We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum... Read More »
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
Simple living in the country - back to basics
Comments
-
Just caught up on your post-Christmas diary post Cheery.I need to stop fresh starting my budget during mid year because I’d love to get proper yearly spending averages like you have.Hope you both feel better ASAP! And good luck for your 2023 spending goals.Part time working mum | Married in 2014 | DS born 2015 & DD born 2018
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6542225/stopping-the-backsliding-a-family-of-four-no-longer-living-beyond-their-means/p1?new=1
Consumer debt free!
Mortgage: -£128,033
Savings: £6,050
- Emergency fund £1,515
- New kitchen £556
- December £420
- Holiday £3,427
- Bills £132
Total joint pension savings: £55,4254 -
Yes! If cornflakes are your invalid food then they are officially ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES! And buy some extra milk 😉
KKAs at 15.07.25:
- When bought house £315,995 mortgage debt and end date at start = October 2039 - now £233,521
- OPs to mortgage = £11,816 Interest saved £5,28 to date
Fixed rate 3.85% ends January 2030
Read 41 books of target 52 in 2025, as @ 9th August
Produce tracker: £276 of £300 in 2025
Watch your thoughts, they become your words.
Watch your words, they become your actions.Watch your actions, they become your reality.3 -
Thank you both! And yes bluegreen, yearly averages are fantastic!
Pleased to report I only have 6.5 episodes of Call the Midwife left 😮😂😂 Including the new one. Might get through those today at the rate I'm going. Nowt else to do round here 🙄
Retrieved the curry - it's a bit 'sharp' and needed a good dollop of yogurt to be palatable. It'll be better for a bit if a mellow I think, and I might stir in some pease pudding and a bit if tahini. Mushrooms aren't dehydrated yet, so I've put them on for a bit longer.
I've also retrieved a rag rug my sister started making about 20 years ago and that I've been planning to finish for about 15 years 😂 It's plaited, not pegged, which is good because it'll make less mess, but it does mean I'll have to dig through my fabric stash to see what I can finish it off with, which isn't an easy task at the minute. I might make a start on knitting some socks instead - everything for those is easily accessible so there's less messing...8 -
Be better soon xxI am a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on Mortgage Free Wannabe & Local Money Saving Scotland & Disability Money Matters. If you need any help on those boards, do let me know.Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any post you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button , or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own & not the official line of Money Saving Expert.
Lou~ Debt free Wanabe No 55 DF 03/14.**Credit card debt free 30/06/10~** MFW. Finally mortgage free O2/ 2021****
"A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of" Jane Austen in Mansfield Park.
***Fall down seven times,stand up eight*** ~~Japanese proverb. ***Keep plodding*** Out of debt, out of danger. ***Be the difference.***
One debt remaining. Home improvement loan.2 -
HNY Cheery - and may you be less lurgified soon!
completely inspired by all your budget wrangling - with a new mortgage on our horizon it feels a bit illogical for me to do too much on ours at this stage only to have to revisit it all (hopefully) soon after but I think I will still do our annual new year check over everything, and make a start on thinking where we might end up with mortgage -v- savings.🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her5 -
How are you feeling today, Cheery?
KKAs at 15.07.25:
- When bought house £315,995 mortgage debt and end date at start = October 2039 - now £233,521
- OPs to mortgage = £11,816 Interest saved £5,28 to date
Fixed rate 3.85% ends January 2030
Read 41 books of target 52 in 2025, as @ 9th August
Produce tracker: £276 of £300 in 2025
Watch your thoughts, they become your words.
Watch your words, they become your actions.Watch your actions, they become your reality.3 -
Happy New Year Cheery, hoping 2023 is everything you wish for.Fashion on a ration 2025 0/66 coupons spent
79.5 coupons rolled over 4/75.5 coupons spent - using for secondhand purchases
One income, home educating family2 -
Happy new yearGoals for FebruaryDeclutter 2/50Money Made £0/£200Overpayments £0/£2002
-
Happy New Year Cheeries, I hope you are both feeling better today!Mortgage free 16/06/2023! £132,500 cleared in 11 years, 3 months and 7 days
'Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is.' Ernest Hemingway2 -
Thank you all!
Still lurgified today, although I hope it's lifting slightly, and I've got what I suspect is a Call the Midwife induced headacheI watched the Christmas day episode in bed, and Mr Cheery came up in the middle at midnight to wave 'happy new year' from the door of the bedroom
Not exactly an exciting new year, so let's hope 2023 improves considerably from here!
Lots of rain this morning, which is fine as I don't intend to leave the house. I've had breakfast and written a blog post, and I don't really have any plans for the rest of the day. I've had a missed call from my mum, so I should probably ring her back, and I should probably also ring my dad as well.
Lots of resting today though. I'm planning to visit family tomorrow, so I need to get presents into the right present bags and make some labels (nothing fancy, I just need a name to go with each bag, even if it's just an index card with a hole punched in it!) Shouldn't take too long, but it's the main important job of the day.
I'm trying to get at least one meal into the freezer each day I'm off from now - I've already added 3 x pasta bake and 3 x curry this week so that feels like progress. Might try a bit of lentil soup today.
Might also do a bit of washing - I think there's just a duvet cover and a few bits, so that'll see the end of the washing basket, always a cheerful time!
Let's see how the day unfolds - I think another cup of tea first...6
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

Categories
- All Categories
- 351.2K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.2K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 453.7K Spending & Discounts
- 244.2K Work, Benefits & Business
- 599.3K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 177.1K Life & Family
- 257.7K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.2K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.6K Read-Only Boards