MFWW - Cinny Gets Serious

Cinny91

Happy Friday Everyone! :j

Can't believe another week has gone so quickly. One thing my Grandma always told me on my Birthday was that you spend all your life wishing you were 21 (always sempt like a magical age to me!) but as soon as you are, the rest of your life goes in a flash. I just thought she was being a little wistful, but it's annoyingly true.

After paying this weeks bills, I've updated the signature to allow for the pitiful amount I've put into savings/expenditure on Christmas presents. Have £40.66 exactly in my purse, so it's a mini challenge to see how far I can make this stretch. Ideally I'd like to push it through until the first payday of October.

Next week, again, will be another low week for savings. Just because all the end of month bills are coming out and some are a little higher than normal. Plus the water bill will come along on the 1st to wipe them out completely! However, really going to put some ground work in for October and hopefully save £500 Probably should have started this diary then, as for now we're not really off to a flying start!

Should look on the positives, as in the last 2 weeks I've been DF I've managed to save £200. Even if it all getting spent, it's all my own money in the black :beer:

Busy day tomorrow, taking my parents across to OH's parents to pick up some things. Foolishly agreed to go to "the next" £10 football match with OH (thinking it would be a very long way away, and he'd forget our agreement.. but I'd still get some nice girlfriend points) then we're hoping we have time to pop to Makro, almost out of dishwasher tablets and they normally have a good bogo offer on :money:

Got myself a little payday treat yesterday, to keep in line with my out of control and just complete rebel reputation. One bottle of Lenor Unstoppables! Never been lucky enough to find them in stock when they're reduced to £2.50, but I've wanted to try them for months. Got the last bottle in Co-Op for £3 They also had loads of shampoos reduced to 50p so I got two of them for the wardrobe stash - I will post a picture of this someday. It's both my biggest pride and greatest shame

Tete_en_l'Air

Hi Cinny, congratulations on being debt-free, this is all very exciting being a MFW-W! I have been so bad on the financial front, I daren't even look at my bank accounts

Cinny91 wrote: »

Dropped 6 ink cartridges for recycling into the post box when I was walking the puppy before work. The company only cashes out once you reach £20 credit, which I'm a while away from. But it all counts!

Can you tell me more about this please? I go through ink cartidges like they're going out of fashion! I've been donating them to the RSPCA thus far but charity begins at home and all that - it would be ace to recoup a bit of the vast cost!

ETA: Wow, first post in a while! That sig's a bit out of date!

newgirly

Hi cinny, I just wanted to pop in and say welcome and good luck with the new diary

Cinny91

Hi Tete! Wondered where you'd been, but figured you were busy with school/running! The company I'm using is the same one that will recycle your cartridges for clubcard points, I think. Here's the link

And thanks for stopping by Newgirly! I would lurk on your diary while I was clearing my debt for end game motivation Hope you're well!

I did have a great weekend, I've got to say Football was a lot more exciting than I expected, and I told OH I'll happily go again if he wanted me to. Also managed to make it to Poundland for dishwasher tablets, called Makro and their normal deal wasn't on which didn't make buying in bulk worth it. Also got sugar and some much needed baking trays and utensils while we were in there.

We were up early enough after Ryder's walk yesterday morning to go to the carboot too, mostly for the fresh air. Didn't buy anything bar a cheeky sausage sandwich for breakfast, and a cheekier bag of candyfloss Tucked into Lost when we got home, and OH decided it was cool enough for a roast dinner (no complaints here!) While he did that, I cracked on with mending some jeans and sorted a few loads of laundry.

As OH went to play football last night, I had a quiet evening with Ryder. I did plan on catching up on Doctor Who snuggled up with a blanket and hot chocolate on tap.. but to be totally honest the shock of the season 3 Lost finale plagued my mind and I couldn't concentrate. Instead I had a nice bubble bath followed by an early night I did manage to pull myself together for long enough to put a bi-carb paste on the oven, so I have the joy of giving that a good clean after work (it's really hard to write that sentence without it coming across as sarcastic!)

TT of £2.20 into the savings pot, it's brought me annoyingly close to £130 and I'm tempted to just nudge it over. But I'll resist until the next TT moment arises!!

Tete_en_l'Air

Thanks pet, hmm, for 5p per cartridge I'm not sure it's worth it, would take me a looong time to reach payout, even at my rate of use. Perhaps I'll keep donating to charity after all.

You sound so motivated and together, I feel all inspired. Can't wait for payday (no idea when it is) so I can see how much I actually take home and can start making spreadsheets again

What football did you see? I'm getting right into it again, I blame the world cup for starting some sort of mania in me

Cinny91

5p is a shame! I get around 90p per cartridge, which makes it a little easier. The price has dropped, was over £1 when I first sent them. Will keep donating them to charities in mind for if they dip anymore

Always look forward to a good spreadsheet, colour coordinated of course I'm sure you'll start to feel a world better once you have a better grip on things. My biggest stress is money, or lack of control over money.

