10 years to go .... maybe, with a fair wind

Lauraebrad

Feel like I'm racing from behind already in July.  I seem to have lost track of spending at the end of last month and didn't end up looking at budgets for this month until the weekend (hiding my head in the sand perhaps!).  Despite having had my first full 'normal' month's pay at my new salary, I managed to overspend for the first time in memory last month, which is really disappointing - especially as I'd already mentally earmarked the savings!

Hey ho.  It wasn't the end of the world.  I decided to dip into the reserves to get back on an even keel and going to try and keep a really keen eye on spending to the end of this month's credit card bill (Thur 21st I think).  Luckily we have plenty of food, no birthdays and I can't see any potential other spends on the horizon before then.

So, the OP for July is likely to remain at £20 which is all pr0lific cash outs.  Thank goodness I made good progress earlier in the year!

Only paying for 3 days kids activity clubs over the summer holidays which is a relief as I thought I might need more.  Must try and set aside some fun money though for some of the time we're free (but not actually away on holiday as that's another pot!).  I already have a couple of free cinema vouchers, and there's a lego trail in our City Centre that we'll do one day (which will likely cost me tram tickets and lunch).  Hoping that we can spend a lot of time paddling in the river / climbing rocks / biking with friends..... with only picnic food to remember!

savingholmes

With price increases it is taking a lot of us more effort just to stand still never mind make progress. You are still doing well

Lauraebrad

Thanks @savingholmes you're right - standing still at the moment is actually quite an achievement.  I really feel for people who are struggling to keep up with spending and bills right now and don't have the luxury of a promotion to cushion the blow.  

Lauraebrad

Goodness, time flies when you're having fun!  It seems like today's tipped into a new, fresh season.  The small one is back at school, I'm back at work and there's plenty to harvest from the garden (tonnes of apples and pears) and hedgerows (brambles and elderberries). 
All in all we've actually had a really fun summer (aside from the national news / imminent doom).  We had lovely week in Norfolk with my mum which had been mainly paid for in advance (rolled from 2021) and then the boy and I have just come back from inter-railing around Europe.  I've just totted up the cost and it's within my sort of expected range - I've money set aside to pay for it so that's a relief.  
All our train connections worked well and we had unexpectedly more fun than anticipated in Munich and Paris.  But Rome, and the sleeper train to Rome from Munich were definitely highlights.  As @LadyWithAPlan said (approximately) it's worth remembering why you're frugal if you're lucky enough / remember why you're doing it.  For me it's the freedom to be able to adventure - but now back to some belt tightening so we can maybe do it again in a couple of years time. 

So, the mortgage OPs haven't been massive over the summer, although my monthly investments have continued.  I'm hoping to ramp up Pr0lific again now I'm at home more.  Having said that, with the rate that costs are rising a lot of the spare money may be gobbled up for now.  I bought 'local' milk yesterday when we arrived home and it's gone from £1.90 / 2 litres to £2.54 in the last couple of weeks.  Going to have to decide where my priorities lie at that rate - I love supporting local farmers and the milk is super fresh and tastes great ..... but still....

LadyWithAPlan

Glad my musings have been off help - I was inspired by other MSE's in the first place. Glad you having fun travelling - up to Covid I travelled  a lot - as in on a plane every month or 2 for  either work or play... However now I have this mortgage deposit so that is making me save more and travel less or more frugally. Hopefully I have a work trip next month in France for a week  so paid for travel and then can delay my return flight  and see a friend for a few days

September always feels like the start of the year

savingholmes

Sounds like some fabulous adventures and highlights over the summer

Lauraebrad

A rainy Friday afternoon in October brings some household pottering and general financial faffing.  I've just this week moved my current account to the N@tionwide for a bonza pre-Christmas bonus.  Hoping it's not going to turn out to be a mistake now that I've read some reviews of their app / services!  

I'm going to try and set aside the energy cost support over the next few months, as I'm in a relatively fortunate position of having a fixed tariff till next autumn.  I'll not squander it though - some will go on mortgage OPs and some I might save for next autumn's inevitable price rise.  It just seems so unfair at the moment that I'm paying £100 a month and my mum who lives alone on a very small income has had her dd increased to £230 a month.  But she won't accept any help from me so hey ho.

This month's OPs will be relatively small - mostly from Pr0lific, Sh0ppix and a small Quidc0 payment I'd forgotten about.  I will probably share the N@tionwide bonus between the mortgage and Christmas, as I borrowed heavily from my own Christmas savings a couple of months ago!

Happy season of mists and mellow fruitfulness moneysavers ..... 

Staffordia

I've been with N@tionwide for years and have never had an issue with their online banking or app.

beanielou

Nationwide are fab.

Lauraebrad

Just a little update.  My N@tionwide bank switch bonanza came through - £200 so I've split it two ways.  Half to plug the gap in the Christmas fund and half to the mortgage. 

With all that's going on at the moment I've refocussed a bit on my overpayments, having slacked off a bit in the middle of this year.  I'm in a reasonably good position of having a low interest fix for another 3 ish years but I am quite incentivised to get the mortgage as low as possible before the end of that fix.  The next couple of months I'll be thinking about whether I could push next years overpayments up a little further, although that may not be easy with all other costs rising.

I just need to remember to take small steps though - making small good choices every day could add up more than big ambitions.  On that note, I'm working through my pantry .... today I've dispatched some ancient black eye beans.  Cooked them all day in the slow cooker while I was out at work, then made them into 4 portions of the most delicious curry with a butternut squash that my mum had grown, the end of a block of coconut cream that's been lurking for months in the fridge, and the juice from a tin of tomatoes (tomato flesh was used on pizza yesterday).  Basically free and super super tasty.  One more day without visiting Mr L1dl!