New Empty Nest Mum starts battle of mortgage ...

longway2go

Well done on your bargain finds and the freezer inventory it's surprising how much food we do have without having to get more isn't it.

Have a good day.

shopaholicnumber1

Morning all. I had another early wake up thanks to the torrential rain but onwards and upwards ...

Yesterday was a bit of a spendy day, I ordered some Christmas presents and wrapping paper (through Quidco so some cashback to come). I do have a pot for Christmas spends so it has come out of there, but still a bit of a spend although I do feel unusually organised!

Had a lovely long chat with DD last night which was lovely. And DS texted to say he had booked a train to come back for a weekend at the end of the month - so a really fab family news day yesterday. Can't wait to see my boy

I'm also going up to Newcastle in November to see DD, I've booked a hotel overnight so that will be a bit spendy too - but worth it! (I couldn't face the idea of spending a night in a student flat with 4 others even though she offered!). Something else to look forward too so I'm feeling all familyed up today and happy! :T

savingholmes

You sound like you are doing really well. Seriously impressed with the 29 meals in the freezer!

shopaholicnumber1

Savingholmes - I'm actually horrified! There are about 5 different lots of lasagne where I've just made another one instead of checking what I've already got! But must agree that a month without having to cook after work is a bonus

On money matters yesterday was another NSD and today should be the same. Such a change to the "old me" that would flash the debit card on an all too regular basis - having a NSD feels good :j

I'm in the mid-month lull with no funds going in (or out luckily!) so all a bit boring really.

Am loving YNAB - can't stop fiddling about with it :rotfl: I'll probably bit the bullet and pay the fee when the free trial ends although it feels a bit against the grain ... but if it works, it works!

Nothing else to report really, quiet night in (as usual) - really must get out a bit more but I like snuggling up in my pyjamas too much

shopaholicnumber1

Hello all :wave: nearly weekend again :j

Last night I did something I have never done this early before - I wrapped the Christmas presents that arrived from my order earlier in the week :A I will most likely run out of steam and still be frantically wrapping things on Christmas Eve but to have even thought about it is a major change for me! For the first time in years I'm really looking forward to it.

Historically I've found Christmas really hard. I've struggled to afford it and found the relentless images of the "happy traditional family of 4 plus a dog round the elegant Christmas tree" really difficult to handle. I made it as good as I could for the kids and thankfully they never noticed the lack of enthusiasm on my part, but in my dark days of mega-debt it knocked me backwards every single year. Societies pressure on you to enjoy Christmas is just huge and not everyone does.

Last Christmas was - shall we just say - a total nightmare. My DD hated living with my ex so much that she stayed at university just going to her Dad's for Christmas Eve/Day so that was truly horrible. Plus I was almost at the end of secretly buying my house so the whole thing was very strained. I worked as much over Christmas as I could to get me out of the house, but then worried about DS (although he was holed up in his room on the Xbox so actually as happy as it was possible to be).

My ex had a terrible relationship with money and expected me to pay for far more than I could afford (a ridiculous amount of food for his parents who turned up and stayed FOR 2 AND A HALF WEEKS!!), all the presents, the copious amounts of alcohol that they all drank (his dad has whisky for his "Scottish" breakfast - and I'm being serious!) so gets through a bottle every day and his mum who got through a bottle of prosecco a day and several bottles of gin over the holiday. His mum came with me to the supermarket for the final shop - I had budgeted around £50 for the last bits and bobs - she said I was "being scrooge" and kept putting endless stuff in the trolley. When we got to the checkout it came to over £300 on everything from fancy olives to macaroons to liquers. She did offer to go "halves" with me (thank goodness!) but I felt trapped into funding this appalling and wasteful excess - especially when you bear in mind this was the "bits and bobs/fresh stuff" shop and we had a house full of stuff already! A disgraceful amount went in the bin in the end, but an equally disgraceful amount was consumed - it was so unnecessary.

It was a truly, truly awful time that I don't want to remember or ever repeat.

So this year is special. Both my children will be home, I'm in a much better position financially and can spend what I can afford which means enjoying it without worrying about getting through January (which contains DD's 21st birthday so will have some cost attached!).

Anyway, enough rumination and whinging from me! In financial news, nothing to report really. A NSD yesterday but a few bits to pick up from A1di on the way home tonight and then a glass of something nice snuggled up with the pooch listening to the endless rain! Hope its a good weekend for you all

longway2go

Wow, they sound like a horrible family.

Well done on your early wrapping, it is definitely nice to get a little bit ahead if you can. I find I spend less this way as not frantically trying to find something, and just grabbing wrapping paper and cards at whatever cost.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend.

shopaholicnumber1

Morning - let the shiny new week begin!

Over the weekend I made a right mess of logging into MSE - cannot seem to do it on my phone and managed to block everything so had to wait to get to work to post anything (even though it's a bit boring anyway!). Hopefully sorted out now though

Friday I stopped at A1di - £26.54 spent but that was it for the weekend so all good :T

Felt a bit iffy over the weekend so a super quiet one except a friend came over on Saturday night which was nice to have a glass of prosecco and a natter.

11 days til payday - am looking forward to playing with YNAB and making my second OP - how sad am I :rotfl:

longway2go

Hope you are feeling a bit better now.

I have downloaded Ynab and am also looking forward to a full pay cheque to see how things work out lol

augustaliliana

It is wonderful

shopaholicnumber1

Hi both - feeling loads better, just the normal Monday morning blues now :rotfl: