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Ding! Ding! All change, please... (now replaced with new diary on MFW)
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Hello all - and welcome SkyChild - thanks for popping by! Foxgloves we're holding off on doing any food growing this year as it's just not been practical to get anything started off - we usually rely on windowsills for germination but obviously don't really want trays of seedlings all over the place at the moment in case of viewings!
SH I'm still pretty sore - and my lower right leg/ankle is beautifully colourful! Interestingly the bruising really underlines the impact the joint took as well as I have a complete ring of bruise around my inner ankle bone. I certainly wasn't expecting it, that much is for definite!
MrEH's Oyster is being fed today - and annoyingly he might have to do another day in London tomorrow too - that impacts on both my meal planning (I was assuming I'd be home earlier tomorrow because of not having to wait for him) and also the travel costs of course, but can't be helped and the document he was waiting for to meet a deadline still might turn up today in any case...we'll see. I think if he is, then my best plan might be to rejig the meal plan a bit - I was planning chilli & jacket potato for this evening, Fish, wedges and peas tomorrow and was probably going to do some form of curry for Friday - but I could easily make tonight chilli and rice instead, do jacket tatties with beans and cheese tomorrow, and bump the fish to Friday...
I shuffled the camera money across to the CC last night - ended up rounding my personal "fun" and "presents" pots down quite a bit, and taking a little more from my small pot in my Sant-and-er limited e-saver in order to take a smaller (round ) amount from my longer term pot - so all good there. I've reminded MrEH that he owes some money back to the CC as well, and there is then one small amount which will balance it right back to zero again - that will be coming from joint fun I think.
Ooh - exciting - I've just had my first spend track through on the airtime rewards app - I'll be honest, I'd forgotten that B00ts were actually on there, but I'm not complaining! Clearly I'll need a few more to get me to the minimum level for it actually giving me any money off the mobile bill, but it's a good start! I probably need to update one lot of card details on there as well as I have a replacement debit card. Also had the most recent lot of cashback for the food spending on the N@t1onw1de card through a couple of days ago - and MrEH must have some too, come to think of it. Only another few days left on that offer now - we'll need to remember to swap back to the CC again after that as it's easier to manage that way. Hopefully N@t1onw1de will do that again though -we've done decently enough from it.
Also in all things financial - I've just popped an email over to the chap whose holiday cottage we are booked in for this year's Hebrides trip checking that his bank details remain unchanged - once I have confirmation I'll pay the balance on that too as it needs doing in the next few days. That's the last big cost prior to actually going sorted then. We do need to hope that the wretched ferries sort themselves out ahead of time though or that will mean a complete overhaul of our travel up - and we'll need to hope we can actually get a ferry on our required day, too of our currently booked crossing ends up getting scrapped! we'll be keeping a very close eye on things over the next few weeks - and if we face disruption again we'll be looking to Calmac for repaying the money we will have wasted on overnight accommodation.🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her6 -
On the rewards thing - I've got my best payouts for ticket booking... Just something to be mindful of.Achieve FIRE/Mortgage Neutrality in 2030
1) MFW Nov 21 £202K now £174.8K Equity 32.77%
2) £3K Net savings after CCs 6/7/25
3) Mortgage neutral by 06/30 (AVC £22.5K + Lump Sums DB £4.6K + (25% of SIPP 1.1K) = 28.2/£127.5K target 22;12% updated 6/7
4) FI Age 60 income target £16.5/30K 55.1%
5) SIPP £4.6K updated 6/7/253 -
I'm with you on the cold weather, it's so annoying now!
Also looking forward to two short weeks, lovely!"If you can dream it, you can do it". Walt Disney3 -
Despite a couple of cold mornings, our seedlings which we have planted outside and keep forgetting to cover up are doing really well.
The Pok Choi and Rainbow Chard are springing up all over. Still waiting on the beetroot and carrots but they usually take a little longer to make an appearance.4 -
savingholmes said:On the rewards thing - I've got my best payouts for ticket booking... Just something to be mindful of.
RS you're doing well with your seedlings then - I'm missing growing stuff this year - might try for a late sowing of a few bits and see what we end up with!
