Progress is...

RedLipstick

Used the Filo for years, for work, study and personal life. As I've progressed through my career and life started to get much busier, the Filo started getting really chunky and things really hard to track, I've even tried to separate the areas to their dedicated Filos, having custom inserts for work etc. Just got too messy at some point and I have "invested" in a paper tablet and it has been my best friend ever since. I also have a kindle as the paper tablet doesn't read kindle format unfortunately and does not have a light (no sore head after writing/reading for hours though!). I also use phone reminders for key dates in advance but my paper tablet has a weekly calendar where I can track things as I go (I work best with a weekly overview but they are daily, monthly, etc too). 

Looking forward to hear how you get on with your tablet!

rtandon27

@redofromstart - I too love the pen to paper feel and an reliant on the if it's written down then I remember it trick, but definitely need everything in one spot which is what makes having a work calendar so difficult as it can't be exported to my personal one!  For reading, I have the app on my phone & an actual kindle which tbh I rarely use these days!  Have also been dabbling in library e-books and am now a huge fan.  Have contemplated the audible sub, but not sure I'd get enough use out of the subscription!

@RedLipstick - Hello & welcome!  So nice of you to stop by! I used a similar system to the filo (daytimer) from over the pond for many years & loved it!  At the point where my planner had it's own strap and carrycase is when I switched over to digital for a lot of my detailed planning so the planner could be slimmed down & my commute bag lightened.  My work also stopped paying for the all-singing and dancing system, so I graduated to a different system (passion planner) which gave me the written feel I love so much in a single bound book.  That brand also do digital version which is what I think I may use this year in conjunction with the tablet pen and a paperlike/paperfeel screen protector.

An unrelated side...
...the work colleague FINALLY paid up - 11 days late!  I've learned my lesson & hereby resign from the position of moneylender!  My grocery pot has been replenished & Feb's budget adjusted accordingly!

My accountant Grandpa was often fond of saying 'never a borrower nor a lender be' - and I now completely get why - it's not worth the stress & effort!

badmemory

I agree with your Grandpa.  I would far rather give than lend, but a workplace is not a good place to be giving & certainly not to someone who is extracting the Michael.

RedLipstick

Passion planner looks fantastic, thank you for sharing. I print my own monthly for the kitchen so have ordered the wall calendar, I think it will look lovely and replace the messy looking printouts.

On the borrowing side (with hardly ever seeing the money back!), my mortgage advisor said a while ago when reviewing my bank statements "RedLipstick, you are not a charity" and that stayed with me since, lessons learned!

rtandon27

@badmemory - 🤣🤣 - I had to g00gle what that expression meant!  18 years this side of the pond & I'm still learning!  Yes I agree, had the individual been a friend I'd not have batted an eyelash at the situation!  As it was, my cash flow was reduced to 7GBP while they took their sweet time paying up - not good at anytime of the year let alone twixmas!  I know I could raid pots if needed, but again not the point!

@RedLipstick - now I have to thank-you for letting me know about their month wall calendar as I'd not seen it before!  I love the ethics of the brand owner as well & that she does so much gifting of planners, so I look at the purchase as also being 50% a charity donation as she was giving away a planner for every planner bought when I first started getting them.

So today was Payday!  Such a relief - I hate that my pay cycle is the last working day of each month, leaves some months very squeaky as not every month has the same number of days/weeks and my budgeting week starts each Monday for groceries!  I don't like to spend what I've not yet received & only use the credit cards for the perks (points & cashback).  I was over on GP's diary and admired how she goes to the bank to deposit cash to cover the electronic payment she made in the grocery store.  It's such a disciplined example of a well managed budget!  I don't use cash for anything these days, but the principle is still the same & I like to clear off the credit cards with my cash flow twice a month.

Feeling squeaky in general is one of the reasons, I suggested a January challenge over on the reverse meal planning thread!  We need to look to what ingredients we have in the stores which means we can free up some cash for the inevitable council tax increase come April and winter weather gas/electric charges.  We are really feeling the pinch without the winter fuel payment that OH was getting as part of his state pension & for health reasons, we both need to keep comfortably warm, so don't really have the option of keeping the house at the 17'C of years gone by.

