Getting shot of the mortgage sooner than 2049!

kaycastle

@Bluegreen143

I love the way you do your budgeting, I feel inspired  

The clothes question part of the budget is interesting - during the pandemic and WFH I brought no clothes for over a year - without any effort. Yet I've found the more I have to go out to the office, the more I feel the need to spend. So perhaps you're right that if you did achieve FIRE perhaps you wouldn't feel the need. 

I'm sure I came across a suggestion once to record how many "wears" we get out of our clothes to understand their value too. 

Right now though I am weirded out by how similar our shopping lists are, apart from the fish. I've tried getting my OH to have more fish but nope :P 

And as I continue reading I'm weirded out by that we're both going to Paris this year (probably my last holiday for 5 years :P ) 

Bluegreen143

Haha, weird coincidences Kay! Enjoy Paris!

The last couple of days we’ve had a few highs and lows.

Highs:

- Red got paid £2,500, his highest ever pay packet. He’s transferred £2,000 to the joint account as his monthly contribution and then an extra £65 to cover money he borrowed from the joint account during the long January wait to get paid.

- I went for a short lunchtime walk at the derelict golf course behind our house on Monday. You can climb over the short fence on our street so it’s literally 30 seconds away but I’ve forgotten about it for ages (we used to go there for walks in the pandemic). It felt wonderful to blow away the cobwebs with some fresh air - I must try to do that more often at lunchtime.

- Yesterday I took the kids for an adventure there after school. It was a beautiful day and we watched the sunset. The kids played for ages in the old sandy bits and I enjoyed a view across the city to the hills. 

- I’ve finished my big project I’ve been working on time, and my boss is happy with my work. Yay!

- my new passport and 2024 photo book just arrived!

Lows:

- The mystery intermittent fever plaguing the children continues, and Bambi has been off nursery today and yesterday. She’s too ill to go to nursery, but too well to be happy lying on the sofa all day, and is consequently grumpy and being a bit of a pest. Monkey was also extremely stroppy this morning about having to go to school himself.

- I now have to tackle the gazillions of things I’ve been putting off at work to focus on my big project, gah…

- it’s very stormy weather, so no chance of getting out today even if I didn’t have a sick child at home.

- We’ve fallen behind on laundry and general housekeeping again, which always impacts my mood.

Still, more wins than lows when you list them out, which is good!

I’ve budgeted our Red’s pay in YNAB and the emergency fund is now up at £766, which is a good start towards rebuilding it. I’d like to get it to £2k before I focus on anything else. Though I will be setting Red up with a LISA this week, as he’s rapidly approaching the deadline when he turns 40.

Dinner last night was chicken pasta, and I’m planned to make HM fish fingers tonight.

Baileys_Babe

Sorry illness is still plaguing the children. My youngest is often in a foul mood in the days leading up to being unwell, I hope this is not the case with Monkey.

Pleased to hear the highs outweighed the lows.

When you and Red have finished work tonight would it be possible for you both to have a 30 minute mad push to do as much of the outstanding housework as possible?

beanielou

Even 15 minutes each would help.

kaycastle

I hope the plagues are banished soon! I have no words of advice for housework as I struggle with it constantly too. 

Those are some lovely highs too, well done!

Bluegreen143

Thanks all. Tbh it really wasn’t that bad because we don’t have much clutter downstairs and have good daily routines, so when I came to tackle it I realise skipping a day is fine and it didn’t take too long to straighten up. 

The laundry (my nemesis) is another matter but Red has agreed to tackle a couple of loads today. The playroom upstairs is trashed but I can live with that for now. At least their actual bedroom is easy to tidy as it’s TINY - just a box room with a bunk bed and a chest of drawers. Toys which migrate in can get flung quickly in the playroom which is next door. 

Now Bambi is well but Monkey is ill! But as I have a work away/strategy day, Red has taken the day off so it doesn’t impact me. I was feeling feverish yesterday too, but feel better today.

Spends yesterday - Red spent about £20 on unnecessary groceries while failing to buy milk, bread or fruit 😂 I ordered two kids’ birthday gifts for my friends’ kids (my kids are going to the parties), spending £40 in total. Monkey has two other parties this month for kids in his class but will spend £10-15 on each of those.

missymoo81

So happy you’re back posting, love reading your diary.

Bluegreen143

I’ve subscribed to your new diary Missy ☺️

Nothing much to report here. Had a fairly nice, and not overly expensive weekend:

Thurs - spent £12 on taxi home from work night out. Didn’t have to pay for any food or drink though, so that was the entire cost! 

Fri - no spends from me. Red went to Lidl - need to check what he spent, think he mainly bought wine as a housewarming gift for our friends. Hosted a playdate after school, but obviously that was free beyond providing some fruit. 

Sat - went out for a really beautiful walk as a family somewhere new (free) and then spent £22 on taxis to and from an afternoon housewarming party (we both wanted a drink). Red also went shopping to get milk and bread as he’d not got that the day before. Again, will check the amount.

Sun - took the kids swimming, cost £12. Otherwise a fairly lazy day at home - Red’s friend came over for a couple of hours, which was nice. 

I’m on alert for jury service as of today, but only need to attend court if I get picked. Please keep everything crossed for me that I don’t, as it will be a childcare nightmare if I do, I’ll need to ask friends to do pick up for me for several days potentially which is imposing a bit. I considered applying for excusal or childcare but I get summoned religiously every six months (have done for about 5 years), usually they summon me when I’m on holiday so I’ve been excused every time but I was feeling guilty for always being excused and thought I’d just see what happens this time. At least if I get picked I’ll get five years off!

beanielou

Positive vibes.

themadvix

That’s not the case in England - only two years off here, but good for you if it’s different in Scotland! (I know, my two years was only just up when I was called a second time!)

 If you get called (appreciate why you don’t want to be) I hope it’s interesting - and make sure you have some caffeine at lunch time - trying to stay awake in the afternoon was so  difficult!