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Prosperous soul embraces creativity & mortgage neutrality
Comments
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I'm not fond of crumble but batter pudding is a whole different ball game. Although the recipes if you google them now are way too sweet. My recipes are from Good Housekeeping printed about 1966, given to me as a wedding present in 1969. The pages are yellow/orange & are barely attached to the binding but it is still my go to book.
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Thanks @hugglemonster @LadyWithAPlan and @badmemory
I like the BDM acronym - perhaps BADM
I've had 2 croissants with jam today, an SW bar, and roast beef dinner. Gorgeous. Also had an apple from my tree. I picked a few plums. Need to pick a lot more or I will miss the opportunity. Potentially need to offer fruit on Oli0 so not wasted.
Freezer seems happier today - so hoping I'm going to be okay. Perhaps it was just the weather and being over full...
Cleaner is busy transforming my house! She's emptied about 4 boxes for me and found homes for the stuff - so that automatically reduces the overwhelm. She's currently in the room I use for work so I'm getting out of her way!!
DD wants me to take her to the shop later. I also need to pick up some stuff for me - batteries and the like.Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £174.8K Equity 32.77%
2) £1.6K Net savings after CCs 14/8/25
3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £25.3K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.2K) = 31.1/£127.5K target 24.4% 15/8/25
4) FI Age 60 income target £16.5/30K 55.1%
5) SIPP £4.8K updated 29/7/257 -
I have a serious cleaner envy! I suspect if I get one she'll walk in take a look around & walk back out again!
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I cleaned the kitchen cupboards out at work and put all the pantry stuff back in order, looked the other day and it was all messed up 😭3
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savingholmes said:Thanks @hugglemonster @LadyWithAPlan and @badmemory
I like the BDM acronym - perhaps BADM
I've had 2 croissants with jam today, an SW bar, and roast beef dinner. Gorgeous. Also had an apple from my tree. I picked a few plums. Need to pick a lot more or I will miss the opportunity. Potentially need to offer fruit on Oli0 so not wasted.
I have an orchard here - too many plums and apples already ripe - Horses happyDON'T BUY STUFF (from Frugalwoods)
No seriously, just don’t buy things. 99% of our success with our savings rate is attributed to the fact that we don’t buy things... You can and should take advantage of discounts.... But at the end of the day, the only way to truly save money is to not buy stuff. Money doesn’t walk out of your wallet on its own accord.
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6289577/future-proofing-my-life-deposit-saving-then-mfw-journey-in-under-13-years#latest5 -
Your cleaner sounds fab! Glad she's making a difference for you."Good financial planning is about not spending money on things that add no value to your life in order to have more money for the things that do". Eoin McGee2
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badmemory said:I have a serious cleaner envy! I suspect if I get one she'll walk in take a look around & walk back out again!WelshmansDaughter said:I cleaned the kitchen cupboards out at work and put all the pantry stuff back in order, looked the other day and it was all messed up 😭jwil said:Your cleaner sounds fab! Glad she's making a difference for you.LadyWithAPlan said:We can even take it to BDSM - budget diet saving monsters
I have an orchard here - too many plums and apples already ripe - Horses happy
I got sucked into RM at one point today. I am bored and in want to escape mode... The boredom makes me question any thoughts of reducing my hours - so I really don't know what I want. Just not quite this. Yet I have a fab home that many would dream of. On RM today though I saw what felt like the perfect house. It was detached, 4 bed, had lots of receptions. All the rooms were big. It had an external shed. Huge front gravel drive and smaller back garden. But the best bit was its location - It seemed to be at the bottom of a small hill. Stunning. Amazing views front and back.
But at best I would just be holding steady mortgage wise. At worst I've have to put to it. I could do it if DD wasn't living here but reluctant to make her homeless. I even felt guilty at the thought that if I went for it for displacing my cleaner...
I then thought of all the effort required to make this place in sale ready condition and backed further away from the idea.
I think I'm just ready for a new challenge. Need to work out what the right one for me is... Once I do - I'm sure I'll let you know. Even continuing writing my book would be a result. Or creating more art but currently feeling stuck.
Off to take DD to the shops... Need a few bits for me too.Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £174.8K Equity 32.77%
2) £1.6K Net savings after CCs 14/8/25
3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £25.3K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.2K) = 31.1/£127.5K target 24.4% 15/8/25
4) FI Age 60 income target £16.5/30K 55.1%
5) SIPP £4.8K updated 29/7/259 -
Good luck at the dentist!Mortgage OP 2025 £6250/7000Mortgage OP 2024 £7700/7000
Mortgage balance: £36,210
Money making challenge £38/400
”Do what others won’t early in life so you can do what others can’t later in life” (stolen from Gally Girl)3 -
Thanks skint_spice
I need to make myself go back to the gym. Haven't gone since I got covid at the end of June! Still paying for it though - so need to go back or stop paying!!
I spent £7.99 on for 24 AAA Dur branded batteries today. Starting to see that I need a pot for stuff like that. In theory I might be able to reclaim it from work - in practice it's in the too difficult basket.
I spent about £30.71 on food today. DD has the receipt for the Al** stuff and I have the one for the Mr A stuff.
20p bag for life - which was a waste as I had loads of bags in the car but forgot to take one in
£1.80 frozen parsnips - FF currently working again
£3.30 on Mr A branded toiletries - a saving of 70p compared to usual so happy
£1.20 on Coleslaw - cheapest version not available
£3.50 on kitchen foil 30 metres. Annoyingly 68p version not available (not sure on that one's meterage)
£4 on 2 different types of cheese
£0.22 on YS veg - however may have gone off so may be a waste. Very vinegary.
£2.29 Mackerel (3 fillets ie. 1 more than Mr M at £1.89)
£1 Tomatoes
From Al**
95p potatoes
£1.15 Mixed peppers
£2.11? Clingfilm
£5.78 1kg 5% mince beef
£2.15 6pts semi milk
£1.17 3 x passata at 39p each (better than Mr A at 49p but was 30p not long ago)
I pointed out to DD she was the main user of the foil. I use cling film a lot though. We'd run out of the latter so used foil more - which wasn't ideal... Still forgot to buy lo-salt and oxo cubes... So need to go back at some point for them. Need them to make spag bol and chilli! I avoided spending on BDMs although DD gave me one of her choc doughnuts and I still had some left (and ate toffees today). Not on SW plan yet. I have had 2 bananas today. Plus 3 plums from my tree and 2 apples from my garden. Had porridge for a late tea.
Non-food spends today were £13.80. Need to consider whether I need a category for those. Will see how the month progresses but interesting so far. Obvs spent on the cleaner too - but see her as an essential.Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £174.8K Equity 32.77%
2) £1.6K Net savings after CCs 14/8/25
3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £25.3K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.2K) = 31.1/£127.5K target 24.4% 15/8/25
4) FI Age 60 income target £16.5/30K 55.1%
5) SIPP £4.8K updated 29/7/254 -
Have you considered beeswax wraps instead of cling film? - maybe not for everything, but it could reduce the usage - and you could maybe may your own? (Frommemory beeswax pellets and jojoba oil - but lots of information online( xI am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soulRepaid mtge early (orig 11/25) 01/09 £124616 01/11 £89873 01/13 £52546 01/15 £12133 07/15 £NILNet sales 2024: £205
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