The march to financial freedom

Rollercoaster_Rach · 10 March 2014 at 1:40PM

Hope the headaches have improved today Ali.......
As usual you are achieving vast quantities of stuff! x

RRxx

millionaire_in_training · 10 March 2014 at 11:51PM

Hope your head is better Ali. I need to try and make potato cakes , we call them tatty scones, as my kids love them. I'm away to look at recipes just now xx

Ali-OK · 11 March 2014 at 12:22AM

Thanks both. Head not quite so bad today which is good news.

A good work day here and have booked some more into this month. There's a few days free towards the end for more billable work and am already over target if everything booked comes good, so am happy with that so far. Fingers crossed, as I want to get the emergency fund back up to £3k.

The 7 days free car insurance with the new car was arranged today and the car itself arrived at the dealers :j They'll PDI, register with DVLA, do plates, the tax disc (bizarre but still need one even for zero band) and after-market accessories. Getting slightly excited now and need to find time tomorrow to clear the stuff out of my current car :j

Financials:
- A NSD - seems awhile since once of those
- bank account checked
- freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints - new week and just 21 points
- Nectar search - 36/100
- Nectar card - moved on up to £42.24
- Inbox Pounds - up to £20.21. Been too busy to do much there
- Qmee - nothing extra today

Roast duck was scrummy, having LO tomorrow in a stir fry with noodles, but need to buy those first! Forgot in weekly shop.

Made double choc chunk muffins tonight - delicious. Finally have something sweet in the house to munch on.

Not much else to report today. Electrician friend is replacing my outside lights for free bless him, as long as there is tea on tap. That's a given here

Late night for me...best I get to bed

mizmir · 11 March 2014 at 2:06PM

Hi Ali

Sorry for being AWOL. You've been busy! Sympathies on the lights - sounds like a lot of hassle but YAY for electrician friends who like their tea! :coffee:

Glad headache's easing - they are no fun.

Muffins - yum! Making me hungry now.

Ali-OK · 11 March 2014 at 8:31PM

Hi Miz - Good to see you back, but sorry to read some heavy expenses hitting this month. Hope your mouth is ok after the work at the dentist today. Fab news on the JV, fingers crossed for success with that.

Thanks to MIT, I'm going to try and load a photo of the muffins later...drool, dool

So, birthday girl today and DS bought me choccies. I use the term 'bought' loosely as I picked them up in Ald! a while back for £2.95. DS took one look, decided he liked the selection within and would therefore give them to me for my birthday. This is so he can 'try one for me' and 'help me eat them' :rotfl::rotfl: Cheeky monkey!!

I tried to use the 250 birthday bonus nectar points to buy the stairs vacuum (that is £10 cheaper with Sburys online than Argos surprisingly) - just hope it tracks ok. That was £49.99 but Mum will pay me back for that.

I've received some money, a gorgeous tray of locally made bath goodies, a pretty crafted box, a bottle of wine and lots of lovely cards.

Having put all my Xmas money towards debt, I may keep a little of this money for a treat. Not sure yet.

A normal working day though and managed to clear the car out of everything in readiness for tomorrow.

Dinner was meant to be LO duck stir fry with noodles, but didn't get chance to buy the noodles, so brought the meal plan forward and we had LO duck in pitta breads with HM wedges. All the duck has been eaten up now - quite disappointed in comparison to the Ald! duck we had at Xmas in terms of meat, though this was a YS Gressingham Duck, so can't complain. Will pick something out of the freezer for tomoz eve I think.

Financials:
- Bank account checked
- freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints - few more ads available so up to 36 points now
- Nectar Canvass - nothing more there today
- Nectar Search - up to 46/100
- Nectar card value same at £42.24.
- Inbox Pounds - a little more and up to £20.36. Thinking I should request the payout now as I seem more motivated when it's back at zero again!
- Qmee - another 10p, total £2.38

Off to Ald! shortly to do the weekly shop. We don't need much so hoping £15 will be plenty with the big shop last week.

Birthday celebrations (with HM cake courtesy of my nephew baking it) will be tomorrow night with family as everyone wants to see the new car. They'll be here early eve to see it in daylight

Lots to do tomorrow - take gas reading for changeover, elec meter being changed from 2 reading to single reading one and collecting the car. Work as well! Going to be a busy day.

Will be back later to post on others diaries/catch up and get that piccie up of the muffins!

Hope everyone has had a good day.

Ali-OK · 11 March 2014 at 10:06PM

Yay, the choccie muffins! :rotfl:

Ald! shop done and spent £11.16, of which £2.79 was for Oven Brite cleaning kit - a job I've needed to do since Christmas and I think this is the cheapest I've come across. Will update grocery budget here and on the thread. Pleased with that as keeps me on track for the month.

Ali-OK · 12 March 2014 at 3:53PM

Lots of shiny new things today

- Shiny new car is on the driveway. :j How techno are they though these days :eek: It has hill assist, stop/start and all sorts of things I haven't got a clue about :rotfl: 4 wheels and a steering wheel is all I wanted. Pleased to report it has those too and drives beautifully.

I took in one of my choc chip muffins for the sales guy - he was starving bless him as had been handing over new cars every hour on the hour since 9am - my appt was at midday.

- Shiny new electricity meter has just been installed :j Single rate and I took down the end of life readings on the last one (as did the fitter) and also the new meter isn't quite brand new...it has a start number of 00835 units on it...so I will be keeping a very close eye that I don't get charged for those. This now means I can start the switching process to a cheaper supplier too :j

- Shiny new gas supplier. :j Took gas reading first thing this morning and emailed that off. Current supplier have already closed down my account. Talk about a way to say bye-bye :rotfl:

Financials:
- bank account checked
- freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints - not looked yet
- Nectar Canvass - a survey to do if I'm quick!
- Nectar Search - same as last night at 46/100 - will do more of those later
- Nectar card - same at £42.24. No sign of bonus points or purchase tracking for Sburys yesterday.
- Inbox Pounds - little increase to £20.59
- Qmee - another 5p, total £2.43

Off to fill new car with familiar bits and enjoy the sunshine.

Work...erm...well apart from booking in a billable meeting on a Saturday (all extra for the cause :j ) I've not done alot so far. Will catch up on that tomorrow.

Electrician friend will be here next Wednesday fingers crossed to replace the garden lights.

I've banked my birthday money too, it's probably going towards emergency fund/debt, though I would like to keep £20 back to get some new sandals this year. Mine are rather tatty and years old.

Haircut and eyebrow thread have been added to the To Do list as well.

Hope everyone has got this lovely sunshine too and having a good day.