Finally a MFW! :D

KolaKube

Thanks Perla*Merle Just need to keep my eyes peeled now for bargains on the rest of the bits required... then get a plumber in to quote. Luckily there's a great shower already there, that's the only bit of the current bathroom we'll be able to salvage (no exaggeration!)

LO is still poorly but definitely on the mend. Hes moved on to D&V so the poor washing machine and tumble dryer haven't had a break this past few days... dreading the bill lol. Most of the xmas meat is now used up, and I've popped a lot of bits and pieces into the freezer.

Pleased with myself today - ended up nipping into town to exchange a few bits and pieces with mum while OH had LO.
My current post baby wardrobe is dire - very little fits, the things that do fit are all washed out, going back to work in a fortnight with little to no work stuff, but being on maternity I had been holding off spending as we just didnt have much spare cash. Depressing trying to get dressed every day. Decided the thing to do is to build up a capsule wardrobe - go through what I do have a sort out what fits, then add key pieces to it. Mum and dad bought me a beautiful cashmere cardi for xmas (in the sales) but it was far too big - we took it back for a refund and we took the money (£30) to the debenhams sale. Added £30 myself and managed to get a pair of smart jeans, very fine dressy grey cords, black waterfall cardi, black tshirt and a lovely wine coloured wrap dressed with a birdie print :T We then hit the charity shops and for £10 I came away with (all as new) a lovely navy jersey cardi, smart tweed work trousers, a lovely floral cami and a very smart grey shift dress. (And randomly a lovely pine 8x10 photoframe which is the size I had been looking out for). Very pleased with that haul for a grand total of £40 out of pocket tomorrows project is to sort through the wardrobe and work out what bits and pieces would be useful to try and pick up for as little as possible :cool: Was given two lovely handbags and a beautiful silk scarf for xmas so I shall be incorporating them in, naturally! One of my new years resolutions for 2014 is to take better care of myself and my appearance (in an MSE way, of course!- eg sales, charity shops, using the bits I already have, got some lovely new makeup for christmas) :rotfl:

Have any of you got your resolutions ready yet?

Nothing to OP today as my bank balance is sitting at a round number, how unusual! xx

KolaKube

The wardrobe tidy out went well! Not as bad as I thought thankfully. A few pairs of smart trousers and a few cardis should do

Must otherwise resist the Jan sales lol.

I've started two new savings pots today - £10 a week to next years christmas fund, and a 'free for all' savings pot for little sister who goes to uni this September, would be nice to send her off with a little cash but would prefer if we didnt notice it out of the monthly budget!

x

KolaKube

Hi everyone! LO is taking a random lie in this morning so I'm having a cuppa in bed and organising myself... :beer:

The little box at the bottom of the mortgage online saying how much in total you have OPed has disappeared not a bother for now but I need to keep better track in case I get anywhere near the 10% without penalty (unlikely!). Continuing to round my account down to the nearest fiver this month, then next month when I'm back to full pay I can step things up!

We have selected a lovely bathroom suite (loo / sink), and got £100 off in the Jan sales, just need to collect it but they hadn't put it out for us when we went on new years eve - Friday it will be ready apparently. Nice non-70s bathroom is creeping ever closer!

To Do list:
- washing / ironing 2 loads
- put away yesterdays ironing lol
- Sweep and mop
- Swish bathroom
- Scrub down the wheely bins with the power hose
- Sort out storage room, break down changing table and move it in there to act as shelves for the baby things lol (won't fit through the door!)
- Tidy OHs study as I'm fed up of just having to keep the door shut
- Put away my / OHs xmas gifts which are both sitting in 2 heaps
- Sweep out garage for OH as he has hurt his arm
- Coat of gloss to the garage windows if theres a good weather day
- Ideally give storage room / cupboard a quick lick of paint while its empty

- friends for coffee today at 11am
- Grocery shopping
- birthday presents for nephew (3) and MIL

- call work to try and get a copy of the rota
- organise some training that I need to get back into work
- call defence union and reinstate cover
- Look into booking 2 professional exams for late in the year (£££!)
- Shop for the work clothes needed to complete work wardrobe

- Wash and hoover out both cars
- call mechanic to look at cars wheel bearings before MOT
- Book MOT (by 10th Feb)

So just a few things to get on with today then :rotfl: I'll let you know how I get on!
x

pavlovs_dog

Feel tired reading that list. I'm sat on my bum in front of the tv trying to convince myself to take the chrimble decs down!

Pearla*Merle

Great clothes haul, Kola! I've just been doing a big sort out of my stuff as well, it makes such a difference reacquainting yourself with what you've got and picking up a few nice new pieces (must get myself down the charity shops!). I'd completely forgotten how much brighter I feel just popping on some sparkly earrings or wearing clothes that still have some sort of shape left :rotfl:

KolaKube

Pearla, you are so right! Nipping into town to meet a friend for lunch tomorrow (naughty naughty, but this is my last week of mat leave so I'm trying to make the most of it, and will pick a cheap option!) and I'll aim to fill the wardrobe gaps then. Will be spending a lot of time in my work clothes <sob> so it would be nice if they fit :rotfl:

Got a lot of my little jobs done the other day, but still have most of the garage stuff left to do, and need to get MILs birthday present still.

