Pay off mortgage and start having even more fun 😁

newgirly

Thanks guys, wow Jellytots that’s fantastic and yes another good reason to move up there 😆

We got home Monday, we had a rough last few days with no hot water in the cabin (many others on our side and deck too)I was told many times “we put you on a list for maintenance to look at it” like it was a dodgy tv or something, I asked if we could shower elsewhere and was told there was nowhere, after insisting at reception they let use the spa shower (communal in swimsuits) then the final night we had scalding hot water and no cold- so we could even wash hands or brush teeth, again I had to insist of cans of water being sent to the cabin. I’ve emailed and it’s apparently being looked into. 

Other than that it was really spectacular seeing the lights as was the husky trip 🥶

Back home now and I’ve been seeing mum and best friend while slowly wading through the washing , not easy to dry with just one heated airer. I put the tree up the day we got back, dil had put up everything else including a string of lights outside which was nice 😁 

Regarding the clothing challenge, I have bought clothes the early part of this week, a pack of bras, knickers, black and navy leggings and a few summer tops in pink and lilac (my colour palette is “summer cool” apparently , read that while bored 😆 ) in the sale in primarni for £1 each, as well as some invisible trainer socks. The plan now being that I don’t buy anything for a year at all 😬 I thought if I gave myself exceptions I will start buying those things more, so I bought what I might actually need this year now. 

The one exception is if I actually REALLY need something ie. smaller jeans as I want to lose a stone (and sold and donated old stuff) then I have to sell some clothes I already own and buy second hand, I might not include postage costs as this might get difficult! Anyway I hope that I won’t need to buy anything at all now and Dec 1st I feel is a great time to start! 

Back later with the dreaded financial update, it’s going to get trickier as dh’s tax code has changed so his pay has gone down a bit, plus after looking last night at the spreadsheet it went a bit funny again - not the first time I’ve had problems, I’ve opened another version of it and the figures are different, no idea why and will take a proper look later as it leave us owing about £900 at the end of June 2023 😱 

themadvix

Good luck with the challenge!! I will be cheering you on!

 Hope you get the spreadsheet sorted. If the figures aren’t the better option, you could always set yourself a challenge to earn £900 this year? You could make £350 easily with prolific surveys - and I bet you could find other inventive ways to make money.

newgirly

Thanks Vix, I’m hoping I can do it! 

Well I’ve no idea what has been going in with the spreadsheet ( I’m basically computer illiterate 😆) it’s a very old one that Cath sent me a copy of a few years back and i have different versions, some add on the normal payment some don’t, it’s all confusing! I’ve probably done something to them, anyway the end result is there is a shortfall and along with dhs wage dropping to to a tax code change (which I also don’t understand but his wages may be more complicated due to the business) we are short, just over £50pm for the rest of the challenge 😩 so I’m reducing the budget to £500pm and I’ve topped up the rest of the shortfall with the money in my clothes pot I no longer need, as well as a bit of personal spending money from my pot. 

I need to flip back to to the start of the October three month challenge and see what my planned ops were to check if I’m in track, also time to do the update 🙂

newgirly

💙💙💙💙💙MONTH 14 OF THE 33 MONTH CHALLENGE 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

Start balance October 2022: £61,452.11

Balance at 1st Dec 2023: £39,887.09 

Total reduction since month one : £21,565.02

Total reduction for November 2023: £1607.39

Plus the second of three payments made to the April cruise balance savings pot of £392 made. 

Another month just about scrapped by with! Still hanging in there and no overspending done of the cruise, in fact dh covered the drinks bill (we also prepaid a fizzy drinks package) and he barely drank, so that helped, plus all I bought was some chocolate from a Norwegian supermarket for all the kids/partners and a Xmas bauble with trolls on it 😬 all from my personal spending pot and was only about £25 all in anyway. 

Today dh is working and I’m popping to catch up with dd and watch xmas classics while she puts her tree up (vicar of dibley, royal family, bottom, peep show usually 😆) this morning I’m going to start thinking about what I’d like to achieve next year both financially and otherwise. 

newgirly

Great weekend watching dr who with Dd at her place, I’m gutted I’m out for a Xmas meal next Saturday with the girls I rarely see so can’t watch the next episode with her 😩 I am nearly on top of the holiday washing now and managed to get some work done for dh yesterday. 

Popping to the new M&S megastore that’s just opened in our local shopping centre, I can collect my Colin the caterpillar pieces won on my daily advent - woohoo! I’d already bought some as a stocking filler and they were £5 🙂 

Still scraping by without a big shop, in fact I might swerve the “big shop” for as much of December as I can and do lots of smaller ones if possible, will get a few bits today though as we need cleaning bits etc. got thought the weekend by making bread so I didn’t have to go out. 

Off out early now to the shops so I can get back before it gets too busy! 

try_harder

You did so well saving over £1600 in November ,amazing

South_coast

That's because she was away and couldn't go shopping 😘

newgirly

South_coast said:

That's because she was away and couldn't go shopping 😘

😂 that is quite true! 

Well after saying I wouldn’t do a big shop, I did a big shop in Lidl today at just under £100, and there’s not even much for dinners, it was all annoying things we needed as I’ve not been for ages, like coffee, bin bags, sauces etc. 

Dad has had a funny turn today, he had one years ago but has been taken to hospital where they are doing tests, I’ve tried to go over but mum said there’s not room and they have chucked out excess relatives which is fair enough I guess, dh will pick them up (hopefully) later on. I’m not feeling great today with a tummy ache, hopefully it will clear by tomorrow as I’m supposed to be going for a Xmas day out at the theatre. 

CathT

I hope everything is okay with your dad. 

newgirly

Thanks Cath, the test were all clear and he’s back home now 🙂 I feel like there’s a good chance it could be stress, he is very busy with work right now and just won’t wind down. 

Off to see Backstairs Billy at the theatre today, only £30 for good stall seats on offer last week, plus a curry before - slightly more worried about this having still got slight tummy ache, will see how it goes as they won’t mind changing.