So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

themadvix

QueenJess said:

Wow, what thorough plans! You’re making me feel quite inadequate with my general “spend less, save more and see what happens” philosophy 😂

Sounds brilliant though and will be rooting for that mortgage balance to keep clicking down. As you say, the increase in interest rates is definitely an incentive and you are getting so close now.

Ha! I feel very vague in my plans really - as always, as it depends on my income, which is very variable. But it's the same principle as yours really!

themadvix

Afternoon all,

@savingholmes, thank you - it is really exciting to be so close now.

A bit of spending yesterday evening and today, but on essentials - toothpaste and knickers! Both online as I have specific (eco-friendly) tastes for both (Boody for underwear - totally recommend; pricey, but they are so comfy and last really well). Also got sale prices for both and cashback too.

Today is Niece's birthday so we've just got back from lunch at Sis's. I made her a card and present will be a day out later in the year - I already know where and it'll be a cheaper excursion than last year as we'll take a picnic (and go by car, not train). Collected some baby plum tomatoes, baby spinach and a basil plant from Olioers earlier (I skipped last night's collection because of my cold, which was definitely the right thing to do). Also paid in cat sitting cheque, so hopefully that will clear asap so I can claim all the expenses for my CC bill.

Mr MV walked to Currys earlier to pick up an SD card - managed to get it at the Amazon price-matched price, so saved £2. Also picked up some free bananas from M&S with his sparks card.

Have just put some chickpeas in the IP so we can have sweet potato and chickpea curry for dinner - the potatoes are needing to be used up (as I recall they were meant to be a butternut squash in my veg box). A proper, veggie homecooked meal is definitely needed. Also shopped from home as I found some brown rice and green lentils next to the chickpea stash upstairs (ends of paper bags where I'd bought too much for the containers when I stocked up for the last time at 'my' zero-waste shop), so I've topped those containers up.

Feeling like a fairly MSE day!

Gratitudes:
* Niece was enjoying her birthday - she's 6 now - can't believe how fast she's growing up!
* Tomorrow is last day of cat sitting for me for a fortnight. It's been a long fortnight since I took over and I'm ready for a break.
* Sunshine - good for the soul and the solar panels!

Have a good evening all!

themadvix

Day out decided for tomorrow - a trip to the east coast (yes, we’ve seen the weather forecast!); holiday booked for end of June - camping in Yorkshire. Bargain and still looks like a lovely campsite.

We will be having a cafe breakfast tomorrow but snacks are out ready to take with us. 

Dinner was average, but another two portions in the fridge for another day - maybe with some garlic flatbread to tart it up!

Karmacat

Have a great day!  I absolutely love seeing the coast in stormy weather, I hope you find a way to take some pictures.

Jessy103

Hope you have a lovely time at the seaside! 🙂

themadvix

Thanks Karma, it was windy, wet and very muddy, but we had a nice day. The cafe was closed when we got there ready for our breakfasts which was hugely disappointing as it was the main reason we’d gone to that particular place as we’d enjoyed breakfast there so much last time (just closed for the day due to staff shortages, so couldn’t do anything about that). We were starving by that point so grabbed a couple of pastries from Tesco (paying for them seemed an outrage!) and then went for a walk. Lunched in the pub afterwards and I had a really delicious vegan beetroot wellington. Mr MV paid - probably more than breakfast would have been, but we were in need by this point! 

Stopped at the Gridserve EV services in Braintree and really liked them - very easy charging experience (contactless) and a nice place to sit with a drink in the warm while our (very slow to charge) car charged (not the case for most - they have chargers that can deliver 350kW!). We’re getting one of these services near us next year which is great (not for us, it’s still much cheaper to charge at home).

I had a bowl of porridge for dinner but Mr MV didn’t need anything after lunch, although some of that is due to pain I think as he’s had back problems all day (at one point I thought we might be eating breakfast and going back home again).

themadvix

Afternoon all,

What a soggy, miserable day today! I was hoping to get to the allotment (I've not been since it was covered in snow), but unless it stops raining, there's no chance. Could do with some eggs too, but we can live without them while it's raining.

Staying in tonight, so that's a spend saved, and will eat some of the stuff I bought for Boxing Day that's in the freezer. BIL and wife might join us, but that won't change our plans.

Mr MV has been looking at randomly taking me away next weekend for my birthday - it's still a possibility. The flights are disgustingly cheap and we have a free night from Hotels.com, so it would be cheap. His budget is not stripped to the bare essentials to make the planned OPs this year, so there is room for some fun still, albeit on the cheap.

MS things:
* S&S transmitted
* Professional profile updated on a website I use for work
* Will use bacon up/cook bacon off for Mr MV's lunch that is in the fridge
* Freezer food/leftovers for meals
* Done some ebay relisting and sorting and Olio decluttering

Gratitudes:
* A nice day out yesterday, despite the cafe being closed
* No need to go anywhere today

themadvix

Just after posting that we were offered the chance to go for a fancy NYE dinner/dance and hotel stay (at the very least at a reduced cost, as people were ill, if they'd take any money for it). Unfortunately Mr MV's back didn't fancy a five course sit down dinner though, so we're sticking with Plan A (although still none the wise as to whether we'll have company - standard).

I've just paid myself and updated my accounts, paid the bills accounts and the CC bills. Pleased to have more money to spare than expected given that it was an expensive month. I don't seem to have spent very much on Christmas presents?! There were a lot of fiddly expenses payments to make for mileage for cat sitting, so it took a while to get it all sorted. But I'm glad it's done.

There's certainly some pot tidying to be done, which is a good thing - more money can be popped into savings for the mortgage from that. Mr MV and I have a hot date tomorrow morning to OP the year's allowance - he sent me a calendar invite and everything! I'll save the rest of the money stuff until Tuesday though - paying off the CCs was my main concern as I seemed to have higer balances on them than I would have liked.... but this didn't factor in the credit balance I started with on one due to the replacement laptop being purchased on a different one to the one the refund went on - duh! So actually not as bad or as much cause for stress as expected!

I have also repaired a tear in our duvet cover. It's not pretty at all, but it'll do for now. I'm loathe to buy a new cover before we change to a king-sized bed (while I'm hoping this can wait, for health reasons it may have to come sooner). I might keep an eye out in the charity shops in the meantime, but I would like a 100% cotton one rather than polycotton so it doesn't shed microfibres in the wash.

newgirly

Happy new year Vix, you have done so well and your balance is so low now, not far left to go! 😊

themadvix

Happy New Year all! I hope 2023 is all you could wish for!