OH got his car tax renewal in the door today, not great timing as we have so much other car stuff to pay this month, but never mind - this year I am determined to save up for the annual car stuff in a SEPARATE account so it can't be dipped into if other areas run low. Currently we have a piggybank accounts system online but its all instant access - I think I'd rather have it out of sight out of mind

Have started two savings tins - one for xmas 2014, and one sister off to uni in September. As much as I'll be offering to pay for ongoing things for her, as my parents funded me and I'd like to ease the pressure on them now they're nearing retirement, it would be nice to hand her a cash gift before she goes too as I know shes worried about it (and saving up hard herself). I'll aim to save about £500 up in each tin by the year, but will focus on sisters tin for the first 6 months, then the xmas tin. So thats £20 a week or so. Might get one of those lovely ceramic pots that has to be smashed so theres no temptation to dip in lol I wonder do they do a uni fund one... *goes off for a quick google*

OP wise I continue my daily account round down, and will hopefully be making my first 'proper' OP from Januarys wage. Excited!

Doing a little back to work planning over the next week - I work a hefty rota with lots of additional random shifts / night shifts, and a lot of weekends. Routine will be out the window. Poor OH will be working full time 2 hours away, and in charge of LO solo at nights / weekends. Need to ease the burden somehow and mind the budget, which I think = stocking up the freezer / batch cooking, and getting a laundry routine down. Cleaning wise - a few friends in the same job have a cleaner, at £30 a week... tempting but I think I'd rather OP that £120 and try to keep on top of things myself. I don't iron unless absolutely necessary so that won't be a problem :rotfl: Its only for 6 months then I should be in an 8-6pm job with only the odd on-call from then on.

Thinking about TTC again, are we mad?
xx

System

If you want to concentrate on the mortgage and the next six months are going to be stressful maybe put off TTC until next year? You're only just going back to work and it may just be more stress than you need if you're hoping to be in the early stages of pregnancy soon.

Well done on getting organised, lots of great ideas about meal planning and routine! Perhaps the Flylady thread on 'Old Style Moneysaving' can give you some tips? They usually post a cleaning list Monday-Friday so at the least you could look in once a week and see if there is anything you may have forgotten that needs to be done (they give reminders about smoke alarms and lots of important little bits I often forget when busy).

usually just a lurker here so hope you didn't mind a post

KolaKube

Of course not! Welcome! flylady is a bit too rigid for me but I ike the idea of using their lists! TTC has added financial complication for me as I'll only get enhanced maternity pay for the next 2 years... plus we'd love another ! Xx

KolaKube

Evening all! I'm in bed with the electric blanket on writing this :j OH is out at the cinema so I am taking the opportunity to have a little organise.

As we have decided (together) that a meal plan really is the best way forward with regards to shift working, I have just spent a grand total of £29.19 on my online shop! Got OH involved in picking the meals out so it wasn't just a meal plan dictatorship lol. Using up some bits and pieces this week, then OH has come up with some nice ideas for the week after (herb crusted gammon anyone?). We had plenty of fruit etc in so I don't expect to spend so little other weeks, but still I'm chuffed. Helps I think that LO is going onto cows milk now, so no automatic £16 on two boxes of formula before we even start...:rotfl:

Bathroom floor tiles purchased today - for the princely sum of £7 per m2 and they are very similar to ones going for much much more, so we are pleased with those. Need to find the wall tiles now. We would like to have all the bathroom bits gathered and ready by this months payday so we can get on with having it put in bath coming on the 22nd.

I know I should have done this long ago, but I'm planning to go through things tonight and see how much we need to put away monthly for big annual expenses to get ahead. I have a monthly figure to set aside for each, but as we never got ahead of things in the first place and they're at different times throughout the year its not working just setting aside a monthly amount. I'd like to be ahead of them all this year, and then thereafter the monthly amount thing should work lol. Quite a few of mine are work related, then its car stuff eg £200 work fee coming out in April, so I need to set aside from Jan / Feb / Mar pay for that. £500 in August, so need to split that over Jan-July pay...

Here I go!

KolaKube

Work fee one - £220 April. So thats £73 out of Jan/Feb/March pay, then £18.33 a month thereafter.
Work fee two - £96 August. So thats £13.71 from Jan-July, then £8 a month thereafter.
Work fee three - £390 August. So that's £55.71 from Jan-July, then £32.50 thereafter.

Car insurance - approx £1000 (2 cars, neither of us driving long) end of Feb. So really thats £500 a month Jan/Feb, then £83 a month thereafter. This may change depending on what deal I can get!

Car tax - both are recently paid for 6 months, so OHs will be due again in August (£110) and mine in May (£115). So thats £30 a month for me until May, then £20 thereafter. And £15 a month until August for OH, then £18 thereafter.

Car breakdown cover - £60 November. So £6 a month until Oct, then £5 a month

Car MOTs - £36 each, one Feb (so Jans pay, one November), so £9.60 until Nov, then £6 a month.

Service fees - how long is a piece of string! Both older cars with things going wrong weekly lol. We're hoping to replace one in November this year now if money allows. Sounds terrible, but I think realistically we need to allow going on for £50 a month with the hope that they cost us less which can go into the new car fund... Still waiting on the bill for OHs car from October. Mine is up for MOT in Feb so getting those bits done over the next few weeks too. Ouch!

New car fund - would love to have £6-7K saved by November. Unlikely given that we have a lot of house expense coming up and are also trying to save and OP! So thats £700 a month-ish, if we can spare it - serious ££... will have to have a really good think on this one, I know you all gave me good advice on it before.

Other expenses we have coming up are 3 weddings this year (2 in England!), one here in NI (2x April, 1x Sept) so I will need to keep those on my radar. I may not get the leave to go anyway, but just in case.

2x professional exams I'd need to get on with - totalling approx £1000

My head is fried. Have I forgotten any big obvious annual expenses anyone? We do our home insurance etc monthly for now xx