Mortgage freedom/FIRE diary

Porridgecat

Yes MrPorridge did get the wraps but not used any yet. I find Lidl's reductions depend on their staffing levels and when they have time to do them. I've had a few good meat hauls at around 6pm but that's obviously no use to you. The other chilled seems to be marked down around the same time though, I got some vegetable sushi a few weeks ago for 20p a packet at that time. 

Poppycat1

I've been using Olio again, today I got 3 bags of limes, 2 French sticks, 2 Hovis loaves, 3 pretzels, 1 can of chickpeas, 1 can of green lentils, 2 tins of sardines, 1 can of vegetable soup and a bag of red rice.  The sardines will be put aside and passed on to my Dad, the only person I know who like them.  I didn't take it all, there was plenty left.  Edit:  One French stick made in to 8 French bread pizzas for DS2.  I have open freezed them and will individual wrap them when completely frozen.

Last night I saw a post on FB saying that Icelandi have a special offer where you can get £5 off £5 of vegetables if you spend over £35 I think.  When I went to check it out I saw they had one for £5 off your first shop over £40.  I ordered £40 worth, £5 took it to £35.  Some products weren't in stock which took it down some more and they substituted two products that weren't suitable.  Therefore only spent around £30 and still got the £5 off and free delivery.  I ordered lots of potato products that my son can put in the oven when I'm at work.  I couldn't use both the offers.

I am also collecting a Too Good to Go bag from BP/M & S tonight.  Hoping for some nice M & S stuff.  I'll let you know what I get tomorrow.

I'll need to stop buying/collecting food because both the freezers are full now.  Me and DS2 aren't eating much either just getting through lots of tea bags.  Happy to say that Lidl's decaf tea is really nice.  

Tomorrow I will be paying £450 off the mortgage.  Next payment after that shouldn't be until 25th March unless I receive any of the expected cashback from BG, FD etc.

Poppycat1

The £450 has now been paid off the mortgage, leaving £3,950 left of the 10% overpayment allowance left for this year.  So mortgage currently stands at £87,130.06.

I collected the Too Good To Go bag last night.  I was a great bag but for meat eaters., which we are not.  It contained a gastro cottage pie for two, originally £8.25 I think, 6 pork sausages, a small tub of yogurt and small tub of watermelon.  DS2 ate the watermelon immediately and will have the yogurt today.  I have frozen the meat and will take it to my DS1 when I'm next going that way.

On the way back I popped in to Co0p and caught their 10p reductions so got 3 packets of medium baguettes (each with 3 in), a chocolate twist and lemon iced buns all for 50p.  

I'm starting to feel a bit more normal, well normal for me.  I think I am going to ask my manager if I can start back with a couple of short shifts and maybe my first one away from patients sorting out some personal admin stuff.

Poppycat1

I managed a £50 overpayment today.  It was achieved by my last SP bill not being as much as I predicted, £5 from PP and tidying up a couple of accounts.  One square coloured in.  It leaves £3,900 of the 10% overpayment allowance left to find for this year.  The mortgage now stands at £87,080.06.  No change in the length of the mortgage, it is still 13 years and 3 months.  It would of been 16 years and 9 months if I hadn't made overpayments.

Happy to say no food has been bought or collected for free since my Co0p trip Wednesday evening.  The meat dishes have been deposited with DS1 today.  

I have spoken with my manager and arranged a return to work after some leave on 30th March.  I am looking forward to getting back to normal.

Poppycat1

After playing about with the bank accounts I managed another £50 overpayment yesterday.  £87,030.06 and £3,850 left of this years overpayment allowance.  Hoping to have the £3,850 paid off by the end of June.  I will then start saving next years overpayment allowance to hopefully pay it off on the 1st January 2022.

It's like Christmas day here today without the Christmas food.  We couldn't see my parents at Christmas and I have been putting off seeing them because I was worried about covid.  But they asked if they could drop our Christmas presents off today.  DS1 has got a massive food hamper and other bits that he will unwrap tomorrow.  DS2 got some LED lights, socks, sweatshirt, smellies, money, PJ's and lots of sweets and both received some money for Easter.  I done very well to with some slipper socks, lots of sweets, chocolate, biscuits and T-shirt.  Mum buys quite a lot of footwear that she ends up not being able to wear.   She brought over a nice pair of boots and new slippers that can also be worn outside.  I feel spoilt.  The cats received a moving fish.

I gave them their Christmas presents, Dad's birthday card and a Mothers day card.  Money saved on stamps, lol.

80p survey completed. 

No plans for today.  The chocolate biscuits will probably get opened.

Porridgecat

Pleased to see that the cats got a Christmas pressie too. 
Enjoy your biscuits.

