Overpaying £100 at a time

yukkibear

wrote a long post and lost it!!!!!!!!

I've been working hard on extra job and managed to stow enough away for two extra OP's but I'm not going to OP it because the cash flow is bad in the bank accounts and I need to get back on top of the budgets again to regain control. Car tax and xmas isn't a good mix.

yukkibear

Wow where did that six weeks go? I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas / Happy Holidays depending on how you celebrate it.

We had a great time. I learnt a very valuable lesson this year! I spend too much on Christmas. The house is bulging with food and drink, so hopefully our supermarket spends will be low in Jan.

2014? For us that is going to bring a lifestyle change. I'm going to be brave and make tough decisions when it would be easier to cop out and continue on as normal.

I'm starting with the supermarket spends, and keeping a record of that, collating more recipes to keep as staple meals that we all enjoy.

A good clear out is on the cards with hopefully some income that will help with the mortgage OP's.

We have a big trip planned for next summer, one that I am really looking forward to, will be a trip of a lifetime and splurges will be made during it, but I also checked the mortgage balances just now and they are sitting so close to 90k together that it would be rude not to at least attempt 10k from the mortgage by this time next year wouldn't it?

I include our savings in this total so OP and saving will accumulate to the amount. Obviously the bigger mortgage will get the OP's.

pavlovs_dog

yukkibear wrote: »

I'm starting with the supermarket spends, and keeping a record of that, collating more recipes to keep as staple meals that we all enjoy.

something we trialled last year which I'm looking to start again for 2014 is 2 envelopes in the coffee cupboard, one labelled food and the other petrol. All receipts were stashed away and tallied at the end of the month.

Looking forward to following your progress, there's something so easy psychologically about £100 chunks isn't there?

CathT

pavlovs_dog wrote: »

something we trialled last year which I'm looking to start again for 2014 is 2 envelopes in the coffee cupboard, one labelled food and the other petrol. All receipts were stashed away and tallied at the end of the month.

Looking forward to following your progress, there's something so easy psychologically about £100 chunks isn't there?

I might try that, we have an account specifically for food and petrol but the money doesn't last the month. I even toyed with the idea of being old fashioned and taking the money out of bank and putting in envelopes. I always think you spend less when you can physically see how much you have.

We have so much food yukkibear and spent far too much but got swept away with it all!

pavlovs_dog

we need to get back into cheap eats night (hearty HM soup, something on toast, jacket spud) once a week. I also fancy getting more adventurous with vegetarian food.

Need to be much more disciplined about using up the 'bargains' that have lurked in the stores since the day they were bought. Have enough red curry sachets from approved food to feed the 5000. How many red curries have I cooked?

0 :whistle:

gallygirl

pavlovs_dog wrote: »

Have enough red curry sachets from approved food to feed the 5000. How many red curries have I cooked?

0 :whistle:

Disgraceful pd. Even I've managed to cook 1 from my stash :rotfl:.

PS - want any couscous to go with it :whistle:

pavlovs_dog

gallygirl wrote: »

Disgraceful pd. Even I've managed to cook 1 from my stash :rotfl:.

PS - want any couscous to go with it :whistle:

Actually the cous cous is the only thing from that order that I think we HAVE eaten in its entirety. I used to have it with salad in my lunch boxes

Could trade you some quinoa though?

gallygirl

pavlovs_dog wrote: »

Actually the cous cous is the only thing from that order that I think we HAVE eaten in its entirety. I used to have it with salad in my lunch boxes

Could trade you some quinoa though?

No quinoa here. Had enough grains to last a lifetime :rotfl:

cookie9

I think your idea of £100 is great and think I may try this too as our nursery fees should be going down a bit so can use this towards op.

Christmas is a killer not so much in terms of presents which we managed to budget better this year but the food treats. Not helped by shopping in W@itrose whilst ill with no shopping list. :eek:

Looking forward to keeping up with your diary.

CRISPIANNE3

We have been stuck on a fixed rate at 4.89 percent and finishes September 2015. We have money in our savings account paying 3% so have started overpaying our mortgage by £1500 per month (3 products) and should be MF when the fixed rate finishes.