Thank you Jessy & Hi to OP - I was reading down and staggered that no one else had joined in. I like the idea of no zero days although I'm not so good at managing zero spend days, I'm more a Low Spend sort of person.
I wish you good luck getting to a position when you can make a F&F offer on your debts. I've no direct experience but fro various threads (that I'm sure you've read too) there does seem to be a case for some extreme low ball offers. Especially now, so don't miss an opportunity
Anyway I've bookmarked the thread and will try and drop in now and again - but you've made a great start an I think you know you can do this, although complacency and boredom are big challenges on the long haul
I think I saw you in an ice-cream parlour/Drinking milk shakes cold & long/Smiling & waving & looking so fine
2022 Achievements: Mortgage Neutral, Net Debt Free, EF filled, Retirement Planned, More Unfit, Heavier
2023 Targets (as of 1/1/23): Steps-23K/2500K - Weight - 0lbs/24 - Savings-#57-MFW £400/£10800 - #17-365x1p 1p/£667.95
2023 Achievements (as of 1/1/23): 5km (treadmill)-51'39" - 2km C2 Erg -9'54 - R-Day 272 Days - PMA Save/Earn - £135
I'm a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Over 50s, DFW and Pensions boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing [email protected] All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
Thanks @Jessy103 and @mark55man! ☺ I wasn't going to update until the end of the month but I got some ys bargains yesterday (unheard of for me! 😂) so thought I'd explain the grocery spends! I did a 5 mile walk yesterday then got dh to meet me at the supermarket to do some shopping (I had to get soya milk and some fruit for dgs) The sm has had a revamp recently and increased it's stock of vegan products but I don't think that there are many of us about in this rural farming area 😂 the sm had a lot of half price ys vegan goods so I bought them! I don't normally buy many ready made foods but they are nice to have in the freezer should I have a cba day 😉 anyway, I got 4pks of 2 'steaks', 2 packs of kofta style 'kebabs', 2 pks 'ribs', 2 packs kebab 'meat', 1 pk 'burgers', 1pk 'escalopes' and a tray of Mediterranean veg! It cost around £20! 🙌 Admittedly, it's £20 I didn’t need to spend but I'm happy with the haul and it's a really good back up. I also got enough shopping in to see us through the rest of the month - hopefully we will only need soy milk for me, cow milk for dh and fruit for dgs over the rest of the month 😁 When we got back yesterday, I was exhausted- dh did some garden stuff (one of the outdoor tomato beds had blight so he pulled all the tomatoes out 😔 devastated about that - weve lost kilos of tomatoes) and I ended up having a nap at 2ish for 20 mins then another at 4pm which I woke from at 5am!!! 🙈😂 I feel a lot better today for it - my sleeping has been a nightmare for weeks so I really needed it! Dh also did a bit of cleaning while I was asleep so I'm a happy bunny! Today I have a compost bin arriving (already paid for) and an errand to run at lunchtime then I'm having my dgs for his weekly sleepover 😍 All in all it was an odd day yesterday 🤔 but it wasn't a zero day! I've done well on the electronic detox (although I think I've changed my mind about posting monthly - having this 'accountability' helps! ) I'm doing really well on the drinking (two yesterday but very small ones and no cola! ☺) and I have made a dramatic reduction in smoking. Although I spent money yesterday, I didn't buy any unnecessary tat so I'm okay with that- plus I'll be able to reduce spends later in the year when I use stuff up. Anyway, that's today's essay done - hope everyone has a lovely day! 😊
I agree with trying to post more frequently than monthly - even if its just a mini update on good days or bad days, and even if it doesn't get any responses - there are a lot of lurkers and we're all rooting for each other. occasionally you will say something that triggers some debate or interesting feedback/experience
I think I saw you in an ice-cream parlour/Drinking milk shakes cold & long/Smiling & waving & looking so fine
2022 Achievements: Mortgage Neutral, Net Debt Free, EF filled, Retirement Planned, More Unfit, Heavier
2023 Targets (as of 1/1/23): Steps-23K/2500K - Weight - 0lbs/24 - Savings-#57-MFW £400/£10800 - #17-365x1p 1p/£667.95
2023 Achievements (as of 1/1/23): 5km (treadmill)-51'39" - 2km C2 Erg -9'54 - R-Day 272 Days - PMA Save/Earn - £135
I'm a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Over 50s, DFW and Pensions boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing [email protected] All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
I was saddened when you posted you were only going to do monthly updates, but I could understand as it is yet another thing on the to-do list, and I have never had an MSE diary as I know I would not update it regularly. I was very happy when I found you had updated today.
