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Ay up Fortune - a new Gran-baby 😁 what lovely family news to start off the New Year 😁
Greying XPounds for Panes £7,005/£10,000 - start date Dec 2023
Grocery Spend July 2025 £198.77/£300
Non-food spend July 2025 £68.46/£50
Bulk Fund July 2025 £9.10/£104 -
It's a Secret 🤫
Thank you everyone. It's not common knowledge as they've yet to have their 12 week scan (although they are at 12 weeks). We found out at Twixmas. Such a wonderful start to the New Year and in sharp contrast to last year (some of you may remember the worrying and stressful start we had to 2023). So 2024 is shaping up to be a good one.
I walked FDawg with Mr F this morning. Mr F has been taking care of all the dog walking since the week before Christmas as I have been busy with festive preparations and guests. He's been out in some dreadful weather. But I need the exercise and daylight so I'll be joining him again from now on... plus it's not raining today 😆
Our lunch yesterday was salad with charcuterie and antipasto. A meal orignally planned for Christmas and Boxing Day evenings but we were too full to eat. Operation Leftovers has begun so supper was a Cracker Crust Quiche to use up some cheese and crackers, cream and bacon. I bought very little 'festive' food (one box of biscuits and one box of chocolates mainly for our guests). However, our guests bought cheese and meats as a contribution to our New Year's Day celebrations and the makings of a cooked breakfast. Despite sending much of it home with them, we still seem to have a full fridge. There is enough quiche left over for a couple of lunches so we'll have that today with the remaining salad and antipasto. Breakfast was a (small) full english and there are the makings for another for tomorrow. We have a Carrot & Ginger Loaf to work through too. It formed part of a dessert I served on New Year's Day but we didn't need much of it so there's about 80% left that needs finishing off.
We reviewed, signed and returned two contracts yesterday. One is for two years and involves Mr F working in an advisory capacity for an organisation. This will give us a regular source of income and some stability. The second is for two assessing jobs. Mr F is already doing work of this type for one client and is in conversation with two other clients for similar work. However, the new contract has a much higher rate than others are offering. Mr F seems far more relaxed now and had a better night's sleep last night than he's had in months.
On the happiness front, Mr F and I sat at the dining table after lunch yesterday and did an hour or so of jigsawing and legoing. We put some music on and had a companionable time. I don't think we've every done this before and it's a very nice way to spend a couple of hours. I went up for a bubble bath and the Christmas episode of C@ll the M!dw!f£ last night. There was half a bottle of prosecco left over in the fridge from New Year's Eve so I took a glass of that up with me 😁 I don't know if it will survive another day but, if it does, there'll be another glass to have with supper later. I did dry January last year but we really didn't drink much over the festive period and I don't feel the need to detox so much this time.
My first major challenge of the year is upon me though - I've Mr F's tax return to start this afternoon 😲
I hope the first week of 2024 has been positive and peaceful for you.
Fortune x
Mortgage: 100% paid Emergency Fund: 100%
A Better View 🌄 'Being on the edge isn't as safe, but the view is better' - Ricky Gervais9 -
Fingers crossed 🤞 that all things tax-related are going smoothly this afternoon!4 YEARS 10 MONTHS DEBT FREE!!! (24 OCT 2016)(With heartfelt thanks to those who have gone before us & their indubitable generosity.)...and now I have a mortgage! (23 AUG 2021)New projection - 14 YEARS 10 MONTHS LEFT OF 20 YEARS (reduced by 15 mths)Psst...I may have started a diary!3
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Congrats on the impending secret arrival Fortune!
All your plans sound excellent as always. I foresee companionable Lego/jigsawing in our future too - Mr MV has yet to visit the Lego trading shop near us, but we’ve enjoyed a couple of puzzles over Christmas.Mortgage free 16/06/2023! £132,500 cleared in 11 years, 3 months and 7 days
'Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is.' Ernest Hemingway4 -
rtandon27 said:Fingers crossed 🤞 that all things tax-related are going smoothly this afternoon!
I'm afraid I did the jigsaw instead @rtandon27 🤭 But I am intending to start on the tax return tonight as Mr F is out at a fitness class and I'll have some peace and quiet.
Fortune x
Mortgage: 100% paid Emergency Fund: 100%
A Better View 🌄 'Being on the edge isn't as safe, but the view is better' - Ricky Gervais4 -
themadvix said:Congrats on the impending secret arrival Fortune!
All your plans sound excellent as always. I foresee companionable Lego/jigsawing in our future too - Mr MV has yet to visit the Lego trading shop near us, but we’ve enjoyed a couple of puzzles over Christmas.
Thank you @themadvix. I like the odd jigsaw but don't do them very often. I think Mr F may be getting hooked on the lego 😂 Fortunately there isn't a trading shop near us as I can't believe the price of some of the projects. Mr F's was a leaving gift from his team - I think they were worried he'd be bored in semi-retirement 😆 It cost over £200 😲
Fortune x
Mortgage: 100% paid Emergency Fund: 100%
A Better View 🌄 'Being on the edge isn't as safe, but the view is better' - Ricky Gervais6 -
Congrats on your lovely secret news x5
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teapot2 said:Congrats on your lovely secret news x
Thank you teapot - we'd almost given up hope of seeing grandchildren so it was a wonderful Christmas present.
Fortune x
Mortgage: 100% paid Emergency Fund: 100%
A Better View 🌄 'Being on the edge isn't as safe, but the view is better' - Ricky Gervais8 -
Congratulations Fortune! Qhat wonderful news.
MFW 2024 £27500/7500 Mortgage £129,500 Jan 22 Final payment June 38 Now £68489.08 FP May 36 Emergency Fund £20,000 100% Added to ISA 24 £8,060 Save 12k in 24 #31 £20,034.76/20,000 Debt Free 31.07.143 -
How fabulous to have grandchildren arrivingFortune_Smiles said:teapot2 said:Congrats on your lovely secret news x
Thank you teapot - we'd almost given up hope of seeing grandchildren so it was a wonderful Christmas present.
Fortune x
The start of the business sounds great with the contracts rolling in a more relaxed pace of life hopefully and only 14% of the mortgage left wow - do you have a schedule for it being paid off or a certain amount of Op? Or are you waiting for money to start coming in first ! Happy new yearDON'T BUY STUFF (from Frugalwoods)
No seriously, just don’t buy things. 99% of our success with our savings rate is attributed to the fact that we don’t buy things... You can and should take advantage of discounts.... But at the end of the day, the only way to truly save money is to not buy stuff. Money doesn’t walk out of your wallet on its own accord.
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6289577/future-proofing-my-life-deposit-saving-then-mfw-journey-in-under-13-years#latest3
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