Getting back on the MFW Wagon

BookmobileBadGirl

You are doing so well with your emergency savings and your overpaying.

Needhelpsaving

Morning everyone.

Things have taken a turn in the NHS household, which whilst we can manage financially, this change will have an impact on our ability to hit our goals as quickly as we would like.

However, we will still be trying to fund savings as planned, but it may be slower than the £10k by June 2018 target.

Today's plans are to do a top-up shop (list made) and get some jobs done around the house.

Kittenkirst

Sorry to hear things have been tough NHS but glad it's something that you can move on from

I'm working from home today and trying to get some chores done on breaks between screen time- not being very successful so I hope you're found great better than me

Keep on pushing on!

Needhelpsaving

Thanks for dropping by Bookmobilebadgirl and Kittenkirst, your encouragement is much appreciated.

Its fair to say that the start of the week has been disaterous with a change in circumstances and then OH got is payslip and the good old tax man has decimated it! Basically, they have taxed him at 40% instead of 20% - I have advised that we wait until next month to see whether some sort of rebate comes through, but it wasn't great news either way.

On a positive note, we sat down, had a chat and are picking up the pieces to move forward as a family.

Yesterday was an NSD, I spent the day getting some jobs done around the house using up items we had already bought (paint, sugar soaps etc). Weirdly, this has been quite therapeutic and will continue over the next couple of days.

There will be a need for some spends to get jobs/rooms finished, but they will be considered and trimmed where needed to keep us moving forward towards our goals, which essentially create a buffer between horrible situations and their impact (which we are extremely grateful for).

Needhelpsaving

Good morning,

Yesterday was another NSD and today will follow suit.

We have been following the meal plan and eating what we have in. Our grocery spends feel like they can be trimmed, so I will be having a play around with this over the next couple of weeks to see what I can do.

I forgot to mention my bargain of the week from when I did the top up shop - two rolls of wrapping paper (1 male, 1 female) - can be used for multiple occasions - 35p for both! They should have been £1.50 each. I don't know if I overlook them, but I never seem to find bargains like this. I have added them to the present cupboard so that I have something to hand when I need it.

Today will continue with the cleaning and decorating theme, trying to use what we have in the shed first before we even contemplate buying anything else.

Right, off to check out diaries whilst the house is still quiet. Hope everyone has a good day.

Needhelpsaving

Cleaning and decorating has been wrapped up for today and whilst the house now looks a little chaotic, it will all come good in the end.

Today I sugar soaped the walls etc in the living room and hallway :eek:

I have also used 1/2 tube of polyfilla to fill in some hairline cracks that have appeared here and there. Then finally, I got started with the gloss. Living room skirting boards (1st coat done) and a fresh coat on the plaster fire surround (not in budget to replace just yet, maybe in a couple of years) and the windowsill.

I think I scared some of the neighbors as I was wearing a face mask while painting :rotfl:

Over the weekend, I will get the second coat of gloss on the skirting boards, put a coat of white paint on the ceiling to freshen it up and then get started on the walls.

This room is the final room that requires a carpet replacement, so that will definitely have to be done as it looks very shabby at the minute, so I will have to order that to be fitted before bubba arrives.

Then it will be matter of getting creative with accessories and soft furnishings to keep these spends to the absolute minimum/at all.

Needhelpsaving

Good Morning.

Just dropping in with a financial update for this month. OH has been paid and has trimmed his budget to put £2700 in savings, bringing us to £7131.90/£10,000 (much better than we anticipated) and he has earmarked £400 for mortgage OP :j

So even with the tax bill being high, we have managed to take a huge step to our targets and we have recognized that we are fortunate to even be in a position to save

I have also hit the threshold for another £3 voucher on SB, so that has been requested and will be added to the Amazon account for use at a later date.

I didn't manage an NSD yesterday, as I needed to buy some more paint for the home projects we have going on. I also bought a hanging basket and some bedding plants to brighten up the front of the house. Total spent was just over £30 - everything else we have used has been purchased earlier in the year or recycled (i.e. plant pots etc).

Today is a planned rest day, as after 2 days of decorating I need a break, but normal service will resume tomorrow. Today is about enjoying the weather and simple pleasures like seeing the washing flapping around on the line

Needhelpsaving

Hiya!

Bit of an odd one today, but bear with me. I had a brainwave last night (dangerous I know), but I have set myself the challenge of saving, manifesting or earning £6000 in a year (12 months from yesterday) while on maternity leave - above usual income :eek:

I started last night by looking up how much I had on Boots card, Amazon account etc. Then I looked at cashback shopping apps to see if I could get any bargains to cut back the planned spends.

Today I have got some total bargains using clicksnap and checkout smart;

- 18 packs of Carex refill packs (£1.50 rrp, and with 0.75p cashback on each pack from COS and CS, they were all FREE). I gave 14 to my mum, so she now has a years supply of handsoap. I already had a stash, so it was nice to get a bargain and 'gift' them to someone else.

- COS had an offer on the price of a 5 pack of bananas - making them FREE after cashback.

- I used CS and COS to get 6 packs of yeovalley yoghurts, should have been £2.50 per pack, after cashback they were 50p per pack out of pocket (and I got the longest dates possible so they get used).

- 2 roll on deodorants - again FREE after cashback by combining offers on COS and CS.

The idea is that every time I save by using these apps, I physically move the money saved to our savings account so we have something tangible as we go. So, while I have spent money today - all planned, I have saved around £50 with loyalty points/cashback apps.

This may well be a hair-brained scheme, but hopefully it will give me a challenge to work towards.

£27.87 will be moved to savings on Friday and I have over £20 pending with Quidco clicksnap which will be moved once it is available to be claimed.

ETA - MIL bought DD an outfit in the sales, so I will move £10 from our clothing budget to the savings, as it has saved us having to make the spend.

Needhelpsaving

Good Morning,

I have been paid and money shuffles have been done.

Cost of remaining carpet has been covered and that should be fitted next Thursday :j

I have ordered some new photo frames from M&S in their home event (these were on the list anyway, but we bought them early as they had 20% off). These will be used to make a gallery wall with some frames we already have.

We have plans for this bank holiday weekend, which had already been budgeted and will allow us to spend some family time together before baby arrives.

£22.01 has been requested from Quidco, £30.55 has been requested from Checkout Smart - all of which will be sent over to savings.

I have already sent £75 to savings and have claimed another £3 Amazon voucher from Swagbucks. So no major changes to the savings account, but we are keeping it ticking over

Have a great weekend all, whatever you are doing.

Needhelpsaving

Good morning!

As the bank holiday weekend nears its end, we are preparing to
Come home from our weekend away. We have spent the weekend
In Stratford upon Avon - the accommodation for all three caravans was generously paid for by the in laws. We have spent around £130 including 2 meals out, food for in the van and OH trip to the pub :money:

The river has burst its banks but thankfully, we have been unaffected although some of the site has been evacuated.

The next few days will involve some outings to keep DD occupied over half term. Any spends here will be from the child benefit we have been putting aside for Clothes and days out. Going to see a Julia Donaldson play tomorrow (DD had tickets for Xmas, so spends will be parking and lunch).

Then Wednesday and Thursday will be spent close to home.