Mrs F planning the future!

foxgloves

Hi Mrs F2017,
Following a major moment of clarity a good few years ago now, we set about changing our spendy ways & becoming debt-free. It still feels incredible that we achieved this, but I think that's because we were both endebted spenders for a lot longer than we have been living within our means. I'm just popping on to say something I know I've said on my own diary, that there isn't any situation in life which is improved by being in debt. In my view, the only exception to this is an affordable mortgage & borrowing a sensible amount for a car, if a safe, reliable vehicle is required for work. Anything else.... from replacement household appliances, clothes, holidays etc, should be covered from designated savings pots so as to leave emergency funds for true emergencies. For much of my adult life before my financial reformation, I viewed things like new boots in the sales or an offer from my favpurite cosmetics counter as emergencies as I didn't want to miss out on them! These days, we do everything possible not to touch our emergency fund at all, so our 10 virtual savings 'pots' for various categories work as a buffer to keep both the EF & monthly budget intact.
We don't have a hair shirt lifestyle at all, but our policy with our monthly 'Spends' (a budgeted amount) is that when it's gone, it's gone. It defo works for us.
F 

Mrs_F_2017

@foxgloves thank you for your comments.  I like that a lot - you are completely right that the isn't any situation in life which is improved by being in debt.  100% true and something I will take on board.  Maybe I need to write that as a mantra somewhere I can see it every time I go to my purse!

Mrs_F_2017

Had a really good house day today - cleared a lot of wisteria back that was taking over the front of the house - I've never had wisteria before so going to research the best way to make it grow where you want it too rather than EVERYWHERE  - our neighbour informs us the previous owners never pruned it and it covered the whole front to the point where it blocked the windows.  Also did a lot of tidying in the back garden.  Having spent more time in the garden today I think I had underestimated the amount of work the garden will need long term but oh well, we knew the house was a long term project!

Also used lots of fruit/veg we'd been given or grown - stewed lots of apples and rhubarb for the freezer, made a crumble and a really tasty apple cake. 

Really enjoyed my gardening today so need to focus on things like that as motivation for the type of life I want to lead.

Mrs_F_2017

Back at work today and will be a no spend day. For October I might join one of the challenges again to keep me on track as I used to be good at keeping to those and it’ll keep me on track for not popping out at lunch.

I bought in some cake I made at home yesterday to share with my team rather that popping out to buy something so money saving there whilst still having treats. I’m good at bringing in lunch to work so need to use that organisation on other things too - also not good for my waistline either! 

We’re meant to be in Cornwall in 2 weeks and I’ve really been looking forward to it, but worried about the rising Covid cases that we might not be able to go as we’d be staying with family. We go every other year at the same time and hubby and I always make a point of tuning phones off etc and really having a chill out week. I don’t want to lose that this year! 

Mrs_F_2017

I’ve had a couple of NSD’s here which I know is helping my long term goals - actually I did spend yesterday but it was a planned grocery shop where only items on the list were purchased. Thursday and today are NSD’s. 

Have some baking planned tonight, I love baking but buying butter is adding up price wise so going to try a mixture of butter for the taste and Stork to make it cheaper! Hopefully it’ll still taste OK. 

Seeing friends tomorrow morning for a walk so will take a flask of coffee and some homemade cake over so should also be a NSD although will cost us diesel. 

I’m at work today but hubby is at home and is starting some home brew, I bought him the kit as a birthday present so hopefully it’ll be a fun hobby for him and save some pennies long term on beer purchasing! 

Hope you’re all having a good weekend x

Mrs_F_2017

Had a lovely day off Sunday, saw some friends for a walk around a national trust garden. Took a flask of coffee and homemade banana bread so no spends there.  Wasn't a complete no spend day because we picked up some logs for the new log burner and a few bits of necessary groceries, but all spends were budgeted for. 

Have been much better at taking lunch and snacks to work so have really cut down on spends. I've also been looking for cheaper alternatives on household things so as and when we run out of cleaning supplies, we can definitely cut this area down to help find some more flex in our budget.  I might be brave soon and paste my SOA on here. 

I hope by keeping this more updated will keep me on track. I know the bones of our budget are strong but the biggest difference I can make now is my limiting my everyday spending!

Mrs_F_2017

Day off today.  Am seeing my Mum which will be nice, we weren't sure if we'd have to cancel based on new restrictions so good we can still spend time together now.  Have a few planned household spends but all budgeted for. Also going to start the hunt for new winter boots but today will just be browsing for those.  

Ynab all up to date - grocery budget is still a bit all over the place as haven't got used to cooking for three adults yet - 2 men eat A LOT!! This month is an improvement on August though and I know there is more fat to be trimmed next month. I always find autumn cooking easier anyway - you get more for you money with stews/casseroles/curries anyway and can bulk out with vegetables. 

We have a date now for window install in October so hoping to hold off on putting the heating on until after that - we have the log burner installed so that heats the main living space and if beds get chilly I'll get the hot water bottles out to tide us over. 

Also starting to get some quotes for other bits for the house - new fencing for the garden and flooring for downstairs.  Fences we'll do in the spring hopefully so can get the quotes and then save up over the winter. Flooring - I'm up for doing this ourselves but hubby isn't so keen.  I love the idea of parquet downstairs - you can buy reclaimed quite cheaply but the install is pricy - I've been watching videos of how to do it ourselves but hubby doesn't trust me!!

Hope everyone is OK and the new COVID restrictions aren't negatively effecting people too much. 

Chrystal

Have you had your windows done yet, or is it later this month?  Have you managed to keep the heating off... it's been really chilly where I am, so it's been on here occasionally, just to take the chill off.  X

Mrs_F_2017

@Chrystal Windows are going in today so progress being made with the house although I'm also a bit sad that it means my savings pot will diminish when the invoice comes in! Looking forward to being warmer though and without the dodgy secondary glazing (aka fly graveyard!)

Heating went on yesterday morning to take the chill off the bathroom and we've realised there is a fault with it somewhere...it turns on, and gets nice & toasty but won't turn off - I woke up at 1am feeling like I was in a furnace.  The programmer said the heating was off but it clearly wasn't! Resorted to turning the boiler off until we can investigate further! 

Financially, we're all on track here. Overpayment made to the credit card to ensure cleared by Feb and also made £100 overpayment to the loan. 

I'm really appreciating Ynab today - just sorted this years house insurance and car tax and the money was just sat in the pot waiting for me.  I'm also looking forward to a day when we are debt free and get to put our money towards the future rather than the past :-)

Hope everyone is OK and keeping safe, we are in the SE where everything seems so calm compared to elsewhere so know we are fortunate at this current time. 

Mrs_F_2017

Celebrating a good no spend week here - not a single coffee/cake/lunch/chocolate bar was bought during any of my lunch breaks!  That's a real success for me as I'm guilty of lunch break small spends that all add up. 

Obviously have an invoice for our new windows to come in so that's very spendy and have had a quote from our old neighbour who's a plasterer for the next bit of work that needs doing so have other priorities so hoping this will keep me focussed and motivated on the budget and no lunch break spends. 

Hubby is also potentially getting a pay rise so we have already said we'll 'ignore' that money and continue to budget like we had his old salary and put the extra money straight to paying off the debt and saving. 

Working again tomorrow so enjoying snuggling up by the log burner this evening, I really do love the Autumn, probably my favourite time of year.