Poppycat1

@Porridgecat they were very good, had three yesterday which was controlled for me.  I do think I should move them out of sight though and away from my chair.

I forgot to say that yesterday I also received a plunger for the sinks al wrapped up in Christmas paper   The last time my parents were here I had a problem.  I couldn't get it off DS2, much better than an expensive toy.  Mum also bought me some of those magic sponges because I was complaining how expensive they were.  She managed to get them for £1, she wouldn't let me pay her.  Me and DS2 really know how to live, what with him with the plunger and me with my magic sponges, lol.  I cleaned a teaspoon, tea stain on the sink, the top of the oven, shower tray, a mark on the radiator and windowsill.  Looking forward to more fun with it tomorrow  .

I made DS2 nachos with refried beans, ketchup and cheese.  He loved it, he used to hate refried beans.  Proves that you have to keep trying.  I froze the rest and kept some whole pinto beans to add to another chilli tomorrow.  I asked DS2 if he was fed up with chilli and he said "no" I love it.  We do have it several different ways, on rice, jacket potatoes, made in to Mexican wraps and on nachos.  I must start making my own wraps again.

Tea was jacket potatoes with some of the red peas and vegan cheese for me and just normal cheese for him.  I have enough to warm them through for tomorrow as well.  Jacket potatoes is one of my favourite meals.

PA survey for 40p done today.  No other money making just money saving today.  But there's still time .........

Poppycat1

But much happening today.  Signed up to another survey site and started a couple of surveys but wasn't suitable after asking quite a lot of questions.  No surveys with PA.  I did collect 2 packs of 4 large wholemeal baps from Olio and a battery charger that seems to take quite a lot of different size batteries.  I already have quite a few rechargable batteries.  I was tempted to pop in to Sainsbugs and MrM whilst out but thought better of it.  We already have lots of food that will last us a while.  

Lunch was some old chickpea pasta that I got reduced to half price last year.  I put some vegan cheese, grated some stale French bread over it, I don't have anything else to make breadcrumbs, it was then grilled.. The pasta is really nice but all gone now.  Dinner is vegi(DS2) bean(me) burgers using the rolls received, a few French fries a some salad.

I started a list of jobs last night and promised myself I would do 3 at least 3 of them each day.  So washing hung on the line, another wash put on and pruned the hydrangea.  I pruned it back quite a bit because it goes over the path if not.  I'm going to do at least 3 jobs each day.  It will give me a sense of achievement. Would love to have the house straight before I go back to work two weeks tomorrow.  Would also like lots of homemade ready meals in the freezer.  Although my first week back I'm only doing 7am-12 for 3 days.

caeler

I hacked back my hydrangea last year, buds are appearing now so fingers crossed it’ll come back. It was un happy and woody last year. I like having a list, I use Microsoft to do list so I can tick things off! 

Poppycat1

@caeler - mine is also woody, last year I took off as much as a dare but I should of had taken more off.  I always feel so guilty and apologise to the plant whilst doing it.  Neighbours must think I'm really strange.

I do like a list too and lots of extra things were added to it today.  I wasn't feeling up to much though but have managed three things off my list, contacted water company to ask for a refund, decluttered the kitchen windowsill and work service and using my magic sponge started cleaning the glass in the shower cubicle.  I was going to go and buy a couple of plug plants from the local garden centre but had to wait in for a parcel that didn't arrive.  Every year I buy a couple of Winston Churchill fuchsias they are my favourite, big and bold flowers.  I will probably give in and get a couple of other plug plants but I have seeds still to sow.

I was expecting a payment to come out today but found out it's not coming out until the end of the month.  So I have brought forward £100 of the planned mortgage overpayment to today.  £100 paid off, leaving £86,930.06.  So my mortgage is down to the next £1,000 and also it has taken a month off the term.  Now 13 years and 2 months instead of 16 years and 9 months, woohoo.  I have set myself a little mini target of paying this years allowance off before the end of May.  I'm about £200 short at the moment.  Better start saving and earning.

I cashed out some shares today worth around £20.  The only ones left are some I bought for £2 and are now worth around 50p!  I will keep them just for interest.

I have also filled in the forms to get a refund on my TV licence.  I got it really for the education programmes when we went in to lockdown the beginning of the year.  DS2 school started to do much better with setting work online so after the first week we didn't use it.  I have been without a TV licence for around 6-7 years before that and several years previous to that.  My Mum thought the children were being deprived but they don't miss it at all.  Every so often I'll get a Netflex or Bitbox subscription but will go without for a bit.  I should get around £100 back.

It's gotten really windy again, I love the sound of it swishing about.