The march to financial freedom

Ali-OK

It's certainly turned colder here today, so I've pushed the heating up to 20C and it's been on all day. In previous years, it would be be 22-23C, so still making a small saving in comparison.

Financials:
- bank account checked
-freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints - up to 56
- Nectar Canvass - filtered out of 2 biggies (100 & 120 pts) and 1 littley (40) which was disappointing
- Nectar Card value - up to £31.90. Struggling sometimes to find where the points have come from in the list, as not shopping in SB
- Inbox Pounds - up to £8.98 - have to get that to £9 tonight!

- Zapper - All items checked in now - 1 DVD needs a repair (box or disc - I don't remember anything wrong with it though) but they take 10p off for that, but DS's book that I mentioned yesterday as a concern, they have rejected, ashame as that was £1.49 worth. So a cheque is being issued for £24.08. Not too shabby at all. They do say anything raised from rejected items goes to charity.

The pile I had for MM I've now put into Zapper and they've offered on the majority of those, so I now need to go through all the book piles again and see if there's more to make up another box load.

The study is looking better and since I can sit properly at my desk, I've also noticed my back seems to be better. Might be coincidence, but I don't feel the need to see the Osteo - so that's £80 saved from not going in December or January.

Healthwise, I'm having some ongoing problems related to the menopause. I was unlucky to start it early (genetics like my Mum and Nan who both started it pre-40 years old) and whilst I tried HRT last year (2 items on prescription every 3 months :eek:) I wasn't quite ready. I think I'm going to have to look at it again as the symptoms are increasing and are various (gone past hot flush stage thank goodness ), but there is one HRT that is 1 prescription charge, so will ask about the suitability of it. I tried a phyto-oestrogen diet and off the shelf items last year, but no improvement.

Spent £5.50 today on e-cig juice that should last 6 weeks and 60p on parking, getting a space on a side street rather than a town car park.

DS has a friend coming over straight from school on Thursday so I might change our meal plan round with baked pots tomorrow night and spag bol on Thursday. A safe bet for visitors!

Using up the last of the LO Gammon tonight in a suet clanger with potato and onion.

Thoughts for February debt payment (CC and car payment) are taking shape to include Zapper and eBay income - think I can beat January's £534.27 and make it £554.27. :j Maybe more, as I'll add what's leftover from last Jan grocery spend which will be tomorrow night.

Definitely no January blues here and hope everyone has had a good day.

Ali-OK

We might get snow here today :j Well, mixed with rain and sleet, but it's nice to get excited about something we generally miss out on (except for driving in it).

I've been out today and the car temp says 4C, but heating is off and I'm quite warm at 18C. That'll be the thermal top and leggings helping (ssh..don't tell the clients :rotfl:)

I did the Ald! food shop en route home as it's 4 miles each way otherwise, so saved some fuel. Spent £12.83, bringing January's grocery spend total to £91.17. Pleased with that, but was so tempted to get extra stuff today as there were a fair few offers including Christmas items. 6 pts of milk has gone down 1p to £1.48 as well.

I also popped into the bank and paid another £55 off CC2 - made up of eBay sale that was cash on collection £20, leftover grocery budget rounded up to £10, and £25 from DS as I'd paid for something he wanted with my monthly CC and kept the money separate. I can cover that from my bank account. So CC2 is now down to £5,500. :j

Meal plan for next week:

Sun - Pork steaks with roast trimmings
Mon - Cheese and Onion potato cakes with veg
Tue - Chicken pie, mash and veg
Wed - Sausage casserole
Thur - Turkey curry, rice and naan bread
Fri - Fish fingers, chips and peas
Sat - Chilli, rice and garlic bread

This may change if I can persuade DS to try sweet'n'sour pork or a cheese and bacon quiche. Alternatively, we'll end up with different meals on the same night, which used to be a frequent occurrence.

I need to re-do the freezer inventory as the move from bought processed foods to more home-baking means I've run out of room for new things on the sheet. Certainly seeing some changes for the better on our eating habits.

Apart from checking my bank account this morning, nothing to report on the financials yet, I'll do those later.

I'd better get on with some work, want to invoice it for this month!

mizmir

Wow - you are going great guns with this! Well done on the debt payments and great to see things improving on the meal front. I do find meal planning so helpful.

Hope you sort out the menopausal symptoms - you have my sympathies. I launched into it overnight 3 years ago when I had to have an emergency hysterectomy. A bit of a shock! Thankfully I think I had it relatively easy and things have now settled down without much intervention - though I have found if I increase my sugar intake it all comes back! So I limit myself which is good for me overall I think. Hope they find something to improve things for you.

