A Year in the Life of...

girlatplay

Happy Christmas Eve AK.  Thank you for your message.  I like the chart.  I just don't know anything anymore.  If I need to know something then I look it up (and sometimes can't find it).  Other than that, I test regularly, I'm at home the majority of the time, when I go out I wear a mask, wash hands, sanitise, social distance.  I know I'm doing the right things.  Just wish other people wouldn't stand so close to me.


I've not done anything on my list or any food prep for tomorrow yet this morning. LMG is leaving for work at 12.30pm so I'll start then with no distractions.  The prep today is supposed to take 3.5 hours so I should be done by the time she gets home.  She is going to do the desserts later and we will clear the dining table and set it up for tomorrow.

savingholmes

Gotta love a list and public accountability. 

Hope you enjoy a little peace today too.

joedenise

Quite agree with you @girlatplay about the SD, nobody seems to bother now and as for mask wearing - I just can't believe the number of people who think they breathe through their chins!  This morning popped into MrTs and the bloke at the till in front of us had his mask round his neck.  When we got back to the car he was parked about 3 cars from us and he had his mask on!  What on earth was he thinking?  Makes absolutely no sense to me!

girlatplay

Thanks @savingholmes and @joedenise

I didn't mean to stay away from here for a week.  I've just spent a while catching up on other diaries.  That took up a fair bit of time 🤭

Christmas day was a fairly quiet one.  I prepped and cooked all afternoon and evening on Christmas Eve and dropped off the food to my sis on Christmas morning.  She messaged me later to say thank you and said that my BIL said compliments to the chef.  He is an extremely difficult man to please so I have to say, it was worth all the hard work.  I had made it all in dishes rather than in plastic tubs as I wanted it to be special for them.  They just had to put things in the oven to heat them.  I thought it would make Christmas worse for them if the were dishing up from old takeaway containers.  It was totally worth it.  My folks, bf, LMG and I all had our meal together at our flat.  The food was good and well complimented (to be fair, everyone else is easy pleased but I did enjoy it too and was quite pleased with the results).  We still haven't all seen each other or exchanged presents yet as LMG has been working so we are meeting up tomorrow to open presents.  We've been testing like mad and we're all clear so far.

I'm not sure what to do about 2022 goals.  We want to move but that's about finding the right house so although a goal, I don't really need to work towards it.  Once we get somewhere I can then start working towards becoming mortgage neutral but I wont have a figure until we do move.  In the meantime I can only keep saving and keep paying down my current mortgage.  I desperately need to declutter so that should be a priority.

I want to do a breakdown of all spends for the year.  I try this every year and don't get past January.  I have a notepad and I'm used to keeping receipts so I just need to make extra effort.

Health-wise, I know I should go out every day but I just don't know how feasible that is at the moment.  I drink a lot of water now, which was a 2020 goal when I started this diary so although it has been 2 years, I feel I am achieving that goal still and planning to continue.

I am planning to be a bit more sociable next year.  I have to make more of an effort to meet with friends, as long as guidance allows.

I guess I can add goals to the year as I go along and as I think of them.


I got paid today so I have moved the money to the various places.  I have £250 ready to pay to the mortgage once I know December's interest amount.  I managed to put £290 into savings.  I have changed my signature slightly again.  I'm just not sure how to note things.  I have £4k in my current account and want to get that up to £5k (for interest purposes).  I have £1.5k in PBs which I want to add more to but not before I have filled my ca.  I have £204 in a wee rainy day account which I have been using as my dipping account.  I'm not planning to dip any more from that, it was just to help out with Christmas.  Once the ca is at £5k I will start topping up the rd account and then when that reaches a certain level I will transfer some to PBs.  That's a while away yet though.

I have a joint savings account with my sis which we use for Christmas savings.  We have had this since 2012 and we both agree that this is one of the best ideas we have had.  I have upped my monthly savings amount to it this year, plus I can pay in as much as I want at any time so I'm hopeful that next Christmas will be covered.

I've still got bits and bobs to do before we head off to bf's for the bells with his kids too so I better give myself a shake.  Just realised I've been on here for two hours!

Happy Hogmanay everyone and I'll "see" you in the new year.

Gap x

savingholmes

Happy New Year! I think the important thing is not to put too much pressure on. I have aspirations rather than firm goals at this point!! Plus a gratitude list.

astrocytic_kitten

Happy new year GAP! I bet this time next year you and LMG will be in a lovely new house with nice neighbours and you’ll be able to go outside to potter in your garden daily 💛

boxofpaws

What a lovely sister you are! Your Christmas might not be what you would have planned but you made the most of it.

I’m also planning to log my spends, I’ll keep popping by to see how you’re doing 

girlatplay

Thanks SH.  I have a couple of resolutions in mind.  Not hard and fast but I'm being mindful of them.  Just eating better and not being so much of a hermit.  They should be easy enough to keep.  I'll set goals later in the year.

Thanks AK.  That's exactly what we are working towards.

Thanks Paws.  Of the two of us, she is the better sister but I'll never give up trying.


I have a list of jobs to do.  I won't bother posting them here as I just need to work my way through them at my leisure.  One was to make soup today which I did and another was to take the decs down which I have also done.  I'm not back to work until next Monday but I have semi-made plans on four days this week so doesn't leave a lot of time.  I also need to set up my workspace again as I dismantled it for the Christmas Day meal.  I'll do that bit by bit and it shouldn't be such a chore.

I fell by the wayside with the meal planning but since eating better is one of my new year resolutions I have really been on it over the past couple of days (hence the soup).  One thing about having the meal at ours was we had lots of leftovers and it was great being able to go into the fridge and having food there.  LMG and I went grocery shopping yesterday.  I spent a lot more than I normally would but I think it was worth it.  Annoyingly I need to go again tomorrow to pick up milk and some containers for freezing.  I'm determined to not overspend on the groceries this month and we have more than enough in for this week so I'll need to be disciplined and only pick up what we need.  I'm not too worried, I've had plenty of practice in the past.

savingholmes

I hope you manage to get out more.  I also hope you find the right place to live where you can feel freer and more comfortable getting out and about.

girlatplay

savingholmes said:

I hope you manage to get out more.  I also hope you find the right place to live where you can feel freer and more comfortable getting out and about.

Thank you.  Me too.  Just having a garden that we don't have to share with others will make a huge difference.


I have had to order a new eyebrow pencil today.  I'm usually quite good at ordering in advance of needing it but the end has crept up on me this time.  It's not cheap but it lasts ages and is good value for money.  I've ended up ordering two to get free delivery.  I really don't like paying for delivery.  Actually, I don't have an issue paying for it but I'd rather it was just included in the price of the goods than put on at check out, especially when there is no other option than to have it delivered.  I would purchase an item that was £25 including delivery over an item for £20 with £5 delivery.  I know it's the same thing but I know from the beginning what my total is going to be, no surprises once I have made my decision to buy.  Anyway, I digress.  The two pencils will last me a good 6 months and I have paid for one with this month's allowance and I will use next month's allowance to pay for the other one.  I've made a note to remind myself to transfer the money back next month.

Some of the dd's have left the account this morning, just waiting for one more to go for 1st of month then one on 7th and one on 19th.  I gave LMG money for part of her Christmas but gave her it in a cheque so that she could use her banking app to deposit it.  She has now paid it in and it should clear in a couple of days.

Ticking along.