And so it begins: The Pig Vs The Mortgage

Betterthanever

Sounds ideal. Enjoy your time!

pinkypig

Betterthanever wrote: »

Sounds ideal. Enjoy your time!

Thanks BTE, it was lovely. Hope your hip is continuing to improve and that you'll be out there yourself very soon. Xx

pinkypig

I slept until I woke this morning, 7.30:o. I'm often a terrible sleeper despite all my attempts at good habits so it was lovely

So far today I have ;

Slept
Had coffee and an hour with my book
Eaten breakfast
Had a bubble bath

Feel delighted and guilty in equal measures! I really enjoy my job but I'm finding the older I get the more knackered I am come the holidays so a bit of R&R has been wonderful.

Yesterday was quite productive (eventually:o). Sloes were picked and one lot of sloe gin is done and another 2lbs are in the freezer. I also baked which I find relaxing so there's scones and a job lot of naan bread are in the freezer. Lunch was hm soup and ys artisan bread and dinner was pumpkin curry from the freezer, brown rice and hm naan.

Today's to dos are:

A long walk whilst picking rosehips, haws, sloes and the last of the blackberries for hedgerow jelly.

Sending a couple of emails that can't wait until next week

Make Mexican rice salad with lo rice

Prep roasted veg and garlic and lemon cous cous for dinner

Finish my book

Have a catch up on the diaries

Off to get my a**e into gear!

PP xx

pinkypig

Oh and money news on the money thread (:o:o) is an 89p TT :j:j

pinkypig

:o:o. Failed - lazy piggy! I have however put my time to good use by having a couple of days away whilst the kids were with their dad.
It was very MSE, cooked at home, walking, running and a few films that the world seems to have seen and decided were iconic but I never seemed to get around to them. I have now:D
With time to ponder a few things struck me. Firstly, I cannot think of a single thing that would have made my little holiday any better, it was perfect despite costing nothing. Secondly, when the kids are away I miss them but I'm no longer spending that time feeling down in the dumps and life doesn't feel like its just counting the days until they are back. Progress? Age? Accepting they are an adult and nearly an adult? Whatever it is it feels good:)

Money news (yes, I have some!) is a mixed bag. Wins have been:

TCB payout of £57.45 from buildings insurance from August, £5.65 nw rewards and £3.18 from Shopium(now in os savings).

Loads of ys fruit in Morrisons when I went to get a Shopium freebie. Apple bags and Satsumas 25p and a big bag of mixed nuts 25p. £2.25 spent but both fruit bowls full :money:

Spent £9.75 of Xmas cake ingredients but have made 5 cakes for gifts and still have enough bits to make an Xmas pud.

Made 4 jars of hedgerow jelly

Foraged damsons and haws in the freezer for a later date

Got my free Shopium roasties and sent in request

5p cous cous stock up from bargain bin in Aldi

Today's to dos are;

Fold and put away laundry
Visit mum and dad
Clean stair carpet
Make overnight oats and tom and basil soup
Welcome DC home :j
Catch up on diaries

Off to get started

PP xx

pinkypig

Today has been a good day:). I've got some stuff done but I've also had a bit of relaxation which has been lovely ( still feel a bit guilty when I'm sat down though:o).
Firstly, I've stopped procrastinating and tackled the stair carpet. Its an oatmeal sort of blend so it doesn't show marks badly but the high traffic areas were really grubby. I've spent months thinking it needed rep!acing but that is not an option while I'm a MFW ( plus two kids and a dog do not go well with new carpet!). After putting it off forever I gave it a good sweep and set to with a bar of vanish and a scrubbing brush. New carpet my a**e - it looks like new:j. Note to self - in future just get these things done rather than looking at them in despair:p
I was on a bit if a roll after that and spring cleaned the living room, saddle soaped the sofas and cleaned the wood burner out properly.
I even emptied the hoover, cleaned the brushes and filter (is there a smiley for shame? I'd be using it if there was as it was disgusting!).
Overnight oats are done but not the soup. Christmas cakes are wrapped and in dog proof tins under the bed in the spare room and the dry laundry is away and the next load is on the airer in front of the wood burner. The heating still isn't on but it was definitely chilly today despite the extra jumper.
Shopium have confirmed my payout for two try for free items which was super quick. Its rent day tomorrow so I can do my final money shuffle of the month before pay day this weekend. I'm going to leave my to totaks until the mortgage updates on the 1st so I don't muddle myself like last month
I had a LSD rather than a nsd as I needed a new charging cable and milk. I'm going to try and hold off food shopping until the weekend which will bring me in under budget so I can os a bit more. Its been a month of spendy annual spends plus my unexpected bill so my os payment isn't going to be as good as previous months but that's OK as loibg as I hit my £400 target. Keep telling myself its a marathon not a sprint but I really, really want to sprint:rotfl:

Off to try and get an early night.

PP as

wishingthemortgaheaway

You have been so productive. Have a rest tomorrow.

Love reading your updates, they inspire me to get more done.

pinkypig

Thanks Wish, I've certainly had a restful start. I woke at 7 but took a large coffee back to bed and read my book:)
Truly super duper news on your job - so chuffed for you xx

pinkypig

Oh I do love a money shuffle and it feels like an age since I was able to do one! Shifting bits and pieces whenever possible keeps me focused and motivated but its great to do a proper one:)

On rent day I pay off my cb card which has this month's grocery, fuel and personal spends on it and whatever is left is os. This month it also had my unexpected bill on it (boo ) so there wasn't as much left over as I would have liked but £160.60 has now been os and the the cc is clear

I've got about £20 of Asda vouchers built up on my cc and I'm not sure what to do with them. My plan was Christmas treats but they are building up nicely in the cupboard thanks to Shopium so I think I'll keep hold of them and use them to help me with a no spend/use up January to get me off to a good start in the new year.

Today's to dos are:

Finish drying laundry outside in the sun :j

Dig over the garden and do final tidy up

Spin class

Take ds to the station

Finish (or at least start:o) assessment marking

Wrap a few Christmas pressies - I'm determined not to end up chasing my tail at home and at work this year. We'll see...

Must get started !

PP xx

Secret_Saving_Squirrel

Hello Pinky, I just read your first page and think you are very wise to be putting more into the pension than to overpayment as it is a much better deal in the long run. If I could go back twenty years, AVCs on my teacher pension would have been an excellent idea for me. But I was clearly too immature then to think about such a thing. Well done you!
And good luck with the marking. I hope you can have the weekend off and take a break. X