Yet another chilly day here although I don't think as cold as it has been - appreciated my microwave wheat bag last night again though as my feet were COLD!
Holiday cottage balance is paid and we have confirmation from the owner that the money has landed. MrEH and I also had a chat about "Plan B" this morning in the case of the current ferry disruption not being cleared up by the time we go - in terms of travel assuming we would be able to be switched to a ferry from the port further north then it means having to do it as an overnight drive which means wasting the accommodation we've currently got booked to break the journey. However it could be that the ferries from there are fully booked which would give us more of an issue as obviously that then impacts on our holiday. There's nothing we can do at the moment but keep an eye on things though - it's very frustrating. I've just worked out both a plan B (which might not mean an overnight drive) and two variations on a Plan C (both of which would) although they may yet swap round as I suspect MrEH will feel my current Plan B is too risky as it involves an additional ferry.
Banks checked and all good - and I availed myself of the new bonus rate available on M@rcus yesterday on both our accounts with them. MrEH fed his Oyster yesterday so there is £50 pending to come out of the joint account but there is also still just over £100 surplus in there which is handy enough - I'll have to decide whether that gets sent over to the New House Fund or the Holiday account - although allowing for the balance in the holiday account AND the next two months payments that will be landing in there ahead of us actually needing much of the contents, I think that will probably be OK now so current gut feeling is that the new house fund will get the benefit.
I decided against the gym yesterday as I really was still quite sore and didn't want to risk putting any unnecessary strain on that ankle. Annoying, but probably the right decision as even cycling last night wasn't the most comfortable. Aim for today is to do my usual walk at lunchtime, I cycled a little extra distance before work and aim to get a bit further afield after I finish tonight as I have to wait for MrEH anyway, and I'll be factoring in a yoga session again tonight - trying to keep up making time for that daily too. I'm going to go to the gym tomorrow regardless and if I end up having to switch things about and do a different routine to my usual then so be it - better that than not to go at all.
Food last night was indeed chilli and rice, and I'll be doing jackets this evening with beans, cheese, probably some chopped chorizo...might throw some frozen mushrooms in to defrost and heat through with the beans to add a bit extra on the veggie front as well. the fish, wedges and peas can happily enough do tomorrow evening although at the moment it is possible that MrEH might have to be back in London again (Always annoying when he has to be in on a day I don't)but that's fine as I will be about to get cracking on cooking before he gets home so we won't have to eat too late. I need to get a meal plan together for the weekend too - and ideally a freezer audit as well. Cooking intentions for the weekend include a big pan of ragu I think as last night's tea used the last one (and had smoked paprika, mild chilli powder and a splash of lime juice added along with kidney beans) - if I think I have sufficient freezer space to play with I may soak and cook a pot of black beans as well.
Plans for the weekend are currently fairly fluid - we have a fair bit of voluntary role stuff to do, we might pop to a local-ish brewery taproom for a few beers on Saturday perhaps, I'm guessing MrEH will want a walk somewhere or another too...all good, and all low demand which is perfect. I'm hoping for a call from Specsavers to say I can collect my glasses too - I'll be more than a bit cross if they have to wait as collecting next weekend isn't really an option as that's a busier one. Fingers crossed.🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her3 -
Hope your ankle improves and the gym session doesn't aggravate it. When are you off on holidays?
L
Total Debt Dec 07 £59875.83 Overdrafts £2900,New Debt Figure ZERO !!!!!!:j 08/06/2013
Lucielle's Daring Debt Free Journey
DFD Before we Die!!!! Long Haul Supporter #1244 -
Thanks L!
A bit over a month's time we're off - can't wait! Although there is a huge amount to do on the voluntary role stuff ahead of then...that definitely needs to be a feature of this weekend!🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her3 -
Sent you a pm
LTotal Debt Dec 07 £59875.83 Overdrafts £2900,New Debt Figure ZERO !!!!!!:j 08/06/2013
Lucielle's Daring Debt Free Journey
DFD Before we Die!!!! Long Haul Supporter #1244 -
Hope your ankle is on the mend.I am a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on Mortgage Free Wannabe & Local Money Saving Scotland & Disability Money Matters. If you need any help on those boards, do let me know.Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any post you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button , or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own & not the official line of Money Saving Expert.
