Claire's OS house deposit quest!

mumto2monkeys_2

Well done on 4st weight loss Toonie - how did you do it?

skintmum2012

Yay I made the NSD first one in a very long time. Sorry just wanted to blow my own trumpet lol.

skintmum2012

really hope that you get tooth sorted out soon and it does not become a problem Retromum

lushlifesaver

Pollyanna I am slightly jealous of your bonus; our new (apparently temporary) chief exec has banned them for the foreseeable so I'm hoping he agrees to the change of role my manager and I have proposed complete with a little pay bump

today we went to the sales and it means, along with the half dozen items we bought late boxing day, little one (aka wonder bairn) should be kitted out for a good few months to come - she's a good length and weight but dainty (she was in tiny baby clothes until almost 10 weeks despite being 6lb12.5oz at birth!) so we've bought leggings in 6-9 and 9-12, a few tops in 9-12, a jacket that will work for spring along with the formal coat we already got her (this one is not too heavy, not too light), tights and some jogging bottoms for nursery. She will just need a smart dress or two and a few more pairs of jammies in the next size as she got jeggings, two good jumpers and one set of jammies for Christmas in a size up next up is getting her fitted for pre-walkers but my mum will do that as shes trained up in fitting childrens shoes and gets a discount

Just been looking at the Cheshire Oaks website Cranky - all our favourite stores are there except Pandora! Definite trip in the planning now will give myself a few months to save up. We call Meadowhall 'Meadowhell' too; its always crammed and just plain uncomfortable. Very hard for bf too as hes at elbow height when all the mad people are around!

not such a great money saving day today as we have also bought a panini grill (been after one for ages and it was a really good price in ASDA living) and a travel booster seat for wonder bairn as highchairs at the hotels and restaurants we frequent are awkward - travelling with 8+ wheelchairs makes it a squeeze round any table and this booster seat has three heights and straps to a normal chair so I can have her next to me

Unless chief exec does as the old one used to and moves pay day in January I have another 28 days until pay day seeing as it was a full week early in December due to Christmas (we get paid every 25th) so I must remember to ask when I go back on the 6th

All the food shopping I've done in the past two weeks and I still need washing up sponges, jay cloths, washing up liquid and scrubber heads! bah
I am starting to work through my major stash of shower gels so that is a good thing. Also plan to go through my clothes tomorrow and see if there's any I can part with ... need to stop keeping things just because they give me another clothing option!

Toonie

The first weight loss year I walked a lot. I walk a lot for work (chasing around after kids) but I added in a lot of walking to and from work and then go out and do 10 miles or so over the weekend. It sounds silly but also whenever I'm in my kitchen I have the radio on and I will boogie around to it which always gets the heart rate up!

I also added extra veggies into my eating plans, so I'd quite often fill up on a huge salad, plate of veggies or a vegetable soup, add some form of protein (either in the form of beans or lentils with soup, or some shredded chicken with salad or fish with vegetables). Then after I would have an orange, or banana and yoghurt. I also drink milk with my lunch and dinner as it helps to fill you up.

This year has been more maintaining that loss and adding a little more to it as it's not as easy after you have lost a large amount so it helps to maintain the loss and allow a couple of treats.

Tomorrow I'm heading out to the shops, I got money at Christmas and bought a new camera bag (on sale) and I'm picking it up from the shop as it's cheaper and quicker than delivery! I also have a couple of vouchers and depending on how crazy the shopping centre is I may pop in...though considering I don't like shopping centres at the best of times, I doubt it!

pollyanna24

Toonie wrote: »

I'm going to do my best to keep an eye on this as I'm trying to save as well. This year I've managed to save over £2000 which I'm quite happy with as I live in London. I'm hoping I can bump my savings up to £300 per month in the coming year (so £3600 by the end of the year) as quite often at the end of the month I would still have money in my account and so transfer that over too which means I live within my wages every month.

I'm also aiming to lose more weight, in 2013 I lost 4 stone and in this last year I've lost another stone. I still have a couple of stone to lose which I have been doing by walking to work at least three times a week (3 miles and saves on bus fair) and eating a lot more veggies. I also try and notch up five miles walking over the weekend (I have a FitBit which is great for keeping track of my steps and distance).

I like the idea of saving for a house deposit but I think that's out of the question in London, so I'm looking at improving my employability and potentially moving out of London.

Whereabouts in London do you live and where are you thinking of moving to? I live in herts and things are soooo expensive, but now that my kids are in school and I have a job in London and I need my mum to mind them while I'm at work makes moving outside London even more a bit of an impossibility at the mo.

I don't like London very much, had a house in Luton for a while, but found the commute just that little bit too much.

pollyanna24

brownsauce wrote: »

Hi All


Pollyanna: that is amazing! 500 quid! wish the nhs gave that sort of bonus!


Toonie: I really don't envy you. London is so expensive, even if I doubled my wage I think I would still struggle to save in London. there are too many temptations and transport is so expensive too.


I just started a budget so looked through my last three months of statements. I am spending on average £450 quid on just food and drink!!!!!!


I joined the January grocery challenge to curb my spending for the month.
So on the agenda today: buy a good coffee mug and tubaware for work, meal plan this next weeks food and study.

I am getting a new kitchen put in January and there is a whole load of building work going on so I probably wont have much use of the kitchen. I think its going to be slow cooker meals and microwave mash!

Haha, yes, I was quite happy with the bonus, but... Just think of the pension the nhs gives! My dad has just retired from the nhs and even though he manages to moan about his pension, me and mum think it's pretty brilliant and loads more than im ever likely to get (apologies if the nhs are now poop at their pensions, I can only go on what my dad has got).

retromother

Congrats on the bonus! What a lovely Christmas present.

We've been woken up to a bit of a shock this morning. Both of our neighbours have dogs and this morning we woke to persistant barking. We assumed it was the family who have two dogs, however when it went on we got up to see an ambulance outside the older couple's on the other side of us. The lady was walking in to the ambulance so I think it must be her husband they came out for. Thankfully their son regularly comes over (he's not long moved out) so they have plenty of support.

Toonie

Oh dear retromother, hope your neighbours are OK.

Pollyanna24 I'm in east London and as to where I'll move, I'm not really sure. All I know is that if I continue in my current occupation I will be priced out of London within a couple of years, so I'm looking at sorting myself out now to prepare for it. If I could, I'd love to live in Northumberland (where my family are originally from) as it feels like home to me, but I would have to have a job to go to first.

skintmum2012

Really hope next door is OK retromum