Taking it slowly, but doing it well.

wishingthemortgaheaway

Thanks for dropping by Cath,
We've just had the tax credit renewal thing through and our income in 16-17 was still too high, despite it dropping due to statutory maternity pay.
Hubby is self employed and hasn't done his tax return for 16-17 yet so we over estimated what his profit will be.

I'm hoping, once I'm working again and Pickle is in childcare we'll get something towards that, otherwise it's just the 20% tax free child care account thing.

Today I've spent some time looking at the YNAB reports.
They make interesting reading. It seems, in the whole of 2016 I spent less than £11k but so far in 2017 I've spent over £14k I need to look more closely at where the difference are, but I suspect 5 months (Jan-may) of vomiting constantly, then having a new born baby and being shattered had something to do with it.

I'll post my findings later, but let's just say, for now, average monthly expenditure needs to drop dramatically. I'm at about £2300 a month (on average) going out but only £2k coming in now. I think it will even out a bit (the quirks of looking on the 8th August) but it has left me determined to do better.

I'm having a few syncing issues with YNAB. Is anyone else? I'm on good old fashioned YNAB classic, I don't really want to have to switch to the new one while this one is doing ever I need it to do.

Low spend day on tea tonight.
Will update my lists below.

wishingthemortgaheaway

Tonight:laat night
Cook & clear up tea✅
Check for dry washing and put away✅
Sort kitchen bomb site✅
Sort bedroom bomb sitedone todat
Meal plan (including checking cellar freezer)meal plan still not done, freezer checked today
Knitting❌

Tomorrowtoday
Dry washing away✅
Food shop (hopefully including Roamler tasks)❌
Write holiday lists❌

This week:
Unpack everything✅
Pack for holiday
Send parcel to friend

August Goals:
1) reduce mortgage capital by £340 - require overpayment of £128 £63.73 I think, but YNAB is being funny
2)keep an accurate cash spending diary✅
3) cash out £30 of survey site rewards✅just requested £20.36 from PA and only need 50p on VO for a £10 boots voucher - watch the surveys all dry up now
4)reach the middle of July on temperature blanket need to get to the end of May first.
5)get a job or sign up to 1 agency.we're still far too early in August to worry about this.

wishingthemortgaheaway

Today has been a money saving mix.

I took Pickle to the local pool's toddler time swim this morning, £2.10 for both of us for an hour - absolute bargain and an acquaintance was also there with her husband and little ones.

Then this happened... was chatting to acquaintance about our up coming camping trip and the fact we'd left Daddy at home researching roof boxes (£300+ apparently!!)
'Oh' she said 'we've got one you could use, and actually you'd be doing us a favour as we're moving house next week and it's one less thing to move'
So, £20 on the correct fittings for our car, and the offer of regular use if we need it. That's an mse win ������
Edit: have picked up roof box and it fits without having to purchase any additional bits. Whoop woop woop

After it was a shopping centre trip ������
We kept to the list- so everything budgeted for.
Then: drink & cake in JL cost £1.95 for both of us as we used our free hot drink & cake voucher
Wedding present bought & £6 of a £30 spend we 'topped up' the pressie & card with a couple of packs of the bin bags we use for the kitchen bin, which we did need and are no cheaper elsewhere.

We had Pickle's feet measured, but he doesn't need new shoes -mse win for now, it will come though.

And I used the car journeys to do some surveys. Some pa money went from pending to paid last night which took me over £20, so just need that to land in circle now and vo also gave me a 75p survey which meant I could cash out a £10 b!!ts voucher.
I don't think I'll reach a payable amount again this month as we're camping next week so need to conserve battery life and data, but going for a JL voucher next time which will either go towards Christmas pressies or Pickle's shoes.

Home life is crazy with post trip clear ups and pre holiday sorting and we're now adding to the mix that hubby has seen 3 cars to go and look at (he's been car hunting for about 3 years!!) so road trip tomorrow and hopefully picking up a new car as we get back from holiday.

Hope everyone has had a lovely day, goal updates below.

wishingthemortgaheaway

Yesterday evening:
Didn't write a list oops! (Friends came round for a takeaway any way)

Today:
Didn't write a list for today - but I have been productive.

Tonight:
Collect roof box from friend
Knitting (of course!)
Pack for 'wedding weekend'

Tomorrow:
Start holiday packing properly
Dry washing away
See buttons on hubby's suit for wedding


This week:
Unpack everything✅
Pack for holiday
Send parcel to friend✅

August Goals:
1) reduce mortgage capital by £340 - require overpayment of £128
8/8: £63.73/£128
9/8: £64.83 (TT)


2)keep an accurate cash spending diary
9/8 ✅


3) cash out £30 of survey site rewards✅
8/8: £24.80/£30 (£15 voucher & £9.80 cash)
9/8: £55.16/£30 (£25 vouchers & £30.16)

4)reach the middle of July on temperature blanket
8/8: up to 29/05/17

5)get a job or sign up to 1 agency.
9/8: ❌

wishingthemortgaheaway

Just checking I can post!

