Back to basics with pavlovs_dog: the £6k sprint

pavlovs_dog

As we're nearly midway through January :eek:, thought it prudent to come back and review my aims for the month.

pavlovs_dog wrote: »

January's Jaunt to Financial Frugality

Trim the fat
* No spends on clothing or toiletries - shop the stash!
* Groceries - run down existing supplies to lower food spends. Aiming for sub £160
* Lunch to work - 20 days
* Collect food and petrol receipts to track spends

Ongoing, on track and OH on board

pavlovs_dog wrote: »

Trim the fat
* find best deal on[STRIKE] airport parking, hotel [/STRIKE]and travel insurance for Amsterdam trip

parking and hotel sorted. Single trip quote for the 2 of us circa £9, currently holding back as investigating possibility of another jaunt abroad later in year (in which case annual insurance may be better value).

pavlovs_dog wrote: »

Getting shipshape
* money diet to ensure best value for money on all outgoings
* shop around for landline and broadband deal, both end mid Jan
* read up on Dave Ramsey's 7 steps, as recommended by Alchemilla
* establish realistic budget for 2014
* get recommendations for tradespeople to come quote for building works

All still to do. Utilities particularly pressing, need to make this a priority for this week.

Alchemilla

Where did January go?

pavlovs_dog

Alchemilla wrote: »

Where did January go?

washed away in all the rain?

Alchemilla

Tell me about it. Ponyplops is up to her fetlocks in mud.

Pearla*Merle

Ooh Pavlovs, thanks for the fridge storage box link! They had those a while back but they disappeared for ges and I always kicked myself that I didn't buy one, going to get one now :j

in_need_of_direction

Love the posts - so motivational. Also loved the fridge storage though it wouldn't work for me. In this house that would be seen as a predetermined three tier sandwich filling. Some thin inhabitants can put pacman to shame!

pavlovs_dog

in_need_of_direction wrote: »

Love the posts - so motivational. Also loved the fridge storage though it wouldn't work for me. In this house that would be seen as a predetermined three tier sandwich filling. Some thin inhabitants can put pacman to shame!

LOL INOD, sounds similar to my OH if left to his own devices. I find making use of the freezer helps. We freeze things in portion sizes as there's just 2 of us, and remove what we need as and when. Seems to be working well.

I'm seeing biggest savings with chicken actually. OH and I have very different ideas as to what constitutes a portion. OH would happily cook a chicken breast each for example, whereas a breast between us is still in excess of the actual recommended size of a serving of protein!

skint_spice

in_need_of_direction wrote: »

Love the posts - so motivational. Also loved the fridge storage though it wouldn't work for me. In this house that would be seen as a predetermined three tier sandwich filling. Some thin inhabitants can put pacman to shame!

LOL, this sounds like my DS too! and as for your fact about one chicken breast being more than enough for two PD, I would really struggle to convince him of this as he'd happily scoff the whole chicken despite being a skelf of a boy! I get round skimping on the meat by making risottos lots as you only need a wee bit to get the flavour:cool:

edinburgher

Well done to your OH for changing a light fitting PD, I attempted this and made a right mess of it when we moved in in 2012!

I am sure you have been appreciative, but do be sure and tell him that he's done a good job. DIY can be tough work for those of us who aren't naturals, and praise is just about the only thing that makes it worthwhile.

pavlovs_dog

well my circadian rhythms are all over the shop again Not looking forward to trying to get up tomorrow!

bought some fab prints for a 'gallery' style display going up the stairs to our attic bedroom (reproduction prints of vintage tourism posters). They'll come out of our leftover Chrimble money from our generous relatives. Will need a trip to ikea for frames at some point.

having beavered away on mybuilder and google I now have a list of half a dozen tradespeople who've had good reviews. I've drafted an email outlining what we want done to send off during the week. Need to wait for daylight to poke my head out the skylight and double check my facts about my chimney stacks before I send it.