30 small steps

Kittenkirst

Try and have a restful afternoon, it sounds like you need some rest cookie x

me1234

I use the following to help me reduce mortgage (was £86k, now 4 years later £63k)


Natwest reward account - earns about £80 a year
MSE cheap energy club - saves me about £30 a month
Menu plan week by week (not every cooking item is branded)
Haggle with Sky on contract renewal - saved myself £25.00 a month
Check for cashback when purchasing online - saved a lot
Never buy clothes full price - I'm signed up to the Next account and just wait for their sales which are quite regular and good prices (and good quality stuff)
Buy everything I can off ebay/gumtree
Check hotukdeals for deals
Annual season ticket for train saves me £20.00 a month
Overpay on mortgage with leftover money at the end of every month


I don't live frugally though - I will go out to eat at times with family/friends - got to be able to enjoy life at the same time!


I'm 32 and planning to move to a bigger house next year (which will be a mortgage of around £180k!)

cookie9

Hello. Big wave.

As you can guess I am feeling so much better now. I hate being sick and so appreciate getting my health back. I know many people here are concentrating on their finances but good health is the most important thing. With my renewed energy I am menu planning again with a focus on tasty soups and healthy meals. This is somewhat due to the fact that I didn't cook whilst ill. Hello frozen chips and pizza. I also need to eat better as we have amassed a mountain of chocolate.

Christmas shopping is progressing steadily. Fortunately there have been quite a few 3 for 2 sales which have helped with the children's present. My priority this year is making sure I have everything posted off in good time.

I have been clearing out some drawers and found some nice candles which I have been using at night. Feeling the hygge with candlelight and hot chocolate!

cookie9

Menu plan for the week ahead completed and packed lunches for tomorrow in the fridge. Honestly the only way I can not go into full on melt down mode in the mornings is to pre as much as I can the nigh before. Matters not helped by me hurting my leg so walking very slowly.

I have been looking at getting a new mortgage deal and hope to save another £30 per month. Yes it isn't much but small steps will eventually get us to where we want to be. I want to work for me not the bank!

cookie9

What is it about Christmas that I end up spending more than I planned? Classic example is deciding that wee man has enough presents now bought by Father Christmas and we will not get anymore. A good idea but then when I am shopping for my friend's children I manage to pick up yet another toy saying to myself "Oh wee man would like this." Yes I did buy over the Internet so can benefit from the cooling off period but I know that at this time of year I will not feel like queueing up to return it. On the plus side only one more friend's child to but for so fingers crossed I can avoid temptation.

New mortgage deal will start soon so looking forward to increasing my regular OPs. I have fallen behind with my target for the year but hoping to pay in an additional lump sum so even if I don't reach it I will be closer to it. Small steps.

debtfreeoneday

i'm the same with my little people, we are technically done, but it's hard to resist temptation. Will subscribe to follow your journey.

Maximum_Saving

I use my car for longer journeys and taking my kids around. When my kids are at school I walk or cycle to where I am going. I had Sky raise my bill so I phoned and complained. They brought down my bill to £24.00 a month. My broadband deal was coming to an end so I phoned Plusnet and asked for a low price. I get broadband for £2.50 a month however the Anytime phone calls costs £6.50 a month. Natural sunshine flows into our lounge. I use blankets and a night time hot water bottle to keep warm. My electric bill is £36.00 a month. My kids aren't allowed holidays in term time. I book school holiday flights as soon as they are available or plan cheap routes. I take food and some drinks in 100ml bottles onto the plane. I am spending up to £5.00 a person this year for Christmas. I am trying to pay off my mortgage. I overpay it by £500 a month.

cookie9

What a week! So glad it is the weekend at last. Planning to write some Christmas cards with wee man tonight and get posting tomorrow. Hopefully it will be a relatively low spend weekend with just the tree to buy. I have two friends to buy for and a teenager so need to think over what to get them.

Good news on the mortgage front. I have organised an additional OP so this year's target will be reached. This means will are well and truly in the 50s.

cookie9

DH out for Christmas dinner tonight with his work so hoping to get a few things sorted in the house. Will get a load of washing on as soon as I have posted this update.

I ended up buying my friends nice chocolates and remembered to use a cashback website so not too expensive. Mr T kindly sent me a voucher for free pizza so that's one meal taken care of this week. I have also managed to sell one of the wee man's old toys so that will be a bit of a bonus.

Work have stopped free tea and coffee so I am taking a flask in with me. Very MSE! Not buying chocolates as we seem to have a steady supply being given to us as gifts. Gave into temptation by this week's MSE email and bought one of the Powder beauty boxes with the £10 code. Some of this will be used for stocking fillers, some as gifts and some as treats for me.

Off to tidy up now.

cookie9

Headed into town early this morning to buy the last Father Christmas presents. I was lucky on two counts firstly the asked for gift was in stock ( this year it was a superhero's activity set) and it was 50% off. In an unMSE manner I spent the difference on cakes to have for afternoon tea when my parents arrive later today. The shops were quiet so it was easy to dash around. I am pleased that I managed to avoid the temptation to buy more gifts just because they are reduced.

Christmas cards nearly all written. Just a few more which I will hand to people when I see them this week. Will wait for the sales to stock up again for next years cards. Hope to get some time over the holiday to reflect upon our finances and make plans for our MF life.