The march to financial freedom

beanielou

You have had a busy day

Ali-OK

beanielou wrote: »

You have had a busy day

I'm feeling it now - think if I sat in the armchair I'd fall asleep :rotfl:

School uniform and bags are ready with packed lunch and PE kit, DS is out of the bath and I've taken leftover pigs in blankets from Christmas out of the freezer - will put those into the Toad in the Hole tomorrow night. The freezer inventory is making a big difference as I bet I'd have forgotten they were lurking!

Just need to motivate myself into getting back on the eBay wagon next

Rollercoaster_Rach

Hi Ali :wave:

Just wanted to pop by to say how well motivated you are! I hope some will rub off on me!:rotfl::rotfl:

Take care
RR x

Ali-OK

Hi Rach :wave:

Thanks for popping in :j

I live by lists and feels good to cross something off, I keep finding excuses to not add eBay to it though

Got a bit of a debt-busting lull going on until the car payment goes out on the 21st, so have started on Inbox Pounds - up to £2.63 already

Onwards and upwards

mooomin

What are cheese and onion potato cakes? They sound interesting

Ali-OK

mooomin wrote: »

What are cheese and onion potato cakes? They sound interesting

I would describe them as a DS invention in the making, to be perfected :rotfl::rotfl:

This is how we made them:

1 med onion - chopped up small
3 med potatoes, chopped and boiled
1 med carrot, chopped and boiled (optional, DS liked it for the colour combination)
good handful of grated cheese

Beaten up egg to dip them into
Plate of breadcrumbs (I used both ends of a white loaf in the cupboard)

Melt a bit of butter in pan and soften onion
Boil potatoes and chopped carrot
Mash pots and carrots when cooked, mix in onion and grated cheese

Hand shape into patties/cakes
Brush (or dip) into beaten egg
Coat in breadcrumbs

I cooked on 180C until crunchy/golden brown. They did look more like rock cake shape rather than the fishcake shape I was aiming for, as could have done with being a bit drier in consistency (I added a bit of butter to the mash and regretted it), but we tucked into one and DS gave it a big thumbs up (I did too, so they're ok really :rotfl:)

mizmir

Hi Ali - I am also a returner to DFW after an absence - big debts still to clear but am enjoying inspiration from the diaries. Will be subscribing and following your progress!

Ali-OK

Good to have another returner onboard, I thought I might be kicked off with tail between legs for getting into debt again :rotfl: .

I've been jumping up and down to post my update day, as yes, you guessed it, the mortgage update letter arrived :j:j:j confirmed what I owe (as in sig) and that my interest has reduced by.....wait for it... £1.79. :rotfl: Not quite as much as I hoped, however, it's plugged into the spreadsheet and I've changed the interest SO for end of Jan and set up a capital payment of a stretching £705 for 3rd Feb. I own 48.94% of my house, so that's downstairs excluding the cloakroom . I should maybe charge for it's use to speed up ownership - DS not impressed :rotfl:

There is danger here though - ex's maintenance for DS tends to stop after every 6 months and it takes a couple of geeing up emails from me and roughly 6 weeks for him to start it again for the next 6 months (so he in effect only pays 10 months). It is due to happen next month, ie. I may not get his payment on 1st Feb (well 3rd as a Mon), but the emergency fund will support it, so I won't be in dire straits if that happens. It's the last bit of control ex has and he uses it even at that distance. :mad:

As ex departed the UK for pastures new in recent years and maint was done amicably prior to that, I'm up creek without a paddle if he stops paying as can't go via CSA. Doesn't fit into the REME (abroad) category either.

Onto happier things....

Picked up the Flash in Wilkos, parked for free as left car at client site and walked

Paid tax bill _pale_

Bought the needed foundation and lipstick in Boots. On buy 1, get one half price and used the £3 off voucher, so quite a good saving from £22 down to £14.25 and got my points too.

I popped into SB's for the chopped tomatoes and top up of tomato sauce - spent £1.18, but £1 in Luncheon vouchers, so just the 18p out of my purse and also had a double nectar points voucher Will update grocery spends and thread shortly.

I filled up with 'personal use' petrol today too - had a double nectar points voucher for that as well, plus a 9p a litre off fuel courtesy of DB last week. They get alot of them as they've got at least 1 of their 4 cars insured with SB, but only 1 car gets much use! So a welcome bonus for me - spent £27.94. Budget is £35.50.

Whilst in town, decided that with lower fuel cost than budget and personal spends being fairly stable, that I would pay £20 off the CC in branch. So CC 2 now down to £5555.00.

So quite a spendy day, but great to have not paid out full price for anything.

Other financials:
-Bank account checked
-freepostcodelottery checked
-Nectar adpoints - thank goodness for Moomin's post jogging my memory - did them whilst dinner was cooking in the oven, though forgot to switch on the accompanying veg :rotfl: - 59 points and the cooled down toad in the hole hidden by piping hot gravy

Nectar Canvass - not looked at that today
Nectar search bar - up to 57 points
Nectar card - a flurry of activity with BG points, adpoints and canvass has pushed it up to a healthy £26.63 - or £27.25 according to the petrol receipt

If you read this far, well done

Ali-OK

And the forgotten bit for today is....

Joined InboxPounds - up to £3.34

mizmir

Wow - I am exhausted just reading all this! :rotfl: Well done - you sound like you are on top of things and making good progress.

Looks like there are some new free money making sites out there to find out about since I was last here.... freepostcodelottery and InBoxPounds?? I could do with all the help I can get - even pennies!