Pay Off Before Lay Off!

Habibiboo

Watty1 wrote: »

Congratulations on smash.
Gorgeous doggie.
Great catch up.
In haste - must go back to work

:wave:

Ta Watty ... mind how you go playing catch up with work, take it easy if you can. Hope you're feeling better. x

Habibiboo

:wave:

Thanks for stopping by lovely visitors (including thankers as well as commenters) ... great to have you around!

MFW actions:

Limited here today as had to buy a few groceries to see us to the end of the month so missed out on a NSD.

No client monies in yet but I mailed them all to remind them that the small courtesy of paying me would help me immensely and ensure they are looked upon most favourably next time they need me in a hurry! Honestly, the hoops you have to jump through to get your dues!

I've been having my final think and chat to Mr Hbbb about the next mini MFW challenge, which will start tomorrow. I just need to firm up a few ideas (namely my target amount).

Grey clouds:

Blue skies all the way today!

Silver linings:

Foraging for fruit for a couple of hours with Mr Hbbb and pooches, resulted in 10lb of blackberries and plums! All ripe for the picking and totally free! :T. Plum cheese and blackberry sorbet / frozen yoghurt now made.

. Daily declutter:

Erm, kinda let this slip in favour of the great outdoors!

Simple pleasures:

* hanging out with Mr. Hbbb - went to the local museum / gallery where we got married, for a couple of hours. It's free and they have a really good WW1 tribute exhibition, very humbling.
* dog walk and free fruit (as above)
* making mess in the kitchen together!
* h/m curry for tea in front of laptop and The Wire DVD - haven't had a sofa dinner for months!

Hope everyone has a great weekend! x

Alchemilla

All sounding very positive.

tootallulah

Your day sounds brilliant. I went foraging with my brother last week, he scouts plum trees and good blackberrying sites and then we go on the week-day he decides it is time. This year we picked just over 40 lbs of mirabelle plums from trees he spotted in a public wood, there were 10s of lbs on the floor - such a waste. He, and my Mum make jam but I stew and freeze my share. We also picked two bags of hazel nuts. The blackberries were really nearly over but we got a few pounds. Both of us really enjoy the day, it has become a tradition.The damsons, bullaces and sloes are looking good but they aren't ready yet. We will make another foray in about a months time.

Habibiboo

:wave:

Alchemilla wrote: »

All sounding very positive.

Yes, thanks A, it was a good day all round really!

tootallulah wrote: »

Your day sounds brilliant. I went foraging with my brother last week, he scouts plum trees and good blackberrying sites and then we go on the week-day he decides it is time. This year we picked just over 40 lbs of mirabelle plums from trees he spotted in a public wood, there were 10s of lbs on the floor - such a waste. He, and my Mum make jam but I stew and freeze my share. We also picked two bags of hazel nuts. The blackberries were really nearly over but we got a few pounds. Both of us really enjoy the day, it has become a tradition.The damsons, bullaces and sloes are looking good but they aren't ready yet. We will make another foray in about a months time.

Hi Toots, hope you're good! Glad you've had a similar time ... it's great when you happen across a bumper crop and can take all you want and still leave plenty for others! We're definitely on the look out for sloes next month too for Mr. Hbbb's famous sloe gin ... Christmas isn't Christmas without the ceremonial sampling of the year's vintage on Christmas Eve! It's also good that you get to spend time with your family to do it too!

Habibiboo

:wave:

Happy Saturday everyone!

MFW actions:

Today sees the start of my next 100 day challenge. It possibly seems a random day to start on, but by starting today, the 100 days will finish on 30th November, which then leaves December free to focus on festive frugality etc. so, to follow the SMASH, I'm now going for:

100 Days of Autumn Austerity (or Fall Frugaldom, for those from across the pond).

The thinking:

The SMASH was about making the most of the extra money I had coming in from students, uni etc to make MOPs. Heading into September, the main students have finished for the summer and there's no guarantee of getting any from the smaller schools over the autumn. So, instead of thinking about extra coming in, the focus for the next 100 days is about getting more from what we do have and stretching it to allow for MOPs.

Overall goals:

To have made MOPs of £ 2,000 by end of the 100 days.
This should bring us to about where we need to be to meet the year's end MFW goal of getting the mortgage to below £ 100,000!
Keep monthly food budget to < £150 per month in Sept, Oct & Nov and put all extra into MOPs.