Lou~ Debt free Wanabe No 55 DF 03/14.**Credit card debt free 30/06/10~** MFW. Finally mortgage free O2/ 2021****
"A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of" Jane Austen in Mansfield Park.
***Fall down seven times,stand up eight*** ~~Japanese proverb. ***Keep plodding*** Out of debt, out of danger. ***Be the difference.***
One debt remaining. Home improvement loan.4 -
Thanks L! 😘
Sadly Beanie still very sore - nothing like what you contend with daily I know but it’s annoying me getting in the way of the stuff I want to do. It’s also made my ever present sore knees and hip worse which is frustrating - it was a heck of an impact though and I still think I was very lucky not to break anything - I guess it’s a decent sign for my bone density at least! 😁 I’m hoping the GP appointment next week bears fruit for HRT being forthcoming and I’ll start feeling some improvement in the general joint pain. Flipping peri-menopausal life!Anyway I have decided that there will be no gym for me today - I just feel like my legs need a proper bit of recovery time from anything heavy duty so I’m respecting my body and going with that. It does mean that I have time to take the big bike up to the bike shop for them to have a proper look over it though - I want it reviewed with a view to what it will cost to properly put it right as if it’s too much I’ll pass it to someone who will be able to fix it and either use it or sell it, and will replace with something better suited to my needs I think. Still very grateful for having been gifted it but if it needs more work to repair than it would cost to replace, that’s a better use of my resources.MrEH has gone into London today so I’ve had a nice peaceful start to the day - I skipped a Friday morning walk as if I take the bike up I’ll have a long walk back from there, and I’ve just been pottering round getting a few bits tidied. A bit of washing up done - my porridge pan is filled with water and ready to wash in a moment - and the washing that ran through overnight is out into the basket and ready to hang outside. The forecast tells me we’re in for increased temperatures over the next few days so hopefully I can make some progress through the laundry basket too!Money-wise himself has been paid and £115 joint account surplus has gone to the new house pot - there will be more to head off there once the start of month money shuffle is done. I’ve also got two rough ideas in my head about financial stuff we probably need to talk about - the first is an increase in my automatic pension contributions as I don’t seem to be good at remembering the voluntary ones I promised myself I’d make. It occurs to me that I can just ask payroll to increase my percentage contributed though - there is already an small “extra” surplus amount in my pay which is the difference between what I contribute to the joint account and what I allocate to my own spends, so that would be well spent by sending it direct to the pension I think. I’m also going to suggest to MrEH that we allocate £1000 from one or other of our ISA entitlements this year to go into a S&S ISA - we’ve been on talking about starting one for a while and this seems a decent low impact way of starting off. I’ve written both down in the money section of my bullet-ish journal for discussion.I’ve just done the electricity readings and sent them through to the Octopods as it is the last Friday of the month - that will generate the bill shortly. I’ll not worry about the gas for now - I leave MrEH to read that one because there be 🕷️’s in that box! 😆 My meters app tells me that the use in the last 4 weeks is a total of 342kWh split 76 day 266 night but the heating was still on for the first two weeks of the month, and we’ve used it in a couple of short bursts since too. About half the monthly use was in the first 9 days of the month! I’ve done some quick rough projections on summer costs and it’s looking like around £70 a month for electric, plus the £15 I budget for gas - so credit will still be building although nowhere near as fast as I’d like - hopefully the July price drop will improve things there a bit.
I’m tempted by a list for today I think - as I’m planning a relatively gentle day but there are things I want to get done too…so…
- drop bike up to bike shop
- walk back!- yoga
- hang washing out
- next load to machine
- laptop backups - get old machine finished
- clear memory cards ready for next weekend
- meal plan for next week
- quick pass at freezer audit
- shopping list
That’ll do - not as much there as there looks like really so should leave time for some loafing about in between things! Right - I’m off to start attacking it! Have a fab pre bank holiday weekend Friday all!🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her8
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