And so it begins: The Pig Vs The Mortgage

pinkypig

Karmacat said:

Fantastic!  I love the sound of your coffees in bed (plural!) and your CS shopping.  Spectacular  

A coffee in bed and a slow start to the day still feels like the ultimate treat and think it always will!
Hope all is good with you Karma x

pinkypig

Hello

Where’s the time gone😱.  I’ve been distinctly under par this last two weeks but the lurgy is definitely in retreat.  There’s been many days that have been a snotty, lethargic write off and apart  from school work and laundry  nothing had got done 🙈 There was a lot of feverish sleeping and TV watching though!

Work has been good and mainly uneventful but it has felt a bit like running on half a tank.  However, at least I got there and things got done to a reasonable standard🙄. The best part of it was lots of no spend days and eating down the freezer!

In terms of financial goals, my increased AVC contribution has not been processed so the extra £380 (net) has gone into my savings.   I’m never sure about what to share when it comes to financial goals as it’s very personal and it feels a bit uncomfortable when so many folks are struggling to make ends meet.  I am constantly reminded these days of the privilege of choosing to be frugal rather than have it forced upon me due to circumstances and for that I am truly grateful.  So I’m going to ponder that a while longer.

Anyhoo, I’ve worked out how much I need to save to have my optimum cash in the bank at retirement if I jump at age 55 and I achieved my goal plus about 20 % in September so I’m off to a good start 😀

I’ve succumbed and put the heating on yesterday as sitting in your coat for an hour while the log burner got going was losing its appeal! 

It’s set to come in for half an hour in the morning and an hour late afternoon/early evening.  I’ve set the thermostat at  miserly 18 degrees to start with and it was great.  It means the house was at a reasonable temperature while I showered in the morning and when I got  home last night.  If I then get the wood burner on its toasty for the rest of the evening and gets any washing or damp towels dry overnight.

Our other success has been the spending of birthday money on a heated throw.  It’s great on those evenings when’s it’s too late to light the wood burner and OH uses it when working from home.  It’s big enough to cover the office chair and wrap up your legs so your back, bottom and legs are toasty.  His verdict was game changer 😀. This means that the heating can stay off during the day a while longer .

I’ve popped back to bed with a coffee and the electric blanket has warmed up my bed whilst the coffee was brewing so I’m now going to catch up on diaries and ponder my day.  The snot has subsided to manageable levels so I hope I’m actually going to achieve something !

Happy Friday 😀

PP x

pinkypig

Morning 😀.  Awake bright and early, why does that always happen at the weekend?🙈. You’ll be shocked (not shocked) that I’m still in bed and although I have no coffee I can hear coffee related shenanigans in the kitchen so hopefully it won’t be long!
The weather yesterday was horrid, windy cold and several bouts of torrential rain.  Consequently I mainly pottered.  I tried to finish some online stuff for work but none of the links were playing ball so after a frustrating hour I gave up.  Other than that it was a nice day despite the political chaos which is most unnerving.  Like Martin said - someone needs to get a grip 🥲

I’ve no money news other than some spends.  I went searching for bargainous B& M firelighters but there were none but I did hit on a great candle sale.  Lots of lovely ones in nice jars so I stocked up my present cupboard.  I also got a couple of stocking fillers for the kids, some bulbs for the garden and a large supply of degradable poop bags!! £24.80 spent.  

Having gone through my dresser in the morning and ruthlessly cleared out crockery and serving dishes that haven’t been used for years I took it straight to the CS so I wouldn’t change my mind.  That resulted in a £10 spend but I do have four new books and a lovely grey wool coat for me, two immaculate hardback books for Christmas pressies l, some sport’s kit for OH’s youngest who we are trying to engage with physical activity (it’s working) and a sea grass litter bin for the spare room that I still need to decorate 🙄
Finally, there was £3.09 on. TGTG veg box which filled the fruit bowl to bursting and the salad drawer as well as providing a months worth of potatoes 😂. Such good value!   It also meant I could hold off food shopping for another day or so.

Other small steps to happiness and retirement included;
Cleaned the downstairs of the house
Did menu plan and shopping list
Took coffee  while out and about and was glad of my box of emergency cereal bars in the glove compartment when I was longer than expected and was starving.  

