The march to financial freedom

Ali-OK

You are brilliant Moomin with all the extra pointers :A I might get a small joint instead if feasible cost wise. DS's fave roast is gammon so could keep the lamb back for another time. :beer:

Ali-OK

Another Friday, another food shop done including a gammon joint at £2.99 and 10 pack of chicken drums and thighs on offer at £2.49 - now bagged as 2s and in the freezer. Plus 3 bags of Yorkie puds for the 38 I'll need for the big lunch. I mostly make my own as needed and should look at whether home made ones are suitable for freezing.

Total cost £21.44 - over my weekly budget of £20, but under for the 3 weeks to date.

Left: £50.28 for 2 weeks.

I shouldn't need to buy any cleaning items or shop at Farm Foods for frozen bits during this month, which I tend to do in the 4 week months where there's a spare £20 to start with.

The Super-6 included Persimmons - immediately I thought they're giving away houses :rotfl: Had to google that when I got home

Meal plan will change with having the Gammon joint. I'm also excited to have found a small tin of pineapple pieces in the cupboard (SB Basics no less ), so will be using up the old bread for some gammon and pineapple toasted sandwiches in ye olde Breville sandwich toaster :rotfl: I'm such an 80's girl:D

Adpoints checked - no more for me to watch at the moment
freepostcodelottery checked
Bank account checked - monthly water meter payment gone out.

I've been thinking lots about 'if it's yellow, let it mellow' and discussed it with DS who thinks it's a disgusting idea. Ironic as it took years of nagging to get him to flush the toilet after he'd been :rotfl:

A quiet eve in prospect and a few phone calls to make to catch up with friends and family - unlimited calls in my package so no cost either.

And a NSD today other than the food shop. Hoping for a no spend weekend and should achieve that.

Edit to add: Jeez, my memory is bad - the sports car has it MOT on Sunday but paid upfront already, fingers crossed for a Pass.

Plus have banked the £20 of £1 coins and the £15 from cash4clothes. CC 1 statement should be visible online tomorrow and I can set up a payment for that to include the deposited £35.

Ali-OK

Brrr....it's so cold here today. Heating was on at the unnaturally early hour of 6am for a Saturday as up early to get DS to my Mum's so I could work today and it's billable. Maybe another half day out of it on 30th Nov :j

Picked up the delivered Xmas presents from Mum's too and she gave me £8 for the face cream I'd got in Aldi (profit of 4p ) so that's now back in the food bugdet envelope. DS got 3 weeks pocket money from her and wants to spend that online so must put that aside to bank for my monthly use and pay off CC.

Bank account checked and a payment for CC1 set up for £370 - lower than the £386 I planned but that's down to the x-rays at the dentist stealing that money.

My 4 eBay items total £41.50 at the moment and end tomorrow :T

I think I might also need more personal use fuel this month than planned - half term running around, 60 miles total for dropping/collecting DS from Mum's. Still, based on expected expenses (home as office etc) end of month should be looking at £2,100 left which is the Emergency Fund. The account pays 3% interest so I keep it there rather than moving it.

December is a short month (3 weeks) and Jan and Feb are usually a bit quieter work wise so I may need to dip into it anyway. Plus car tax is Feb and insurance for both cars in March (so will want to get rid of car 2 before that is due).

Whoopee - a triple point Nectar adpoints to watch. How enjoyable is Smurfs trailer at 6am? :rotfl: Up to 96 this week.

Some searches using nectar bar has borne 41 points this week so far.

I've checked my car paperwork too - £5806 (I'm going to query that as it should be £5805.32 according to my spreadsheet) is due on 21st April 14.

A bit behind on household tasks, but the washing line I put up last Sunday is not secure...this is when I could do with a man around.

Ali-OK

After reading quite a few negative reviews about Halfords, I was a bit concerned about my 8 year old (second) car going there for it's half-price MOT this morning - but it PASSED with flying colours, no advisories, no nothing :j I am soo pleased; relieved more like :rotfl:

I asked to view it being done rather than leaving it there and heading to window shop or go to the new Costa for the 45 minutes.

No unplanned spends yesterday or today, am rather pleased with myself for a weekend :j:j

Household tasks to catch up on for the rest of today. It's beautifully sunny out, so letting a bit of fresh air in, heating off and putting the airer on the patio to dry off the washing from yesterday.

