Aspirations of Frugality and Fun on the Road to Mortgage Freedom

DedicatedDFW

Have a new plan going forward to jot down food spends in my little book - i see it all on the card statement except for the odd very low cash spend. But i intend to use the cash spend places more and as we all know the odd couple of pounds here and there all mounts up :cool:

I went through this months credit card statement - it is higher than i would have liked but going through it made me remember why. I have my contribution to the gas and electric bill on there. I also overspent on the food budget in december - by approx £90. Funnily enough it is this £90 which is the bit i'm struggling to pay. It will get paid its just that i don't have any reserves for overspends like this. Which is why i was wanting januarys food budget to be lower than its working out to be. This is because i've classed the wine stuff as part of the shopping budget - this is where its bought from so that makes sense to me. Also i have and will be doing - a stock up on coffee as its reduced and i've been give a voucher too - so its working out at about £2.70 a jar instead of £6.50. I do try lower brands of stuff and have tried this with coffee but we just prefer this one

I've decided to return a skirt - have been through my receipt envelope and cannot find this one receipt - it is not in my purse either, or in the bag it came in I do like the skirt but was wanting to limit my spending :cool:

Will calculate exact clothes and gifts spending later then i know where i a up to with that. With a re-shuffle and returns i have now got 3 family members xmas presents all sorted out except for 1 main present each which will be purchased in december.

I have a few birthday prezzies for my Mr

I have a few gifts for another family member too. So it is all working out nicely :T

I had a better nights sleep but was still tired when i got up

DedicatedDFW

I think today will be a mini-list day. I am so out of my routine and struggling to get back into it to be honest. Of course illness, migraines and lack of sleep do not help with this but i need a push to get me out of this rut!

Last week i did sort through my bags and 1 made its way to the carboot stash.

There are alot of things i want to achieve today so i will chunk it down into mini-lists and get on with it Popping back on here to update and motivate myself. As usual my lists will be a mix of uni work, house stuff and other

REMINDER TO SELF TO PUT THE COMPLAINT IN TODAY AND CONTACT RE DIRECT DEBITS

close reading of primary text 1
message tutor
Lift out all dresses from wardrobe and clothes rail
Pop in here for an update

DedicatedDFW

Read primary text 1 - not happy with it at all so will read another 1 and see what i think from there - it is either 1 or the other and i don't like either which is why i think i'm finding it hard

Lifted all dresses out and put 5 back already - ok 1 is a dress that i've had for about 20 years and love - the other is a skirt and top, had for same length of time and stunning still and the 3rd i a skirt and top i've had for 12 years and if i slim down is lovely to wear - bit of a goal / target outfit + i'd never get enough on the bay of e to make me happy to part with it. So 3 not really worn outfits but i love each of them and they don't take up that much space

The other 2 are both gorgeous dresses - 1 new from the bay of e but at a fraction of the cost (£9.99) and 1 from the carboot Both are evening wear and will be worn wheni actually go out so am happy to keep both.

Found the receipt :j It was in the wrong bag

Messaged tutor *positive vibes* please

Had brekkie

Next up: -

Close reading of other text and make decision
Decide on 5 dresses / skirts/tops and replace or write-up for bay of e as appropriate
Bag up and write down gifts for 4th family member so i can keep track

PositiveBalance

*Sends Positive Vibes*

As for the Christmas/birthday present thing, the Boots -75% sale starts tomorrow, so if you can pop along before work (time permitting) you could perhaps pick up a few extra bargains!

DedicatedDFW

PositiveBalance wrote: »

*Sends Positive Vibes*

As for the Christmas/birthday present thing, the Boots -75% sale starts tomorrow, so if you can pop along before work (time permitting) you could perhaps pick up a few extra bargains!

Thanks PB But :eek: to more bargains - there are actually some things i wanted for myself from there - pie dishes but i won't be able to get there before work so i suspect empty shelves - not a bad thing considering wha i've spent lately :eek:

DedicatedDFW

I've moved 5 dresses - 1 selected for the bay of e :T

I've got a cover for the skirt i got with my xmas money so i've moved that :)

I've bagged up and written out 4th person gifts - only a couple of small items

I've read the other text again and just *bleurgh* on that

I wanted to refocus on money so i've added up a couple of my pots - my silver shed fund pot in my sig is pretty poor actually I am thinking of scrapping this. This is the bits of silver and copper i have left in my purse i put in here. I've been saving it for a few months and just about got £10 together :eek: I think what i'd be better off doing is paying that into the bank and paying it off the mortgage / loft / guttering as the shed fund is clearly growing very slowly.

