Taking it slowly, but doing it well.

wishingthemortgaheaway

Here we are 1st August, my diary is just over a year old and all the monthly money stuff has happened. So here I am with my targets for August:

The Lakes Budget
4 days to go
Daily allowance £19.25
Dropped below £20 a day for the first day in ages, but I bought a film on download last night for a techie widow's girlie film night. I can't see me spending much today, but we'll see (we also had brunch out yesterday with a friend and it was my turn to pay.)

Mse August Goals

MOP Pot £315.81 (massively under achieved last month)
1) Next brick on the countdown house £32.44/52.53
2) interest added 0/10.68
3) nice round number 0/£89.32
4) MFW2018 August amount 0/57.47
5) MFW2018 July catch up amount 0/105.81

13 Step plan
£120/£600

NSDs
0/6 (really not home much this month either)

1p a day challenge days
0/31

wishingthemortgaheaway

we go home tomorrow (briefly!) most things are packed, just the last bits and bobs to go. I'm looking forward to being home, but will miss it here.

The Lakes Budget
1 day to go, £10 of the budget in the bank, a few pounds in my purse (plus £6 in £2 coins that now don't count and need putting with the rest of them at home! )
I feel like I've done quite well, but am a little sad There is no surplus for the mop pot. Tomorrow I think Pickle and I will end up with a brunch out before we leave. I also want to get a bottle of whiskey for hubby for our wedding anniversary in a couple of weeks, this will have to come out of the August pot. I have upped the amount I put aside each month for this trip from £50 to £60 a month, that means in 2019 we'll have £700 for these three weeks and 2020 we'll have £720. By 2021 Pickle will be in school so we won't be able to come for as long.

Mse August Goals

MOP Pot £315.81 (massively under achieved last month)
1) Next brick on the countdown house £40.62/52.53
2) interest added 0/10.68
3) nice round number 0/£89.32
4) MFW2018 August amount 0/57.47
5) MFW2018 July catch up amount 0/105.81

13 Step plan
£135/£600

NSDs
0/6 (really not home much this month either)

1p a day challenge days
0/31

wishingthemortgaheaway

6am Monday morning and whilst we are currently at home, that will change in the next few hours as we set off on our next trip. This time it's a work trip for me
Combined with some holiday.

It has actually been a speedy weekend. I bought a Christmas present (Christmas budget) wedding anniversary present for hubby (random stuff budget) a bottle of gin for me (spending money budget) some groceries to get us through the weekend (groceries budget) and then treated Mum and dad to a meal out yesterday (restaurants budget) so lots and lots of decimated budgets and not really much chance of recouping anything.
Travel expenses for this week will be repaid at The end of the month, and I'll have some overtime. I do have a meeting on 24th August where hopefully they will propose putting my hours up. We will have to see (but I need it to get the job done more than anything else)

Just about finished packing. Have been up for hours thanks to the little one. Just had a shower, so will sort myself out before rousing the rest of the house.

The Lakes Budget
Well, we came in just a few pence under budget, if you discount the bottle of whiskey for hubby and bottle of gin for me, but both of those purchases would have been 'afforded' within the budget at the 'new' £700 level for 2019 - so increasing this is definitely the way forward.

Mse August Goals

MOP Pot £315.81 (massively under achieved last month)
1) Next brick on the countdown house £42.82/52.53
2) interest added 0/10.68
3) nice round number 0/£89.32
4) MFW2018 August amount 0/57.47
5) MFW2018 July catch up amount 0/105.81

13 Step plan
£135/£600

NSDs
0/6 (really not home much this month either)

1p a day challenge days
0/31

wishingthemortgaheaway

I'm out of the habit of a daily update as my life has had no routine for weeks. Next week it will return to some normality. And so may my mse ways.

A nsd today, and Monday. Yesterday I bought an ice cream whilst on the way home from work, so quite low spend days.

Next week hubby was meant to be away working, but the job has been cancelled. He's managed to negotiate half his fee due to the late cancellation, but it does mean he's likely to be kicking around at home costing me money on food when otherwise Pickle & I would be eating leftovers from the freezer.

Ho hum, never mind!

Wish.

