FinancialBliss: My mortgage free journey…

LouiseJ

Hello FB

It's great that you now have internet access at work, you could maybe start answering a few surveys or doing daily clicks on pigsback or quidco, that's what I do if I get the chance.

In reply to your change of lifestyle post I have decided this year to make more changes in my household. Last year I cut out all ready meals and shop bought cakes and biscuits and now make everything from scratch. I have saved quite a sum of money doing this (at least £50 per month) and we are eating healthier. I also join in with the monthly grocery challenge on the moneysaving old style board which is full of advice and support and helps me keep on the wagon.

This year I have decided to try and grow my own veg and salad. I am aiming to grow potatoes, peas, lettuce, spring onions and tomatoes. I have no experience at all but I am going to give it a try. This should be moneysaving, healthier and better for the environment.

I would love to be able to get rid of one of our cars but we are in a rural location and the public transport is very limited.

Good Luck FB

LouiseJ x

Kaz2904

I grew some potatoes last year and the year before from potatoes that had sprouted in the fridge. I'm going to try to grow more this year but have a lot more work to do in my front bit before I can get the flower bed in. I will try to crack on with this in the coming weeks.
I have also joined the decluttering thread so I aim to go to the tip at least every other day. It is not more than 1/2 a mile out of my way from work or DS's preschool so I can get there regularly.
I want to get it finished as it looks like a bombsite and is horrible for me to look at so must be even worse for the poor neighbours. They do know that it has been really hard to do this year as the weather has been apalling. I want it done though and we'll all breathe a sigh of relief when it's finished!
The kids will probably enjoy doing some with me this weekend as they can get really muddy and won't get told off!
My main problem is that I waste too much time on the computer and lately DD's nintendo ds doing her brain training game (well sudoku mainly).
Keep on with the slog chaps, TTFN, Kaz.

financialbliss

We’ve been looking at holidays / short breaks and found one we may be interested in.

A) On-line from company, we can get the holiday for 138.00 – quidco reduces this further by 6%, so we should end up paying 130.00, or something very close to this.

We have 100.00 pounds in holiday vouchers for a high street travel agent. The exact same holiday as searched through their web site is 25.00 more expensive, ie 163.00 - guess their cut for pushing that particular holiday company, but with holiday vouchers this should cost us around 63.00, perhaps a little more if they slap on a credit card payment fee.

Currently pondering over which route to take!

A - Cheapest holiday @ 130.00
B – Cheapest to us @ 63.00

I’m tempted for ‘B’ as we’ve had the vouchers for a good number of years and haven’t managed to spend / get rid of them – tend to do things on-line now.

Thanks in advance for any replies on this one.

FB.
PS – some replies to recent post to come later, providing I get the time.

JonnyBravo

financialbliss wrote: »

Currently pondering over which route to take!

A - Cheapest holiday @ 130.00
B – Cheapest to us @ 63.00

I’m tempted for ‘B’ as we’ve had the vouchers for a good number of years and haven’t managed to spend / get rid of them – tend to do things on-line now.

Its a no-brainer..... B!

taka

I vote B too especially if you've had the vouchers for years . I hope they are still valid! :T

financialbliss

Just a quick post from work!

Went into travel agent yesterday and they booked the holiday direct with the holiday company for us. The agent mentioned that we’d been searching on their web site and luckily for us, the holiday company took the booking at the online price, while allowing us to use the vouchers with the agent.

So, we’re now going away for a week in mid April to the Lake District – just a static caravan, but when your kids are only 3 and 1, they’re not actually very demanding, so that’s good enough for us. All in all, it cost us 39 quid as we used the 100 vouchers.

FB.

LouiseJ

Bargain! I love the Lake District and there is nothing wrong with a static caravan I don't mind them at all, you have all your amenities at the fraction of the cost of a hotel, plus more room.

taka

Ever better... hope you enjoy it!!

setmefree2

Hi FB,

I adore the lakes, really jealous - The lakes and 2 littlies - you lucky man:D

financialbliss

As we've booked a second holiday for 2008, near grange over sands at the bottom end of the lake district - the first is in Wales in June booked last November, I've updated my aims, post #110 on page 6 to show that aim as complete.

How, exactly, this furthers our aim to be mortgage free, I'm not 100% sure!

FB.