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Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend
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Belated Happy Birthday wishes 🥳🎂
We enjoyed a brewery tour when on holiday in that lovely area. Hopefully you have had proper holiday weather and a great time there xx
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We did the Adnams tour quite a few years back now and it was very enjoyable, but I'd guess a lot has changed there since!
🎉 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 1/4/25
Balance as at 31/08/25 = £ 95,450.00. Balance as at 31/12/25 = £ 91,100.00
SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her4 -
Hello m'dears,
Many thanks for all your birthday wishes. I had a lovely day & we really enjoyed our mini-break in North Norfolk. Back home now & guess what day it is? Big Budget Day! Delayed from 27th. So I shall be getting on with that, which is going to involve a thorough closing down of April's budget first to ensure that all the holiday expenditure is charged to the correct pot. Then I will be able to get on with setting May's budget. I shall be taking regular 'movement breaks' for pegging laundry out as Mr F says we're on for a showery weekend, & moving will help the muscles in my side which I annoyingly pulled doing garden jobs just before we went away. Mr F has a Very Important Job as he is going to collect Soot & Ash from the cattery, then when they're settled back in, he's volunteered for the grocery shopping. As that's going to need a quick meal plan & a list, I think I'd better finish my coffee & get cracking!
I also want to have a look at exactly which squashes have germinated while we were away. I did water greenhouse veg last night but didn't look too closely as they were fairly inaccessible.
Right, that's enough for today. Getting the budget done ready for moving into May is the key task as the monthly budget cycle here at Foxgloves Manor runs from the 27th.
F x
2026's challenges: 1) To rebuild our Emergency Fund to at least £5k.
2) To read 50 books (12/50) 3) The Re-Shrinking of Foxgloves 8.1kg/30kg
Remember....if you have to put it on a credit card, extend your overdraft or take out a loan to buy whatever it is, you probably can't afford it, as that's not your money, it's somebody else's!9 -
Well, Big Budget Day went well. It took a bit longer than usual as I needed to reconcile our holiday expenses before the standard budget reconciliation but I finally got around to setting May's budget. Nothing much of note to report on any of that, except that we underspent what I'd put aside for holiday expenses so I was able to subsidise our purchases at the Adn*ms shop which needless to say went down very well with Mr F. Also paid the cattery on collection of the 2 rascals, which I always budget for from our Holidays Pot.
Mr F popped out for the grocery shopping while I was number crunching & a good meal plan ensured we came in under our weekly target spend there too.
Glorious sunshine here today so after I've quickly got some bread dough mixed up, I'm heading down the garden to sow french beans & pot up basil. I think I will also stand a few tomato plants outside too to begin hardening them off. Mr F is going to construct the bean frame or wigwam. Absolutely heaps of tasks awaiting my attention out there.
Oh, & I'll be sure to listen out for the front door so as not to miss Agent Millions when he knocks.
Have a good day all,
F x
2026's challenges: 1) To rebuild our Emergency Fund to at least £5k.
2) To read 50 books (12/50) 3) The Re-Shrinking of Foxgloves 8.1kg/30kg
Remember....if you have to put it on a credit card, extend your overdraft or take out a loan to buy whatever it is, you probably can't afford it, as that's not your money, it's somebody else's!11 -
Its a lovely day for garden. That's where I'm heading in a bit
Making the debt go down and savings go up
LBM 2015 - debt £57K / Now £26,544....its going down
Mortgage Free December 9th 2024! 18mths ahead of schedule.Challenges
EF £750/3000
.
Studies/surveys May...£216.57
Decluttering items 1400/2025. 305/2026
Books read 23 in 2025. 2026- 13 (target is 52)
Jigsaws done 20 in 2025. 3 this year.
My debt free diary...https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6396218/we-will-get-this-debt-d£own-the-savings-up5 -
It really is, @Makingabobor2. I've sown the french beans & prepped everything for potting on the basil. I like a lot as make pesto for freezing, which we enjoy eating over winter. Mr F is listening to podcasts as he works & has already weeded 3 veggie garden beds & just started weeding around the redcurrants. Some of the tomato plants I've potted up for my sister are already in bud & I'm not seeing her for over a week.
2026's challenges: 1) To rebuild our Emergency Fund to at least £5k.
2) To read 50 books (12/50) 3) The Re-Shrinking of Foxgloves 8.1kg/30kg
Remember....if you have to put it on a credit card, extend your overdraft or take out a loan to buy whatever it is, you probably can't afford it, as that's not your money, it's somebody else's!5 -
Right, that's the basil done. 15 potted up to grow on ready to plant along the tomato bed in the greenhouse, same again planted in a big pot & all the others cut & standing in a glass of water on the kitchen windowsill ready for adding to tonight's spag bol.
Oooh, Mr F has just brought me a big coffee & 2 caramel digestives. Knew there was a reason I married him!
Courgettes have germinated, also Guatemalan blue squash but no sign of the tromboncino. Tipped pots out to investigate & nothing doing so have resown 3 times as many seeds to see if I can coax a couple into life. Old seed & rather dessicated-looking so it's on its last chance & we will buy new next year.
Pulled muscles still rubbish so that's it for gardening today. Shady bench, knitting & book beckoning x
2026's challenges: 1) To rebuild our Emergency Fund to at least £5k.
2) To read 50 books (12/50) 3) The Re-Shrinking of Foxgloves 8.1kg/30kg
Remember....if you have to put it on a credit card, extend your overdraft or take out a loan to buy whatever it is, you probably can't afford it, as that's not your money, it's somebody else's!8 -
Glad you had a lovely time, and you ain't arf been productive since getting back!
Hope the muscles heal quickly, and you don't have to dish out too many treats for cat forgiveness 😁
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6466032/an-in-between-phase/p1
'aggressive safety shot' Ken Doherty5 -
Can you buy a tromboncino at the store at the store and use the seeds from it to plant?
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Hi weenancyinAmerica, Good to hear from you. I've never seen tromboncino on sale here in the UK as a vegetable, only the seeds but it's fine.....I've tried sowing a few more from that old packet & if they don't germinate either, we will still have plenty of courgettes & squash. I like to give 'expired' seed a go as very often it does deliver.
F
2026's challenges: 1) To rebuild our Emergency Fund to at least £5k.
2) To read 50 books (12/50) 3) The Re-Shrinking of Foxgloves 8.1kg/30kg
Remember....if you have to put it on a credit card, extend your overdraft or take out a loan to buy whatever it is, you probably can't afford it, as that's not your money, it's somebody else's!7
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