Follow the Yellow Brick Road 2023

SandyShores

Thank you savingholmes it feels good to make these smaller (medium sized) payments.  Larger payments are on hold at the moment while we save to pay down the H2B next year - its also helpful to be able to borrow it for the upfront spends on my social/family goals.  I have a payrise due again in June (fingers crossed) so should be fairly easy to repay and I'm realising how important those goals are and don't want to keep putting off the activities with friends and family.  My course should be finished soon and then I'll have more time to be able to declutter but also to spend time on the creative things I want to enjoy (I need to declutter to do this so there is a plan).  Its feels good that its not just a list though and exciting that I'm actually doing nearly all of the things on it at last.  

savingholmes

Lovely to read so much positive news

SandyShores

Thanks savingholmes, it does feel like things are finally coming together.  Its not been an easy journey from that final lightbulb moment ten years ago, but I'm glad to say that its most definitely been worth it.

The next ten years will see off the mortgage, but we should be able to relax a little and enjoy while we go.

We've been busy this week submitting car finance claims - after the success of the PPI claims we decided it was worth sending off MSE letters.  I'm feeling slightly annoyed that I didn't submit a 'd1eselgate' claim a few years ago but was put off when they mentioned potential costs.  Though I do think peace of mind was better, so its only a very slight annoyance.

Back to the real world and there's time to add a few more items to v1nted today.  I made over £20 in March, and plenty more items in the cupboard waiting to be listed.  I was going to keep the money to spend on more clothes, but as I don't need anything at the moment (who would have known!) I might choose cash and use towards the house items e.g. curtain rail/curtains for the spare room.

savingholmes

Good luck with your claim. 

Well done on the sales.

SandyShores

Thanks savingholmes, if I get money back it will be a bonus but if I don't it will mean we weren't missold so that's good too. 

I've decided to open up an Asd@ credit card and take advantage of the £20 bonus as well as the 3% cashback.  I've already started the Christmas cashpot, so the bonus will go towards that - it makes sense as I do most of my supermarket spending in MrA's.  

Yesterday I took the plunge and bought a bikini for our planned summer hols.  Definitely a motivation to start losing some of the winter padding

LadyWithAPlan

Well done on the sales and the win. I like to keep my PB wins as they go to the next draw but can see the satisfaction of OPing instead.

Your 2024 goals list progress is great - I also do a monthly review of where I am at with them.

I am off this weekend to the sun - no time to get rid of my small winter padding .. ah well - thats what wafting sarongs are for.

savingholmes

Thanks for the reminder on the Mr A CC. I may do the same at some point.

SandyShores

Have fun in the sun @LadyWithAPlan.  I agree it was a bit of a wrench not to put the winnings back in the pot.  But I've made a resolve that any extra bits will go to the mortgage.  V1nted is going to pay for my holiday wardrobe - just had a look and made a purchase and an offer or two - I need to get selling more stuff to top up my balance now as its looking depleted.  

@savingholmes my main shop used to be at MrS but now my shopping habits have changed it makes sense, plus the £20 will be a nice to have.

SandyShores

I've been putting the MrA card to good use and its helpful being able to keep the household and personal spends separate.  I really don't like using the credit cards, but the points are too attractive, I've already pulled money into my cashpot and there's a steady stream of nectar points from MrS.  I've also been using the BA Avios website as you can convert Avios to nectar.  

We're starting to add some more soft furnishings etc. to the house, so will be a few more spendy months yet, on top of the holiday - seems a lot of spending with the planned OPs are on the backburner, but at least we won't have to dip into the savings.  June is the absolute deadline for getting it all done, then its definitely back on the OP wagon.

The garden aka lake is starting to perk up with the slightly milder weather and I managed to get out to deadhead/snip a few things in the week.  The red robinia looks so cheerful, it was one of our better spends in the garden.  Most things are still a bit dormant, so I'm waiting with bated breath to see what returns, but even the Dogwood seems to have some life.  It didn't look great last year (year 1), but likes clay and sunshine so its in a great position, although it prefers well drained soil and is prone to a couple of funguses too.  Another robinia would probably have been a better choice - they seem so cheerful and robust, but we'll see how the dogwood goes and if it survives this wet weather.

I've really got a hankering for a crab apple tree and a cherry tree for a couple of containers and took a look in the  '2 for £12' box outside B&M but no joy there.  The other tree I was looking at was holly.  Our garden is probably a bit small for all these so maybe I should concentrate on some smaller flowers to start with.  Off to look at Kajikita's thread and photos of the flower beds.

savingholmes

As you know I'm a fan of red robin. You can get a version with variegated leaves too. I love that they are 'evergreen' / red/green and flower.

I love fruit trees in a garden whether in pots or the ground.