taking responsibilty to get me where I want to be

efes_shareholder

So its been a busy few months....................Firstly my 1st grandchild has arrived , healthy and handsome little boy  and has completely stolen my heart. 

It's my first month with my new mortgage etc - It hurt alot to go in to the bank and arrange a transfer of the funds but I am now no longer bending the law and am completely legit on a repayment mortgage and counting down the 18 years and 11 months until I am mortgage free. 
I've had a little tinker with the extra payments calculator and would like to try and do that but need to see how the new budget fairs out 

I also need to do an SOA 

Mortgage has increased from 599 to 770 
Council Tax 173
Gas and Electric combined generally approx 130 a month though do pay £150 just to give that small buffer
Buildings and contents 17.00 ( this is a win as was previously 58)
Life insurance 49 ( have shopped around on this one but cant get the level of cover for same price)
water £18
Internet £27 ( NM pays this ) 
Mobile small win here , was 29 a month have now canx and got unlimited for 5 a month for first 6 months then 10 a month for next 6 which is roughly 250 a year saved.

Car insurance is due next month , renewal is double last years , quick search I get it for a comparable price as this year so suffice to say Esure will be losing my business.

I've done quite a good job @ establishing savings lately , I do have two holidays , one is paid for the other just has a small balance so I will need to dip in to my pot for spending money but potentially I may get away with it , I am trying to cover things from my current account if I can and jut dip in to the EF for any shortfall. I think mentally is drives me on to see the pot build up. Most of it is from bonds wins but I do also put away whatever is left at the end of the month and £200 in to a nationwide 8% account which only allows you to pay the max of that a month in to it. 

Talking of holidays the first is in around 6 week , I am not beach ready. I have been trying to re establish a gym routine but I am not able to push myself as much as I was pre lock down however anything is better then nothing. 

I've read menopausal women require 200 calories less then usual and I dont know if thats a factor but I just dont seem to be losing any weight , just acquiring more of a menopot. I hate the aging process !! I have a very strict shop arriving tonight , its full of salad and veg ( we are an ingrediants house anyway) and im going to make home made soup for lunches. The problem may be that I dont want to get on the scales to get a starting weight as the numbers are much higher then I like to see. Will I just feel it in my clothing I wonder......................

efes_shareholder

I'm in a terrible mood today I really am - not sure why. Few triggering shows watched with NM last night and a busy busy morning before I left for work - made NM breakfast ( he could and should do this himself) , chicken casserole in the speedi and roasted and boiled red peppers and tomatoes for home made soup. The dishwasher needs emptying and there is a sink FULL of washing up. I managed to grab a quick cuppa 10 minutes before I needed to walk to work ...............................he played candy crush.

I was then told he was taking the car I usually use for work , absolutely no problem with that since I walk to work however he took it in order to be able to help his son collect his car from his garage this evening. This was arranged over the phone last night , I heard the conversation roping me in as part of the "rescue" plan - I have yet to be told about this.

There you go , there is my bad mood now identified !!! 

In money news I have  constructed a planner on excel
On paper I am better off then I actually am

Must have forgotten some expenses

Chicken casserole as I said in the speedi for dinner tonight , home made soup for the fridge for lunches.

I am officially on strike now , no washing , no dishwasher , no washing up , no shopping , no cooking - today I feel like a skivvy

lucielle

Good for you and stick to your guns!!!  

L

fantasyvsreality

Sounds like the bad mood is justified. Sometimes our partners need a reminder to 'notice' all the stuff we do to keep the show rolling. x 

efes_shareholder

I'm over it now but I have made my point and hes back to helping out without having to be nagged !!! it always seems more on my weeks in the office but its tiresome having to ask.

he said " you think I dont do anything" this isnt true but there is an expectation that I will just do it so he doesnt have too. 

efes_shareholder

ah I forgot a recent brainwave , I think I mentioned NM holds an SIA licence and as such we go to a few weekenders a year where he is paid well for not a lot of work as the crowd is very friendly.
his licence expires in november and hasnt been sure whether to renew it however he suggested I get my badge. I generally go with him and one of the guys who employes him mentioned how i dont miss a trick and said there is a shortage of females.
The most recent weekend he got paid £400 for the weekend which if I did it too would double , generally though it commands about £15 an hour.
It seems sensible as I usually attend anyway so I may aswell be earning 

efes_shareholder

Trying to get back in the habit of posting regularly

Have been very good lately with my spending except for when I am out - I guess what is the point of being involved with the doorman if you cant bring our own booze in !!!!! 