The methods:

I've done my own head in thinking of ways to do this. My primary focus will be on:

* Stretching our 'normal' income
* Reducing unnecessary spending by having 5 / 7 NSDs each week.
* Meal planning and being savvy in all things domestic to help us stay fed and happy but to shave costs from food bill to help with that MOP goal. This includes making more of our home grown stuff, more batch cooking, use of slow cooker and soup days and a spot of home baking more regularly. I'll possibly put the meal plan up each week to help me focus on it a bit and stay on track.
* Reducing other bills a bit in whatever ways possible ... each day I will try to have saved money in some small way & will note it here.
* Similarly will also try to have gained a little extra somehow, whether via Fleabay (really would prefer not to have to go down this road again) or some other means MMagpie, etc.

Escape clause:

Although Mr. Hbbb is on board, he's keen that we aim for also having a bit of fun (but on the cheap)! So, weekly plan will include a fun or us-time item / activity that has minimum spend but stops us from feeling like we're watching pennies rather than having some kind of life.
List of activities is being drawn up, will share this later on!
For every NSD I will put 50p in fun pot and 50p into sealed pot, so fun pot can be dipped into without guilt as required (otherwise it may be a long 100 days for all concerned, either Mr. Hbbb himself or those of us ... Me, hens, hounds, who have to live with him)! :rotfl:

So, that's the overall idea. Today was AA day 1 / 100 and total so far is £ 0 / £ 1,500 as, just like with the SMASH, we've had a slow start as today was full of budgeted spends, so can't claim a NSD but did have plenty of fun with family at minimum possible cost (considering two birthdays were involved)!
* Today's small saver though was the almost free dessert of blackberry sorbet and fresh blackberries from forage fest!

Glad to have company over the next 100 days Alchemilla and anyone else who fancies it!

Grey clouds:

Things are tight for Mr. Hbbb so although he's on board, his contribution is more on the lines of promising not to be too grumpy, as opposed to any fiscal support!

Silver lining:

Feeling positive.

Daily declutter:

As part of 100 days AA I sorted out baking cupboard in kitchen. Decluttered several old packets of stuff (although am still using most of it, even out of date things which I know are actually Ok). Decluttered 4 items to other places or out of the door, plus counting those 3 jars freed up t'other day as have now used these for plum cheese (which appears to actually be jam!) so total there is 279 / 365.

Additionally, I'm ready for first lot of baking tomorrow or Monday and have all the ingredients I need for tea loaves, flapjack, cupcakes and trifle, with no additional spends needed! Happy about this.

Simple pleasures:

* Another bramble bush in the unused road behind the house discovered on way to park with dogs this afternoon, so another 1/2 lb berries picked for pudding this evening and to have with muesli / yoghurt tomorrow.
* Family
* Hilarious hens (although no photo of Edna yet GG because the girl is 50% numpty:50% menace) ... will try again tomorrow!

Hope everyone is good, sorry for the long post, but in wanted to get my thoughts down so I'm clear about the next 100 days! X

apple_muncher

Love your next 100 days!

Could you get the girls to do a 100-egg challenge?

My current 100 days(ish) ends at the end of this month, and was just for crafting. So my next block will also end on Nov 30th as that is the day of the school fair (gulp) - a 91 day challenge!

I've also done myself a 4-month plan for work, finance, health, fitness (yep, looking forward to thos burpees and dive bombers!). And, bizarrely, I deliberated between the same names as you! I plumped for Fall Frugaldom (or was it Frugality?) as I used austerity to alliterate my August.


Will be here, cheering you on all the way :j:j:T:T:j:j.

gallygirl

Habibiboo wrote: »

no photo of Edna yet GG because the girl is 50% numpty:50% menace)

:T:T:T That's my girl :T:T:T

tootallulah

I like the sound of Edna and let's be honest a chicken parrot is just what we all need.

I am going to do a hundred days and I could do with it on so many fronts but the biggest is decluttering so that is where I am starting 100 things out the door in 30 days. Bringing together the contents of a flat and a house makes me wish that in the UK we had American style garage sales I need to persuade my niece to do a car boot with me as she has the car!

Goldiegirl

I like the sound of your new challenge.


It's all about getting the most out of your money, which I can really relate to.


I'll be interested to read your ideas for fun activities on a budget, as that'll be something I'll be wanting to carry forward for next year.


Good luck, can't wait to hear how it goes, and I'm sure you'll do well