Made hm coleslaw and potato salad to go with hm veggie burgers I found lurking in the freezer.
Used my Groupon voucher to renew my breakdown cover .
Went through my gift stash and found a present and card for a birthday this week.
Had coffee with DS and his girlfriend who seem very happy.
Had a lovely evening in front of the fire with OH watching a rather nasty series that has become compulsive viewing 😱
I can hear torrential rain outside which is very cosy but is not making me want to go for a run!  I think an indoor spin class might be in order but not yet.  Coffee to be drunk and new CS book to be read 😀
Happy Saturday 
PP x

South_coast

pinkypig said:

I’m never sure about what to share when it comes to financial goals as it’s very personal and it feels a bit uncomfortable when so many folks are struggling to make ends meet.  I am constantly reminded these days of the privilege of choosing to be frugal rather than have it forced upon me due to circumstances and for that I am truly grateful.  So I’m going to ponder that a while longer.

I've been having the same thoughts on my diary. For what it's worth, I am focusing on the little things I do to make extra bits of money and the ways I save money (you are already very good at this). I've also switched to reporting financial goals as "percentage to target" rather than actual numbers. When I was dithering, a lot of posters said to just carry on as normal - "you do you" was the general gist of the feedback!

In real life, however, well that's another story. BF and my Mum (mostly) know my financial situation, but with everyone else I keep very quiet. I guess if I was asked a direct question (which I never am) I would be honest-ish, but I'm not very comfortable with the perception that I must be minted because I managed to pay off my mortgage - when of course on here we know what goes into achieving that!

pinkypig

South_coast said:

pinkypig said:

I’m never sure about what to share when it comes to financial goals as it’s very personal and it feels a bit uncomfortable when so many folks are struggling to make ends meet.  I am constantly reminded these days of the privilege of choosing to be frugal rather than have it forced upon me due to circumstances and for that I am truly grateful.  So I’m going to ponder that a while longer.

I've been having the same thoughts on my diary. For what it's worth, I am focusing on the little things I do to make extra bits of money and the ways I save money (you are already very good at this). I've also switched to reporting financial goals as "percentage to target" rather than actual numbers. When I was dithering, a lot of posters said to just carry on as normal - "you do you" was the general gist of the feedback!

In real life, however, well that's another story. BF and my Mum (mostly) know my financial situation, but with everyone else I keep very quiet. I guess if I was asked a direct question (which I never am) I would be honest-ish, but I'm not very comfortable with the perception that I must be minted because I managed to pay off my mortgage - when of course on here we know what goes into achieving that!

% are such a good idea - thank you!
I know what you mean about RL and it was feeling like a freak that brought me to MFW in the first place 🙈😂. So glad that I did though!  My discussions are with OH and you lovely folks 😘

pinkypig

Morning 

Still not feeling 100% but managed a much more productive day yesterday thank goodness. 

I sorted out the fridge and the freezer and meal planned around it.  I did the weekly food shop which came to £54.98 including the TGTG veg box which is higher than I would like but we’ve really run down the freezer and lots of toiletries needed replacing.  

The weather here yesterday afternoon was awful! Torrential rain followed by hailstorms 😱. It seemed like a perfect afternoon for some batch cooking so I used up various things that really needed using up.  We now have soup, sourdough, lemon cake (still ploughing through those TGTG lemons, only two left now 🙈😂), Bakewell tart, a couple of mince pies with the lo pastry and a bit of mincemeat that has been lurking in the fridge for ages, apple crumble, blackberry and apple crumble so lots of treats for the rest of the month. 

OH did some garden jobs in between deluges and dinner was HM pizza and a couple of episodes of our current series and a bit of reading.

Other than that I walked the dog and sorted out DS’s birthday present.

I’ve managed a run this morning which went much better than expected so I feel like I’m off to a good start.  I’m going to get my jobs done this morning so I can have a lazy afternoon followed by a Sunday roast 😀😀

Mid month budget check is looking ok ish but grocery is a bit high.

Grocery £128.38/£150

Personal £11/£50

Fuel £46.41/£150 - love lift sharing!!

Happy Sunday 

PP x

Karmacat

South Coast, that's a good pickup about amounts vs percentages, especially when people are struggling.  I live pretty frugally, on less than the full amount of the state pension (I *get* the full state pension but I don't seem to need to spend it all, probably because I'm kind of a hermit).  Though two week cruises with Fred Olsen certainly up the outlay    Anyway, I don't mind saying amounts that are in one account or another - but I feel quite embarrassed about the totals, and tend to veer over to generalities then.  I don't have targets, because I'm not really setting out to save, which is why its generalities not percentages.  But I certainly get it!  

pinkypig

Karmacat said:

South Coast, that's a good pickup about amounts vs percentages, especially when people are struggling.  I live pretty frugally, on less than the full amount of the state pension (I *get* the full state pension but I don't seem to need to spend it all, probably because I'm kind of a hermit).  Though two week cruises with Fred Olsen certainly up the outlay    Anyway, I don't mind saying amounts that are in one account or another - but I feel quite embarrassed about the totals, and tend to veer over to generalities then.  I don't have targets, because I'm not really setting out to save, which is why its generalities not percentages.  But I certainly get it!  

