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

savingholmes

I love that programme.

Well done on helping out a friend - amused you did theirs before your own! Good luck with sorting yours.

LadyWithAPlan

gym/swim yesterday 
Feeling very pleased with myself as went to gym and did 20 min legs then 30 min swim - this is definitely self love as  I so enjoy swimming its a mental refresh for me and i am not sure why I dont go daily 
- apart the bed too late so up too late and then dont to the gym first thing .. and I never want to go when its dark
So I need to get myself to bed at a reasonable hour ...

I am waiting for my giant monthly wall calendar to arrive  so I can track various things and also be able to see at a glance how I am doing - when I track MG its more fun but I have been quite on/off this month 
I am planning to track the streaks of 
Minimalism game, gym/swim trips, NSD's and also when I drink alcohol
Currently had no sweets/haribos this year go me - so I can streak that too.
Crisps I have had 3 times this month so not terrible..

Food 
Post gym was a quick snack of  mackerel and shop bought GF falafel balls with guac  and sun dried tomatoes..

Currently having a go at making my first falafel balls - upon googling as I only have canned ones after draining and rinsing I just halogen oven them first in cumin seed, oil,  herbs and pepper. I think they went too crunchy - then I have blended with garlic onion, 2 eggs, flaxseed, some GF oats, loads herbs, fresh coriander, some seeds  and a bit of oil - i have popped  in the fridge for the dough to stick .. then fry them ...

They were pretty good - but not amazing ... but I guess cheaper than shop bought  - probably by 50% as used a can chickpeas and were def GF .. I will try  but some chickpeas not in cans as apparently that is better 
Served with kale, broccoli and last of mange tout plus some cashew cream with garlic and lime  plus guac 
Snacks inc raisins which is not great.


NSD 14/13  Sunday - OH YES BABY!
Had to dash home after gym to chant online so no time for Lid - but I have so much in food wise. 

HELL FRESH  
I have £34.99 credit I have been saving so i have now allocated that for the week   4 x 2 meals  - its £4.99 always delivery (credit wont cover it) so if I have 3 meals I leave £5 credit on the table -  so 4 meals x 2 - net result to be spent  £10.30 to be spent this Tues for next Sunday so will reduce Feb grocery bill
This then leaves me flat and done  - I can see one cant pause but only skip  so I have paused the weeks after and once my food arrives I will cancel acct

I will try some other food sub when deals arrive but I am happy to pause for the moment - I have ordered a couple dishes I want to try and make 

TAXES
- Filed my SE, and helped two friends work out theirs. 
Yet to fully sort my Ltd Co Accts out but 95% on that

TallGirl

Well done on the gym self care much needed in this long January. Wall planner sounds like such a neat idea to track stuff I would love to do that however I think my DG would think I’d gone mad if I did lol. Thank goodness we are a similar bunch on here that can share stuff like that. 

LadyWithAPlan

@TallGirl I guess you can use a diary to do that - I need the extra  motivation of a large chart and seeing the streaks and tick it off as I go plus seeing gym swim sessions  on a big monthly basis is helpful for seeing where I am turning up or not in my life … should arrive today - am surprisingly excited 

I actually had January month named as Tracking Like A ..  .. but I only tracked YNAB .. so a bit of a fail except I have got wisdom here 

the YNAB extreme tracking and reflection is so working for me so I  know I need to add this to other areas where I am trying to improve and hit my targets 
of course YNAB tracking is built into the dashboard system  as reports so I need to see where else I can add such systems 



NSD yesterday 15/13 -
apart from a annual subscription that came out I am attempting to cancel … 

I do need fresh veg in but will eat through freezer first - busy last 2 days of Jan so unlikely to pop out to buy 
I may try to go to Iceland more than nice my local lid closes to buy frozen veg and cauli 

food today 
have 2 pork chops defrosting - I buy in packs of 8 or when YS and break down into packs of 2 
so will rustle up something - tempted to throw them in pressure cooker with loads veg - still got sweet potatoes carrots onions in and make a quick stew 
I also have most of the ingredients of a hell fresh lentil shepherds pie in so may make that up but add YS mince again (I also though have one the same frozen so maybe use use that up first ) 

Loving seeing how all of mfw knows @savingholmes is moving today - such a great sense of community! Hope it goes well SH and it makes me look forward to my purchase 
though the amount of declutter and packing I would have to do .. declutter and income and flat buying are my Feb big goals 

LadyWithAPlan

Crazy day of work yesterday - just finished 10.30pm - as 2 lots of client stuff on .... I was a bit lazy Monday - didnt bill anyone obviously - but then I did accts both Sat and Sunday so probably felt i needed time out. 
I definitely need Feb to be focused on bigger life goals - felt a bit behind the curve in Jan  and I feel I need a bigger life ... I normally travel to the States in January and didnt this year  and missing the sun and stretching my wings
Today less crazy as I was prepared ..