Wow, you really did need that nap.
Fashion on a ration 2023 66/66 coupons remaining Rolled over coupons 62.5/62.5 remaining (using for secondhand purchases)
Thank you for your comments and encouragement @mark55man and @Baileys_Babe! 😊 So, today is the last day of my leave - I've had a lovely fortnight and feel quite rested and ready for the rest of the year. I normally find that the final day of my holiday is tinged with a certain sadness but I think that because I had my planning day earlier in the holiday, there are a lot of changes I intend to implement with my job which I'm looking forward to starting on. It also gave me an opportunity to reflect on how lucky I am- I love my job, it meets my need to do something worthwhile, it gives me a decent salary, a great deal of autonomy and flexibility and I genuinely like the directors and my boss. Going back to work is never a trauma for me and I'm very grateful for that. I still love being on leave though!! 😉😂 I need to get some housework and laundry done today so that I can drop into the routines tomorrow and then I'm having a really easy day (there's enough food in my fridge to reheat and feed us for the next couple of days so no cooking required!) So - updates: Financial - went a bit mental at the end of the week 🙈 went out with the family and spent far too much on toys for dgs but just couldn't help myself! 😂 It came out of my persie money though so doesn't impact my budget - I have also been told by my dd that I have to wait until solstice to give him a couple of the items though (she is so much more sensible than me! 🙈) so I suppose that the fact that I now have some solstice gifts bought is a plus! 😉 Health - not done anywhere near enough on the excercise front but I am on holiday so I'm not beating myself up about it. I'm going to have a walk tomorrow and might even have a look at doing a bit of yoga. Frugal/money saving - made lots of food the other day for the freezer and fridge so that I fully utilised the oven and our hg produce. I intend to eat out of the freezer/stores and garden this week - only milks will be purchased (and fruit for dgs). Home/Garden- I lost another bed of tomatoes to blight but have managed to salvage about a kilo of them off a plant that didn't look infected (it was only a matter of time as it was surrounded by other blighted plants) so will make a green tomato chutney with those. Most of our summer veg is coming to an end now so I will be able to get plenty of garlic planted soon and get the greenhouse sorted for winter salad crops. My spring bulbs have arrived along with some other plants so I really have to crack on with sorting the areas for those - next weekend is a family celebration weekend so I need to see what I can achieve in the evenings as no garden stuff will be happening. House needs a good clean but it won't take long - I'm pretty much a minimalist so there is no 'clutter' in my house which means cleaning is easy and dh always helps so we should have it sorted within an hour 😉 Alcohol - not great but I've drunk a lot less this week than normal so heading in the right direction 👍
Anyway, that's pretty much all there is to report - I hope everyone has a fab Sunday! 😊
It's been a lovely week - had the family celebration at the weekend and spent quite a bit but all budgeted for so happy with that! Also pleased to report that I've had no zero days! 🙌 Financial - all going well, stuck to budgets and am making sure that I'm using stuff up and thinking before I spend. Payday next week so looking forward to that! 😉
Health - resisted the urge to eat insanely at the celebration so happy with that. Drinking lots of water too. No real excercise done though, I need to focus on that this week as it's so tempting not to fit it in 🙈
Frugal/Moneysaving - I'm still harvesting from the garden and using up leftovers. I've line dried laundry and made sure that there are full loads in both the washing machine and dishwasher before I run them.
Home/Garden - We've pulled out all the 'finished' crops and composted them all. I've done loads of shredding to provide us with paper for the compost too. House is tidy and reasonably clean but I need to have a proper go through tomorrow following the weekend 😉
Alcohol - weekend was not great but expected as much due to the celebration! 😊 This week I intend to really cut down (no more than 2 per evening) with a view to cut out weekday drinking next week.
All in all its been a really good week and I'm definitely getting into better habits! 😊
We have made ourselves stop drinking during the week, so no alcohol Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday unless it is a special occasion or we are on holiday. We were drinking far too much!
Mind you we seem to make up for it over the weekend instead!!
@RelievedSheff, it will be the same for me I'm sure! 🙈 @1992saving, thank you! 😊 It's been an incredibly busy week! Lots to report so I'll just get on with it 😉
Financial- Health money target has been reached, garden money is almost half way! 🙌 I've been really good with the cash over the past week and am happy with my progress. There's still a long way to go but I'm staying focused 😉
Health- not huge progress there but I've been gardening and cleaning for excercise 😉 I have also cut out all the real rubbish from my diet and have eaten well when I've eaten.
Frugal/moneysaving- I'm still eating produce from the garden and stuff from stores. I have a lot of 'jams' and chutneys as one of my relatives loves making them and donates a lot - unfortunately, I'm the only one in the house who really eats them as they are so I've been using them in potato pies, baking tofu in them etc. It's helping to clear out the fridge and saves me having to make up additional sauces etc. 🙌
Home/Garden- massively busy weekend- my pond is half dug, the house has been blitzed and I'm determined to keep the house clean!! I'm struggling to get the household members to do their share so I'm giving them an ultimatum - they either pull their weight or I'm increasing their rent to get a cleaner! 😉 I'm tired of cleaning up after two perfectly capable adults so it's time to get tough!
Alcohol - lots less this week- still not where I want it but I'm going to make more of an effort this week.
All in all, it has been a good week - work has been chaos but I haven't just ignored everything else - as long as I keep that up I'll be a happy person! 😊
The weather has been horrendous over the past few days! 🙈 Friday was like armageddon - gale force winds and torrential rain brought chaos to the garden but I can't rectify anything yet as the wind is still incredibly strong 😔 I'm sure that most of it will recover but the clear up job will take a while! We've had power cuts, wifi broke and no 4g either - it's been an interesting few days! 😂 Thankfully, we're well prepared for all that stuff so no major issues really but it has been unpleasant....
Anyway, I've decided to change the format of this diary as most of my target areas are interlinked really - I'll still be working on doing something every day but financial/frugal/money saving/home and garden are pretty interchangeable so reporting separately feels clumpy and unnecessary.
Food has been from stores and garden - I made two loads of seitan on Friday, one tandoori spiced and the other with dark flavourings (soy and Worcestershire sauce, marmite, liquid smoke etc). I minced some of the dark seitan and put it in a casserole yesterday with potates, hg runner beans and frozen veg - it finished cooking just before the power went out!! 🙌😊 We've had most of it last night and I had it for brekkie too! Tonight we'll have the tandoori spiced seitan with hm flatbreads, yoghurt and a citrus salad. The garden produce is slowing down now but I still have some tomatoes to come - I made roasted tomatoes and an olive and tomato pasta sauce during the week; we ate some and froze the remainder- I will dehydrate the remaining tomatoes when they have ripened as I have plenty of roasted ones in the freezer and tins in cupboards. I have a couple of courgettes on the plants in the garden (or I did have before the gales, I'll need to check if they survived! 🙈) so I'll stuff them with puy lentils and buckwheat then pop them in the freezer. I also have some runner beans which I need to sort so will do those this week too. I've still not sorted any type of excercise routine but I have done plenty of physical work around the house and garden; alcohol is still a big feature but it has reduced dramatically so I'm going in the right direction with that 😉 Right, essay done, time to get on with my day! 😂
Replies
I wish you good luck getting to a position when you can make a F&F offer on your debts. I've no direct experience but fro various threads (that I'm sure you've read too) there does seem to be a case for some extreme low ball offers. Especially now, so don't miss an opportunity
Anyway I've bookmarked the thread and will try and drop in now and again - but you've made a great start an I think you know you can do this, although complacency and boredom are big challenges on the long haul
2022 Achievements: Mortgage Neutral, Net Debt Free, EF filled, Retirement Planned, More Unfit, Heavier
2023 Targets (as of 1/1/23): Steps-23K/2500K - Weight - 0lbs/24 - Savings-#57-MFW £400/£10800 - #17-365x1p 1p/£667.95
2023 Achievements (as of 1/1/23): 5km (treadmill)-51'39" - 2km C2 Erg -9'54 - R-Day 272 Days - PMA Save/Earn - £135
I'm a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Over 50s, DFW and Pensions boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing [email protected] All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
I wasn't going to update until the end of the month but I got some ys bargains yesterday (unheard of for me! 😂) so thought I'd explain the grocery spends!
