And so it begins: The Pig Vs The Mortgage

pinkypig

CathT wrote: »

Well that was a productive Tuesday, I felt tired reading that list!

:rotfl: :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

pinkypig

Morning: wave:

I’ve been a little lax with my updates this week . My half term has started though so no more excuses!
It’s been a busy but productive week at work, health and fitness has gone well, I’m sleeping so much better and money stuff has been ok with only one unbudgeted spend.
Budgeted spends were filling up the car and a £4.74 grocery spend on things to take on holiday (including lunch) and the unbudgeted spend was on wine:eek::rotfl: I got a £20 off £60 spend leaflet through the door from Sainsbury’s and my favourite wine had £1 a bottle off on another promotion so I ordered 10 bottles . £41.50 including delivery .
The rest of the week has been pretty normal, Mum has been and had tea with us a couple of times, the kids are on good form - so all good.
My replacement for my death trap tumble dryer has arrived and looks very smart - I wonder how long it will sit there until I use it? Months hopefully!
I got an early finish yesterday so I got some frogs swallowed including;
Went through tax return and paid the accountant’s bill
Sorted out some admin on business account
Cleared filing clutter into the ‘office’ (still not filed but out of the kitchen at least)

Other small steps to freedom and wellbeing included;

Went riding with dd
Ran car insurance quotes for myself and Dd
Got great group on deal for DS’s breakdown cover £19 (no excess and unlimited call outs. £2.50 has also tracked on TCB
Got my passport,euros and EHIC out of storage:)
Got TCB of £54
Cheap, healthy eats (porridge for breakfast, lo for lunch and chickpea and cauliflower curry and brown rice from the freezer for dinner)
Had a lovely evening in front of the TV and did no marking!
Had a good sleep

I’ve got a very long to do list before we go - some of it essential some of it would be a bonus. I’m also having a much needed hair cut (by an actual hairdresser- I’m very flash these days )
I’m going to start with coffee in bed:rotfl:

Happy Friday to you, I hope it’s been a good week

PP xx

wishingthemortgaheaway

Happy half term Pinky. - another local authority with next week - the country seems very split this year. Most of my settings are still in next week with half term the week after - and they are spread across the country.

pinkypig

wishingthemortgaheaway wrote: »

Happy half term Pinky. - another local authority with next week - the country seems very split this year. Most of my settings are still in next week with half term the week after - and they are spread across the country.

Thanks Wish 😁. You’re right, the holidays have been a real muddle these last few years.
I’m off to the airport now :j
Hope you and yours are all well xx

Karmacat

Ships that cross! You're probably still in the air now, lol ... hope you have a lovely holiday.

chumpy45

Hope you have a lovely half term holiday x

pinkypig

Thank you KC and Chumpy - we had a lovely time. The city was amazing, as was the weather, the food and the beer

I’ve had two months of fabulous celebrations of various kinds and lots of treats which has been great but I’ve not really had a handle on my spends which is not like me and I don’t like the feeling it has given me :eek::eek: I’ll be paying this month’s CC bill with a deep gulp and then will be getting back on it ! The fight back starts here :rotfl:

My goals for November are;

To eat from the freezer as much as possible
To stay out of the charity shops and off eBay to stick within my£50 personal spends budget.
To get back on a regular exercise routine and to build in more running now my injury has healed
To do a proper budget for the month including car insurance and break down which are both due soon.
To go through my present stash and try and do my Christmas shopping from home with the exception of the kids main pressies which I’ll get once they give me some clues!
To sort out my craft projects and to get them done
To make my Christmas cakes and some marmalade and chutney for hampers.

Today has been a good one considering it was my first day back at work. Everything was calm and that’s always good. It was also pay day :j. However much of it is spoken for to cover said shenanigans so there will not be much of an OP this month but I have to say it was worth it as it’s been about three big birthdays and they’ve been great : I’ve also had some improvements done on the house which have been very worthwhile too.
I can’t do my monthly totals until the first but my monthly spends have been ;

Grocery £130.14/£140 :j

Transport £212.59 /£240 :j

Personal £99.74/£50 :eek::eek:

In addition there were spends on gifts, house and holidays but these were budgeted separately and are part of my annual budgets which are looking ok (ish!)

Today’s small steps to freedom and happiness included;

Went to my friend’s for dinner and had a really good laugh

Took coffee, lunch and snacks to work

Cheap, healthy eats (porridge for breakfast and lo for lunch)

Had a good sleep

Sorted the final bits of tidying and putting away after DS’s endless celebrations :rotfl:There’s enough leftovers to feed us for a week and lots of beer and wine ready for Christmas ( sorry to drop the C bomb in October :eek:)

Faced up to my CC bill and set aside funds to pay it in full

Tomorrow’s lunches and breakfasts are ready and dinner will be leftovers

Today’s counter successes were;

Very little water drank

8 writing books still to mark

Happy Monday to you, I hope it’s been all that you needed it to be

PP xx

pinkypig

Evening: wave:

I have been rubbish at updating recently, I think I got out of the habit while I was on holiday and haven’t quite got my routines back

September and October have been soooo spendy :eek: My credit card bill was the biggest it’s been for years but I’ve paid it a forced myself to move on :eek: Despite all the extra birthday celebrations, a holiday and house renovations I haven’t gone mad, in fact I’ve done stuff as thriftily as I thought possible but jeepers it adds up :eek:

November is going to be different! I’ve got car insurance and breakdown cover to pay for but I’ve found a great offer for BD on Groupon and have beaten my insurance renewal using a comparison site and they’ll be some cash back from TCB.

My new month started on the 28th and so far so good. I’ve held off grocery shopping and have been using up from the fridge and freezer and have had a few NSDs.

I had some spends yesterday as I’m having a weekend with my OH and we had a late afternoon/evening out in London once he’d finished work and it was so nice . I got a £10 advance rail ticket and had credit on my Oyster card so it wasn’t too spendy. We went to the late night opening at the V&A which was so good (and free) and then we wandered through the theatre district ,which is amazing after dark, and had lovely (and very reasonable) dinner in China Town which was all decked out with lanterns and looked stunning. A lovely, memorable evening I can’t believe how much better my life is with someone so good in it

Today as been a nsd and has been so chilled. A lie in, a very autumnal run, a hot bubble bath and a Netflix binge watch. Currently enjoying a mulled wine and awaiting hm pizza. Simple pleasures which are bliss
We also have a ns day out planned for tomorrow and then I’ll head home using my bargain advance train ticket takings coffee and a sandwich with me:rotfl:
Next week I plan to be a thriftmeister, no spends and eating out of the freezer and will get my exercise routine back after the mayhem of last week. I will also get my mortgage totals done

Hope everyone has had a productive week and a relaxing start to the weekend

Happy Saturday to you

PP xx

Karmacat

PP, thats so lovely! How happy you sound and wandering through Chinatown sounds great.

Cheery_Daff

This is all sounding Most Excellent!! :j :j your thrifty trips out sound lovely, and despite pesky credit cards it sounds like you have drawn a line and are on top of the spends so all good :money: