Here's to living, loving and laughing more ❤️

Kittencat

We have come a long way over the past 5 yrs.

We bought a property that needed renovating.  5 years later we have paid all the loans off and the only debt is our mortgage.  What an achievement but we did suffer. We hardly went to nice places although we love the countryside and days out would be on our bikes or walking, we had a nice house but shabby furniture, no nice pictures on walls etc as we had no money. 

It is now a different story.   All loans are paid off and Husband had a nice juicy payrise last year.  We are now £1000 better off each month (whoo!) We were paying £700 a month on loans!!!  

We are not getting any younger and need to bring the mortgage down.

We are a family if 3. Our child is in primary school. 
Mortgage is £52,300 left. House valued at £325,000. So lots of equity but we are reaching that time in life where we want rid of mortgage.  The last 3 months we have overpaid the morgage by £200 each month.  We also may put a little extra into our pensions.

Even though we have found it hard paying the loans off so quickly we still managed to have a summer holiday every year in this country and also the odd theatre trip etc. Living is very important but we enjoy countryside days out/family bike trips etc. The free stuff are always the best.

We have had a few months of buying sheds, furniture, pictures, garden plants, house plants etc so house is getting there.  We seem to have enjoyed eating out and cafes a little to much so need to cut that down. 

We have paid for our abroad summer holiday already (we haven't been abroad since having little one who's 10 and haven't really missed it since covid hit but now I think we deserve one!) It was expensive as its school summer hols but daughter hates missing school so we promised her last yr that we won't take her out of school again which does mean more expensive hols.    

As well as living well we want to pay as much as we can to the mortgage. Which is why I have started this diary so I can write it all down. I find this helps.  

This is a little longer than I though my 1st post would be so will continue in the next post. 

Kittencat

Plan

I have an allotment plot that hasn't been very productive the last few years. Last year was better as we spent more time there during lockdown.  I plan to sort the plot out and plant more. 

To take packed lunches on our family days out as we are spending more in cafes lately.  We thought if we did this then we can put that money into a monthly trip to Theme park, theatre night outs, etc and eat in nice places. 

I can't cook, I'm really hopeless, food normally consists of something in oven from freezer. I do make spag bol, cottage pie from scratch but that's about it.  I often make a salad and take that to work or pasta.  I need to be more inventive with the meals we have.  

We also need to look at food shopping, we seem to have too many trips to supermarkets these days. I need to meal plan I think. 

There are a lot more plans but this will do for now. 

Xx

Kittencat

Trying to meal plan.  Why is this SO hard. There is only 3 of us. Little one is fussy though.  She loves a chicken dinner on Sunday but then it's only jacket pots, nuggets and fish cakes the rest of the time. I need more ideas and the more I google the more I get frustrated. 

smetf

I hear you with the meal planning, I find it quite a chore but definitely saves money! I tend to have a few meals that everyone eats on rotation, and then try and cook something different once a week. I cook quite a bit from scratch but mix it up with freezer meals for busy nights, freeze leftovers for lunches etc.

I do find I get into cooking ruts every now and then though, not helped by fussy teenagers. Spaghetti carbonara tonight on my son's request, youngest will have a spaghetti with tomato sauce (already made) as she's not a fan.

savingholmes

Good luck on your journey

Kittencat

Hi Smetf/Savingholmes thank you for your kind words.

Last few days have been fine. 
Only normal spending. 
I did a rough meal plan and went shopping with list which helped massively.  Going to try and keep this up.

We have £900 in savings which we hope to not dip into. Paydays 1st of month. 

We have a theatre trip booked for Thursday and meal out also DD bday next week so need to buy presents and trip to an Escapre room. We really need to calm down after this. 

Small win though - went to library with DD and got myself a book. Happy by Fearne Cotton. Any good? 

Kittencat

Morning 🌞 🌄 
Looks like nice day today.

Bit of a stress lately in work.  Love my job but can't cope with stress these days. 

Plan today is school run then work from home for a few hours before I'm out and about on work calls. Day away from office and not going to even think about issues going on in work.  Positive thinking please.

After school/work I'm planning a quick trip to allotment and then nature walk around village with DD. I don't need to spend anything today.....hopefully.

Here's to having a lovely stressfree day to you all.

Kittencat

Well what a busy couple of days. 

Theatre trip was lovely. Had food at home before we went. Bought snacks from local supermarket. I did have a G&T x 2 which was very nice and refreshing. Headache all today though (I don't drink). DDs b/day next week so money will be spent from the emergency savings. Looking at around £500 for presents, escape rooms, food out. I always go overboard when it comes to DD which annoys DH. I think I feel I need to over compensate as she's an only child. She is a good kid and very bright. Going to try my best and not overspend.

Feel tired right now. Want to just stare at the wall. 

Kittencat

I'm sitting here in the garden. Sun is shining its really glorious.  I have a notebook ready to plan my days as I feel I need routine................I have sat here for the last half hour and I have a title = My daily plan.   That's it!!!!!!  I have no plan. I have no idea how to organise my life. I have lived with no structure as such for so long, my house is all over the place. It look very neat and tidy but if you ask me where something is I have no idea😔.   I am lazy, I will come home from work straight to school run, cook food (which is always rushed as I don't plan) then I will walk or read or look at phone. So I have enough time to be organised. 

How do I do this guys?    Shall I start with having blocked time for cleaning etc. Why am I making this so complicated. 

South_coast

I think you need to start by listing out what you want to achieve and the steps you need to take to get you there (however small and laughable they may feel when you write them down). Then I'd think about the time you realistically have available and how long you think each thing will take and slot it together from there 👍

Kittencat

South Coast thank you.  I have started to do things in 10 min slots. My house isn't messy it just isn't organised at all. 10 min slots are working so far. 
DDs birthday tomorrow and I have been good and not overspent. She tends to have money from family members so I have asked them for vouchers for places like game as I know she wants a new game for her switch.  
Husband and I sat down the other day to go through our finances the other day as its just disappearing and we have no idea where. Thinking it's the price raise of everything. 
We must do better!!