Ladybird on my hand
I was visited by a ladybird  indoors yesterday  - flew onto my hand - and wouldnt move off  no clue where it came in from - though I do have a lot of plants.
Apparently it is a kiss of good luck  to come if they land on you  (side hustle yes please or maybe the right home!!)
OR guardian angels looking over you Maybe all the Good Omens watching is having an effect! If Crowley wants to pop by ...
OR Google says its  a sign a romance is about to start  - that could be a fun adventure ... not entirely sure where from but I am open  finally again after the text ex disappointment of last summer.. It was  dark but couldnt see any spots on the ladybird .. which apparently means true love - you heard it here first ...
Answers on a postcard please as to what we think it might mean   

NSD 30th except the HF so cant count  and so far 31st Jan  NSD  so 16/13 for Jan
However had a work related subscription I had tried to cancel and have not managed - they saying annual sub you cant cancel - argh.. £155 with fees ... i am in dispute

Giant wall calendar arrived !! - let the tracking begin
Managed to paper cut myself opening it  - but planning to now track daily   at least ...
Minimalism Game
Gym/swim
Time to bed - as I need to go to bed earlier to get to gym 
Have an idea on few more things to track on there but want to start slow...

AGE OF MONEY 34 days  - best yet!  
However I am waiting to be paid for Jan to cover Feb  bills inc rent - however it will be fine if  not as I have various pots to cover but would rather not.
I will have enough with my HMRC SE  refund and savings  to not take  out any PB's to cover my corp tax which is always my aim and I will manage it again.  I keep my tax savings in premium bonds as they safe but could help me win

Have chased both active clients for payment today - getting on top of my invoices is Feb goal

Taxes - asked for refund of HMRC SE tax .. with what I have in PB set aside I can pay the corp tax due in 5 weeks but am hoping to just keep the PB for hse savings and use cash coming in to cover the tax .. I dont want to lose a month on PB's 


MB winning yesterday had a best ever winning on a  single casino offer  today .. 
It was a bonus offer that took a lot of wagering but still    - been down intra  month so be good to see when I add it all up at EOM on profit ... I can see though I am up again MOM. 
Had a best ever win in Nov, then upped in Dec, now Jan I think the gods of property are helping me out here on the side hustle - I always give a % to my sipp from montly MB money - rest to hse saving often 50/50 but I think as buying a home nears it will be 15-25% only into the SIPP

I have yet to add up what I made/spent in Jan. 


Grocery spent in  Jan   £139.82/£175 plus £24.49/£50 bulk plus £35.28 HFresh -  
 TARGET Feb Grocery challenge £155 + £50 bulk.
I am bringing this  £155  down from £175 as   I do want to keep costs down... and i have HF meals coming 4  x 2 on sunday
£10.30 of this HF (used final credit) is to arrive on Sun Feb 4th but enclosed in last months as its paid in Jan so 4 x 2 meals to come at the weekend
Will not be any HF in Feb 
I also was gifted 3 meals for 4 people HF by my neighbour as well in January hence me coming in so low in Jan...


Food 
Defrosted YS beef mince and made a chermoula beef dish with peppers, garlic, mushrooms and onion ... served with some of the Rice veg dish from yesterday and the last of frozen spinach  - Snacks include blueberries, an orange, seeds. 
I really liked the cashew cream I made - some was served as a spoon in coffee, some savoury and i also used as a rich double DF cream with seeds and frozen blueberries and cinnamon
I have not had any Haribo/candies this year and I feel a lot better for it.
I dont ever diet - I keep my metabolism high but I am this week trying intermittnet fasting just to stop me over snacking after 8pm.. It seems fine - start eating midday and finish by just after 8pm ... 

I may shop later today after popping out ... or wait til Feb  - I will do a YNAB round up of spends but post xmas is always easier for people

beanielou

True love for a house!

Watty1

I have a question if I my - how do you move money out of a limited company and pop it on the PB?  I'd always thought one could not do that sort of thing?

LadyWithAPlan

Watty1 said:

I have a question if I my - how do you move money out of a limited company and pop it on the PB?  I'd always thought one could not do that sort of thing?

i use my director loan acct  DLA  float as I have loads in my company there    to then transfer money into personal acct - so I pay my premium bonds from my personal acct -  if I dont have enough at the required time to pay my taxes from my company acct I then just transfer back as  via  the DLA back again. 
DLA's can go up and down  as long as long as DLA  is not overdrawn and paid back within 9 months (as then a fine) and my corp taxes are not that big especially as I do add via my SIPP thru my ltd company as well. I never go overdrawn on my dla - largely as I am on accrual accts as well

I just keep a big float eg I have in my to be filed accts a decent 22/23 dividend  declared .. which is still sat in my DLA as I have not actually taken that out yet in cash - partially as I am waiting on some invoices.

I actually got today from a neighbour a box finally the right size for the breadmaker Watty - so I will sort out Friday at the latest - between no suitable box and all this  EOY stuff it has taken forever.. Apologies for the delay

LadyWithAPlan

beanielou said:

True love for a house!

You know it!

OR possibly true love for my ongoing MB/happy wheel 
Having had 3 straight good months in a row I have just added up this months profit  £1609.44  - woohoo & as it is classified as gambling  it is tax free..
It felt like I was down this month but this final EOM profit is  largely from my biggest ever casino  win - again it is all offers and not outright gambling..

pebbles01

I've been reading through the last 5 pages or so of your diary.  It's good you are so positive about not getting the flat and have a better idea of what you want.  

Also well done on the sweets!  The wall chart sounds a fab idea.  I've got myself a budgeting book, which I actually need to start using!