The mindful MFW: A healthy, happy journey to a mortgage free life!

museumworker

Also had last day of cookery school, will really miss it! Did vegetable fajitas and soy chicken, both easy and cheap. Lots of the volunteers had cooked side dishes and cakes, which was really kind. I stayed later to help wash up and was unexpectedly offered two free bags of food that were leftover so think have 2 free nights of dinners :j! Still have 4 dishes on menu from last week’s meal plan so won’t need to do too much meal plan wise, but will still do our monthly visit to Lidl to stock up on the store cupboard basics they do so well.

I then had the best charity shop haul I’ve had in ages - two Boden dresses, one Boden top, one cos top, one loft tunic, a stripy f&f top and a beautiful black wool full circle coat all for £26 :j :j :j

So what with the free food and charity clothes haul I have had the best Black Friday EVER! :rotfl:

museumworker

WorldTraveller wrote: »

I'm new here and just wanted to post some words of encouragement. We paid off our mortgage last week, which only took us ten years of the twenty five year term. We made lots of overpayments and lived quite frugally (I'm naturally a frugal person anyway so that wasn't too difficult, though we do allow ourselves some luxuries like little breaks abroad if we find cheap flights!). When the balance was still quite high it felt like it might go on forever but we're there now and it's a wonderful feeling.

Wow, mortgage free - a huge congratulations :T:T:T
It must be amazing - thanks so much for the words of encouragement and please do chip in with advice and suggestions.
We love to travel too, hoping despite our massive budget cutting we will still get a few great holidays next year.

themadvix

That's a whole long list of wins, MW, and a great haul from the charity shop too!

Hope you're having a good weekend.

museumworker

Thanks vix! I had a lovely spa day and a really nice lunch afterwards. However I’m kicking myself for drinking too much yesterday evening so feel rubbish today. Plus we lost a bag of shopping at Lidl so now have £15 to write off our budget. We have enough in the stuff we forgot to budget category but it’s still galling. It included cheap thermals I was really looking forward to trying on my bike.

The budget went out the window a bit this weekend - lunch (£46), paid for friend to say thank you for gift of flute. Drinks for friends over £22; £195 in Lidl :eek:! Includes the £15 of write off, £12 of gifts, all our Christmas booze and the lions share of Christmas snack food... but still feels obscene. Oh, and £95 on clothes for DD2, nursery had an emergency meeting on Friday and asked us to dress her with joggers to make going to the toilet easier. We don’t own any so had to do a quick Mr A online order, although perhaps £10 of tops will go back as double checked her drawers and she has more than I thought.

Time to cook our free food, am trying to stay positive as we do much to cut costs but still upsetting when we go off the rails or emergencies arise.

themadvix

What a pain about the shopping!

I'm sure you'll get the spends under control though with some budget shuffling - it look like most of it was very necessary!

museumworker

Hey all, made it to payday, although whatever bug I’ve been battling with has finally caught up with me so came home early from work today. Will do end of month review once I’m feeling bit more with it.

MSE wins:
* YNAB updated, budgets reset
* ys meat made even cheaper with PYO discount at Mr W - £40 of shopping for £18, plus free coffee and paper.
* includes 1.8 kg of oxtail, so planning to make slow cooker oxtail stew tomorrow. Nom nom.
* have hit £1400 savings target to buy OHs travelcard, which we will do via cashback card to gain £70 :j!
* free night out included massage, makeover and manicure, as well as free food and drinks. Very enjoyable and definitely made me realise having my nails done makes me feel much better about myself.
* loaded the AMEX shop small offer to my card ready for the weekend
* Reading nomorehavarddebt blog from the beginning which am really enjoying
* have worn all clothes bought from charity shop last week and really happy with them. The wool coat couldn’t have come at a better time
* DD2 has finally got her mini backpack and loves it
* I’ve only spent £1 of pocket money this week
* I have practiced mindfulness every day except yesterday

