Moving forward and upwards

MovingForwards

Thanks SH

I went to T after work, picked up a nice free range chicken, joint of beef, normal chicken bits, mince, fruit, veg, dairy, loads of GF, a branded bottle of pop, cleaning products, cat food etc and my carnations, spent under £69.

Read my meters, used 10 gas units and under 100 electric. I'd budgeted £65 and they came in at £60.48. Can't grumble at that. 

Paid my CC off; I used it for my M-alan shop 🙈

My new CA is open, just waiting on the card to arrive, then I can send my petrol budget over and open the new regular saver.

We had fishcakes and rice for tea. 

MovingForwards

April financial roundup:

Saved £595 (balance is £6141)
Saved - car everything £240.05 (balance £387)

Paid SIPP £10 (works pension is taken from pay)

Mortgage balance £59,444 (ish)
CC balance £0

I've donated £50 to various fund raising events this month.

For now I'm focusing on building savings up as they've been neglected for a while.

I have 4 months mortgage saved, I'm aiming for 6 months mortgage.

I've got £1k in my emergency bill account. When I get the other RS opened, I'll build that up to £1k. Together they'll cover 8 months of bills.

In a few months, when I'm in a new role, I'll revisit overpaying the mortgage, increasing my SIPP and building up my early retirement fund. 

One day I'll be mortgage neutral 😄

savingholmes

Great progress. Hope you get out and about this weekend and take some beautiful photos

Skint_yet_Again

Well done on savings & EF. Hope you have a lovely bh weekend 

MovingForwards

Thanks SH and Skinty

I switched my alarm off last night and it made me feel like I'm having a proper break from work, perhaps I should do that every Friday; it's never set to go off the weekends.

So far I've transplanted loads of marigolds into the borrowed garden and had a look at my fruit plots. Apple blossom is a lot bigger than I thought it would be and these flowers open right up. I've gooseberries and strawberries forming, possibly a few cherries too.

I've potted up my tomato plants.

This morning will be a busy one.
- TomBo's phone has been pinging with everyone's PaH lists! We'll be all over our county dropping everything off, might even see a beach at one delivery.
- Ice cream buying.
- Collecting my meds.

I have had my latte and have to get ready as I've 12 minutes until I'm out the door!

It's going to be a good few days 😄

MovingForwards

Feels like we've been round all of Scotland, not just our county, thankfully TomBo was driving.

PaH run done. Delivery, with plants, made to a lovely couple, could have spent weeks talking with them. They'll happily have surplus veg from me for their meals and said they'll cook lunch next time we are round.

Delivery, with veg, to SIL done.

Ice cream collection done, also picked up hot and spicy Italian meat, cheese, spices, lentils and dried beans. Cheated and picked up choc chip biscuits for me, spent £28.

Filled the car, £48 as it only had 50 miles left, £1.60.9.  

Mess up with my meds, swapped over but no script for another. Emailed Drs.

Had a good drive around to see other areas, ruled most out as they felt like deity's waiting room!
- It's definitely the one area, with surrounding villages, we both like 😄

My new debit card has arrived, got part of my log on details too, the rest shouldn't be much longer.

It's raining, so no second gardening session today. Instead I'll have my feet up and resting.

We're having tandoori chicken and rice for tea, ice cream for pudding. Maybe a biscuit and some fruit.

Just having another latte and I'll catch up with diaries 😃

MovingForwards

I'm overtired and had to get up as I couldn't sleep or get comfortable. 

I've had vegan / gf coconut macaroons for a 3am snack, cr1mbl3s are very tasty.

Before going to bed I placed an order with B-Sh0p. 2 shampoo, 4 soaps, shower gel and a free sample of my shampoo, got 15% off and free delivery. I'll earn a few vouchers each year and get one for cake day.
- I couldn't be bothered going to the shopping centre and paying to park just for one shampoo, I'm sorted for about 4 months. 

As I'm getting back on track with finances, I am trying to be more 'ethical' with my purchases. I like being able to buy loose items and in the quantity I want. 

There was a slab of cheese and I asked for about an inch of it, that will do a few weeks of spag bols. I did the same with the spicy Italian meat. The lentils I picked up were 35p for 100g, add homegrown veg and I've a week of soup literally for pennies a day, add shop courgettes and it's about 10p a day; healthy, filling and tasty.

Reminded me of years ago, a local shop where it only sold loose items; cereal, flour, nuts, dried fruit, tea, coffee, pulses and a whole range of store cupboard items. Pick how much I wanted, move on to the next item, bagging as I went along and paying at the till when reaching the end.
- I may go to R3al F00ds in E next payday as they have a similar set up, but the staff bag as I make my selection.

Skint_yet_Again

It’s hard to not cram in as much good stuff as possible when you are having a good day. Try not to overdo it as you don’t want to be exhausted and in pain when you go back to work
 Purchases sound wonderful 😊

MovingForwards

Thanks Skinty, it is hard when I only really have the weekends to potter and there's so much I want to do.

Perhaps I'm being silly looking for FT work, when 3 - 4 days would be better from a health point of view, but also giving me free time to rest and do everything I want.
- I should give serious consideration to this.

I managed an hour doze on the sofa, decided against going to bed when TomBo got up; he has a hangover 🤫

I've a bit more agility, for now.  It's a nice blue sky, feels warm too. I'll pop outside in a bit, do some weeding, put last weekends plants in the garden, sow a few seeds and tidy up the patio. We've been here for 2 years now and done so much 😃

savingholmes

Remember PIP option too not that I have heard about mine yet. Sounds busy. Food sounds tasty as always.