I did a 5 mile walk yesterday then got dh to meet me at the supermarket to do some shopping (I had to get soya milk and some fruit for dgs) The sm has had a revamp recently and increased it's stock of vegan products but I don't think that there are many of us about in this rural farming area 😂 the sm had a lot of half price ys vegan goods so I bought them! I don't normally buy many ready made foods but they are nice to have in the freezer should I have a cba day 😉 anyway, I got 4pks of 2 'steaks', 2 packs of kofta style 'kebabs', 2 pks 'ribs', 2 packs kebab 'meat', 1 pk 'burgers', 1pk 'escalopes' and a tray of Mediterranean veg! It cost around £20! 🙌 Admittedly, it's £20 I didn’t need to spend but I'm happy with the haul and it's a really good back up. I also got enough shopping in to see us through the rest of the month - hopefully we will only need soy milk for me, cow milk for dh and fruit for dgs over the rest of the month 😁
When we got back yesterday, I was exhausted- dh did some garden stuff (one of the outdoor tomato beds had blight so he pulled all the tomatoes out 😔 devastated about that - weve lost kilos of tomatoes) and I ended up having a nap at 2ish for 20 mins then another at 4pm which I woke from at 5am!!! 🙈😂 I feel a lot better today for it - my sleeping has been a nightmare for weeks so I really needed it! Dh also did a bit of cleaning while I was asleep so I'm a happy bunny!
Today I have a compost bin arriving (already paid for) and an errand to run at lunchtime then I'm having my dgs for his weekly sleepover 😍
All in all it was an odd day yesterday 🤔 but it wasn't a zero day! I've done well on the electronic detox (although I think I've changed my mind about posting monthly - having this 'accountability' helps! ) I'm doing really well on the drinking (two yesterday but very small ones and no cola! ☺) and I have made a dramatic reduction in smoking. Although I spent money yesterday, I didn't buy any unnecessary tat so I'm okay with that- plus I'll be able to reduce spends later in the year when I use stuff up.
Anyway, that's today's essay done - hope everyone has a lovely day! 😊
I agree with trying to post more frequently than monthly - even if its just a mini update on good days or bad days, and even if it doesn't get any responses - there are a lot of lurkers and we're all rooting for each other. occasionally you will say something that triggers some debate or interesting feedback/experience
2022 Achievements: Mortgage Neutral, Net Debt Free, EF filled, Retirement Planned, More Unfit, Heavier
2023 Targets (as of 1/1/23): Steps-23K/2500K - Weight - 0lbs/24 - Savings-#57-MFW £400/£10800 - #17-365x1p 1p/£667.95
2023 Achievements (as of 1/1/23): 5km (treadmill)-51'39" - 2km C2 Erg -9'54 - R-Day 272 Days - PMA Save/Earn - £135
I'm a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Over 50s, DFW and Pensions boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing [email protected] All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
Wow, you really did need that nap.
Rolled over coupons 62.5/62.5 remaining (using for secondhand purchases)
One income, home educating family
So, today is the last day of my leave - I've had a lovely fortnight and feel quite rested and ready for the rest of the year.
I normally find that the final day of my holiday is tinged with a certain sadness but I think that because I had my planning day earlier in the holiday, there are a lot of changes I intend to implement with my job which I'm looking forward to starting on. It also gave me an opportunity to reflect on how lucky I am- I love my job, it meets my need to do something worthwhile, it gives me a decent salary, a great deal of autonomy and flexibility and I genuinely like the directors and my boss. Going back to work is never a trauma for me and I'm very grateful for that. I still love being on leave though!! 😉😂
I need to get some housework and laundry done today so that I can drop into the routines tomorrow and then I'm having a really easy day (there's enough food in my fridge to reheat and feed us for the next couple of days so no cooking required!)
So - updates:
Financial - went a bit mental at the end of the week 🙈 went out with the family and spent far too much on toys for dgs but just couldn't help myself! 😂 It came out of my persie money though so doesn't impact my budget - I have also been told by my dd that I have to wait until solstice to give him a couple of the items though (she is so much more sensible than me! 🙈) so I suppose that the fact that I now have some solstice gifts bought is a plus! 😉
Health - not done anywhere near enough on the excercise front but I am on holiday so I'm not beating myself up about it. I'm going to have a walk tomorrow and might even have a look at doing a bit of yoga.
Frugal/money saving - made lots of food the other day for the freezer and fridge so that I fully utilised the oven and our hg produce. I intend to eat out of the freezer/stores and garden this week - only milks will be purchased (and fruit for dgs).
