Getting shot of the mortgage sooner than 2049!

TallGirl

Wave - hope you’re ok 

Bluegreen143

Hello everyone!!

Sorry to go quiet. I unexpectedly took most of March off of using my phone much - I’ve been reading and crafting lots instead! Plus got into watching Outlander while knitting in the evenings which has a gazillion episodes and so is a time commitment 😂😂😂

To be honest I was feeling rather down the first couple of weeks of the month, somewhat at odds with my “joyful frugality” goal I’m afraid. I think it’s a combination of end-of-winter blues and work being stressful and unenjoyable right now. I think that taking the time to focus on real world activities has helped and I feel quite rejuvenated now. 

Money

Money-wise - inevitably I’ve spent more because of not writing in my diary. Last night we got stuck in football traffic for well over an hour on the way home from a day out and got a cheeky takeaway, for example. We’ll definitely blow our £400 grocery budget too.

However, we’ve not gone crazy and are still on track to spend well under what we earned this month so it’s not a disaster by any means. I’ll round up our spending tonight. 

Family

My little Monkey has been having a hard time socially and had a few days of coming home sad saying he didn’t play with anyone at playtime. This is really triggering to me tbh as I was a lonely, friendless child in primary school so my mind immediately leaps to the worst. 

Red and I have had a few good conversations about what we can’t do - actually control his social life & make people play with him; prevent him having to have any struggle in life - and what we can do. 

We can listen and empathise and make sure he knows he’s loved at home; we can coach him in skills he’s lacking (a big problem is he’s shy of asking to join in games so waits til he’s asked by others); we can talk to the teacher if needed; we can arrange playdates and activities out of school so he has positive social experiences elsewhere. 

I spoke to the mums of his two wee best friends which was reassuring and also organised a play date with a boy & mum I’ve not met before who Monkey has mentioned a few times and is a friend of one of his two good friends. Hopefully if he has a playdate with him he’d feel more confident to ask to play at school too. 

Other news - we had my friend’s two kids (same ages as my two) here for a sleepover on Friday. First time I’ve had other kids to stay - it allowed the parents to go on a date night so I was pleased to help. My kids loved it and it went smoothly. Monkey and the 7yo boy get on really well so I think it’s helping boost his confidence to also have a friend outside of school. And Bambi and the little 4yo sister were very sweet together. 

Hobbies

- Not done anywhere near as much outdoor time this month because of getting the car back and the weather being bad 🙈😂 at 154 hours now for the year. 

- Finished knitting my baby dungarees which are very cute!

- Sewed up a practice toile (used a duvet cover from the second hand shop!) for a maxi dress I’m attempting to make. Have now washed and cut the actual fabric for the dress, which is a lovely sunflower pattern. 

- Started knitting long socks as a way to teach myself to use double pointed needles - nice to try something new! 

- Have got lots of tomato seedlings and a few chilli seedlings on the go. Plan for today is to sow lettuce and carrots. 

- I’m helping organise my friend’s hen do next month, so that’s taken a bit of time, but I’m really looking forward to going on it! 

Baileys_Babe

👋 Glad to hear that your not posting was through choice, not necessity.

Saddened to hear about Monkey but you and Red have come up with a good plan. I think even if Monkey had lots of friends at school it is good to have non school friends as they bring slightly different experiences and can help your child have a wider view.

Four_Seasons

Lovely to have you back I love reading about your family antics! Xx

TallGirl

Yeah you’re back. Sounds like a good plan for Monkey. 

KajiKita

Good to see you back 😊

I totally get the end of winter blues thing - it’s been a long end of winter this year I think! Hopefully, with the clocks change and longer daylight hours we’ll all start feeling brighter. 

Glad all is (mostly) well. Sounds like you have taken a level headed and considered approach to the challenges Monkey is facing and come up with some really good strategies. Sometimes it really is about how others are, not yourself, but I totally get that lack of social confidence thing too. I still struggle with it at 52 and a half 😉

Good thinking in the fabric for the practice toile - if nothing else, if you finish that off it will make a chores / gardening dress 😊
Socks eh …. Blimey, you are nudging my conscience to pick up the epic that is the lap blanket I am meant to be knitting for my mum’s Christmas present! 😊

What are you doing for the hen do?

KK

angela110660

Great to see you back posting again. sorry to hear about your son and schoolfriends issues but hope it soon passes and all will be well again. 

Bluegreen143

Thanks everyone!

@KajiKita the hen do is a big self catering lodge at a holiday park kind of place. We’re doing spa and afternoon tea. The bride is pregnant so doesn’t want a big night out but we have a nice dinner booked one night and the first night is more of a PJ party and pizza in the accommodation. 

Spending round up for March so far

Still some spends expected this week so this will change. However Red is also talking about transferring his leftover spending money back to cover some of the outhouse work we’re doing, so that may actually offset most of what’s still to come out.

INCOME: £4,066.45

SPENDING: £3,152.93

CURRENT SAVINGS RATE: 22.4%

Bills: £1,039.60
…Mortgage £528.86
…Life ins £29.26
…Car loan £160
…Internet £28.19
…Council tax £159
…Energy £134.29

Red’s spends: £446

Groceries: £396.49
This will go up to about £450 due to today’s delivery. 

Me: £424.52
…Hen do £230 One friend still owes me £115 for this; she’s suffered a sudden family bereavement this week so I’m not pushing for payment right now 
…Hobbies £102.27 (sewing & knitting supplies) 
…Other: £39.40 Work lunches, a TV subscription, some alcohol etc 
…Clothes: £38 Walking boots, socks & charity shop jeans
…Social: £14.85 One cheap pub lunch and some hot drinks out with friends 

Home repairs: £253.67
The bulk of this is steel support beams for our outhouse basement, as the walls have cracks appearing

Transport: £160.94 
Mainly petrol as filled the tank twice; includes parking charges too

Eating/drinks out: £149.63
A big night out for Red & I for his friend’s birthday (dinner & drinks), ice cream for the kids on a walk, a takeaway this weekend

Kids £149.55
…Kids misc £65.52 Pocket money, movie & nerf guns for sleepover, workbooks & sticker books
…Kids activities £46.98 Karate registration & suit, bike club, swimming, nursery fundraiser 
….Kids clothes £37.05 Socks, wellies for Monkey, something else I’ve forgotten to itemise…

Household supplies £92.30
Chicken feed, toiletries, cleaning stuff etc 

TV & music £30.23

Gifts £10

Bluegreen143

So… eeek! DEFINITELY could have spent less this month.

Problem areas:

- groceries - could be lower - took my focus off this month

- my spending - in fairness my friend owes me £114 which would reduce this figure to a more reasonable £300ish. I’ve bought supplies for a big sewing project, a new knitting project and paid for the hen do accommodation which is all fine. Could have spent less on work lunches & snacks and buying hot chocolates out though!

- Kids - karate start up costs, bike club, swimming all fine but they probably didn’t need all the extras they got this month like sticker books, movies, nerf guns etc. Woops! I just wanted to make sure the sleepover we had at the weekend was a success with plenty to do…

- Household seems a little high, will monitor this better next month. Though it does include £22 on chicken feed.

- takeaway this weekend would have been avoided if I’d had a meal prepped & frozen

Biggest learning point - don’t stop posting on your diary or else your spending goes mad 😂

KajiKita

Hi Bluegreen

What does "CURRENT SAVINGS RATE: 22.4%" mean? 

KK