I have several savings targets for various things - some for hols, some for savings, some for house jobs so another little pot growing slowly is just another thing to keep track of. The idea is when i achieve target on the loft and guttering i'll make a decision as to what i'm saving for next. I'll also need to decide if that is 1 or 2 things that i'm saving for and if it goes down to 1 what the %age split will be. I do think i'll keep it at 2 targets 1 lower and 1 higher and this is likely to be the new gate and the new front door :eek: The shed is a long time away yet as i will need to get the paving done first... and the storage will be helped by the loft being done.

In some ways thinking the shed i a long way off makes me think i should keep this pot going as its growing slowly and its a long time away. But i am very keen to have the money in place for the much more urgent and essential jobs first so i think that is decision made :cool: I know this money was from my spends but i really want to overpay and up my savings targets so i'll do this for now and then think what to do going forwards Am happy that should be another little payment tomorrow though

Next up:-
Read secondary text again taking notes
Move 5 more dresses
Bag shoes up for carboot
Lift out jewellery ready to list for FLW when it happens - hopefully soon - add onto target for this month also

DedicatedDFW

All dresses / outfits moved - just 1 for the bay of e.

jewellery lifted out ready for the bay of e

couple of important e-mails sent

Letter posted

Survey completed

secondary text very scarce :eek:

Bagged up shoes for carboot

Cooked lunch a 45p reduced item :T

Played freezer tetris

Shuffled a couple of direct debits

Sorted out viewing a couple of on-line accounts i couldn't get my head around - i now can :T

Changed correspondence for some mail

Set up new account.

Washed and moved most pots

Next month i think i will aim to list items to sell at the value of £500 total start price. I really want to get the savings in place for the urgent jobs and move onto the next urgent one :think:

I am considering selling a more pricey item and putting the money towards the bathroom savings ...

I have tidied up my sig by removing the shed savings - i will pay this money into the bank tomorrow and then shuffle it to the various pots.

Next:-

Lift out all trousers / jeans
Go through first section of secondary reading again
Put skirt and receipt in bag ready for return and refund

in_need_of_direction

Sort out the guttering. It will save money in the longer run

DedicatedDFW

Thanks in need of direction. I agree - its just persuading my Mr that is the problem..

DedicatedDFW

Argh! I am in a complete and utter rut :eek:

Going to put it all down on paper and move on from it as it were :cool:

Things on my mind are:

1, my lack of income. Currently i am classed as full-time but could actually work a few more hours a week to take me up to the full 35 hours. I could do this if the hours are available at work. It is the sort of thing that can only really be asked if i am prepared to take on those few hours though.

Pro's - i've played with the mortgage calculator (as far as i can as i have made overpayments already so don't know what my real end date is now if that makes sense ?) And if i worked the extra hours and paid the extra above my income now to the mortgage then i would clear it about 4 years earlier over the term.

If i'm ever eligible for re-mortgage to get a better interest rate then a better monthly income will help with this

My travel costs will be the same as i buy a monthly pass - i'll just be getting more use out of it

Cons - i don't enjoy my job and it can be stressful. As i only got contracted to these hours i've been concerned about increasing them as it would be really hard to decrease them again and i find *mostly* that knowing my day is a little bit shorter in work really helps.

Less time to look for a new job

I didn't increase my hours when paying off the debt because of the above reasons. Now i'm thinking i'd like the extra money - but is it worth it? Is there another way like a 2nd job where i could make £120 ish a month extra ?

What to do????

I have sorted out 6 items for the bay of e today - 3 clothing, 3 jewellery. Any profit from this goes to the mortgage and house jobs in my sig.

Next month i am going to target myself to list items to the start value of £500. Not sure where i am going to find these items mind :eek: but i want to make serious inroads on getting the money together for the house jobs. I used to challenge myself to stuff like this when i had the debt to clear. I often sold things i'd rather keep to raise the money to clear a bill. Now i can't remember what those things were most of the time.

Pretty much made the decision to sell my expensive item - i say expensive - it is to me - i hope to get £500 for it.

I am struggling with my assignment - its hard going and house / money worries (worrying i'm not earning enough, worrying about interest rates ) are not helping. Tomorrow i have a target of 600 words - *positive vibes* please