Will redo my meal plan now we have the gammon joint, thinking:

Today - full roast dinner with it
Monday - gammon, chips and peas
Tuesday - a suet pastry dumpling with gammon, potato and onion in and veg. A savoury version of a Bedfordshire Clanger that my Nan used to make (and quick to cook using the microwave).

It might go further than that with just DS and I. Will see how we go.

Going to aim for 4/7 NSDs this week starting tomorrow (excluding DDs, budgeted shops like food and business expenses).

I've also got over half a tank of fuel in car number 2, so I am going to use some of that for personal use and not put anymore in car number 1 this month.

Ali-OK

A note to sanity check what I think are 'needs' and can I do any of these myself?

- Handyman - Retractable washing line securing to wall - I don't have the strength in my hands/arms to drill new holes that is needed for the replacement line - it fitted the old holes but has pulled the plug and screw out on first use. I have a cordless drill/screwdriver.

- Plumber - I have a dripping kitchen tap, I think it's a ceramic disc type one but I am only guessing. I am catching the drops in the bowl and using to water the pansies by the front door, but it's water I shouldn't be wasting. The springy push down/pop up bathroom sink plug is broken and needs repairing or probably replacing look at the number of bits its in.

- Handyman - The lounge door handle doesn't work and DS keeps getting stuck in the lounge. On second thoughts I could leave that :rotfl: I've looked for a direct replacement but cannot find one anywhere - the design seems to have been discontinued. I think the spring has gone.

- Handyman - One of the kitchen cupboard hinges has come out because the side spring seems to be too tight/stiff/not quite aligned right. It's one of those 'top box' ones with a 'stay'. It's been like it for years so I only keep hardly used things in there, but becoming a bug bear of mine now.

- Roof insulation for kitchen/utility - it's very cold in there unless the oven is on. Am keeping the door closed as much as poss but there are rads in both rooms without TRVs - such a waste of heat loss.

Ali-OK

Good things from yesterday to add:

- 4 eBay sales finished - £48.37, all to pay on collection. Fingers crossed they all come good.

- Lazy Ali found motivation from Ragstoricheswannabe thread and baked chocolate fairy cakes last night. DS approved and now appearing in his lunchbox.

- Gammon joint was delicious and tons left over. About to do dinner for tonight of gammon, new potatoes and veg.

Update for today to come later, have a hungry teenager on the prowl. When are they ever not? :rotfl:

Ali-OK

Heating on first thing for an hour - I like my shower first thing and a warm bathroom.

Even with thermal socks and 2 jumpers and a coat, the waiting at the transport stop for DS's bus meant I was cold through when I got home. Kept coat on for a while and heating off, as was going out for the morning to visit a friend for coffee.

The house was down at 16C when I got back - I was cold, seems the dogs were cold too, unheard of for them to sleep together and they were both in the big warm fleecy bed curled up against each other! Gave in and put the heating on to warm us all up, had some crumpets for lunch and then had some work to do on the computer. Finally switched the heating off about 4pm, though it seems to have warmed up quite a bit outside tonight albeit rainy and misty here too.

- Started this week's nectar adpoints - it's getting less with just 59 available and done. Search bar points up to 62 for the month.

- Checked bank account
- Checked freepostcode lottery
- Gammon for tea and a good thick slice left to cut up and put into dumplings tomorrow night and also a couple of thin slices for toasted sandwiches for me tomorrow lunchtime (if I have time as busy work day, but home is en route from first to second meeting and quite often I skip lunch).
- DS made some butter icing for last night's fairy cakes - down to 6 left now!
- I put our bins out for collection whilst it was still daylight today, save putting the 3 outside lights on.
- Being sensible with candles and have 4 dotted on around the room.

- Had a NSD but planning for a spendy one tomorrow, as realised I need to get some Xmas presents for DS to open/in his stocking. How could I forget . He's already had his main present joint with his birthday of a replacement laptop and I've got a few small things like 99p Santa in Aldi and a £1 choc orange, plus the calendar he wanted.

Matalan have a 3 for 2 offer on at the moment, so I will get him a faux fur covered hot water bottle (we are fighting over the ancient one I have dated Superdrug 1984 :rotfl:) and an Xmas fleece blanket, with an extra water bottle - total cost £12 (fleece will be free as cheapest at £5).

