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Put away your purse & become debt-averse
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Oh for goodness sake - the very second I open our fridge door when I get home this evening I'm going to be able to hear the germs chuckling at me now, aren't I! Thanks for that!
Fabulous news about the building works being finished - what a treat to have your house back!
I'm also of a mind that right now is a good time to focus back on reducing spending, although we do have a fair number of different activities planned in, they are budgeted for already so are very much OK. elsewhere though, belts need tightening as with our commuting costs increasing back to pre-pandemic levels, I want to be able to continue stashing as much away as possible against future further increases in the cost of living, and just generally for our future selves. Ever grateful to be in a position to be able to save - but definitely feeling protective over those saved amounts more than I was perhaps even 6 months back.🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25
Balance as at 31/08/25 = £ 95,450.00. Balance as at 31/12/25 = £ 91,100.00
SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her6 -
@Baileys_Babe - Yes, I'm so relieved that all the work is finally finished.
@marionmgcars -Sock yarn is so tempting -All the gorgeous colours & self patterning stuff. Sighs......but am determined to finish knitting up current supplies. After that, I might knit a black cardi as we shall all be wanting layers this autumn, shan't we?
F2026's challenges: 1) To rebuild our Emergency Fund to at least £5k.
2) To read 50 books (12/50) 3) The Re-Shrinking of Foxgloves 8.1kg/30kg
Remember....if you have to put it on a credit card, extend your overdraft or take out a loan to buy whatever it is, you probably can't afford it, as that's not your money, it's somebody else's!4 -
@EssexHebridean -Yes, I feel exactly the same about saving what we can. I'm grateful we can save anything tbh, as I know how hard many people are struggling & that's before the cold months & next energy bill rises kick in.
I've talked with Mr F about this & we are both on the same page with regards to shoring ourselves up for the future as best we can. I shan't get a full state pension as won't have the requisite number of NI years & as I took VR, I shan't get a full local authority pension either, so I am keen to continue saving to put us in as strong a position as possible. I'm nowhere near pension age yet, but because I'm a few years older than Mr F, when I do get my pensions, the plan is to save that income & continue to live on Mr F's salary. Of course things may change - I'm low on crystal ball skills - but that is the plan atm. I always think our 10 savings pots are our 1st line of defence. If I continue properly to maintain those, then raids on general savings & emergency provision should be avoided.
F2026's challenges: 1) To rebuild our Emergency Fund to at least £5k.
2) To read 50 books (12/50) 3) The Re-Shrinking of Foxgloves 8.1kg/30kg
Remember....if you have to put it on a credit card, extend your overdraft or take out a loan to buy whatever it is, you probably can't afford it, as that's not your money, it's somebody else's!7 -
Hello Wednesday Pence Wranglers,
It's felt like a day of freedom having the house to myself. I've been busy all day with a few thrifty wins:
*Paid balance of builders' invoice, updated budget accordingly & wrote a cheque for paying back into the ISA this week now that there is no longer a need to have that sum of money in our current account.
*Cleaned out disgusting fridge. Now sparkling!
*Rounded up tired fruit & veg -not much at all. Turned some sad tomatoes into a batch of Cranks' lentil & tomato soup & squeezed a wrinkly lemon 🍋 to freeze the juice.
*Refilled our mini snack boxes with dried fruit for work snacks, etc
*Re-organised & cleaned utility room. Identified products for use-it-up.
*Made a pile of stuff which can live in the shed now that it's watertight.
*Rejuvenated birthday flowers by removing dead ones & recutting stems. Should get another couple of days of enjoyment from them.
*Wrote thank-you cards to two people - cards & stamps from stash.
*Topped up worm composter with kitchen scraps as they're chomping more now it's Spring.
*Almost binned favourite apron but decided to try sprucing it up instead. It's currently soaking in soda crystals & I think I can mend the halter strap.
*Did the foot shaping on hiking sock over my lunch break.
*Dinner in slow cooker - have made enough to feed us today & tomorrow. Have used the last of Mr F's yellow stickered pork mince haul instead of the usual turkey mince - it's a chilli with sweetcorn & sweet potato in it, as well as the usual beans, tomatoes, spices, etc.
Looking forward to 'Sewing Bee' tonight.
And a sit down with Mr F & the cats.
F x2026's challenges: 1) To rebuild our Emergency Fund to at least £5k.
2) To read 50 books (12/50) 3) The Re-Shrinking of Foxgloves 8.1kg/30kg
Remember....if you have to put it on a credit card, extend your overdraft or take out a loan to buy whatever it is, you probably can't afford it, as that's not your money, it's somebody else's!7 -
@foxgloves bliss! As ever, you are an inspiration. Your writing style turns the everyday into an illuminated manuscript love Humdinger xx6
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@Humdinger1 - Thanks for that kind comment. Actually, my first dissertation subject was a medieval manuscript, but that was much more ethereal than my assorted ramblings about fridges, savings pots & deceased cucumbers!
F2026's challenges: 1) To rebuild our Emergency Fund to at least £5k.
2) To read 50 books (12/50) 3) The Re-Shrinking of Foxgloves 8.1kg/30kg
Remember....if you have to put it on a credit card, extend your overdraft or take out a loan to buy whatever it is, you probably can't afford it, as that's not your money, it's somebody else's!6 -
Oh, am.numpty. Had spotted today's sunny forecast & decided on a much-needed gardening day. Had forgotten DPD van coming to collect box of Z*ff*t books & DVDs so I need to be within earshot of the door. Hope our address is towards the top of their schedule & van comes early. Long garden, so can't hear door at all from greenhouse, veggie plot, etc. Intend to see how many jobs I can get done before box is picked up so I don't feel I've wasted my day waiting in.
Hope you'll all see some of this lovely blue sky & sunshine today. Chat later,
F x
2026's challenges: 1) To rebuild our Emergency Fund to at least £5k.
2) To read 50 books (12/50) 3) The Re-Shrinking of Foxgloves 8.1kg/30kg
Remember....if you have to put it on a credit card, extend your overdraft or take out a loan to buy whatever it is, you probably can't afford it, as that's not your money, it's somebody else's!8 -
Ugh to forgetting about courier pickups - how infuriating, fingers crossed they turned up nice and early and you're now in the midst of garden-wrangling! It is still just about sunny here at the moment - definitely more cloudiness than blue sky though so not sure how long the golden orb will be showing itself for!🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25
Balance as at 31/08/25 = £ 95,450.00. Balance as at 31/12/25 = £ 91,100.00
SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her3 -
If only, @EssexHebridean.........
Hello Diary Readers, right let's get the moan out of the way......the parcel due to be collected between 8.00 & 17.00 is still here in my hall in all its resplendent parcelly glory. At 12.36, I received a tracking link & learned that the driver was currently on Stop no. 29. It also informed me I was Stop no. 104. So I went down to the greenhouse & shed to water & do a couple of jobs before coming back to within earshot of the door. Just before 17.00, he was on Stop no. 79. The tracking has been off since then. Either it isn't coming today or the poor sod's now in his own time. Much preferred the pre-pandemic options for this book buying company when we could just drop our labelled box off at nearby Sp*r shop. So that's the moan.
There was some nice news too. I almost didn't bother when my phone rang as had just had another fake 'Your HMRC account is full of errors' call, but I answered it & it was to tell me I've won a £50 grocery voucher!! You know those little feedback surveys which shops like customers to do, then put the completed ones in a monthly draw for a voucher? Well here's proof that people do actually win, as I filled one out for our local Co-op branch & my name was drawn out as one of the 5 April winners.
Despite parcel carrier grumping, I've been fairly productive. Did a load of laundry to make use of the lovely weather for free drying, mended my favourite apron, did next week's meal plans, wrote grocery shopping list plus list of stuff I can usefully do in town tomorrow, baked 2 loaves - doubled up again to half gas-use & will freeze one, sorted out conservatory plants as I can recycle most of my over-wintered geraniums into summer containers, & potted up a piece of one of Mum's exotic plants for my sister.
No need to cook tonight, except for bunging in a couple of jacket potatoes as plenty of chilli left from yesterday. I've been ruminating about the Christmas Pot today, but I hardly dare start sharing festive budget thoughts or you'll all go off & follow diarists who don't start mentioning the word in May, lol.
I can feel that parcel staring at me balefully whenever I go through the hall ...."I'm still here, you know......." & am firmly telling myself it's a very small insignificant blip in the scheme of things. 10% inflation apparently hoving into view so we all need to be sharpening up our frugal skills & sharing where we can.
Take care m'dears,
F x
2026's challenges: 1) To rebuild our Emergency Fund to at least £5k.
2) To read 50 books (12/50) 3) The Re-Shrinking of Foxgloves 8.1kg/30kg
Remember....if you have to put it on a credit card, extend your overdraft or take out a loan to buy whatever it is, you probably can't afford it, as that's not your money, it's somebody else's!7 -
Well done on the win 🥳 Boo to the parcel non collection though 👎I get knocked down but I get up again (Chumbawamba, Tubthumping)6
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