MSE fails
* looks like we’re keeping all the clothes I bought for DD2 last week. Ouch. That £95 really sent us over the clothes budget.

museumworker

In bed, throat is agony and can’t motivate myself to do anything. Please send well wishes and energy this way!

wishingthemortgaheaway

Definitely sending you virtual chicken soup.
I'm stuck on the sofa under a poorly toddler. This is the little boy who's normally too busy playing to do cuddles. Looks like I'm getting an entire year's worth of snuggles in one day. (Just wish it wasn't because he's poorly)
Get well soon mw, just remember, if you are in bed, you're not spending.

museumworker

Thanks wish, hope your little boy gets better soon (and at least you have snuggles to enjoy!j

Just done my November money summary and am totally baffled. It appears to say I spent and saved more than I had, but not according to YNAB. The only thing I can think is that YNAB is including funds I already had available, and some of Decemvers funds which came available in November. Either way I’m not overdrawn but does look like I overspent last month.

November budget - actual vs forecast

TOTAL INCOME ACTUAL £3816.51
OH salary £1411
Mortgage account top up from OH salary £630
Salary £1318.13
CB £192.40
Maintenance £150
Ebay £25
TCB £89.98
(NB Refunds are often credited back to same category)

TOTAL OUTGOINGS ACTUAL INCLUDING SAVINGS £4178.71
ACTUAL OVERSPEND £362.20

Savings TOTAL £946.72
Holiday fund £88.50
OH Travelcard £196.54
OH tax bill £586.67
Breakdown cover £33.34
Car insurance renewal £41.67

True expenses £1468.22 ACTUAL (£1319.78 budgeted)
Mortgage £623.15
Life insurance £22.61
Council tax £137
Utilities £76
Water £27.37
Broadband £14.03
Mobiles £37.25
TV licence £12.37
Groceries £350 budget; £515.44 actual :eek:
DD1 travel £10 budget; £3 actual
Interest and fees £10 budget; £0 actual

Other expenses £1763.77 ACTUAL inc carry overs
Professional subscriptions budget £0 ; £18.75 actual
Childcare DS £350 budget; £335 actual
Childcare DD2 £110 budget, carried over as not invoiced**
OH lunches £20 budget; £30 actual
DD1 lunches £20 budget; £26 actual
Parking permit renewal £35
Music school DD1 £187.30
Other music expenses £110 added to pot; £85 spent; £55 carried over
Voucher purchases £50 budgeted; £0 spent
DS monthly magazine, £5 budgeted; £3.99 spent
Travel insurance £9 saved
Window cleaner £7
DS swimming lessons £15.66
Cleaner £144 budgeted £108 spent
Petrol £45 budgeted; £45.50 spent
Car MOT, service and tax £50 saved
Home maintenance £0
Home insurance £41.67 saved
Medical £10 budgeted; £13.31 spent
Clothing £50 budgeted; £116.12 spent :eek:
Gifts £50 budgeted, £98.87 spent :eek:
Giving £50 carried over**
Computer replacement £36.74 saved*
Software subscriptions £38
Stuff I forgot to budget for £50 budgeted; £68.97 spent
Pocket money £150 budget; £139.98 spent **rest carried over
Family days out £15 budgeted, £11.40 spent
Haircuts £15 **carried over
Dining out £0
Babysitter £0
Xmas presents £50 budgeted; £32.49 spent

museumworker

Just worked out what I want from December:
* spending time outdoors
* Relaxed time with the family
* Avoiding shops
* All Christmas presents bought and wrapped by 16 December
* Finish beer advent for OH
* Enjoy time off with kids
* Concert with DD1
* See DD1s Xmas concerts (3)
* See DS Xmas show
* Staff Xmas parties (3)
* Back room clear for guest
* OH family get together
* Book time in with DSis and family
* Quiet Xmas day with turkey from butchers
* Healthy and rested
* Date night with OH
* Massage
* Make HM mince pies
* Read a book
* Mindfulness daily
* Yoga weekly
* Buy tree and decorate