Mrs McB's countdown to adventures with chooks (and Rock Gods)

Pippilongstocking

OK, so I went and did it, I married my Rock God at a fantastically frugal affair last month. And I'm still grinning what fun that was there's a peek here! The best thing is we've no debt from the wedding as we bartered/begged/borrowed/sought favours and only paid for the bare essentials what a hoot that was. So many friends to thank.

Now that the confetti has settled, we still live our everyday lives 300 miles apart (I'm on a very windy island in the north and he's in central), but for the next adventure, early next summer we head down to join Mr Rock God and begin to look for a mini-castle in the country to have chooks and adventures. (7 months and counting)

The final stripey youngling flees the homestead for Uni and I'll also be essentially, child free. As a single parent of about 100 years, this signifies a big change for me. But I have to find money for uni for them as they'll only be entitled to the minimum support when I move.

So I work hard (self employed and employed) and with the help we've had on here we've moved the debts down from £35k to just under £20K (give or take a tweak or two)

We live frugally, cook from scratch most days and endeavour to get the last drop out of everything, however there's always room for improvement.

Before we head off to join Mr RG, help him get his flat sold and look for a castle suitable to house both Rock Gods AND chooks, we need to

Clear £5k of credit card debts
Clear our habit of using overdrafts to live (£1000 each, 2 accounts)
Clear a 0% debt to an old chum (£1500)

AND

Try and save a bit for the bit where I might not have a job.

Where you've got a reasonably full store cupboard, a fine pair of wellingtons and a penchant for chooks in your life - there's a way.

:A

Pippilongstocking

Saved for the financial bits to scare myself (a lot)

I work 4.5 days a week self-employed.

I work adhoc for a local college each week and am finishing a teaching qualification in our agri/hort department.

I fancy writing for one aspect of a living but for now I just witter on to my long suffering fellow bloggers.


OK, so the finances on paper are now, post the longest study period ever, are looking quite healthy. However I have to leave my job (s) when I move and I'm heading to a new area. So I need to pay off my debts and save.

I've one son at uni who I give a contribution too.
One daughter at home who I support too .

And two pesky hounds. They're keen on Bonio's so I have to keep working to support them.

The first task is to clear the combined credit card debts which at the moment are £5606.50 why its so high? Car bills, working expenses, University expenses for the young man in my life and general food frippery and wellington purchases I think.

After that we'll tackle the other bits which are stopping us from saving.

I can't really earn very much more in the way of actual cash, as my time is pretty full. But we can maximise what we do have by

Frugal cooking
Foraging for wood for the stove
Decluttering and selling off extra bits before the flit
Walking lots to keep us healthy
Being as MSE as possible with most aspects of life.

I WILL have my chooks and enjoy moving down to be with Mr RG in our own peedie (small) castle next year. So I need to plan.

Thanks for reading I truly appreciate all the support and motivation I can get right now. I kinda lost my MSE Mojo for a while.

Pippilongstocking

Money saving/paying off/gains for today.

Today I worked out balances and started a spread sheet with income/debts to pay off

£10.68 paid off Terrible Card
£10 paid off the Captain Card
£72 expenses paid in (petrol money from work) so paid that to the TERRIBLE card too.

Total paid off today - £92.68

Total spends today- NONE - NSD

Total 'gain's today (ish) - a payment for £82.16 from the 'learning factory' - an adjustment for holiday pay etc I wasn't expecting.

In true MSE fashion when this lands in the account I'll pay it to the cc's as it was UNEXPECTED.

I enquired at work about getting MSOFFICE (you don't ask, you don't get) and got a superb download link for £8.95 for my home laptop due to a work offer. RESULT!! Most chuffed.

I also unexpectedly gained a giant 'LEEK' yesterday. Its an unexpected occupational hazard of working in our department that I'm prepared to take!

So the debts are down and the vegetables are up.

Mr RG has also announced he's taking me out for tea before he flees the northern climes this weekend.

Not a bad day so far, out for tea and a new spreadsheet for focus - can a girl get more spoilt? I'd say on the whole, today we gained.

Pippilongstocking

And, everyday I try to look for a new job for when I move.

Loving the look of this one today - but its probably too far from Mr RG's potential new castle................................. I wonder if I can persuade him to move over the 'bridge'?

Karmacat

Happy Shiny New Diary!

Mustn't do cake, so we'll have a tree :xmastree: and a toast :beer:

And now you have a Leeky Office (I couldn't resist, I'm so sorry :rotfl: I don't usually do word games, honest ).

Its that freezer of yours, it must embody hundreds of pounds - but you'll get there, with this level of focus, it'll be great to go sooth with a few savings.

Greying_Pilgrim

Ay up MrsMcB - happy new diary - I look forward to tagging along on yer wellie tabs for the adventure

Karmacat wrote: »

And now you have a Leeky Office (I couldn't resist, I'm so sorry :rotfl: I don't usually do word games, honest ). Why not Karma - that was really funny

Its that freezer of yours, it must embody hundreds of pounds - but you'll get there, with this level of focus, it'll be great to go sooth with a few savings. Now, I might be wrong, but isn't it Pippi's freezers that contain the bodies of (naturally deceased) seabirds of varying sizes and descriptions?? :rotfl::rotfl:

Greying

beanielou

Happy shiny new diary indeed

Pippilongstocking

KC thank you for the tree and the toast the finances have suffered dreadfully from the youngling going to uni and several trips to the deepest south (of Scotlandshire). There is a fair bit of work related expenses on there (and a new laptop) but its needing cleared!!

My freezer is now only full of real edible food I'm afraid Greying me dear all sea and wading local birds (whom died of natural causes) have left the building to the great art gallery in the sky and are now in someone elses freezer (an artist). But the boots are in fine fettle.

Beanie - thank you for the good wishes, I'm so looking forward to moving and gaining not only a husband (full time) but some CHOOKS and hoping we find a castle as cluttered as your own dear pad.

I cannae wait.

KC if you'd seen the photo I put on FB of the leek incident - it was of the same level of humour I do like a good vegetable joke.



What's orange and sounds like a parrot.

- a carrot

lucielle

Yay still here and still reading.
L

beanielou

I think you *may* be quite near to me when you move so we could maybe have a wee mini meet

mum2one

Heres to the new diary and countdown, u take care xx