2016 - a year of change

lulabelle

Why oh why I cannot stick to budgets and reign in the spending I do not know!

Went to supermarket yesterday to get the odd bits I couldn't find on friday and came to a whopping £36.09 on top of the £98 we spent friday!!!! Then bought a mini chopper - £19.99 as been saying for ages we need one.

Boy's mum came over for dinner last night and we made her an italian feast with some of the stuff we brought back from italy But had to pop out and get another bottle of wine and ended up buying us all a kit kat cookie dough (as new and looked interesting!) so another £8.95 though thankfully was from some cash we had sitting around which we didn't use last week so already accounted for in budget.

Today we have been doing lots of painting and tidying of house and haven't gone to boy's mum''s. Putting a lamb shoulder on for tea to have with wraps, yoghurt and rice and as it's a whole shoulder (was on offer so same price as the half shoulder we would usually get) there should be some to take to work in sandwiches. For lunch we had leftover butternut squash risotto from last night even though the boy had suggested going out (I said we shouldn't as we are trying to save).

Shouldn't spend much this week apart from milk and we possibly also need some jacket potatoes and beans (depends if can stretch leftovers). Lunch out with a friend thursday but hopefully not more than £15.

lulabelle

managed a NSD today - had brekkie before I left for work (to stop me having a biscuit for breakfast) then lunch was lamb and yoghurt wrap with leftover lamb from last night, plus nak*d bar. Didn't leave work until 610 as was chatting to someone then made a thai green chicken curry and rice from stores. pudding was ice cream plus crushed up biscotti and balsamic condiment (like balsamic vinegar but less vinegar-y and thicker) we brought back from Italia.

Tomorrow I will need to get jacket pots and beans for our tea but that should come out of cash we have left over so not ticking down my monthly budget. Trying to stay in the office at lunch so I won't be tempted to spend!

I AM going to run tomorrow. Even if it kills me. Just did the exercises my physio gave me as my body is basically shot. She says she's no idea how I ran the marathon - I have real neck problems, lazy glutes and over developed quads! But I have to exercise or I will go insane!!!

lulabelle

so thought today would be out of cash we already have spare so not ticking monthly budget down but the boy has developed a cold so has asked if I can pick up some lemsip. Might therefore get a few other things from b**ts that I need in a few days anyway if today has to be a spend day - boo!

Going to take my running stuff to work and go for a run after work! Otherwise I will be fat forever!!!!

lulabelle

Spent £6.43 on way home on lemsip, milk, j.pots and beans. Was unavoidable as that was what we had planned for dinner and the boy needed lemsip. In reality only £3.21.5 as we split everything so not too bad.

Nabbed some free fruit left over from a meeting at work today: lovely sliced kiwi fruit, seedless grapes and strawberries. Now we are talking about trying for a baby next year I have to start eating fruit and veg where I can as I have avoided it for years.

Tomorrow have a meeting at 9am where pastries provided so free brekkie.

RAN tonight - first time in MONTHS - only managed 25 mins actual running with 15 mins brisk walking but it's a start and I feel better and more energised.

The lease extension is getting me down. Just seems to be more and more cash and will almost wipe me out. Now I've discovered that if the premium is over 40k and it results in my owning 2 or more houses (which it will) I have to pay SDLT which could potentially be another £1500. This is on top of the premium, my lawyers and surveyors costs and her lawyers and surveyors costs. It really is depressing me and part of me is just tempted to flog that property as soon as I've sorted the lease and get the equity out. The other part of me says that would be stupid as it is in Tooting which is only going to increase in value in all likelihood.

Just comes at a bad time as we need all the cash we can get to buy our house together. Maybe I need to ask if I can go back full time but I don't think they have the budget for me.

One positive is I spoke to jeweller today about my old engagement ring and he's going to make me an offer for the stone. Will see what that is but might help

Seasidegal58

Hi lulabelle

Have really enjoyed reading through your diary and have subscribed.

Your lease extension sounds a real pain - I speak from experience! I'm probably telling my grandmother how to suck eggs here as you have a law background, but if you feel you are being overcharged by your freeholder have you looked up on the Government Lease Valuation website to ascertain if it would be worth going to the Lease Valuation Tribunal to find out if they would rule on a more reasonable sum?

Still I think you are right about Tooting..........

lulabelle

Thanks SSG! Based on what I've read, I don't think she is over charging (well, the 90k was!) to the point where a tribunal will think she is being unreasonable but I do need to get it down to a more manageable sum as it will wipe me out!

So, over a week since I posted. I came down with a horrendous cold on thursday and not quite sure how I managed to get through the day at work. My brother and his wife arrived really late (midnight) so not a great start to weekend. Didn't spend too huge amounts over weekend so that was good.

