The march to financial freedom

Rollercoaster_Rach

I would defo say I didn't want it but was an idiot and checked receipt at home after I stuck my finger in the jar haha! Won't be caught again....don't have Ald! near me...not fair!

RRx

Ali-OK

Rollercoaster_Rach wrote: »

I would defo say I didn't want it but was an idiot and checked receipt at home after I stuck my finger in the jar haha! Won't be caught again....don't have Ald! near me...not fair!

RRx

Oops! Have to treat it as extra special face cream - with some 'I'm worth it' posing :rotfl:

Shame no Aldi nearby

Ali-OK

I'm a right plonker! I put a NSD in my post yesterday tea time and in the same mouthful was going to Morries! Doh!

Good news time - some post arrived today :j 3 bits of junk mail :rotfl:

Sent £400 to CC2 online this morning and got 2 x £2 coins in the grocery change last night, so have swapped those with change in the tin, so there's now another £40 ready to go. I really need to add another £10 to that as it'll take me down another notch to being under £11k. :j

I've been so focussed on the small bits, I've not looked at the bigger picture for awhile, but my spreadsheet tells me that:

At the start of October I owed £14,860.94 and after car payment this month and the extra £50 I'll owe £10,999.59. :j I'm allowing myself a little 'whoop whoop'

Right, back to earth and meal planning and grocery shopping!

Meal plan done and looks like this:

Sat - Chilli, rice and garlic bread
Sunday - braising steak and veg
Monday - Cheese & Onion potato cakes and veg
Tues - Sausage casserole (instead of this week, having Cottage Pie instead)
Wed - Spaghetti bolognaise
Thur - Cottage Pie and veg
Fri - HM burgers in rolls and chips

I've been to Ald!'s and overspent :eek: £26.26.

£10.05 is big bag of dog food and a stock of dental sticks
£1.49 is honey for Mum

There are a few things that are stock items so will last longer than the week, so hopefully the month will still pan out ok. Though I didn't add anything extra for half term week in the budget. Uh-oh! I'll just close the kitchen due to decorating so DS can't raid cupboards :rotfl:

Other financials:
- bank account checked
- Nectar card no change at £33.69
- Inbox Pounds - I was on there at 7am watching 8p videos and am up to £14.06. Surveys and tasks still to do.

Work - ahem, not got as far as I should have by now, so must crack on this afternoon after updating grocery thread.

Hope everyone is having a frugal day and taking care in this awful weather again.

mizmir

That is brilliant debt reduction Ali - well done. Shows that when you focus on the "small" stuff the big stuff sorts itself! You're absolutely right to challenge Ford - it all adds up and better in your purse than their coffers!

Ali-OK

Thanks Mizmir - you're right there - there's that old saying of 'look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves' - how true it is.

I might change my sig around as I can't see the overall level of progress from it.

The Ford phone chat should be interesting If they go though their paperwork with a calculator they'll soon see what I can see! I think it's a little cheeky ruse.

Madchickenlady

Well done with your debt reduction this week, I ahave been really impressed with most of what Aldi sells, I can't do my whole shop there but can buy bulk items like wash powder and cat food for much less than Sbs were charging. I am checking out Iceland next week because they deliver which is a godsend for me as I don't drive. Hope you have a good week

Ali-OK

Hi Madchickenlady and thanks for popping in :wave:

I'm ever so slightly chuffed with my debt reduction, but still a long way to go - hoping to be debt-free by December 15, though spreadsheet plan is telling me March 16.

I hope Iceland works out well for you plus the delivery service will be a big help. You've reminded me we've got one in town and I'd forgotten about them completely. I may pop in there to see how prices compare when I'm next that way.

Yay for Ald!

beanielou

Another Ald! fan here.
I am currently running my freezer down so may then plan a wee trip to !celand.

Ali-OK

I can see the bottom of our half chest freezer now, so I'm either going to up my March grocery budget and fill it up (to keep it cheaper to run) or switch it off and just use the kitchen fridge/freezer.

Undecided - in part because the inbuilt kitchen one has been playing up I think - it's not as noisy as it was and I'm sure it's not as cold in either part, yet nothing has defrosted. Hmm...looks like a test job by moving everything to the chest freezer, defrosting completely and starting again

Decisions, decisions....:D

Ali-OK

A quieter work day today, so I used the opportunity to pop to the bank and pay that £50 off CC2 - I WILL be below £11k on 21st when the car payment goes out.

I've taken the extra £10 from the presents budget, as no birthdays to buy for this month and even with the high number in March, I've got a couple of gifts from the sales purchases put away that I'll be using.

Financials:
-Bank account checked
-freepostcodelottery checked
-Nectar adpoints - 5 more and up to 67. Last week's haven't been transferred to my nectar card yet, widespread problem.
-Nectar canvass - 2 x 60 pointers done
-Nectar search - up to 30, so slightly ahead of the 4 a day which is good
-Nectar card value - with the surveys credited, I'm now at £34.28
-Inbox Pounds is up to £14.70 - I'm hoping I'll hit the magic £20 in a week or so and can then request payout :j

I also ordered a set of dog bone cutters yesterday via eBay, so I'll get a few nectar points for that too.

More post today, which was the hopi candles, going to try those shortly with the help of DS and also the business bank statement arrived. Jan accounts are all printed, reconciled and filed

DB was here last night and took the honey for Mum, he's also taking her to hospital tomorrow as she's been called in for a scan following her stay the other week.

Oh and I have to move my hygienist appointment yet again due to work schedule changes - I don't like doing that, but when SE, have to put the income first.

Was looking forward to a Saturday lie-in, then realised it's doglet No.2 boosters at 9.15am! What an earth made me book that so early? Need to give my brain cell a good talking to! :rotfl:

Hope everyone has had a good day