£50,000 in 3 years diary. Can I do it???

RoxieW

Ooooh it sounds lovely! it'll be lovely your first xmas living together? are you having it just the two of you or doing the usual family runs?

We decided after our second (todd) that we were gonna have xmas day just us as a family from then. otherwise its just too much trekking from here to there and getting pulled in different directions cos everyone wants a piece of the kids. we decided to be selfish. its better for us and the kids that way. i also hate going anywhere in the car when its frosty as one one xmas we skidded on some black ice and even though we were only going about 10 mph we had a real bang. i dread to think if we'd have been going even 30mph!

RoxieW

no spend day today - thank god! todds got his xmas concert this aft - he's a reindeer! cant wait - he's such a cutie.

RoxieW

I'm back! Hi all, feeling festive?? I am. Fantastic news. Dale got a xmas bonus of £2500!! :j:beer:He usually gets £1000-£1500 so it was totally unexpected and really great. in fact - think dale must have the best boss ever. he gave us £300 when we got married. lets dale leave at 4.30 to miss rush hour and let him have a paid day off to go house hunting. and he pays the tax for the company car. its making me think twice about planning to move house as dale would have to move jobs....:cool:
The only annoying thing is that after tax dale see's £1500 of the bonus - still, its really good going. Gonna use £500 to absorb the xmas overspend and transfer £1000 straight into the savings so I can update my sig - wooooooo.:D

Am guilty of overspending recently. Particularly with food. But not worrying too much about it - will get on track with it after xmas. Bought bf an extra xmas pressie too which i shouldn't have i know......:o
Am trying to be good and stick with the budget for pressies but it gets to the 20th and I get xmas demented and feel that i havent bought enough for everyone and start going crazy. felt bad last night when BIL and his GF visited. They brought a huge gift bag each for the boys full of gifts and one for me and d to share. Felt soooo tight handing over their 1 gift each. :o:o:o:o But we did tell them not to go mad.... I cooked them a special dinner though, as we wont see them now till new year, so that was nice. We even had crackers - yey! Just a £2 box of mini ones thou - the kids only like them for the 'pop' and the hats. No point paying £20 for posh crackers with luxury tat inside.
am currently lusting after some ugg boots at £100 a throw - have been following the mse thread on the best deal with interest. really cant though as need to save some money for my jan sale shopping. cant decide which colour to get anyway so prob for the best!!
anyways, think thats me updated.
bye all - merry 'crazy build up to' xmas!! xx

SortingIt_2

Afternoon!

Sounds like you had a nice evening with BIL - I am sure that they don't mind getting a present each. It's the thought that counts and you did cook them a meal etc. Also you have the little ones to think about at Christmas. I am sure that they didn't even think about it!

Great news on the bonus and a great start to your New Year and savings. I am pleased for you. I reckon you'll save the £50,000 in no time at all.

As for Chrismas unfortunately OH is a policeman and working - boo :-(
Although I do get to spend the evening with him so that is better than nothing!

Currently off work as feeling quite poorly, think Andy has given me his cold etc. Just hope it passes in time for Christmas.

Anyhow, hope you are enjoying the build up to Christmas. Don't worry too much about the old spends, you seem to be enjoying yourself and you are already doing so well so far! I am sure that come the New Year you will be back on track and raring to go and be nearer that target.

Take care xxx

RoxieW

Hi Si!

Both boys have been coughing so i marched them up to the doctors yesterday - theres no way i want any off them ill for xmas. one year both had gastroenteritis - not good!!

Boo that he's working. Are you off to family in the day then?

SortingIt_2

Hi,

Ahh bless them, visit to the docs may be my next step been feeling like this since Tues :-(

I am indeed off to spend the day with family, luckily Andy works in my home town about 45 min drive from where we live now so will get a lift down with him at 6am!!!! Madness!!!! I'll spend the morning with my four nephews (older sisters boys) and do the family rounds etc then about tea time Andy will pick me up and we'll go to his parents for christmas dinner in the evening and pressies etc and then home to our little haven after that for just the two of us.

Meant to say totally understand about you staying put at home with the little ones. I FINALLY persuaded my sister to put her foot down this year and get others to come to her. She's been visiting my mum's and having christmas dinner there etc from the day her eldest was born (she said she felt she had to) - Callum is 11 in January!!! I am so pleased she has actually told everyone that they will have to come to her if they want to see them etc. She's mad!!

RoxieW

awww, sounds like you'll have a lovely day anyway. will be nice to snuggle up later just the two of you thou! I'm afraid we are quite selfish. We're staying in New Years Eve too, just the two of us (and boys in bed!) because we cant be bothered with all the 'lets pay out a fortune and force ourselves to have a great time' business.
We're going 'up North' on Sunday to get all the family stuff out of the way. We do like to see them but I only met my Dad last year and got to know his whole side of family so we're not what I'd call close, as much as i like my Dad. And Dales family are fantastic but they're not really the lets sit together and play games type. They all go off and do their own things. A whizz around everyone on Sunday then we can relax and go to the Panto on Xmas Eve.

Hope you feel better soon! It was truly awful what I had - I couldn't lift my arms and legs for 24 hours - it was sooooo painful. I'd recommend the berry flavour lemsip max - tastes like sherbet. In fact, some times I just have one because I fancy it....:o:rotfl:

RoxieW

So its all over! Have had a really lovely day. The kids got far too much, as always. Every year dale and I say we should have bought them less as they get sooo much from other people but every year we buy! Still, tis the season and all that. They also got £150 each for their bank accounts. Dale has ordered me some uggs for a xmas pressie - cant wait for them to come! Keep my feet warm is this bitter weather. And I got £45 for my jan sales fund and lots of other lovely bits and pieces.

Had a lovely time at the panto and generally a great time all round.

Seriously, though, we have horribly overspent - particularly on food. Have enough treats etc to last until next xmas though so Jan will be cut back central definitely. Has to be!

Anyway, off to enjoy the rest of the festive season. Hope you all are doing the same.

Merry Christmas!!

NickiM

Hey!

Just been reading through the whole of this thread - you've got a huge target, but you're doing so well. I have loved reading your posts, as others have commented you have a great writing style. So, good for you!

Look forward to reading more, and all the best

RoxieW

Hi Nicki - thanks for reading!

Not doing so great as the grocery and clothes spend illustrate, :o But am going to keep posting rather than bury head in sand and hopefully Jan will be much better!!

Having friends over for dinner today and drinks tonight so looking forward to that. Just about to have a go at a Nigella icecream cake with toffee sauce - although usually when I try to go all delia/nigella/jamie it all goes T up and I dread to think how much spent in ingredients I've wasted!! We'll see! |Kids are happily still playing with toys - they did get lots of transfortmers from MIL which are a hit - thank god for MIL! They still haven't had 2/3's f their toys out of the boxes yet - lucky little men!

Happy boxing day all!