November 2023
I'm always in it, it's only the depth that varies....
Current debt: £10,806.75
Debt free date April 2025 (though expecting this to come forward)
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We will get this debt down & the savings up
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@Makingabobor2 - I'm enjoying your diary - I'm a reformed spender and agree that saving money is now much more motivating than spending.I've just semi retired and I'm inspired by your money making prowess. Now I've got more time (and less wages 😀) I will try and think about how to make some extra £'s.5
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Aww thanks @Blackcats. Welcome to my diary. Let me know any more money making ideas you think of.Making the debt go down and savings go up
LBM 2015 - debt £57K / Now £28,744....its going down
Mortgage Free December 9th 2024! 18mths ahead of schedule. Since 2022 we paid over £15K in OPs.Challenges
EF #68 £410/£3000
.
Fiver Friday '25 #10 £15
Studies/surveys July £58.64
Decluttering items 729
Books read 12
Jigsaws done 8
My debt free diary...https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6396218/we-will-get-this-debt-d£own-the-savings-up3 -
@Makingabobor2 I use an old previous preloved filofax diary and only need to purchase the inners as and when required. whs do there version that fits too. The 1 I am using at the moment has lasted at least 5 years and there is another 1 waiting in the wings, this was purchased from a car boot. DH also has preloved same too.
Suggestion where you make a "save" do you use the saved to pay off?
2 Scratters xxAnything is better than nothing-check back and see
On the declutter journey since 2023 with Mrs SD. Tilly Tidy since 2023.2 -
@2Scratters, Do you mean things like using a voucher or Nectar points etc? No I hadn't been doing that. Think it all depends how much I've actually got spare IYSWIM. Sometimes I might have used a voucher or loyalty points because I didn't actually have enough money that day. I'll see if I can do that though, good idea.
I would have done the old filofax idea if I'd had one, but sold my old one a few years ago and been using a diary every since, but wanted something better this year. Finally found a great one on the Bay of E £5.99 plus Nectar points & cash back. Its hard back, so totally recyclable and has all sort of brilliant pages for notes and accounts and goals and all sorts. Really pleased with it. Can't wait to start using it. Its undated, so I could in effect start now, but think I'll use up this year's one first and sit down and put all the dates in from Jan 1st.
So today is the day all the DD's go out for the DMP, and although at the moment we are not paying a huge amount every month, at least it is going in the right direction and I also have my little savings pot that I have managed to start for when we can get some good F&F's from them. We have had a couple of good ones in the past, but that was when I was still working and we could actually afford to it as they let me spread them over 3 or 6 months. So when I look at our DMP total, I don't get phased by it any more as I know we will get there in a lot less time than it looks like and next year in the summer my pension kicks in, so that will help no end in getting both DMP & mortgage down.
Had a little cash out from P/fc today, but been quiet on that front so far this morning, so need to look at some of the other sites as well this afternoon as I'm less than 100SB's away from a cash out there and a couple of others are coming on nicely.
DH moaned last night as I added some extra left over veg to the cottage pie I'd reheated from my last batch cook. He hates having too much veg and would never eat healthy if I didn't make him. Also the other night we had sausage casserole and he didn't like it 'cause I'd cut him down to 2 sausages instead of 3. Well, he'd better get used to it as times are hard and I have to make it stretch. I told him off at the weekend when he made himself a sandwich, he used up some tuna/mayo from the fridge but then added mustard and cucumber and then decided he needed another slice or bread so had cheese and cucumber as well! Seems an awful lot of ingredients for 3 slices of bread. Especially as he then had a packet of crisps with it as well! I told him crisps are one of the non essentials I will be cutting back on. He has a packet every day and its so not good for him!
Well thanks for reading as always. See you all soonMaking the debt go down and savings go up
LBM 2015 - debt £57K / Now £28,744....its going down
Mortgage Free December 9th 2024! 18mths ahead of schedule. Since 2022 we paid over £15K in OPs.Challenges
EF #68 £410/£3000
.
Fiver Friday '25 #10 £15
Studies/surveys July £58.64
Decluttering items 729
Books read 12
Jigsaws done 8
My debt free diary...https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6396218/we-will-get-this-debt-d£own-the-savings-up3 -
2Scratters said:@Makingabobor2 I use an old previous preloved filofax diary and only need to purchase the inners as and when required. whs do there version that fits too. The 1 I am using at the moment has lasted at least 5 years and there is another 1 waiting in the wings, this was purchased from a car boot. DH also has preloved same too.
Suggestion where you make a "save" do you use the saved to pay off?
2 Scratters xxI think I could handle it now though!
1 -
Makingabobor2 said:
@2Scratters, Do you mean things like using a voucher or Nectar points etc? No I hadn't been doing that. Think it all depends how much I've actually got spare IYSWIM. Sometimes I might have used a voucher or loyalty points because I didn't actually have enough money that day. I'll see if I can do that though, good idea.
