Only freedom will do

PositiveBalance

*Taps Ed heavily on the shoulder*

MERRY CHRISTMAS, ED!

*Runs out of thread quickly, before Ed wakes us*

edinburgher

turtlemoose wrote: »

Just wanted to wish you a very happy first christmas as parents, Ed and MrsEd x

Many thanks TM, we are both very happy

PositiveBalance wrote: »

*Taps Ed heavily on the shoulder*

MERRY CHRISTMAS, ED!

*Runs out of thread quickly, before Ed wakes us*

Thanks PB, being awake is a quality that is in short supply at the moment, lovely rellies brought cold germs and all three of us are feeling poorly!

Goldiegirl

edinburgher wrote: »

Thanks PB, being awake is a quality that is in short supply at the moment, lovely rellies brought cold germs and all three of us are feeling poorly!

Oh no - hope you are all a bit better tomorrow.


I'm sure your little girl with enjoy playing with all the wrapping paper from her presents - they enjoy the packaging more than their presents at that age!:rotfl:

Merry Christmas!

Dobbibill

Merry Christmas Ed, Mrs Ed and Baby Juliet :xmassign:

Hope you all feel better soon too

Karmacat

Dobbibill wrote: »

Merry Christmas Ed, Mrs Ed and Baby Juliet :xmassign:

Hope you all feel better soon too

From me too.

Some sparkly lights for the baby :xmastree::xmastree::xmastree::xmastree::xmastree:

edinburgher

Goldiegirl wrote: »

I'm sure your little girl with enjoy playing with all the wrapping paper from her presents - they enjoy the packaging more than their presents at that age!:rotfl:

The biggest hit so far has been the broken down cardboard sleeve from the pannetone we had for my parents visiting this morning :rotfl:

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Merry Christmas in your new home to you Mr E, Mrs E and Juliet. A very special time for you all.

Sorry to hear you are under the weather.

Best wishes from the Tilly family x x

Secret_Saving_Squirrel

Have a peaceful family Christmas and hold every minute in your hearts x

edinburgher

Wishing everyone a peaceful and blessed Christmas with fun, laughter and full bellies :beer:

Looking forward to a massive diary catchup during my two quiet days at the end of the month (think I'm the only guy in the office from a team of 10+)

edinburgher

Ladles and jellyspoons, please shrive me of my economic sins for 2015! Highlights include...

• £150/m or so on presents (doesn't include Mrs E or DD presents)
• £150/m or so of baby costs (includes some one off items, will be £30/m or so lower next year)
• Nearly £420/m between groceries, restaurants, alcohol, takeaway, work lunches, coffee, snacks (maybe £375/m if you subtract 'investment' alcohol)
• Over £30/m on the aquarium (I only look at the damn thing once a day!)

That first entry blows my mind in a really bad way :eek:

Realistic 2016 budget drawn up with 6 months worth of real data. To be honest, my 2015 budget was pretty good, the problem is that there are a raft of things that are 'off budget'. While that's fine, I need to make sure that Mrs E or I are paying for these extras from our pocket money.

On that note, have canned my concept of me having no money of my own and just spending as needed from the 'big pot'. I'm not a spendthrift by any means, but I have a bad habit of being Mr Generous and I don't want to fall into the trap of spending what is basically home equity. I owe it to the family to be honest with myself

Other than the spendy sins above, we have added c. £15/m on for Virgin vs. broadband and N0w TV and we now spend £2/w on the lottery (which I still haven't won!)

Now for the positives :j

• The change of boiler/solar panels/all lights to LED cut 25% off our utility bill in the first month and I am now owed a princely sum like £1.50 from the Feed In Tariff :rotfl: Our power consumption has been a real journey since 2012 - we have gone from £150+/m to less than £90/m (40% reduction despite more rooms and a baby at home)
• 2016 budget ready to go (ok, so I said that already)
• £50/m DD for S&S ISA reinstated (thinking VLS 100%)
• I have opened a SIPP so that I can start a long required pension rebalancing away from 100% equities to something like 70/30. £100/m will be getting socked away in bonds (£80 from me, free £20 from the gummint!)
• I have realised that buying *stuff* does not make me happy
• I have realised that buying good quality, well reasoned purchases makes me satisfied
• I have realised that I am too reliant on manufactured spending to drive plans for the future, must whip out the Micawber principle for more thorough integration into our fiscal framework
• {DRUM ROLL} I have started OPing! :j{/DRUM ROLL} I am now paying all of the crappy bits of shrapnel that find their way into my current account from micro interest payments to TCB etc. off the mortgage. I have also introduced a regime of Edinburgher Tidies (ETs? :rotfl:) and round off my current account once in the morning and once at night

New Year plans:

• Love my girls every day
• Running
• Less fatness
• Finish renovating house
• Track down eternity ring for our 5th wedding anniversary
• Start two raised beds in the back garden
• Start a new hobby

My last substantial post of 2015 - have a happy Hogmany and a prosperous New Year everyone :beer: