Freedom and Independence.

BudgetingBelinda

debtfreewannabe321 said:

I've a friend on FB who takes day trips instead of big hols. But her day trips are to places like Barcelona 😯 she posts regularly about cheap tickets and pics of her with a glass in hand in some random European city! I think she gets them last minute but not entirely sure. I haven't any money for hols either so I think I might ask her for some info on this cheap tickets thing it looks fun.

That sounds very fun!!! I’d love the spontaneity! I live far away/logistically headachy from an airport but what a winner if you can do this! Great sense of freedom 🎉 also probably on to something with mini trips, could be a more regular and therefore more wellbeing boosting as a holiday plan? Oh it’s nice to dream!

BudgetingBelinda

Having veryyyy lazy day! Some washing, hoovered, might mop. Delicious takeaway last night, leftovers tonight 🎉. Shopping being delivered tonight, roast pork tomorrow 🤩. I think the DS’s could eat their way through a literal ton of food in the holidays, I think they are already in an ‘all inclusive’ holiday state. 

Dog walk to do then back to chills with a sprinkle of pottering. Perfect weekend so far! 🎉

BudgetingBelinda

Sunday Wins:
walked dog, bathed dog, groomed and clipped dog. Mopped floors, washing done, back in pjs cooking a huge roast pork! 

Have not done garden or steamed the rug. 

But am chilling and that will wait! 

Payday tomorrow 🎉

BudgetingBelinda

Just signed up for the too good to go app. Late to the party?! Logistics are an issue atm but I hope to do some great savings at some point on my outrageous grocery spends with this 🤔🤞🏼💯

BudgetingBelinda

I get so excited to have a roast, I like the prep and the thought. Then when it’s ready I’m over it before eating it! 

Ds loved it, & ate so much and I’ve eaten some crackling and a homemade yorkie while cooking and getting his ready.. now I don’t fancy the full roast! 

Gonna go for a hog roast type baguette… pork, stuffing apple sauce. 😆🎉😬

It’s similar to when I do something in the slow cooker, if I’m home.. by the time it’s done I’m over it! Anyway roast, bubble and squeak etc ready for the next few days! And a baguette for dinner! 

BudgetingBelinda

A chill local cheap day planned 🤞🏼 
Must steam this rug! Smells like dog! Why is it such a procrastinationy job? 

Cleaned kitchen floor this morning, seems to be daily atm.. something about clean kitchen floor atm is filling me with joy 😆 is this middle age?!
Sent £100 into EF, so up to 500/1000 want that to be £1000 for entering the new year, and DMP free.

Aubergine update: (now fully ‘self employed’ CMS will be more tricky) he’s still sporadic with when he pays contribution for DS’s but it does seem to come every month, and he hasn’t realised but he’s paid an extra month actually, so he’s actually a month ahead.. but I haven’t told him a) because he clearly has the money and b) because he lost track of paying clearly as he was late so often and c) because I’m largely in this mess as I was very stupid (urrrgh sad but true) and he was so inconsistent and unreliable with financial contributions when we were together and since. Anyway, when he pays this month I might be able to sent a little overpayment to DMP just to make FF payment in Dec smaller, but I’ll wait and check budget again when that happens as I don’t want to be left short.

Groceries 😳🫣 are still the absolute worst to budget for me, half term didn’t help perhaps, I did so well up until this past week! Must do better. I have a shop in online basket for next week and £’s in pot budget for rest of month, with meal plan. Also takeaways were a lot this month. And I’m going out for dinner on Friday! 😬 Still heaps of room for improvement but I’m so glad to be so close to paying this debt off! The books are finally balanced! 🎉

debtfreewannabe321

Groceries are a nightmare to bring in on budget on half term/ hols so cut yourself some slack *saying this for my benefit too*
I also wouldn't say anything about the extra CM payment. We paid an extra month to my DP's ex by accident but I said, let it go, it's fine...she doesn't need it but I felt it petty to argue the toss over one month now it has stopped because I suspect she will be missing it. 
Takeaways- I actually budgeted for this month and still spent way too much oops. They're just so convenient though when you're tired and can't be bothered!
You are nearly there..... when do you make your last payment?

BudgetingBelinda

@debtfreewannabe321 thank you! Just what I wanted to hear! 🎉 really happy that last DMP payment is 1st Dec! 

Takeaways are so convenient and I think even though I like to cook, it gets mundane and I definitely feel like I use food as a treat 🫣 need to work on it but that’s an ongoing work in progress. 

Yes to CM payment, he hasn’t paid his way for years, lived rent free with me for 14 years and moaned about paying for 50% of the utilities and often didn’t. The list goes on.. so I’ll keep quiet on the extra £200! Also how did he miss that? Especially when so skint apparently? Hmmm!🤔 
Your EF looks great… I’m inspired! Would love to get up to that next year. I’m thinking about then putting a large chunk into an easy access savings account, which currently has £20 in 😬 Where do you keep yours? I want mine slightly out of sight and mind I think.

BudgetingBelinda

Steamed the lounge rug! Woooohoo. 
Walked dog.
Was aiming for a NSD but paid for a mullet instead 😳 … DS1 haircut - not the fish variety. 

Roast leftovers tonight, again I might go for hog roast baguette instead but DS1 will be happy with his roast x 2.
Keep checking and re checking budget, for sure groceries and takeaway cuts will be my focus over the next couple of months and moving forward. If only to stop me bleeting on about it here! 

BudgetingBelinda

I had cheese and crackers for supper as I had some bubble and squeak for brunch and wasn’t hungry at dinner time! I then made some delicious blueberry muffins, and plain ones for DS’s! Frozen 2x2 for work snacks/breakfasts on the go.  And ate one! 

I’ve decided I’m going to make a super conscious effort on groceries this month. I was so close last month to being under all other spends this year and blew it in the last week. I am overeating, over estimating what we need and my cupboards and freezer are quite stocked so I am going to really knuckle down to utilising what I have and staying on budget. I’m aiming for £500 on groceries this next month. It seems like a lot but it’s certainly less than I have been spending 😳 also with a week of school hols still to go, visitors and sleepovers it will be reasonable I hope! I am wanting to include takeaways/eating out to that. I have one meal out planned and hopefully I’ll do *no* takeaways this month. I’d really like to try and cut down, health, weight and money wise it’s doing me no favours.
*remembers cheese and crackers for supper followed by a blueberry muffin 🤔😆🎉 oh well gotta start somewhere. 

November is going to be grocery budget and no takeaway focused.