Marginal Gains

kaycastle

Yay for the tax repayment! Well done on all your progress so far.

Don't forget about Facebook marketplace when you're decluttering. I hadn't bothered until this year but I've made goodly money from it and its been a healthy fun fund. Its easy and a lot of things go the same day.

Grogged

A nice surprise from the taxman!
Sounds like everyone had a lovely summer.
Could you make chutney or similar to help out with your garden glut?

Cornish_mum

Thank you Kaycastle, I have been using the “Sticky tree” for reselling as it seems to be quite active here. I will check out market place too, thanks for the suggestion. 

Hi Grogged, that’s a good idea, I have been roasting and freezing the courgettes but I could try to do something with them and the tomatoes. Currently it’s been tomato salad for lunch every day then roasted tomatoes with our dinner. I will have a rummage in the cupboard for some vinegar. 

It’s super frustrating as I grew 3 types of tomatoes in an effort to stagger them and we haven’t had any ripen all summer and now it’s a complete glut. Last year we had nice even production all summer. It makes me thankful I am not reliant on our garden for food. 

I got up super early this morning and as I managed to cleaned the house yesterday and put the stuff back after redecorating (plus a lot of decluttering) I only have small admin chores left for today. Feels great to have a day before me without a huge to do list to work through.

Yesterday we worked all day sorting, cleaning and ferrying the little CMs around (I finished at 7.30 so didn’t have time to cook from scratch). So last night MrCM and I had a takeaway and we let the kids eat pizza from the freezer in front of the TV (this is the kids idea of a massive treat).  As we are making an effort to have a non-splurgy September we split one main & a fried rice from the local Chinese restaurant (£18). 

kaycastle

Well done on all your hard work!

So jealous of your tomatoes. For the first time ever mine did terribly, barely got anything. Not sure what I did wrong but no tomatoes for me this year.

Cornish_mum

Tomatoes update: we went with homemade pizza sauce, with some for our tea and the rest in the freezer. Had to use tinned toms too, as when cooked they didn’t go very far! Thanks all
CM

Cornish_mum

Month end totals

Mortgage capital reduction £907; outstanding balance £170234.

Pensions CMs AVCs + £988, MrCM + £556. Rubbish growth this month increases are less than our regular investments. Onwards with the plan.

Cash savings increase £4295 (thanks to HMRC refund and second jobs income, mainly MrCM but abit from me too). I saw a 4-hours a week second job (OU-tutoring) that fits my skills set but after a bit of thinking I have decided not to apply.  It’s something I’d like to do eventually but while the kids are still in primary school; it will be too much of a time commitment on top of the day job.

Cornish_mum

Spends 

Groceries came in at £81 and £102.50 for the last 2 weeks of September; way over my challenge weekly budget. We needed store cupboard things like honey and Mayo, MrCM wanted beer and I needed to buy stuff for DD party and treats for her school friends. I also bought wine on offer at MrS. Month total £292.50.

I booked half term holiday club £32 out of pocket as I had credit from when they cancelled the club in the summer. I also needed to pay DS September childcare bill £275, as I didn’t have enough vouchers.

£55 on things for DD’s party from the big river company, another £30 on stuff for party bags and a further £9 on chocolate to give out to her class; not very frugal but I couldn’t work out a better solution.

£89 on my first haircut in 2 years my hair is about a foot shorter! 

£35 on bulbs and seeds at the garden centre, it was eerily quiet there (which was really sad to see). 

Back to work flat white £2.85 and lunch out £10. I took a packed lunch one day and will try to do that as much as I can.

Back to work commute costs £90. It’s not that clear how much I will need to be in the office in the future, so I have decided just to buy the tickets I need not a flexible season ticket and see how it goes.

Gave into temptation last week, £20.30 on a takeaway. My efforts to eat down the stores backfired and we didn’t have enough in to make a meal. 

Frugaling

Harvested tomatoes, courgettes, runner beans and herbs from garden.

Mended an apron (was very glad the tie that had come loose hadn’t gotten into the inner working of the machine.) Re-mended a pair of PJs and my slippers, the PJ fabric is ripping so I don’t think I’ll be able to fix it again.

MrCM moved an old divan bed for DD from the loft (as she has outgrown her toddler bed). We found an old single duvet and sleeping bag in the draws. I managed to save them with a hot wash and a day in the sunshine on the clothes line. 

Organised all the entertainment for DD’s party myself, pass-the-parcel, treasure hunt, paper doll or paper rocket craft time, disco and an old pin the badge on the paw patrol characters (already had from when she was 3).

Money news

Coaxed MrCM to submit tax reclaim (he can’t bare admin and is phobic of the HMRC). Money arrived in our account!

Nationwide sent us notice that we could remortgage already, so I decided just to go with them again (as we can use our overpayment for future mortgage holidays and OP 10% of the original loan). I decided to go for a five year fix at .94% plus a 9 month reduction in term. Payments will go up by £50/month and we will 159 months left as of October. Arrangement fee was £999 so I paid this instead of a MOP I had planned.

American side job cheque cleared and did another job last Friday (£120 after tax for about 10 hours work ; this will credit in October).

September Goals 

Grocery challenge £50 overspent.

Money savings £500 extra (excluding HMRC bonus money), remortgaged rather than the MOP. 

DD ‘s birthday party done

Drains, Panto tickets, NW switch rolled over to October goals

October Goals

Sort out drains

Buy Panto tickets

Complete NW switch 

Buy presents for Christmas for kids

Save £750

Submit DS secondary school application 

CM household news 

Swimming tryouts were a total disaster; DD refused to get in the water and we had to cancel for DS as he Covid symptoms, he had a negative PCR test but I thought sending a coughing child to a busy swimming pool was a tad antisocial.

Last weekend MrCM parents visited, which was nice but they brought lots of highly sentimental items they wanted us to keep. I didn’t have the heart to say no to them, as they are downsizing and finding it very traumatic. So we now have 10 framed pictures painted my MrCM for his GCSE, half a 1950’s Hornby train set (the MrCM Dad worked a Saturday job to save up to buy when he was a kid),  and a lot of MrCM related items (graduation photos, newspapers clippings etc).  MrCM has put them in the loft and has started buying extras stuff to restore the train set. I think this is the start of a new and expensive hobby…..

Cornish_mum

CM household news

We went to see friends last Saturday; which was really lovely but exhausting.  I regifted a bottle of bubbly as a thank you for them hosting. I also had my flu jab and felt totally wiped out so didn’t make much progress on my to do list. I have just been called for a covid booster as new research suggests that the vaccine isn’t working very well for people on my combo of meds - so must get that organised.

I am now back to the office 2 days a week. 

MrCM has found some one to fix the drains, we have booked it and should be done by the end of the year. 

Frugaling

The week before last, I made up two small herb planters using things we already had for my in-laws house-warming gift. I will definitely do this again so will take some extra cuttings of our herbs to have on hand.

I took a pack lunch to work on Thursday and resisted the temptation to have a coffee.

Spends

Groceries were £84 this week.

I also spent £100 on a few Christmas gifts, new slippers for DD and dressing gown for DS (we are setting the heating at 17 C and off at night so it’s quite chilly), and new PJs for me. I had to give up on fixing my old PJ trousers as they kept ripping.

Work commute costs £95

Friday work lunch £3.75, one flat white £2.20.

Weekend goals

Put in DS school application

Organise gifts and cards for all the nieces and nephews. 

MrCM wants to reseal the outside of shower.

South_coast

Well done on getting the drains booked 😀! Love the herb planter idea too 

Cornish_mum

Sneaks in very quietly and rather tardy…

Month End Total 

Mortgage reduction £1000 outstanding balance £16922.

CM AVC +£950, rubbish growth again.

Cash improvement £1300 (to go towards drain repair bill. )

Goals Completed

DS’s School application in

Drain repair booked, hopefully for mid-December.

MrCM resealed the shower.

DD, DNs &  MrCM Christmas gifts done! DS, my parents and PIL still to do.

Panto tickets booked.

I didn’t have time for the NW switch.

CM household news

I am late checking in because MrCM is on a 2 week work trip overseas and had to work like crazy (all day every day evenings & weekends) in the 2 weeks prior to the trip to clear his other work. 

So life has been rather hectic. I haven’t taken time off work (and am in the office 2-days a week) so it’s been an awful juggle. But have just about kept everything going.

MrCM lovely parents came to stay, when I needed to commute into work and dropped and collected kids at school but as we don’t have a spare room I slept in DDs bed with her which she loved but was exhausting. To say thank you I cooked nice evening meals for them whilst they were here.

Half term was a bit of a washout, as on top of MrCM being in his office all the time; we all had a bad cold (not covid as confirmed by many LFTs and PCR  tests). We had one outing to see MrCM family one afternoon and my parents visited once. Kids watched far too much tele but as we were so exhausted it’s all we could manage. 

Really looking forward to MrCM being back so I can catch up with myself! Hope everyone is well.

Spends in October (a lot again).

Groceries £400 (including MrI shop for nice fish)

DS needed his lunch account toping up. (£70)

DS and DD both needed new warm weekend clothes as we had run out of hand-me downs (£100).

DN x 4 birthday gifts £25 (2 gifts from stores) £2 for a card. I have raised the limit from £10 to £15 for the teens, as it’s tricky to get anything for a teenager under a tenner and now we have room for this in budget it feels like the right thing to do. 

DD’s Christmas gifts £60.

MrCM’s Christmas gifts £100 (2 jumpers so practical and needed)

Christmas cards and paper £20 (will need more).

Draught excluder £30 (I thought I would have time to sew one but it’s now freezing and I haven’t any time! I went for an expensive longer option that would completely block the massive gap under our inner front door. It’s definitely making the hall warmer hopefully it will help with the massive heating bills this winter).

New water bottles for kids £8, old ones broken or lost. 

DS needed reference books for school homework £20 (bought when stressed and self isolating because of covid symptoms so we couldn’t go to the library).

DD and DS Christmas books and PJs £40.

DD and DS new bedding sets (both have outgrown the style of the old sets, will be part of Christmas pressies). £47

Take aways £60 (Chinese for us one night and Fish and chips for all four of us after trip to see MrCM family).

Work lunches £20.

6 Panto tickets (£270) yikes.

Blimey Christmas costs are adding up.

Frugaling

Erm not very much to report. 

Very glad that I have enough room in our budget to spend abit more here and there when up against it time wise.

November Goals 

Save rest of the money for the drains £1300. (Stretch goal)

Christmas food planning, ordering (meat and cheese) and prep (cake, mincemeat, pudding)

Book Christmas hols childcare 

Sort out garden (cutting back, mowing the lawn, planting bulbs and seeds)

Christmas presents for DS and our parents.

Tax returns