We will get this debt down & the savings up

nannygladys

Makingabobor2 - a couple of years ago I made dgc Xmas cards, the idea was I could have them back after Xmas and resend each year with a new message in and then when I'm not here anymore it will be a nice Keepsake for them. It worked with eldest DD and children but youngest dd threw hers away. Anyway this year I've cross stitched all dgc cards with the strict instructions to youngest dd I would like them back 🤣🤣 eldest DD three little ones will theirs alternated each year.it seemed like a good idea at the time, I date the messages so they will know how old they are!

Makingabobor2

What a great idea @nannygladys.

LittleMissDetermined

Hope you had a lovely Christmas! We are still eating leftovers today, and there will be more tomorrow, although I am now sick of rich and indulgent food... We have also kept a stash of gift bags to go in the loft for next year, we got some nice ones this year! 
LMD x

Elisheba

Finally managed to catch up on your diary @Makingabobor2 after falling behind when I was house hunting and moving.  So glad your wrist is slowly getting there.  I don't know where the energy bills go either - no matter what you do sometimes they just don't seem to get any smaller!

Makingabobor2

Thanks for all your comments as always. 
Just popping on to say I have made another OP to mortgage today of £80, plus it is the normal mortgage payment day as well. So just waiting to see it appear on the L!*ds app and the interest added and then I will update remaining total on my signature. Looks like it will be below £20K though, going into 2024, which was the intention. Isn't it strange how paying money can be so exciting?  Years ago I would never have even thought of overpaying. Pension day is 8th Jan, so will be making another OP then. 

Think  I've just about sorted budgets/savings pots etc for next year. I've even managed to have a small buffer pot, and if its not used, I will use it to pay towards a debt each month. I started it this month, and so far its still untouched. But I only have 25p left in housekeeping pot, so hoping I can get through the next 9 days (that's when next 4 week period starts) without needing anything else. We have plenty of bread and milk (only use almond milk, so it lasts ages), freezer is full of veg that I froze before Christmas....carrots, parsnip, swede, plus I have a bag of frozen broccoli & cauli, its not my favourite, as I'd rather have fresh, but I'd rather use it, than have to buy more fresh stuff. Which is so unlike me, as I buy so much fresh veg normally.  There's frozen fruit, but only 3 bananas left in the fruit bowl.  But....having looked in the freezer, all that is left for dinners, is salmon fish cakes; a bag of  sausages; small amount of gammon; 1 pie & a few sausage rolls. No fresh meat left in the fridge, although there is some ham. Not sure that is going to be much good to last that long. Maybe jacket potatoes with tinned tuna, and also I have eggs, which I am happy to have egg & chips one day. Although DH hates egg.  We'll see. I will try and do a really unhealthy meal plan for the next week. I really don't want to use that buffer pot unless I have to.  There are tins of soup....lol. 

Full of cold today, seem to have caught it off DGS3 when they came on boxing day. Its my only fault, DD said he had a bad cough and was it still ok to some, and like an idiot, I said yes. We opened windows, used hand gel and sanitised everything after they'd gone. But it didn't work and I'm full of it now with a right fuzzy head & aches. Not much to do about it, part from take lots of honey & vitamin C and have a day of no housework to recover. Maybe I can finish my puzzle that's been sat on the board for ages. Got a few good books to read as well. 

Off to search for some more surveys to do now. Have quite a bit sat waiting to approve in P/fc, suppose I could use that towards food and not touch buffer pot if I have to. What am I like?  LOL.....what is the point of a buffer pot, and then not wanting to use it......lol.  Normally grocery budget isn't too bad, its just Christmas that threw me a bit. Will do better next year. 

Have a good day everyone

Sun_Addict

Could you try and hold off as long as you can and only break into the buffer pot if you have to? I have a buffer of £200 in my current account but it’s only for use in an emergency - I call it my first line defence pot 😆 I hope you feel better soon by the way. 

LittleMissDetermined

Sounds like you have it all set up for the New Year, I think I've cracked my plans too (although I'm so ditzy I've probably forgotten something) so just waiting to start now. 

Does your OH eat omelette? That's what I like to do with eggs if they need using up or I want something quick and simple (and cheap!)  Sometimes when my OH is on night shift and I'm not really hungry I will just have some cereal.  Good luck with the 25p lasting though, that is quite a challenge! 

Sorry to hear you aren't well, there's a lot going about and I have also woken with a head cold today. I have raided the medicine cabinet and have the trusty cold and flu tablets on the go. Hope you are feeling better soon! 
LMD x

angela110660

So sorry to hear you have picked up an infection. I went down with some cold flu lurgy thing on Christmas Day morning. Was freezing cold,had to sleep and was then boiling hot and coughing like I was a smoker- never have been. Hubby felt rough that same evening but not with the temperatures.  My daughter cooked our meals that day and Boxing Day bless her.  Had to cancel all other family visits, meals planned  etc and frozen loads of food or given to family to use up. It has been a few awful days. Unsure where the bug came from but it came over us real quick. I did an econsult with my doctors on Wednesday and they were great. I was given an aptmt and sounded and checked over on the same day! Currently on strong antibiotics till Monday and they seem to have kicked in now. Hurrah. Hubby is not on anti biotics but seems to be getting over it quicker than me thank goodness and hopefully no more bugs on the horizon for us.

Makingabobor2

Looks like there really is a lot of viruses going around. Hope you all feel better soon

No, @LittleMissDetermined, hubby won't eat omelette. He will only eat the yolk of a fried egg. He can't stand the white and knowing there is white in an omelette, he won't touch it. No boiled, scrambled or anything else. He is an odd one...lol.  
Yes @Sun_Addict, I think that is what I will do, hold off on breaking into the buffer as we may just about make it. I've just been having a think, and as I feel a bit yuk today, I think we'll just have soup. DH will be ok with that as long as he has some bread to go with it.  Then tomorrow we can have salmon fish cakes, mash & veg, and Sunday I will do a big sausage casserole, enough to last 2 days.  I could make dumplings to bulk it out, if I feel better. Then there's pie & chips for DH one day, and I'll just have egg & chips. Jacket potato another day. There's enough sausages for another 2 meals as well, so either sausage and mash, or sausage & pasta.  That's at least 7 meals, so only need 2 or 3 more....we can do this. Then I will have a big stock up on Jan 8th.  I do like a challenge!

marionmgcars

Makingabobor2  Looking forward to hearing if you meet the challenge 👍