet tooth chuck in a chocolate hobnob I had one this morning for breakfast to use up some manky bananas and then read this!

Well done on your little steps, I'm doing much the same and chipping away gradually, it really makes a difference and you get addicted to overpaying. Not overpaying is such a let down!

jedi82

Hello, it has been a while.... All three kiddies are now in school full time and I have got myself a part time job within school hours. Unfortunately the money seems to be disappearing down a big hole so I thought I would come back on here and keep updating, mainly to motivate myself and establish where all those pennies keep going.

Job is great, working in finance but with no responsibility for others, which is what I need atm.

Main priority is to get our ltv to at least 80% but ideally 75% by 2017 when our 10 year 5.9% (ouch) ends. We still pay £1200 pm and I still add the Tilly tidies but mainly we have been trying to get an emergency fund together.

So, best bet at the mo is to do up the house and we have started downstairs by demolishing our horrible huge slate fireplace and have partially removed a wall. We have done as much on our own but now need to get a builder in to check the wall (if it's load bearing etc) and give us some quotes. I have quite grand plans for downstairs which will take ages but will be wow when complete. Main thing is we are saving and having the work done piecemeal whereas before we would have got a loan.

Anyway, enough waffling. Need to a list of priorities for the year....

Jedi x

jedi82

Okay, for the rest of 2014 I want to achieve:

1. Continue with £1200 monthly payment
2. Save £200 pm in savings account
3. Remove wall between front room and hallway (between £0 and £2k depending on need a support)
4. Damp proof course downstairs (£800 approx)
5. Wood burning stove installed downstairs (£3k)
6. Reduce grocery bill
7. Keep on top of house tidying etc

To be updated as and when.....

Jedi x

jedi82

Okay, update for today.

• NSD
• No petrol used as DD2 poorly so friends took other 2 to school.
• Ran out of Calpol and Ibuprofen for DD2 but doc gave her a prescription for both as well as horrible orange penicillin. Saved about £5
• Found DHs old footie boots, so do not have to buy a new pair (he has been roped into refereeing DSs new footie team). Saved £40
• Made hm bread dough for pizzas using leftover hm pasta sauce from yesterday. Froze leftover dough in portions for future pizzas. And they were yum!
• Found out qu1dco has tracked £45 for insurance :T
• Most importantly, got into my jimjams so I can't go to the shop for wine, saving a fiver!

So, a good non spend day, wish they were all like that (obviously without DD2 being poorly)!

Going to keep cracking at not spending. We have a CC which we pay in full every month but last month we paid £700 which is too high and we will get into a vicious cycle if we don't stop. Next months statement is due and is about £400 so bringing it down:).

Jedi x

jedi82

Okay, a horrible wet and yucky day here. DD2 is still off school so can't go to work again. Luckily they are really understanding.

List for today to try and keep me motivated and not spend money:

[STRIKE]Clean bathroom[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Clear kitchen and downstairs[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Fix Hoover[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Hoover everywhere[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Collect car from where it is parked miles away (the joys of living in a summer
tourist town when parking restrictions come into force)[/STRIKE]
Swimming lessons for kids
[STRIKE]Make hobnobs so don't have to buy crisps for after swim snack
Arrange collection of sale from bay of e at weekend[/STRIKE]
Go to DSs first ever footie match (in the rain)

That should be enough to get on with.

Jedi x

jedi82

It's been a while .... And it's funny reading back and realising you are in exactly the same position a few months later!

Time to crack on I think. Main priority is to increase the LTV for when we remortgage in 2017 and that mostly involves renovating downstairs. We have removed the wall and luckily it wasn't supporting and so only cost £90 :j which means we can now move on to dealing with walls. Our fab builder friend has quoted £700 to seal and render the walls and we are trying to get this together without compromising our emergency fund and should hopefully be able to get him in at the end of October.

In the meantime it is trying not to spend. I have to go to aldi today but have done a meal plan and list, let's see if it works as I am rubbish at planning meals. Other than chicken feed that should be it for today. I haven't had any alcohol for 3 weeks now, which is saving money (and is also a miracle :rotfl:)

Still paying in 1200 per month and saving 200 but credit card is still too high. Am not going to buy anything on cc except petrol for the month.

Have a good Sunday, Jedi x