The journey to financial independence.

tootallulah

Also slow cookers are brilliant for being ready when you get in from work - highly recommended. And they make good lunch left overs too. Envelopes are the new daily spends recording! they work for me and I often underspend on my £10 per day which I add to my holiday pot. Malaysia here I come.

Cream_Tea

Thanks for coming by Tootallulah, I will look forward to some cheering through the year. I discussed with DH your envelope idea yesterday and he has agreed he will give it a good go so from 2nd January we are Toot followers. He is starting to understand this overpayment obsession is one he has to join because he can't beat it! I hope to use the unspent envelope money to make up the additional £100 overpayment we need to find each month to achieve the £6000 overpayment next. Even if we don't I feel we want to use that to overpay but maybe treat ourselves it will be good progress just to limit our daily spend.

Yesterday I bought small envelopes and last night we had a ceremonial joining of our two penny jars (we have lived together for three years but still have these two items separate?!) so we now have a large old glass roses jar to put our unspent money in. We are now ready for January 2nd.

I found out today I have been successful on the 0% CC I applied for yesterday so bye bye 29% Interest CC I will be cancelling that as soon as the balance is zero.
I am now feeling very organised and ready for the New Year.

Finally ....today I spent £6.50 on lunch and dinner. Eating in staff canteen. Another project for the New Year.... Bring in lunch!
CT

Cream_Tea

Paid early, money where it should be ready for bills to go out. All presents bought and being wrapped tonight. Feeling very Christmassy now. I am working Christmas Day but off Christmas Eve and Boxing Day so today I felt was the last chance to finish everything, the glam life of a nurse.

Slight spirit dampener, today my car broke down. £180 odd for a new alternator and labour. That's £180 less debt clearance sadly.

Onwards and upwards MFWs!

Cream_Tea

Merry christmas to all. I hope that everyone had a restful fun filled time. Our car cost £245 in the end. Worked Christmas Day as is expected in the world of nursing. Saw all the fam a lam and in laws over Christmas eve and Boxing Day. Now sitting/lying making plans for 2015.

So new year, new plan which I have divided into 3 sections.

Personal
-To lose 21lbs. To complete by June 2015

Financial
-To overpay £6000 next year which would be our normal £400 monthly overpayment plus another £100 a month. To complete December 2015.
-To build up an emergency fund of £2000 which will eventually be £4500 which is approx 3 months outgoings. To complete December 2015.
-To have our bathroom extended. It's currently tiny just enough space to have a shower toilet and tiny sink. We have planning permission to double it. Which will still leave it small but will make it a more family sized bathroom to match our 3 bed family size home. To complete September 2015.

Work
-To complete a large work project, possibly by summer 2015.

Onwards and upwards MFWs into 2015!

kansaskitty

Hi CreamTea, just read your journal with interest and will be subscribing. Well done on your bills savings, switching to 0% and getting on the MFW OPing bandwagon!

We have tried to start an envelope system but we started the week of Christmas and it's gone terribly lol! My husband found it really hard to have a limit set on his 'fun' but taking the cards out of the wallet so there is no choice is a fabulous idea, will be pinching that for starting again next week! We are a 20 something couple and we budgeted £35 groceries, £50 petrol and £60 fun between the two of us (and baby bump).

Looking forward to reading more and sharing in your progress! KK xx

Cream_Tea

Lol I too have subscribed to yours KK. We are starting our envelopes on 2nd January we didn't think we could start over Christmas. We also had plans for the sales. We successfully bought reduced luggage for our holidays planned this year.
Good luck with the soon to be newest addition of the family.
CT

CathT

Hi Cream Tea, just found your diary. You have had you LBM early on in your mortgage journey which will make a huge difference. I remember our mortgage being just £200 without even thinking of making OP's. Now it's a much bigger mortgage it's one of my main priorities. Hope your shift wasn't too busy, I remember having a manic Christmas day shift myself a few years ago!


Great goals for 2015, I will be following with interest.

Cream_Tea

The shift was actually really lovely. All our patients were long term patients so we knew them well and lots of empty beds for a change so! Do we have another nurse on the forum CathT?
My Dad has always impressed on me the importance of saving right from qualifying. He said that if I saved straight away I wouldn't notice any difference from going from being a student and full time pay. It will be the same advice I will give to my future kids. I think these days you have to overpay if you intend on ever affording your forever home which is my incentive.
CT

CathT

I used to be but work 9-5 now which is much more family friendly. Your dad has taught you good saving habits, I hope I can pass our approach to money to our children too.

Cream_Tea

I tried a dept that worked 8-6 a couple of years ago but the ward has my heart so I ended up back there. I imagine that would have to change if I had kids.

I'm getting very excited about 2015 now I have all my money plans in place. I'm batch cooking today so I can start the year with a freezer full of time saving, money saving meals. I think I've identified that having watched our spending for the last few months we waste so much on food.
1) we don't have it in so we buy our lunches at work
2) we don't have it in so we get take away
3) we don't have it in so we nip to the shops for dinner and milk an spend £25
4) we don have it in so we make lots of bad choices and our waistlines keep expanding!!

Now off to cook

CT