Future Proofing my life: Deposit saving then MFW journey in under 13 years

KajiKita

@LadyWithAPlan, I actually quite like the colours they throw at each other in the festival of colour as they are what I call ‘clear’ - I have never managed to explain this to anyone, but I shall try …. To me colours are on a spectrum between clear and muddy. The muddy colours are dull and leave me flat, the clear colours are energising and cheering. Things like white or black are neutral. The bag was made in what I would call muddy colours. Does that make any sense at all? 😉

KK

LadyWithAPlan

KajiKita said:

@LadyWithAPlan, I actually quite like the colours they throw at each other in the festival of colour as they are what I call ‘clear’ - I have never managed to explain this to anyone, but I shall try …. To me colours are on a spectrum between clear and muddy. The muddy colours are dull and leave me flat, the clear colours are energising and cheering. Things like white or black are neutral. The bag was made in what I would call muddy colours. Does that make any sense at all? 😉

KK

How fascinating;) Never thought of colour like that but yes it makes sense 
I am more of an colour mix fanatic - I like red with orange, bluey reds make me sad, too dark I think. I love light streaming in my life so v dark stuff doesn’t work for me. So bright blues, greens, purples, reds .. gold colours and I do love me some leopardskin. 

I never wear black - my neutrals are brown cream and  blue - I don’t care about looking slim (like my curves as long as in a healthy toned range) but black washes me out, depresses me and  it just deadens me 

savingholmes

I'm a fan of bright colours too

Watty1

Love the discussions about colours. Many years ago I had "my colours done" which was a fascinating process.  I sat in front of a mirror without make up and with lots of natural light and was draped in sheets of various colours.  Then I was given a swatch book of the colours that worked for me.

I used it until I got a stylist to help me with some work outfits and she agreed the colour range was perfect for me and I've stuck with using it.  They are not really colours I'm drawn to but I've found when I wear the shades suggested i look so much better.

LadyWithAPlan

@Watty1  what were the colours?? That sounds fun.

GYM! WOOHOO! I went this morning
Exercise Streak 2
(Jan 1st 30m + 44 min walk)
Jan 2nd legs in gym 

I put on 4.85lbs in 3 weeks over Xmas .. it could be worse  given my excess chocs, sweets, alcohol and large portions of food and relatively little exercise. so that's first focus by daily moving and eating well. I am off the GF sweets/cakes/biscuits but will try my  new breadmaker - I will bake a loaf and freeze 80% as GF does not keep well - not planning a strict diet or some keto anything - just great food in reasonable quantities 

FRUGAL JAN
Given my voluntary spending has been so high this last quarter  £4,821.67!!!  I think the absence of Xmas parties, gifts and holidays will help anyway plus largely dry Jan. I am looking 
Food may go up as I am focusing on healthy fruit, veg and proteins over my junk
Voluntary (so non essential) Dec spending £1275   + £1921.29 Nov   + Oct  £1625.38
(I didnt carefully track Sept so) 

Grocery shopping  £44.68/£175  +  £1.99/bulk of £50   + £23.98 this evening HellFresh (in a diff category as its 'fun spending'
Popped to Mr L after the gym this morning to get kale - £19.93 spent £17.94 grocery and £1.99 coconut oil/bulk
I did get a 6 pack of YS pork chops that the machine miscalculated so they gave me an extra discount so £2.39 instead of £5.99 - these have been portioned into 2's and frozen.
Also bought walnuts, lots of green veg,  there was 15% off red onions, cucumber,   plus lemons, sweet potatoes etc, guac and houmous.

HELLFresh - its my last order until I can access my credit - when they gave it me they did not tell me I could not use it til I had used all my discount £10- vouchers up)
Really I should take the £23.98 off my grocery spending for the month as it is food ... I will take £20 from my £175 grocery and assign elsewhere
Yes I know HellFresh is not frugal but its a way in spending  £24  to access £35 of my credits so ... then I am cancelling. Maybe 1 in 3 meals has been great and even with £10 discount its not cheap.

Brunch today was defrosted aberdeen angus burgers, with small portion of the mac and cheese, sweet potato thing and fried mushrooms, fried celery, with large portion of fried (same coconut oil) kale and Spinach.
Freezer is now packed after the Co*p YS shop yesterday.

Targets this week -
finalise tax returns
June side hustle bits needed...
Finalise a work project

PennysIntoPounds

Congrats on all your achievements 🥂
Are you still looking in the same areas to move to or expanding your scope? What deposit do you want to get to before you put an offer in? It's going to take so long before we're in a position to move, I need to move vicariously through you 😂

FlacosFloozie

Well done on your progress and impressive with the gym streak!

I'm another one who had my colours done. I'm  summer so suit cool tones. light colours that have a slight grey tint. I do look much healthier when wearing my best colours but they don't always lend themselves to being taken seriously.

If you google colour analysis you'll find plenty of info.

South_coast

I would never have thought of frying celery 🤔

Watty1

the colours were a really broad spectrum. It was more about shades within colours and yes, it was really fun and interestingly the colours all go together (even if I put the really bright pink with the muted green). Helps me buy wiser when I use them I think.

LadyWithAPlan

South_coast said:

I would never have thought of frying celery 🤔

You haven’t lived !  

Cucumber is also good to fry gently as is lettuce with a splash of soy sauce especially iceberg 
  
@watty sounds great they all match 

FlacosFloozie said:

Well done on your progress and impressive with the gym streak!

I'm another one who had my colours done. I'm  summer so suit cool tones. light colours that have a slight grey tint. I do look much healthier when wearing my best colours but they don't always lend themselves to being taken seriously.

If you google colour analysis you'll find plenty of info.

Sometimes colour needs to be very tailored (or expensive fabrics) before it can be taken very serious - I have some powder blue pressed long trousers that scream serious and in charge 

PennysIntoPounds said:

Congrats on all your achievements 🥂
Are you still looking in the same areas to move to or expanding your scope? What deposit do you want to get to before you put an offer in? It's going to take so long before we're in a position to move, I need to move vicariously through you 😂

Happy for you to dream away with me 
I am thinking about £130k deposit - goal - max home price £450k ideally to grab the help to buy isa bonus as will have saved 12k the max in 2 months over 4 plus years so will then get the £3k govt bonus - do you have a Lissa? 

It’s amazing that £200 pm is now nearly £12k 

I want to hit 70% LTV for better rates as well but then the pull of the SIPP tax savings as well . 

I am waiting still large unpaid invoices so that’s kinda holding me back plus not sure what work looks like contract wise ..my new side hustle may help a lot if I can get it up and running - 
thinking north (Finchley or  maybe Crouch End) or east london (Whitechapel outwards ) as I want a small outdoor space 

Do you have any suggestions on areas?