Thanks KC, always nice to have sensible input from someone whose actually achieved their retirement goals.  Your view of things is always very much appreciated as you always have such wise words. 

pinkypig

Hello😀

I’m hurtling towards half term and it can’t come soon enough!  

I’m definitely feeling more like myself but it’s felt like a bit of a battle to keep on top of things.  I think the job is just getting more demanding. I don’t think it’s my age 🙈 as the younger members of staff seem to be struggling too.

I love my job most of the time but I don’t think I could do it at 60 never mind 67 😱.   

Having retirement within my grasp gives me such peace of mind and I’m not exaggerating when I say that every day I think how glad I am that I took the decision to become MF.  It’s taken so many of my worries away and has literally changed my life.

Other regular thoughts churning in my head are around the current economic carnage which seems to be going from bad to worse and the cost of living both now and in the future.  The here and now is how to keep costs down so I can achieve my retirement saving goals but I then I also worry about my income level in retirement as my monthly outgoings budget did not include hundreds of pounds a month for heating 🥲

I’m going to focus on the here and now as I can actually do something about that.

So far I’ve;

Turned down the water thermostat on the boiler.

Turned all the mixer taps to cold.

Put all the radiators in unused rooms on to the frost guard setting

Bled the radiators that are in use.

Put up a thick, lined door curtain.

Set the heating so it comes on for 1/2 and hour in the morning and 1/2 an hour before I get home so the house is never really cold (thermostat set at 18 degrees).

Use the wood burner if it’s really cold in the evenings and I have laundry to dry.

Use heated throw when it’s cold and I have no laundry to dry.  The throw is wonderful and might prove to be my Best Buy of the year!

Limited my number of baths 🥲 and take super quick showers in the morning.

Use microwave, sc, instant pot or air fryer to cook rather than the oven and hob and if the oven goes on it’s full!

Make a large pot of coffee in the morning and put the surplus in a flask.

Cook once and eat at least twice - saves time and electricity.

Electric blanket for reading in bed.

Using 8 hr tealights at night rather than lights and lamps.

Nothing left on standby.

Running down the freezer so I can switch off the small one in the garage.

Laundry dried outside or on the airers.

Charging power pack in the car  when driving to and from work and using this to charge my phone and tablet at home.

I’m hoping this will mean more of my money will be going to my retirement savings rather than bills 🤞

Meal planning, using everything up, LO for lunch, TGTG veg boxes and the odd YS shop plus the MSE grocery challenge is helping keep my grocery spends under control and lift sharing has almost halved my fuel costs.

The next challenge will be controlling the cost of Christmas whilst making sure we all have a nice time.  I’m going to try and get ahead with this over the holidays starting with Christmas cakes which make a nice gift as part of a hamper. I’m also going to go through my present stash and write a list as last minute present buying never ends well 🙈

Every little helps and all that!

Happy Hump Day 😀

PP x

pinkypig

… and breath!  I am now in half term holiday heaven 😀.  I’ve got a bit of work to do over the holidays but not a lot so I think I’ll do that tomorrow and then it’s done.

In money news I’ve had a NS week apart from filling up the car and paying a maintenance bill on the smallest rental.  

My continued musings about reducing energy consumption got me thinking about how frustrating it is not having a smart meter monitor in the house.  I had one years ago when I first got my smart meter but as it was a first generation meter it stopped working smartly when I switched suppliers 🙈. 

Spurred on by Cheery and her excellent monitoring of electricity  usage I did a bit of Googling and found a free app with great reviews that tracks your usage and the cost of your gas and electricity.  You can view by day week or month and it has whizzy graphs that clearly show where you’re going wrong!  It also shows your phantom usage and has lots of tips and actions that can help lower your costs.  My family are going to be delighted !!😈😈

I think it might be my new obsession 😂. 

I picked up the ingredients to make and eventually ice my Christmas cakes on the way home so the fruit is soaking overnight and I’ll make them tomorrow.  It cost quite a lot but they are all gifts so I am going to take it out of my Christmas gift budget and not my grocery budget. 

I’ll have a rummage around in the fridge tomorrow and see if anything else can go in the  oven whilst it’s on.

I’m now off to sit in front of the fire with a decaff oat milk latte to watch the final episode of Mrs Wilson whilst trying not to dwell on today’s political shenanigans 🤢

Happy Thursday 

PP x