ZC's Aim for a little independence

zcrat41

Morning all. An unexpected bad day at work yesterday resulted in £10 at Aldi on snack food. I should feel guilty but it was within budget and sometime you just need a blow out. We've been so busy for two weeks I think I was just shattered. Also spent 1.99 on renting Mary Queen of Scots. Such an interesting story.

Home day today. Going to set up the paddling pool we got last summer ready for the hot weather next week. Lots of gardening and sorting to do. Have been invited to friends tomorrow so also need to think of something to make as a pudding to take with me.

Small blip with ynab - £90 in tickets for an event we're going to is due today that id forgotten about. I was thinking I'd have to scratch about the categories but I think this might be the most th where we get double the child benefit so hopefully no scratching to be done.


Have a good day all.

zcrat41

Morning all.

Spent £14 in Asda yesterday on berries and cream for a pavlova to take to friends today.

Not a Great day again yesterday. Dh spent the whole day working when I had a list of jobs planned. When I feel out of control in the house my eating goes haywire. Thinking about it I have some real control problems I think!

In money news I've opened a Natwest invest account as they had an offer that when you put in £250 they'll give you £50. I open it just for that but I might leave it ticking along. It can be part of my house emergency fund but if it's not spent in 7 years it'll be a nice tidy sum towards a bit trip I have planned. (Friends 50th and we want to go to St Petersburg). We'll see how we go.

Here's to a better day today. Lunch with friends and hopefully a NSD.

jwil

Have a good day

zcrat41

Thanks Jwil.

'Teas a good day yesterday. Lovely lunch with friends. Inspired me to invite friends over more often.

Then dh and i watched a film - The Big Short. All about the 08 crash and a couple of traders who saw it coming. I didn't really understand (and still don't) that some of the stock market is just betting! I find the whole thing morally uncomfortable but can't put my finger on why.

In other news I totally have to get back on the healthy eating wagon. The last 3 weeks have not been a success.

Have a good day all.

zcrat41

Spendy day yesterday. £283 bring kids uniform. I've already got a lot of it from the neArly new sale and that doesn't even include shoes!!! All budgeted for but still.

Managed to stick to mfp and get some housework and gardening done so feel a lot better today.

It's going to be hot hot hot today!! Stay cool everyone.

zcrat41

Morning all.

NSD yesterday. Hopefully the first of a few!

We are go with harvest! It's very very hot though so only able to combine before about 11am. DH started this morning at 2.30am!! Today the kids have some friends coming over, I don't think they or I will leave the paddling pool. Hopefully just a few pounds spent on a stay and play at the local church. Through winter it's the coldest place to be so I'm hoping it'll keep us cool.

Managing my TOMM and garden aims but struggling with mfp. Great all day but then I do these little mini feasts at night. It's cos I'm tired but I don't know how to stop it.
Have a good day all.

zcrat41

Morning all. Another NSD yesterday. Pleased with that as I had to collect some of the kids uniform from M&S and I'd normally have looked around and bought at least some food if not some clothes as well.

Man Alive that heat yesterday!! We were all hot and grumpy and I slept atrociously last night. So glad it's forecast to cool down today.

Actually I've just realised it wasn't a NSD yesterday,
Just a £1 on church stay and play. Not bad really!

zcrat41

I've been playing with some figures at the moment. So my mortgage has about 15 years left to run give or take the odd few k that I've paid off already.

Listening to Dave Ramsey has really inspired me to think about having debt which is effectively what this mortgage is. If I trim down my personal account to the absolute minimum spends then I could put an extra £200 odd into my savings. This would mean I would reach my 5k target by Xmas.

If I then rolled that money into paying down the mortgage then I could potentially be debt free in 7 years. This then really depresses me as it seems an awful long time which is a ridiculous feeling when it is currently 15 years!

I'm not sure I want to compromise my day to day life that much but I'm sort of going to give this Gazelle intensity thing a bit of a go to see how it goes. I can always choose to not do it!

savingholmes

Hi ZC - we have been increasing our intensity on the debt repayment too. DR is very motivating. I now have a plan to be CC and mortgage free in less than 9 years - before I wondered how I would achieve it in 12. Keep plugging away.

zcrat41

Just caught up on your diary savingholmes. You've done brilliantly, well done!

Just £3.70 in mayo and pizza
Bases. Forgot the former in my shop and my pizza dough didn't rise so had to send dh out last minute.

Dh also bought dd a chess set. She's been playing at school and on his phone but we thought she'd learn better with a real board.

We had to go looking at houses today which was fascinating. We might be taking on another employee and it's kinda normal to provide full time staff with a house. We looked at 4 bed new builds and I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting them to be furnished cleverly to disguise how small the rooms are. Apart from lots of mirrors and shiny furniture though they were really good sized rooms.

Problem is we'd have to sell my property to buy it. Then I'd pay CGt and then have to pay the extra stamp duty that comes to £15k. It would cost us £25k in taxes to provide the house. We think that puts the dampener in the idea.

Fun looking round the houses though imagining what it would be like to live there!!

Night all