2020++ - smiling and waving and looking so fine

mark55man

Every penny counts focus:  I shall call this my PMA challenge (Positive Money/Mental Attitude)

First regular saving from last year matured and moved the money into a 1 year bond fixed at 4.25%.  This is 90% reserved for CC4 (0% rate and 0% transfer fee) which was my minor weakness last year.  The bond will mature just in time to pay off the CC and will have earned (stoozed) £100 extra over paying it back now. So £100 extra for 15 minutes work - PMA!!.  For reporting purposes I will net off the bond against the CC as paid off and not mention either to keep it simple.

Consequently, my EF is now a little under my £10K target, bit I'm not going to stress about it - or even try to refill it.  

savingholmes

Love the £100 by stoozing.

Good luck with your weight loss challenge. I need to lose more weight than you... so will be watching with interest.

mark55man

Thank you SH - my OH and I have committed to another 12 weeks of the Fast 800 diet, and added an extra cook book into the mix - we had the red one and the blue one - now there is a more focussed Keto one.  The F800 is not in itself strictly Keto, but is very calorie restricted and that of itself doesn't allow a lot of carbs.  It was quite hard work - but we are both more overweight than we were last year and the year before so need to take the medicine, which did work last time we stuck with it

Stoozing is literally free money although as with many things an opportunity only available now I have assets and not when I really needed it.  My challenges will come with trying to squeeze extra cuts or benefits from the other aspects of my finances

Right just off to the gym - hopefully to get another 10K steps done for 8/8 and 2/2 in 2023

ohdearhowdidthathappen

Great targets for the year  

mark55man

So first day back at work saw my 10K steps streak end, but still ahead of average.  Too many calls at work, then had a long discussion with DS2 and by the time we had eaten got a bit late.  A warning shot but will be back tomorrow - doing first thing before the distractions get you

mark55man

Back on Plan - managed to do a "webinar wander" (ie a video call where I am just expected to listen so can do so on phone and on the move), and got the best part of 8000 steps done in an hour, and then made it up with some more during the rest of the day.  That means I am now back 1 day ahead of target and on 1 1 day 10K+ streak

Very hungry on this diet but being good, and not weighing in until the weekend.  Had the tagine dish I mentioned on SH's diary - was very nice - lunch was chicken salad, which was a bit dull 

mark55man

Didn't manage 10K steps yesterday - but got over 8K so that's my target met but my 10K streak reset.

Yesterday's diet - was left over tagine for breakfast, bacon and eggs for lunch, and fish curry with veggies for tea - was very nice.  Scales seem to be heading in the right direction but a few days including a weekend until I report back

Went for a chat with some local friends last night - soft drinks only (trying to do as dry a January as possible) - so not a NSD but we are being pretty frugal at the moment   

savingholmes

Good luck with the diet and frugality. Quite a challenge! I've done 5:2 in the past - but remember being very cold when I first did it - so for me that may be more like a Spring/Summer option than right now.

mark55man

Good plan - it will certainly get easier to have salads when its warmer.  But  my need and my determination is now!

Made a half target steps day today, but I am still a day ahead and the weekend is coming up with some walking planned

Scrambled eggs and YS smoked salmon for lunch, then chilli for supper.  Fizzy water isnt really doing it tonight, but its all we got  

alt80

Food on your diet sounds good to me.