I need to address that but generally household and personal spends are down although I do need to buy some shampoo and conditioner and I am tempted to buy some goat to curry next week. - should really check freezer first though and maybe use up something we already have.

Really having a battle with the menopausal midriff , I am away in approx 6 weeks and would like to fee like I have progressed. Clothes I could easily fit last year are no longer fitting , they are my marker.

I'm trying to keep carbs to a bare min , so far this  week we have had - Chicken casserole packed with loads o veg and butter beans , chicken breast , aubergine bake and a plate full of salad , cottage pie made with lamb mince and mashed cauliflower topping and tonight we have chicken , sweet potato and butternut squash curry. Am realising just how much chicken we are eating but its cheap and easy and full of protein. 

Am back in the gym and walking too work - average days steps is around 8k , distance around 5k - its no where near where I would like to be but it is definately an improvement on the 1k steps a day just sitting at my laptop commands. 

Tonight after work I have commited to a 2 hour gym session - I need to up the ante , as long as I dont arrive hungry it will be fine.

I daren't get on the scales , I will be able to feel my shape change in my clothes and I don't want to get despondant with the figure it gives me and the possibility that my shape will change but the number on the scales won't.

car insurance needs to be sorted out , last year I paid 480 , this year renewal figure is 788. I wont be paying that !!!!!! I have had a look at compare the market and I can get a comparable policy for around 400 so I guess I'll say goodbye to esure , I really dont get why insurance companies don't provide much more competitive costs for renewals

efes_shareholder

Operation garden prep is in hand , have my cousin coming to paint the decking and fences and realised a small shed is the best solution for storage in our small garden - have been able to squirrel some money away though so it can go towards that

also have my car insurance to sort out ASAP , not sure when the best time to renew is but prices coming in similar daily. They beat my renewal quote for £400 so I guess thats a win in these crazy times.

Feel  bit down today , had a good weekend with a nice mix of social and pleasure but NM was working @ an event and I knew an old nemisis who would trigger me would be there. I had the choice of not attending but I considered this could possibly be a worse outcome. it needed to be done and its done now but it has resurfaced historic issues 

efes_shareholder

its been an expensive few weeks £350 for a new garden shed £350 in materials and labour for the garden , £425 for the car insurance £225 for the mortgage advisor .....................i have the money but i'm sorry to see it go !!!!!

I am on holiday in a few weeks so will save some money at home being away if that makes sense 

the gym is still ongoing , its hard as i feel wiped out , i was in bed by 9.30 last night and still woke up at 6 feeling like i'd been at a rave all night. 

i have a water bill , energy and council tax to sort.

i am doing ok though , it could be worse

how families are managing to eat healthy with these rising food costs i dont know 

efes_shareholder

I must get in to the habit of writing this diary !!

Its been a very spendy few weeks but all from my savings pot  , had my garden fences and decking re painted as they were looking worn and battered. NM bought a plastic garden shed which does mean that the garden is much tidier and looking ready for the summer ( all we need is the sunshine) 

we have recently returned from a week in Turkey , we only had to pay our flights but obviously we did have to pay spending and since the shopping is so good in Turkey we did a fair few quid !!
Whilst we were away I paid a friend to decorate my kitchen , 2 bedrooms and downstairs WC , it was starting to look weathered and we just don't get the time , NM helped me out with the cost of that which was much appreicated however with all three events my savings are probably depleted by around 1800 , still the house feels better for me and I am determined that I won't end up like my mum with things run down and unloved.

I do need to do an up to date SOA but things feel well managed