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

museumworker

Betterthanever wrote: »

Well done on the running - and as for the coffee, I'm certainly not going to tell you off for that one! Needs must, and we can't do EVERYTHING in one go, much as we would like to think we can.


Good luck with getting the school place. It seems light years since I had to do such things....I feel so old!!

It goes so quick better, doesn’t it? And come autumn term I need to be visiting colleges and sixth forms with DD1 :eek: THAT makes me feel ancient :rotfl:.

themadvix wrote: »

Totally agree with Better - running = impressed; caffeine = necessary!

Caffeine has been necessary more than once this week although I held off yesterday and so far today :A.

Had to sacrifice my day off yesterday for a super busy super political super important day. Can really feel how much this month is taking out of me. I had to skip my £5 haircut session today as DS had an assembly they only mentioned, erm, yesterday evening :rotfl:. He was so pleased I could come, and I would have had to spend money on travel anyway. Now planning to take a long walk to a hairdressers to see if I can squeeze in a haircut with them. If not I will have had some fresh air, daylight, exercise - and its near a couple of banks I need to pop into and sort out some accounts. I will also not be under my cleaner’s feet although she is not here yet so maybe she’ll be late today.

Finally ordered a replacement bank card for the main account :j.

Really need some yoga mindfulness and bit of rest today too. Wish me luck!

museumworker

Haircut and rough dry done for only a couple of quid more than the £5 cut plus travel.

Closed down H$BC account which will simplify my banking, I only opened it for the incentive and missed out on that. I have one more personal bank account I need to get in order - wondering whether to close it, or use it as account I can swap from from to try to get some more incentives...

I also went a bit crazy in the charity shops, and can’t even admit how much I spent right now... I think the excitement of losing 9 pounds is encouraging me to buy more, smaller clothes. I do worry that I’m not great at self control sometimes. I did try everything on and only buy things that made me feel very good about myself!

Quick coffee (decaf still!) then pick up kids.

Betterthanever

Oh I feel for you on the bank account front.....I have one that I get my salary paid into, then I transfer to a tsb and a Halifax account for monthly rewards. Then I have another one for matched betting and other such things so I don't find myself using money that is allocated to bills.....then my new job requires me not have my salary paid "in house"....needless to say it is with a bank I do not already bank with. .so I have just opened a 5th current account to allow new salary to be compliant! It does unlock lots of staff benefits so not a complete faff but I am wondering how long it will be before I start to lose track and need to simplify things again!!

pinkypig

Well done on the run. Can't beat a little treat on your return, always tastes better when it feels earned:D

Hope you and yours are enjoying the weekend xx

museumworker

Quick update:
* last year’s tax bill is paid! Almost all of the £2k was saved, only needed £180 from the Feb pay packet to cover it. Really pleased that we managed to scrimp the money away, a huge change from last year where we raided the savings (and never topped them back up )
* went running after work today
* hair cut for £20 (not too bad)
* need to update YNAB, might even start a new budget soon as some nagging loose ends
* had 9 people for dinner on sat and using ys meat from freezer and spuds did great slow cooked beef stew with mash, everyone loved it and worked out less than a pound a head
* £60 food shop this week
* weight loss continues, have lost over 4lb since last posted, am almost at the one stone lost mark since Boxing Day
* too busy at work still so haven’t had much time to devote to MSE ways but also no time to spend
* helped DD1 with application for talent scheme at law firm
* have worn all my charity shop outfits and had lots of compliments on them.

museumworker

And breathe! My first proper day off in many weeks, and much anticipated. I think last week was a 60 hour week, plus entertaining on the weekend.
So far I've had a monster lie-in, eaten brunch, and am now very happily sitting in bed pottering on-line.

Achieved:
* exchange agreement to Amsterdam for summer written and sent
* forwarded flight information to Helsinki easter house swap
* updated house swap listing - only have October half term to offer now!
* partially updated YNAB and allocated all income. Despite drop in my income due to going part time, we can cover the basics as well as put money aside for redecorating house, taking MIL out for lunch when she visits next week, and start saving for kids' birthday parties later in the year. Thank goodness our monster tax bill is paid and we now have a system that really helps us keep on top of our finances.

To do:
* collect DS from school, bring home, and take back to school in pjs for movie night!
* 2 x washloads
* send one email
* have a long soak and read!

As you can see I'm taking as much time as I need today to recuperate. Tomorrow is my first weekday day off with just DD2 :j, really hoping to go in the afternoon to local outdoor nature play session I used to take DS to.

museumworker

Also have forgotten to share with you my wonderful charity shop find the other week... a beautiful mid-century bureau. It fits perfectly in our bedroom alcove and goes amazingly with a classic design chair I won last year off instagram. We cleared out the functional but full of junk ikea drawers that were there and now have a lovely space to work, sit, ponder - and as it all closes up there's no unsightly mess. And all for a princely sum of £45.

wishingthemortgaheaway

That sounds lovely.
Top of my 'wish list' if/when we move is a nice sunny widow side space with a snuggle
Seat of some description and a bookcase.
Sadly, the needs are probably
A bit of a stretch, so the wants are quite probably out too.

themadvix

Glad to see you had a quiet day yesterday - it sounds like you needed it!

The bureau and the window/snuggle seat both sound lovely, but I think I'm the same as you, wishing... too many needs to be picky about the wants!

museumworker

wishingthemortgaheaway wrote: »

That sounds lovely.
Top of my 'wish list' if/when we move is a nice sunny widow side space with a snuggle
Seat of some description and a bookcase.
Sadly, the needs are probably
A bit of a stretch, so the wants are quite probably out too.

That sounds lovely - we're working on a snuggle corner in an alcove in the living room. Will remove a shelf and have a small nursing chair that will fit in, although it needs reupholstering and some more padding.

themadvix wrote: »

Glad to see you had a quiet day yesterday - it sounds like you needed it!

The bureau and the window/snuggle seat both sound lovely, but I think I'm the same as you, wishing... too many needs to be picky about the wants!

Definitely needed the quiet day! Might be last for another four weeks :eek:.

Re: the wants vs needs - I had an idea about this alcove about 4 years ago, and have just been waiting for the right piece at the right price. £45 was cheap enough to take a risk on, and am glad we did as OH wasn't as convinced as me. He now loves it, possibly even more than me! :rotfl:

Good first day with me and DD2. School run, picked up prescription and got meds, trip to local charity shop and an hour play in the park with friends. Then friends came over to impromptu lunch and play with some new toys had picked up in the charity shop. Had a bit of work to sign off but nothing too intrusive. Now watching new kids DVD (25p from charity shop) before we head out for dinner at another friends. We've made a pudding and already have a spare bottle of prosecco from the weekend so all good to go.

Bit shocked to have spent £15 in the charity shop - bought a French Connection dress (£4) and Boden top (£3), plus a large bag of ello construction toy(£5), 10x thank you cards (£1), a bag of wooden london city toys (£1) and 4x DVDs (£1). All we will use, wear, play with and watch but wondering how people manage to have and keep to NSDs!