From Little Acorns...

WhiteSnowdrop

Thank you Goldiegirl. I've just had my invite for my graduation so it seems very real now!

Not much happening money wise here. I've not shopped for food so far this week and have just used items up from the fridge and cupboards so need to do a big shop for tomorrow.

I'm trying one of my kids out minus nappy overnight..eeek! Fingers crossed for a dry bed tomorrow morning! We've got to apply for schools in the next couple of months and I can't get my head around that 1 year ago I was panicking about potty training and now I'm picking schools. It really does go so fast.

WS

WhiteSnowdrop

Nothing really to report this week so far. No money being op'd other than the SO amount each month. I'm spending quite a bit on xmas gifts but it is all budgeted for and I'm currently under where I want to be. I need to have a think about what is next on our money generating/saving journey. I guess there are always points where you just tick along rather than make massive inroads into the debt.

Off to enjoy a birthday dinner being prepared by DH for after the kids are in bed.

WS

WhiteSnowdrop

Still nothing really much to report here. Any savings, cash back, my wages has been op'd and we are up to £1810 op'd since June when I started my diary. I've not been keeping a track of food spending so will pick that back up today. It is very tempting to try and clear the £2k mark by the end of 2014, I didn't know just how close we were… I will be paid again before christmas which should take care of 3/4 of it, but the last £50 will have to be flea bay I reckon! In the new year the idea is my business should be online enough to start making some money which will also be op'd. I think I've said before in an update but in the last year we will have paid £20k off the mortgage which feels like a real achievement as we are saving as well. Fingers crossed we achieve the same or more next year which will put us in a fab position for when we do extend. We have to decide next year about remortgaging (if its worth doing now or after we extend) so we'll have to see.
What I have noticed recently is my growing inability to pay full price for items. I was shopping with my mum recently and was cringing at what she was paying when I was sure we could have got a better deal online!

To Do
1. Find all items that can be sold!
2. Pester Dh about cots
3. Go through books again and sell any not needed

WS

WhiteSnowdrop

Evening all!

Have spent today cleaning and de-cluttering (code for filling the dustbins!). On the upside I do now have a pile of stuff for selling which I will get photographed and uploaded to you know where over the next week. Just having a quick sit down before emptying the dishwasher and feeding the kids again!

Jobs for tonight
1. finish shredding other bag of Gran's stuff
2. fold clothing
3. write list for kids overnight stay
4. spend some time on me!

WS

WhiteSnowdrop

I've decided not to put the flea bay stuff on at the moment just because I'm a bit strapped for time and its just before christmas. Nothing I have is christmas specific so will all wait for a month or two. We have been chipping away at over paying and with my wages due in a few days should hit the £2k mark which in 6 months is quite good I think. We come off our fixed rate in March and have started discussions to have a look at what else is out there and what our options are. I think over the christmas break we'll start to think about our financial aims for next year.
Nothing much else to report, just chipping away.

WS

WhiteSnowdrop

I hope everyone had a wonderful christmas? Our living room looks like a toy shop and the kids have been eating chocolate forever! Lots of work to be done to find homes for all of their new stuff, I'll have to be ruthless with old toys I think.

We did well in 2014 and achieved all of our financial targets. We want to do quite a few things this year, 2 week holiday etc, so will need to save for those. I have lots of plans for 2015, January is a busy month work wise but from Feb onwards I'll be back on the flea bay train! We have a target of an additional £4k to save on top of reducing the mortgage by £16k through overpayments, so £20k in total again. This should put us in a great position when we want to re-mortgage and extend in 2016.

Back on the Grocery challenge. £250 is the budget for January. We have lots in the cupboards but will need plenty of fruit and veg as I want to really focus on me in 2015 and lose some weight (she says with a tub of celebrations to my left)! My NSD target is 15 which is quite tough but has been doable before, its the small, incidental spends which mount up for me. New for 2015 I'm going to keep a spending diary to try and stop the drip, drip, drip of money leaving my bank account!

Lots of nice things to come this year, with a bit of work we can achieve our financial goals and put up closer to being mortgage free!

Happy new year to you all

WS

WhiteSnowdrop

Christmas is well and truly behind us. We've just taken the tree down and will take the final bits down tomorrow. The kids new toys are still in the living room but I'm going to tackle them once they are back at nursery as some stealth toy re-distributing is needed to fit everything in. 2 items have been added to GTree and I'm about to add another 3 to flea bay. I know I said I was going to leave it until Feb but after reading greent's diary and some others they seem to be having luck selling items right now so, back on the flea bay train it is! I've challenged myself to filling 1 carrier bag of rubbish each day, I've managed about 6 of these today! I've done a Mr T shop today after doing a full freezer/storecupboard audit spent loads but that should be it for this month bar milk/fruit/veg etc and I have cash in my purse for that.
I've managed two NSD's more by luck than judgement. Tomorrow won't be one as the Mr T order comes out then but Sunday and Tuesday could be ones.

WS

HelenDaveKids

Me too, tree down.

WhiteSnowdrop

Does anyone know when you stop finding the glitter from christmas?! Last day of the holidays today. I've really enjoyed having the kids off, although I do enjoy the time I have free when they are at nursery I do miss them.

Money Saving
We had a lovely visit from friends yesterday and I made the most delicious dinner all from the freezer, yummy pie and crumble, yum yum! Back on the weight loss train as from today, hm soup for lunch and left over hm dinner rolls (not too many for me!). All meals planned for the next 10 days with cash in my purse for milk, fruit etc.

Money Generating
I have someone interested in one of the GTree items, keeping my fingers crossed! I aim to put some other items on today, 5 more as a minimum.

I also want to spend some time on my business as this is where the main bulk of our extra Op's will come from.

Not really much more to report.

To Do
1. list 5 more items to sell
2. Make potato soup for lunch
3. 1 bag of rubbish
4. Use up very ripe bananas
5. Use up left over pastry to make jam tarts
6. Bag up fish for freezer
7. Shred chicken for salads this week
8. Make thank you cards and email where possible
9. Find cheap way of having thank you cards printed
10. Finish drying the washing
11. Exercise

Have a lovely day
WS

WhiteSnowdrop

Didn't quite finish all of my list but did make big in-roads into it as well as spending some time on my job. Lots of clearing up to do today and phoning type jobs. OP made yesterday as DH has decided not to go to a gig and managed to sell the tickets. My lady showing interest on GTree item has disappeared, boo!

To do
1. Jobs from yesterday
2. Clean Living room (move furniture etc)
3. Find homes for toys
4. Phone jobs
5. Make stock
6. Use left over pastry to make savoury bakes for kids not jam tarts!
7. make naan bread for the kids for dinner
8. tikka up the chicken!

Lunch
Jacket potatoes and fillings
Chicken tikka balti for dinner

Have a good day.