Ali-OK

Thanks Mizmir, though sounds pretty traumatic how you hit the menopause. I've had symptoms for about 5 years - mistaking the hot flushes for work stress at the time. I went to the GP with these other symptoms and blood tests revealed the count had 'fallen off a cliff' as he put it. I didn't appreciate quite how big a role oestrogen plays other than the obvious

Meal planning is great - DS has got used to being told what is for dinner and not saying 'I don't fancy that, what else is there?' and has taken an interest in cooking at the weekend too.

It's a great feeling paying unexpected bits off like today. Hope I can keep doing lots more of that too.

Ali-OK

The other financials update for today:

- bank account checked
-freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints - still on 56
- Nectar Canvass - nothing new
- Nectar card value - £31.90 still
- Inbox Pounds - £9.42 with some more oddments done which will get credited tomorrow.

Got a watcher on the re-listed eBay item though start price is only £2.50, but it'll be better than nothing if it sells and is collection only so no postage costs to worry about.

Am just waiting for feedback on the last eBay item from the weekend that I sold and then I'll move the proceeds from those 2 sales from PayPal to my account in readiness to pay off CC2.

Saturday's work seems to still be going ahead, so an extra billable bit that will kick-start February off.

February appointments and necessary spends are starting to build but all accounted for in the month's budget:

- Doglet No.2 booster jabs - £40 on 8/2
- Hygienist - £48 on 11/2
- DS school transport - £48 w/c 24/2.
- Car tax - £125 by 28/2

Got to get to end of Jan first and expect the couple of days left to be NSDs, though I will fill up with personal use petrol on Saturday first thing.

Roll on pay myself day!

Ali-OK

Ahhh, can finally sit down for the rest of the evening now and do my daily update.

Feeling a bit flat today but no idea why - maybe combo of more dreary weather and tiredness. Work has been good though and I've booked 3 more days across Feb and March.

Financials:
- bank account checked
- freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints - up to 70 there, haven't seen a double pointer for this week yet either
- Nectar card value - up to £31.99. Can I find where the 9p/18 points has come from? Nope - so frustrating!
- Inbox Pounds - up to £9.74. One of the video ads has cheeping birds on it, it is driving the Springer into a mad frenzy each day I get that, bless him.

- Have transferred £29.48 from PayPal/eBay sales to Current Account in readiness to add to CC2 payment next week, leaving enough to cover the fees.

I'm hunting out bone shape cutters for the HM dog biscuits and think I may order a set at the weekend. Seems to be a good choice on Amazon and will get plenty of use, as well as will double the amount made as my smallest cutter is still quite big.

Had a NSD too :j

Going to watch the Channel 5 programme on dog food shortly, so time to put the kettle on and settle down with a box of Choccie Brazils, courtesy of my Christmas stocking. Still 4 other boxes of chocolate to go after that :rotfl:

Hope everyone has had a good day.

mooomin

You should be able to check your statement for Nectar in date order and see where they've been added...

Ali-OK

Thanks Moo - will be doing some closer scrutinising.

Value's gone up to £32.99 this morning - British Gas have credited another 200 - that's 1000 points since October. Think I must get £20 a year equivalent, but still be more prudent to move suppliers and save £20 a month instead

Monthly credit card has rolled over and 89 points to be credited from that as well.

XL Turkey cost is now covered

mizmir

I think the weather is responsible for a lot of dreary thoughts at the moment - it is hard to be enthusiastic when it is SOOOOO grey and wet out. But gratitude thought - we are waterlogged and muddy but not flooded - it could be so much worse.

Have to say the bone shaped cutters are fab! OH gave me mine years ago and I have never used them (think there was a dog biscuit recipe book with them - must see if I can find it!). I love the fact that there are different sizes so I can make big "treat" biscuits as well as the normal little ones. Next to try different flavours - we have peanut butter in the house so that will be next - and maybe some liver. Will put tinned fish on next week's shopping list - think that will be good. Though I suspect these won't keep as well.

What did you think of the programme? I haven't watched it yet - planning to watch over my lunchtime.

Ali-OK

You're right there Mizmir, it must be devastating to be flooded and those poor people in Somerset stranded in their island of a village for a month - we are lucky indeed.

Your photo inspired the looking at a set of cutters with differing sizes and hope the new flavours go well. Hopefully I'll make some more this Sunday - will try some cheese as loads grated that's in the freezer currently then head for those pilchards!

The dog food programme was interesting - a variety of views as expected. I'm still none the wiser really which is best overall, but seems the industry might come to a bit of a head for change at some point soon-ish. Our 2 seem happy and healthy on dry kibble generally, but often I'll mix in/substitute some for what we have from rice, veg, tit-bits of meats.

Would be very interested in your thoughts with your profession and feeding raw.