I can pop in there on my way back from my afternoon meeting rather than doing a separate trip from home to save fuel and a few miles.

There's a new PoundStretcher opened up nearby too, so may take a look in there in case I see anything I know he'd like. In some ways I am lucky as he doesn't bow to peer pressure - he doesn't want/have a mobile phone, trendy clothes, etc. And all the things he would like my mum has gone and bought for him! :rotfl:

ragstoricheswannabe

My cakes never last long enough to put icing on!!!! Can't beat a good fairy cake with buttercream on..............nom nom!

I sneaked a candle into the shopping last weekend its a vanilla scented one and was on offer. Hubby not noticed it but haven't had time to light it yet!! Watch this space..........lol!

Ali-OK

DS was comparing mine to my Mum's and requested buttercream (she's a great baker, I'm mediocre, it maybe his way of saying they could be tastier ). He wants choc chip ones next time like Nan's...but Aldi don't sell them and SB are usually expensive in the baking dept. Any ideas on a good shop to get them from?

He he - I am eyeing up more candles :rotfl: Matalan look to have some good large white pillars at £2.50 for 95 hrs burning time. One may find itself in my basket tomorrow...I've no idea how of course...

Currently burning is a Wilkos (2 for £4.50) Orange Grove scented pillar, a plain church pillar (2 for £2.50), a dinner candle (10 for 2.29 Dunelm) and an Ikea tea light (years old, found a bagful in the cupboard).

Best be ready to trot out the saving on heating and lighting line to your DH when he notices :rotfl::rotfl:

Edit: Ooh, SB have got choc chips on offer 2 x 100g bags for £1.50. Could be tempted.

Ali-OK

A busy work day which was all good.

Met up with my brother at the local Retail Park this afternoon as he was Xmas shopping in the area and he brought me a coffee! :j I kinda just stood there rather than offering to pay :rotfl:

Got DS the Xmas presents and extra water bottle as planned (£12) and bro brought me a fleece snuggle top and - wait for it - a large pillar candle in Matalan :rotfl: Plus 2 thermal t-shirts at £3 each - really pleased with all that as my Xmas pressie. :T

The thermal tops were £6 in Matalan and £3 in Poundstretcher. Perfect for walking our dogs and I suffer badly with the cold anyway (downside of being skinny I guess). Didn't see anything else in there for DS either, but I am starting to think whether it'd be worth getting one of those halogen free standing heaters, so I can work at home without the whole heating system being on (even with some unused room rads off there are others that don't have TRVs). I'm going to sleep on it for a couple of days - they seem good value at £17, it's the cost of running it vs. gas I am not sure about.

I am going to rename SB Voucher-Land . I had to get petrol for work and had a double nectar points to use up. I got vouchers back for double points on petrol again and double points on next shop and 100 pts for cereal spend (won't use that). I popped instore and got the 2 for £1.50 choc chips packs for baking and got vouchers 8p a litre off fuel on Tu £20 clothes spend, £3 off a £20 spend, double fuel points and double shop points. A big haul.

It's all too much :rotfl: I think it means I can spend £23 on clothes, get the £3 off and still get the 8p off fuel? That might be worth using if they've got a sale between now and the 26th November. I haven't brought any clothes since a few t-shirts in Primarni in June and DS does need a jumper or hoodie.

My spend today: £13.50 (exc. fuel as business expense)

Added 7 more nectar adpoints today
Freepostcodelottery checked
Bank account checked
Gammon used up - toasted sandwiches at lunchtime and the filled dumplings with veg for dinner tonight were lovely.

With the leftover pineapple, I might transport myself back to the 80s and make a pineapple upside down cake - fab with custard (in the store cupboard). And only 1 choc fairy cake left now and expectations are high for cakes on tap now :rotfl:

Candles on again this evening.

Mum has run out of kids wrapping paper and I've got a 5m roll spare but am low on adult paper, so we're going to do a swap when I take her M&S order over. Not sure when I'll do that, likely the weekend.

Plan is for a NSD tomorrow. Thursday will be a spend one for parking in town to pick up the M&S order and Wilko's for dog biscuits and chews. £4.69 should cover that.

Need to meal plan rest of week using up fridge ingredients (mainly veg) and probably do some more baking :rotfl: