Looking to have a simpler life .......

Downshifterella

Another week, another 7 days of moneysaving efforts!

In this week's news :money::money:

Payday money shuffle completed . Remortgage pot now staying safe at £1200/£5000 with 4 more paydays to go....could be a bit tight, but then again, love a challenge!

Gas/Electronic both in credit after a switch so £250 + should Wing it's way back at some stage.

Eaten solely out of fridge/freezer/cupboards this week without any good top up shops!

Found a couple things to add to eBay/selling pile !

That's about it for this week, am off for a run before the forecast rain heads in, then v exciting plans of a bit of decluttering Vs some sofa and tv time with the hubs :beer:

Downshifterella

Oh dear, poor old neglected diary!! Haven't been on here for nearly a month!

Downshifterella

But have still been plodding away and trying to be moneysaving!done a lot of shopping and going out with vouchers and a low spend weekend staying with friends in a little cottage belonging to one of thier work colleagues. Just what the Dr ordered lots of walks, good home cooked food and fresh air to blow the cobwebs away!

Sticking to trying to limit food spending too.... Lots of batch cooking started and planned now the weather is colder!

In exciting news looks like we will hit the target of sub 100k remortgage ( my new aim is 95k never satisfied! :rotfl::rotfl:) am really pleased with that....tho do have Christmas ( can I say that yet or is it too early? ) to get through first!

Hope everyone is doing well will catch up on diaries andnews this week for sure!
X

pinkypig

Welcome back Ella :wave:

PP xx

FloppyDisk

Well done on breaking into 5 figures!

Downshifterella

Hello MF land and poor old neglected diary...

Haven't fallen off the wagon completely tho! Having slightly overdone the spending over Christmas ( but hey if you can't at Christmas when can you! ) I do need to do a few sums this week...

That being said , by my estimate we will be edging to under a £97k mortgage when the time comes!!:eek::eek::beer::j

Feeling proper pleased with that!! Even more excitement in the pipeline as my sis ( who lives around an hour away) is expecting her first lil one! Am super excited and wanting to get a work life balance that means I'm available physically and otherwise when needed! ( Also...totally expecting to bankrupt myself once bubba is here!)

Gonna do a money round up over the next few days , thinking of some big changes career wise in the next 18 months but would need some serious savings and planning going on...

For now, finishing off the Xmas leftovers ( enough for tomorrow too!) And managed an online shop with £10 off vouchers and no wine/treats ( won't need to buy chocolate/,biscuits for whole of 2018 after Christmas!) . Seeing how little we can spend this month!

Hope everyone has had a very very merry festive season!
X

Karmacat

Hello Ella

I'm glad you've enjoyed Christmas, and how lovely that your sister's having a baby - please don't bankrupt yourself for the baby, though, babies don't know about money, just smiles and warmth

You've done well on the overpayments, haven't you! Congratulations on that, it gives you so much power, so many alternatives.

pinkypig

Yey Ella's back:j.

Fantastic mortgage total and even more fantastic Aunt-to-be news:)

Hope you've had a good Christmas.

PP xx

Downshifterella

Thanks KC. It's definitely freeing myself up to have options that is the main driver for all this ... Gradually getting to a point where the end seems almost in sight! :j

Yep , baby will be getting lots of smiles and cuddles ....will try v hard to reign in spending so as not to end up bankrupt!

Hey PP
Aw thank u what a lovely welcome back!
Am so happy for my sis and cannot wait for cuddles in the summer !
Hope you had a good Xmas and all well your end xx

Downshifterella

Happy New Year's Eve moneysavers!!! :T:beer:

To be honest I find the actual NYE celebrations can always be a bit of an anticlimax but love a good old Resolution!!

And while I'm spending a quiet hour this afternoon with a few of my favourite things ( a cuppa, the last dregs of a tin of Christmas choccies, and reading thru some inspirational diaries), I thought I'd take the time to reflect on the past year and on 2018 hopes and plans ..

In terms of 2017 achievements
Have redecorated 2 out of the 3 bedrooms ...one slightly more of a dumping ground still, but feel am making progress towards a clutter-free (more or less!) house!

Have survived 2 fairly major reorganisations in the organisation I work for and in job role ( all in the space of 6 months) ....fairly unscathed, although definitely with renewed desire for more work life balance and possibly more control over how much time I spend working!

Winning my mojo back for fitness ...several runs and cycles in the bag this year , and a friend may have half twisted my arm on triathlon ideas for next year!! :eek::eek: but it's great to have a free stress-relief built back into life more regularly!

Saved money on food shops and done more home cooking (remembering how much I enjoy it!)

Saved enough to remortgage at hopefully sub 100k which seemed a bit of a pipe dream when I started off this diary..

Goals for 2018
Declutter and redecorate 3rd bedroom...want this done by the spring time!

Aim to save/OP £800 per month

Keep regular exercise going -its great for mind and body!

Cut down on processed sugar ...I struggle with a chronic health condition that can have flare ups several times a year that knock me for six....what's become increasingly apparent is that , although there isn't a " cure" as such, there are lots of things I can do by managing my diet, getting out for exercise ( cardio when I can but even a walk is better than nothing when feeling poorly)

Manage work-stress better ....have more of a ritual to switch off once I'm home and let go of my ever so slightly perfectionist tendencies...

Ooooo and prep for aunty duties too....one of the funnest and cutest 2018 plans! :T

Hope everyone has a great night tonight and not too sore a head tmrw

Love
Ella x