Mse August Goals

MOP Pot £315.81 (massively under achieved last month)
1) Next brick on the countdown house £44.73/52.53
2) interest added 0/10.68
3) nice round number 0/£89.32
4) MFW2018 August amount 0/57.47
5) MFW2018 July catch up amount 0/105.81

13 Step plan
£135/£600

NSDs
2/6 (really not home much this month either)

1p a day challenge days
0/31

doingitanyway

At least you and Pickle get hubby's company

wishingthemortgaheaway

doingitanyway wrote: »

At least you and Pickle get hubby's company

You are right DIA, it will be nice having him around for a bit - we are back to 'normal' routine next week, Childminder etc for three days and I have a mountain of work to do, I'm hoping hubby may use some of the time to get some tasks around the house done, which he hates, but are in desperate need of some attention.

wishingthemortgaheaway

A low spend rather than no spend day today. We took a trip into central London's, so have paid out a little on transport to take Pickle to Tate Modern. He loved the view from the top of the new building and made some good observations of some of the art we saw (pleased the artists weren't around though, I think they may have been a little upset to hear their creations described as a den and Sand castles' ) still a lovely day and I enjoyed the rain.
Heading home tomorrow and back to reality, after pretty much a month away, I'm ready for it!

Wish.

Mse August Goals

MOP Pot £315.81 (massively under achieved last month)
1) Next brick on the countdown house £45.13/£52.53
2) interest added 0/10.68
3) nice round number 0/£89.32
4) MFW2018 August amount 0/57.47
5) MFW2018 July catch up amount 0/105.81

13 Step plan
£135/£600

NSDs
2/6 (really not home much this month either)

1p a day challenge days
0/31

wishingthemortgaheaway

Oh my Word! The worst journey back from London, 10.5 hours (should be about half of that!) I have no energy to do anything now, I just need to go to bed! Spends today have been low (amazing how cheap sitting in a car all day is!!!)
Tomorrow I need to get back into 'Home' routine! I'm meant to be meal planning and writing a shopping list tonight, but that will have to wait for tomorrow now!

Wish.

Mse August Goals

MOP Pot £315.81 (massively under achieved last month)
1) Next brick on the countdown house £48.56/£52.53
2) interest added 0/10.68
3) nice round number 0/£89.32
4) MFW2018 August amount 0/57.47
5) MFW2018 July catch up amount 0/105.81

13 Step plan
£135/£600

NSDs
2/6 (really not home much this month either)

1p a day challenge days
11/31

wishingthemortgaheaway

Back to reality with a bump. But actually it's been quite nice. All the washing has been done and there are only a few bits left hanging in the bathroom to dry. Everything else dried in the sunshine this morning. Spends we're only the groceries today following a meal plan and shopping list writing. Under £50, so there is £113 left in the pot for the last two weeks of August, hubby is away from bank holiday Saturday so it's only really 1 week to go.

I've also decided I need to apply some mse mindsets to my health and general levels of fitness. I had a quick scoot round some of the boards here but unsurprisingly can't find a health & fitness diary board. So, I've roped in a few friends who are going to be my accountability partners. I'm not going for any particular weight or dress size targets to start with, just a general 'be a bit more healthy'

I'm using the 'blink' bot on fb messenger to send me a list at 9pm each evening which I will fill in and send to said friends. I'm going to be counting,

Number of steps
Portions of fruit & veg
Amount of bread eaten
Snacks consumed
Water drunk
Anything else.

Hopefully my the time of sister in law's wedding do come October these habits will be a little more ingrained and I can move onto something else! (And if I'm a little less like an elephant that will be good too)

Night all.
Wish.

Mse August Goals

MOP Pot £315.81 (massively under achieved last month)
1) Next brick on the countdown house £50.72/£52.53
2) interest added 0/10.68
3) nice round number 0/£89.32
4) MFW2018 August amount 0/57.47
5) MFW2018 July catch up amount 0/105.81

13 Step plan
£135/£600

NSDs
2/6 (really not home much this month either)

1p a day challenge days
11/31

wishingthemortgaheaway

Evening all, a rare nsd has occurred and it feels good. Tomorrow is the ice cream farm so we have our vip cards to pay for the attractions so just some food and ice cream to pay for!!!
Wish.

Mse August Goals

MOP Pot £315.81 (massively under achieved last month)
1) Next brick on the countdown house £50.72/£52.53
2) interest added 0/10.68
3) nice round number 0/£89.32
4) MFW2018 August amount 0/57.47
5) MFW2018 July catch up amount 0/105.81

13 Step plan
£135/£600

NSDs
3/6 (really not home much this month either)

1p a day challenge days
11/31