Football was Sheffield Wednesday v Reading, at home so I got to see OH's stomping ground. Can't say it thrills me, but the atmosphere there was infectious!

I somehow switched my alarm off completely yesterday, instead of just shutting it off, so no morning call for me! Woke with a start as it was starting to get light, thankfully I only overslept by 30 minutes but have a dreadful feeling I'll be spending the rest of today playing catch up with myself. Hate that feeling more than words can explain

Need to go and get some potatoes after work today, but other than that it's a pretty chilled afternoon! Going to take Ryder to the park, and as I did all the housework and laundry yesterday I think I'll just do some baking. Been sneaking a look at apple pound cake recipes, mostly because it will kick a couple things off the shelves that need using up soon (eggs, milk, apples etc!) plus I get to add pumpkin spice and that basically rocks my world.

Potatoes are free, but I'm hoping I don't get tempted by the shops along the way. Aiming for a NSD!

Cinny91

Came out the other end of yesterday having not spent 1p :j Thinking I'm going to set a NSD goal for next month, along with the savings goal.

Logged onto the banking this morning, just to move some money across for bills that come out tomorrow. With OH having my debit card it means no sneaky spends, so sadly(?) no TT's to be made Roll on Friday's wages is all I can say!

Another pre-order for some Christmas presents, the money for this won't be taken until November so still counting it as a no spend, I just really didn't want to miss it.

More cheeky looks at recipes too! We have a joint of beef in the fridge that will need using sooner rather than later, but I want to figure out the best way to stretch it. I'm thinking shredded might be the way to go. We can mix it up for tacos (have a pretty sweet coconut wrap recipe I want to try out!) have it in a sticky chinese chilli sauce, little filo parcels, even good ol' sloppy joes. On another coconut vein I really need to keep an eye out for cheap shrimp, not a seafood person at all but I had coconut fried shrimp on holiday that were gorgeous, and on my shredded beef adventure found an amazing sounding coconut shrimp curry recipe I really want to try!

Tomorrow will be a spend day, we need to stock up on veggies and a couple baking things. Will crack on with a list of what we need this afternoon, alongside a little meal plan, so we don't get off track. I've said it a million times before on other threads, my OH hates meal plans. So I have to be sneaky with new recipes and he doesn't catch on Do notice a difference in both my mood and my bank account if I have everything organised food wise. Control freak.. moi?!

Deposit news(kind of): OH has been attempting to forecast his wages for this month, never exactly goes to plan as his commission is a little wobbly at best. But we're hoping that we'll be able to fly by 25% of the deposit saved

ruby_eskimo

That's great news on the deposit front! I'm hoping we can be almost half way (if not more) in a years time as most of the wedding stuff is saved for now. And the recipe's sound amazing; I need to try and be a bit more adventurous I think!

Cinny91

Fingers crossed you are, Ruby! But you've done such an awesome job with everything else, I don't think you need my well wishes AND A MAHOOSIVE CONGRATS ON BEING DEBT FREEEEE :j:j Can't wait for you to get your button!

I'm sure you're plenty adventurous with your cooking I'm a huge fan of foodie blogs, and have a soft spot for Southern American style cooking. This is the blog that's been the source of my stomach grumbles this morning. Wish I was the kind of person who gets excited over making brownies from dates and sweet potatoes, but alas, my heart wants fatter things. My friend is a health nerd and sent me a link to this yesterday, I am the Blerch. With no shame.

Thought I'd do a little to-do list for today:

• Do whatever needs to be done to le beef
• Meal Plan
• Shopping List (for said meal plan!)
• Bake new recipe cookies
• Walk Ryderoodle
• Sort laundry
• Clean: Kitchen
• Living Room
• Bedroom (plus change bedding and other fun stuff)
• Bathroom (yay!)
• Get Gramp's birthday present ready for tomorrow

Should keep me busy and away from grazing the cupboards

alioops78

You always come up with plans and pull them off. So have no doubt that you'll be in your own home by the time you're 25.

I love watching anything housey so Location, Location, Location and Double your house etc plus Rightmove is such a dangerous website to be on lol.

Wanna come and help me sort out the kitchen and teach me to cook lol. Feel so bad that I can't cook especially as I've started mat leave now and still expect hubby to sort tea out. Although when I did try to make spag bol my way he kept shouting instructions through to the kitchen.

Fantastic that your sister and brother in law are coming over for Christmas. I found out that my parents are coming over on the 27 Dec for a couple of weeks so they can meet their new granddaughter .