Home/Garden- I lost another bed of tomatoes to blight but have managed to salvage about a kilo of them off a plant that didn't look infected (it was only a matter of time as it was surrounded by other blighted plants) so will make a green tomato chutney with those. Most of our summer veg is coming to an end now so I will be able to get plenty of garlic planted soon and get the greenhouse sorted for winter salad crops. My spring bulbs have arrived along with some other plants so I really have to crack on with sorting the areas for those - next weekend is a family celebration weekend so I need to see what I can achieve in the evenings as no garden stuff will be happening. House needs a good clean but it won't take long - I'm pretty much a minimalist so there is no 'clutter' in my house which means cleaning is easy and dh always helps so we should have it sorted within an hour 😉
Alcohol - not great but I've drunk a lot less this week than normal so heading in the right direction 👍
Anyway, that's pretty much all there is to report - I hope everyone has a fab Sunday! 😊
Also pleased to report that I've had no zero days! 🙌
Financial - all going well, stuck to budgets and am making sure that I'm using stuff up and thinking before I spend. Payday next week so looking forward to that! 😉
Health - resisted the urge to eat insanely at the celebration so happy with that. Drinking lots of water too. No real excercise done though, I need to focus on that this week as it's so tempting not to fit it in 🙈
Frugal/Moneysaving - I'm still harvesting from the garden and using up leftovers. I've line dried laundry and made sure that there are full loads in both the washing machine and dishwasher before I run them.
Home/Garden - We've pulled out all the 'finished' crops and composted them all. I've done loads of shredding to provide us with paper for the compost too. House is tidy and reasonably clean but I need to have a proper go through tomorrow following the weekend 😉
Alcohol - weekend was not great but expected as much due to the celebration! 😊 This week I intend to really cut down (no more than 2 per evening) with a view to cut out weekday drinking next week.
All in all its been a really good week and I'm definitely getting into better habits! 😊
Mind you we seem to make up for it over the weekend instead!!
@1992saving, thank you! 😊
It's been an incredibly busy week! Lots to report so I'll just get on with it 😉
Financial- Health money target has been reached, garden money is almost half way! 🙌 I've been really good with the cash over the past week and am happy with my progress. There's still a long way to go but I'm staying focused 😉
Health- not huge progress there but I've been gardening and cleaning for excercise 😉 I have also cut out all the real rubbish from my diet and have eaten well when I've eaten.
Frugal/moneysaving- I'm still eating produce from the garden and stuff from stores. I have a lot of 'jams' and chutneys as one of my relatives loves making them and donates a lot - unfortunately, I'm the only one in the house who really eats them as they are so I've been using them in potato pies, baking tofu in them etc. It's helping to clear out the fridge and saves me having to make up additional sauces etc. 🙌
Home/Garden- massively busy weekend- my pond is half dug, the house has been blitzed and I'm determined to keep the house clean!! I'm struggling to get the household members to do their share so I'm giving them an ultimatum - they either pull their weight or I'm increasing their rent to get a cleaner! 😉 I'm tired of cleaning up after two perfectly capable adults so it's time to get tough!
Alcohol - lots less this week- still not where I want it but I'm going to make more of an effort this week.
All in all, it has been a good week - work has been chaos but I haven't just ignored everything else - as long as I keep that up I'll be a happy person! 😊
Thankfully, we're well prepared for all that stuff so no major issues really but it has been unpleasant....
Anyway, I've decided to change the format of this diary as most of my target areas are interlinked really - I'll still be working on doing something every day but financial/frugal/money saving/home and garden are pretty interchangeable so reporting separately feels clumpy and unnecessary.
Food has been from stores and garden - I made two loads of seitan on Friday, one tandoori spiced and the other with dark flavourings (soy and Worcestershire sauce, marmite, liquid smoke etc). I minced some of the dark seitan and put it in a casserole yesterday with potates, hg runner beans and frozen veg - it finished cooking just before the power went out!! 🙌😊 We've had most of it last night and I had it for brekkie too! Tonight we'll have the tandoori spiced seitan with hm flatbreads, yoghurt and a citrus salad.
The garden produce is slowing down now but I still have some tomatoes to come - I made roasted tomatoes and an olive and tomato pasta sauce during the week; we ate some and froze the remainder- I will dehydrate the remaining tomatoes when they have ripened as I have plenty of roasted ones in the freezer and tins in cupboards. I have a couple of courgettes on the plants in the garden (or I did have before the gales, I'll need to check if they survived! 🙈) so I'll stuff them with puy lentils and buckwheat then pop them in the freezer. I also have some runner beans which I need to sort so will do those this week too.
I've still not sorted any type of excercise routine but I have done plenty of physical work around the house and garden; alcohol is still a big feature but it has reduced dramatically so I'm going in the right direction with that 😉
Right, essay done, time to get on with my day! 😂