I would have done the old filofax idea if I'd had one, but sold my old one a few years ago and been using a diary every since, but wanted something better this year. Finally found a great one on the Bay of E £5.99 plus Nectar points & cash back. Its hard back, so totally recyclable and has all sort of brilliant pages for notes and accounts and goals and all sorts. Really pleased with it. Can't wait to start using it. Its undated, so I could in effect start now, but think I'll use up this year's one first and sit down and put all the dates in from Jan 1st.
So today is the day all the DD's go out for the DMP, and although at the moment we are not paying a huge amount every month, at least it is going in the right direction and I also have my little savings pot that I have managed to start for when we can get some good F&F's from them. We have had a couple of good ones in the past, but that was when I was still working and we could actually afford to it as they let me spread them over 3 or 6 months. So when I look at our DMP total, I don't get phased by it any more as I know we will get there in a lot less time than it looks like and next year in the summer my pension kicks in, so that will help no end in getting both DMP & mortgage down.
Had a little cash out from P/fc today, but been quiet on that front so far this morning, so need to look at some of the other sites as well this afternoon as I'm less than 100SB's away from a cash out there and a couple of others are coming on nicely.
DH moaned last night as I added some extra left over veg to the cottage pie I'd reheated from my last batch cook. He hates having too much veg and would never eat healthy if I didn't make him. Also the other night we had sausage casserole and he didn't like it 'cause I'd cut him down to 2 sausages instead of 3. Well, he'd better get used to it as times are hard and I have to make it stretch. I told him off at the weekend when he made himself a sandwich, he used up some tuna/mayo from the fridge but then added mustard and cucumber and then decided he needed another slice or bread so had cheese and cucumber as well! Seems an awful lot of ingredients for 3 slices of bread. Especially as he then had a packet of crisps with it as well! I told him crisps are one of the non essentials I will be cutting back on. He has a packet every day and its so not good for him!
Well thanks for reading as always. See you all soon
Keep going anyway @Makingabobor2 you're doing a fantastic job of keeping chipping away at it and teaching us some good lessons in consistency paying off! xxx
Oh, the mystery shopping not leaving the bed was an online retailer. Using their customer service chat. It was fun!November 2023
I'm always in it, it's only the depth that varies....
Current debt: £10,806.75
Debt free date April 2025 (though expecting this to come forward)1 -
@CMD79 I have been bulking out minced beef with grated carrot in my spag-bol and cottage pies for years, and lately I have been looking for the biggest carrot I can find
Hubby hasn't noticed a difference... I have also started adding more mushrooms which are more obvious and he did comment, but didn't complain!
LMD xLife gets in the way...PADding is addictive...Saving's better than spending...My savings diary - Now for a healthier, wealthier me2025 1p challenge #41 | Cash envelope challenge #01 | SPC #017Sealed pot 2025 £5678 | EF £1000/£1000 | Sabbatical £3188/£6000 | Travel savings £1924 | Sinking pots £21263 -
On the bulking out and making do I found out accidently that the chestnut mushrooms I had purchased the other week lasted a lot better than the normal ones do. I know they are a little bit dearer at purchase but if they last longer less chance of waste.
We had left over diced steak last night and I added some spinach to it and we also had broccoli, I could see on DH's face he wasn't impressed but he said nothing (nor did I) and he just ate it. Now that is progress.
2 Scratters xxAnything is better than nothing-check back and see
On the declutter journey since 2023 with Mrs SD. Tilly Tidy since 2023.2 -
I'll try the grated carrot, he'd be ok with that, but neither of us eat mushrooms as they are not great for our digestive issues, even though I love them, but DH hates them. Might get myself a new big grater actually and start trying different things. Can't put lentils in it as he's not allowed them with his medical condition.
Anybody got any experience of grating broccoli stalk? I buy lots of broccoli, but we never eat the stalk as again its not good for digestion. But thinking maybe if it was grated, it might be ok. I need to make big batches of veggie soup again, not made any for a while. Although I couldn't believe how much the fruit & veg had gone up when I nipped out foe some earlier. We'll be eating bread and dripping a this rate....lolMaking the debt go down and savings go up
LBM 2015 - debt £57K / Now £28,744....its going down
Mortgage Free December 9th 2024! 18mths ahead of schedule. Since 2022 we paid over £15K in OPs.Challenges
EF #68 £410/£3000
.
Fiver Friday '25 #10 £15
Studies/surveys July £58.64
Decluttering items 729
Books read 12
Jigsaws done 8
My debt free diary...https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6396218/we-will-get-this-debt-d£own-the-savings-up2 -
The other thing I sometimes add to mince is grated courgette. @Makingabobor2 can't see any reason why grated broccoli stalk wouldn't work. The easiest way to grate it is probably with a food processor if you have one. It's what I use when I want to grate a lot. It's great for carrots as well!
2
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