Have just written my update from today and it won't post and I've lost it. Sooooo

Mummy_bear

wishingthemortgaheaway wrote: »

Just checking I can post!

Have just written my update from today and it won't post and I've lost it. Sooooo

Nightmare! Hope you're able to post with no issues later.

Had my kids feet measured today also. DS gone up 1/2 size, DD up 1 1/2 size :shocked:
Will be ordering their shoes online through top cashback though

wishingthemortgaheaway

I hadn't thought of ordering shoes online mummy_bear, I always had them fitted as a child, so was just doing the same for Pickle. Maybe I'll get a job in a shoe shop for a bit to learn how to fit and measure shoes, then do it myself.

Thanks for dropping by.
Posting has been a nightmare, trying a different device today....

wishingthemortgaheaway

Last night's PST went awol, so I'm trying again tonight.
I think we are packed for our holiday, just the 'morning list' to do tomorrow before we leave.

Things are going well, bit of spending on a travel cot tent thing for pickle from a friend, we usually borrow it, but as we're using it more than them they asked if we wanted to buy it.

Some sort of updates below.

Tomorrow:
Morning list
Go to wedding
June 1-3 on temp blanket while travelling

This week:
Unpack everything✅
Pack for holiday -done
Send parcel to friend✅

August Goals:
1) reduce mortgage capital by £340 - require overpayment of £128
8/8: £63.73/£128
9/8: £64.83 (TT)
11/8: £68.90 (TT & under budget on landline bill)


2)keep an accurate cash spending diary
9/8 ✅
11/8: no cash spent today


3) cash out £30 of survey site rewards✅
8/8: £24.80/£30 (£15 voucher & £9.80 cash)
9/8: £55.16/£30 (£25 vouchers & £30.16
11/8: no change today, but pa reward has cleared to circle, just waiting for it to appear in my bank now

4)reach the middle of July on temperature blanket
8/8: up to 29/05/17
11/8: completed May

5)get a job or sign up to 1 agency.
9/8: X
11/8: X

Mummy_bear

I'd not ordered online before either. But I took them to clarks, got them measured tried some shoes on and then declared I wasn't buying that day. I'll just order them from their online shop via topcashback so I'll get something back.

Anything to save a bit of money these days!

wishingthemortgaheaway

we're back from our jollies, tired tired tired and Pickle has been sick on the way home - lovely! In the hire car because hubby's car decided to fail on us. It could have been very stressful, but wasn't. Pickle's car seat is isofix only which the recovery trucks don't take, so they sent a taxi to take us to the car hire place then sorted a hire car out and the old, dead car was towed back up to home.

So tomorrow we'll get it scrapped ready for hubby to pick the new one up on Tuesday.


Other than that, we've had a fabulous week camping, stunning weather and a lovely wedding to round things off.

I've had no power all week so used my devices sparingly (will start catching up on diaries soon) but first...
A quick financial/goals update.


August Goals:
1) reduce mortgage capital by £340 - require overpayment of £128
8/8: £63.73/£128
9/8: £64.83 (TT)
11/8: £68.90 (TT & under budget on landline bill)
20/8 £71.30 (got some post holiday TT to do, but need to charge the iPad to do that. )


2)keep an accurate cash spending diary
9/8 ✅
11/8: no cash spent today
20/8: nope, not done this.. restart tomorrow. (Haven't taken any cash out of the bank all week though, so haven't actually spent a lot. )


3) cash out £30 of survey site rewards✅
8/8: £24.80/£30 (£15 voucher & £9.80 cash)
9/8: £55.16/£30 (£25 vouchers & £30.16
11/8: no change today, but pa reward has cleared to circle, just waiting for it to appear in my bank now
20/8 no change as I've not done any surveys while I've been away. But the circle payment is in my bank and I've just opened the envelope containing the boots voucher from VO.

4)reach the middle of July on temperature blanket
8/8: up to 29/05/17
11/8: completed May
20/8: up to 3rd June oops, did more reading than knitting while I was away.

5)get a job or sign up to 1 agency.
9/8: X
11/8: X
20/8 : x (but I have been on holiday)

Tomorrow:
Unpack 'going away stuff'
Wash all the washing and gang up to dry or take to laundrette to dry.
Clear out old, dead car.