Ordered a few things from amazon this week including a book on pre-pregnancy and some ovulation strips (both of which friends recommended) and I proudly have 660 in this month's budget to last me until wednesday as we get paid next thursday. Will not actually be that much to squirrel away as I "borrowed" around 350 from another account to top up the leasehold deposit and so have to pay that back as that is earmarked for lawyers fees and excess on the drain works at our house! will probably whack anything else left over towards lawyers fee/excess drains as bound to need it.

shouldn't be too spendy a weekend - got to do the usual "big shop" tomorrow and have budgeted 75 each for that - this week we need things like coffee, loo roll, washing powder etc which will all add to the bill. We are, however, other than going to the boy's mum's on sunday, staying in this weekend and I am cooking and the boy revising. So should be a relatively cheap weekend.

lulabelle

Didn't end up doing the big shop friday as I had an appointment at lunchtime and the boy didn't finish work until 630. So we were bad and got takeaway - £28 between us. But the boy really wasn't very well and was pretty stressed so didn't really want him to have to schlep out to supermarket with me. Plus by the time he got home I was in PJ's on sofa with candles lit so didn't feel much like moving!

Sat am I did the shopping as the boy had to revise. Took me 2 hours as no one place had all the things we needed! Anyway, it came in at around £119 between us, so adding take out to that, came in just under my £75 budget which is good.

We had soup and toast for lunch after I got back from shops. Was going to go into town but avoided it so no spending. Last night made sherry braised pork cheeks from stores and had that with rice. Was pretty nice but pretty rich! Watched loads of Desperate Housewives - the boy loves it!

Today we are off to the boy's mums for lunch then making lemon and lavender chicken from stores for tea.

Hoping this week will be no or low spend (up until pay day anyway) as have everything we need in the house for lunches/suppers. Have £582 left from this month's budget so will try to get to Thurs without spending then can ping that over to pay back the deposit monies and drains excess and give myself a little extra in case drain works are more expensive (which is inevitable really).

The boy and I have decided to work on the basis that his flat won't sell in time for us to move which means we will be around £90 - 100k down which means (a) much smaller house and (b) will struggle for deposit and fees. So we are trying to squirrel away as much as possible between now and whenever we sell my place (not putting that on until jan as have work to do to it and we are v busy from now until xmas) whilst still trying to enjoy life given that (fingers crossed) our lives will be massively changing if we manage to have a baby.

I don't feel old enough for this!

lulabelle

back from lunch at the boy's mums and avoided shops on way home so should be a NSD! Made a raspberry and assam tea loaf yesterday and there's some left so we are going to have some of that with a cup of tea shortly. The boy is revising and I am going to read my book.

Chicken is marinating in the fridge and we will have that later with some courgetti. This week I am out weds but it's for a team meal out so think that comes out of the team's social budget, plus I don't want to drink anyway as I find I don't sleep well so hopefully won't cost me anything. Picked the boy up a beef cannelloni reduced down to £1.99 yesterday so that's in freezer for him to have when I'm out. Rest of week should be from stores and there are some braised pig cheeks left over for the boy to take to work for lunch tomorrow.

I also didn't get into the london marathon for next year. Quite gutted and don't think I'll get a charity place either as is a lot to raise and lots of people sponsored us last year - feel I can't lean on them again

Tete_en_l'Air

Hi Lula, I confess I haven't read through the whole thread (or previous ones!) but well done on leaving a rubbish job even with nothing to go to, it takes guts.

Also well done on your marathon, nice to 'meet' a fellow runner on here! I didn't get into London either but am considering Manchester or Liverpool Rock n Roll (I've already entered the half but I think you can upgrade). I'm beset with niggles at the mo but am hoping to get them sorted once and for all and start next year on the front foot

I'm loving the sound of all your meals, you're inspiring me to be a bit more adventurous - lamb shoulders and pig cheeks - yum!

lulabelle

Thanks T! Yes, I'm considering manchester too - though was a bit put off as one of my mates ran it last year (and in about 330 so wouldn't be in the massive queues of "normal" paced people!) and said that he was waiting 2 hours for his bag afterwards. So still giving that some thought.

Been good this week (so far) and not spent anything. Monday was lunch from stores then made the lean in 15 chicken pie. Boy had the leftovers for his lunch yesterday and I had a work sandwich lunch as we had a lecture. Then had a meeting yesterday pm and someone bought me a drink afterwards. Came home and made chicken and chorizo from lean in 15. Today is last day before new month's pay/budget so trying to hold out. Though I do need my perfume as about to run out and wear it every day. Thinking I ought to get that as next month already looking expensive even in first week - fri night am taking the boy out to his fave restaurant to say thanks for all the decorating he's done, and sat night we are out for drinks/dinner with friends. Am also having haircut on fri pm as not had it cut (coloured only last time) since end april!

Pricey!!!!!!!