The Road to Financial Security

Pushkin · 18 December 2015 at 5:20PM

Have drawn a line under the scam, can't change the past so just need to learn from it and move on. It may be petty but DH fished out the long email address from the bogus buyer and has locked it (DH is a techie). Just a minor annoyance for him but quite satisfying and feel quite touched - DH is like my knight in shining armour!

Last few Christmas presents purchased today, do need ideally to get one more thing for DH - he wanted a complex lego set to build (he hasn't really grown up huh!) but it cost £140 and I told him I just couldn't spend that on lego - still waiting for a cheaper alternative!

DS has finished school and it DH's last day of work today so will have some mulled wine and watch a Christmas film this evening to celebrate the start of the holidays.

Still no progress on present wrapping :eek:

Pushkin · 20 December 2015 at 10:03PM

Lovely relaxing & productive day, took the dog for a long walk this morning, cleaned the downstairs of the house and then had my parents over for afternoon tea.

Very tired but determined to stay up to watch the Apprentice. Embarrassing to admit but I can't remember/work out how to switch off the alarm on my clock radio so it is still coming on at 6am :eek: Will have to take a bit slice of humble pie and get DH to do it for me.

Big chunk of wrapping done yesterday evening (I know another wild night at Pushkin Towers

) Tomorrow the boys are going to see DH's parents so I will be able to get DH's wrapped and hunt properly for the items I can't find - happens every year - forget where I have put things.

Last big spend of the year will be at the supermarket Tuesday after which I'm sure I will confess/rant! :rotfl:

Pushkin · 21 December 2015 at 8:43PM

All presents are wrapped -had to do it in two phases as it was so stressful and ended up taking me all morning!

When I finished there were 3 presents MIA - found 2 of them but one is still missing. Have checked all my usual hiding places, now at the point where I'm not sure if I should replace or hope I find it (it's only a stocking filler type gift for my mother).

Big supermarket shop tomorrow - the only shop of the year where I allow DH to put whatever he likes in the trolley - this year have decided to use my nect@r points so it will be free anyway - I have over £400 - don't know why I am saving them.

Pushkin · 22 December 2015 at 9:10PM

Food shopping today, breakfast in M&S as a treat for going - had voucher for £5 off which was good.

Did S@insbury's on nectar points, and also had a voucher for £12 off there. Actually spent less than thought we would, I think a combination of being more sensible and money conscious and the fact we buy all meat and bulk buying from C0stc0.

DH's car service on the other hand was over £700 :eek: Have always paid on credit card for this but they have changed policy and now there is a surcharge so had to pay using debit card. There will be a fair bit of money juggling in January as I am always loathe to get money out of savings.

Posh coffee maker also seems to be on its last legs :mad:

Have started looking at savings targets for 2016 but need to do more work on it.

Pushkin · 24 December 2015 at 9:05AM

Christmas Eve - it's all finally here - DS is very excited which I'm quite pleased about - he's 13 now so it's good he still has that joy.

Good if expensive day yesterday, lunch out followed by seeing Star Wars at the cinema.

Today will be more sedate, will take the dog for a long walk then loll around until it's time to go over to my parents house late afternoon. Need to hoover through though - I presume it's the mild weather but the dog is constantly malting - just cant' keep up with it all.

Pushkin · 29 December 2015 at 8:44AM

Paid for curry Christmas Eve, Boxing Day was very lazy day so nothing going on money wise. Yesterday saw Mamma Mia in London, fab show and great seats, then a meal at my parents afterwards.

Hitting the shops today, DS needs new school shoes and I have a few bits I want and will look to pick up some candles and diffuser sticks in the sales.

Have got a stinking cold - seems to be my new Christmas tradition, but having spent Sunday in bed I am now powering through and refusing to give into it - I certainly wasn't going to miss the show yesterday - West End tickets ain't cheap!

Pushkin · 31 December 2015 at 1:18PM

Successful shopping trip Tuesday, got what I needed and some diffuser bits in the sale.

Yesterday we road tested our National Trust tickets and visited a property close to where we live. Timed it badly as they were about to close when we arrived but was good to get out for a couple of hours and have a walk. We'll go back there at some point.

Am struggling with this cold, took night nurse and a nytol last night and slept until 11 am - unheard of! I am still not dressed (DH has taken the dog out) and am not sure I will bother to get dressed either. We are meeting up with friends tomorrow so I want to be better for then and I have half an eye on Monday as it's first day back at work. As for New Years Eve I always could take it or leave it and doubt I will even stay up tonight! One good thing with all of this is that there will be very little money spent :T!

Luckyinlife · 31 December 2015 at 1:43PM

when i got a cold always take a lemsip in the night and morning seems to kill it few days quicker for me

Any goals for the new year pushkin

Hope you have a nice new year :]

Pushkin · 31 December 2015 at 2:10PM

Hi Lucky in Life - Happy New Year to you too!

Was just looking at my finances with the aim of creating some financial targets for 2016.

I did make the 2015 target although its currently £3k below that due to the cash deposit for my new car. Will aim to keep saving at same rate as currently which gives target of £15k to save over the whole year. This will include the money for DH's next car which he is hoping to get at end of 2016 - so a big chunk will come out of that.

The more interesting target I have is around long term savings - I want to lock some money away in a 3 (ish) year fix savings account. Have an account maturing in April so have until then to decide how much.

Next thing to decide is money making targets, I didn't make the target on this for 2015 and having recently been scammed on £b@y am not in the right mood for that right now! I do want to carry on with selling stuff and the odd survey though.