With the arrival of my paycheque, I've fully funded all the pots for the upcoming month, with a 50% reduction in the grocery budget for the month of January.  I also will have a look at how many lunches I can feasibly take in with me, knowing full well that I have several lunch meetings to attend both this month and the next.  That is a separate budget line but I'd also like to slash it by a third for at least the next two months!

Mortgage neutral for the next 1.5 days with 2500 sitting happily in the current account laughing at me because it knows that more than half will go in mortgage, council tax & elec/gas!  OH has reminded me just how hard last month has been at work and suggested I laugh back at it and think of the blood, sweat and tears I've shed to earn it!  Part of me agrees with him and part of me envies his perspective as a retired person!

Progress is...
...making it to the end of another week/month/year knowing that the bills are paid and that plans are being saved up for...
...we have a roof over our heads...
...food in our bellies...
...plans to look forward to...
...and each other!

Happy New Year to all of you from OH & me (RT)!!!
🎈🎆🎇🧨✨🎉🎊

redofromstart

Happy new year to you both.

RedLipstick

Happy New Year to both of you too! 

What a shame about the loss of fuel payments! I've got an electric blanket and it's very cheap to use, maybe something worth looking into? Often I don't even need to get the heating on.

Also planning to see what I can make out of the stuff in cupboards and freezer during January. Have leftover mince and GF gnocchis, will get the beef out of the freezer for the night and pop everything into the slow cooker tomorrow morning. I do my shops later in the day (5-6pm) so sometimes get some nice meat on promo at Marks (I have Marks and Sains here where I live), and buy lots of frozen veggies. My cupboard is full of pasta, rice, rice and gnocchi - I buy GF and organic when they are on sale so have quite a backup. I hope to use up as much as I can before heading out to the shops again.

Regarding Council Tax, this tax year I've asked them to split it into 10 payments and it worked out quite well. January D/D will be taken tomorrow/Friday and no more payments until April. This year I'm thinking to get the full council tax on a 0%CC so I can get rid of a monthly D/D - I actually seen someones comment on another thread and got me thinking. I actually have the money to pay it in one go but also have Marks CC so will get extra points to spend on shopping. Could be a good idea so I will see.

badmemory

Will they accept payment by cc as it costs them more.  Mine wouldn't accept cc for a replacement bin.

rtandon27

@redofromstart - thanks hun - wishing you & the boys a Healthy & Happy 2025 xoxox

@RedLipstick - I pretty much have a heating pad on my femoral artery whenever I'm sitting to keep the blood circulating - just love that it plugs in to the laptop as well so portable to suit where-ever & whenever I'm seated!  I'm very much about heat the person not the house, but our old damp turn of the last century row house is very prone to holding the cold in it's walls and under the ground level floors!  The house once had four fireplaces, but the one remaining we don't currently use as it is fitted with an electric hungry fake heater/fire.  We have central heating throughout but it is definately inadequate for the space!
- Brilliant idea about the council tax I shall investigate before hitting the post button

@badmemory - Like your council, it appears that ours only takes direct debit! SIGH - no option for garnering points via the credit card - the only other option is to extend it to 12 months, which I'll do as soon as this month's payment is taken so that next year it will reduce to around 160GBP a month - cash flow will be a bit less squeaky that way!  I do prefer regular payments myself, this 10 month / 2 month thing does my head in every year 😂 - Before his retirement, the council tax came out of OH's account so I never paid attention.  Only took on that particular bill when we moved here in 2021.

2025 Focus...

HEALTH
So today's health goals are tiny - 5 minutes meditation (done) - 10 minutes yoga - 10 minutes Pilates - it is well too rank out there for a new year's day walk & the leisure center is closed until tomorrow!

WEALTH
Balancing the books as several payments will go out today & tomorrow - will investigate alternate savings options for the various pots being saved - perhaps bonds at a higher rate interest? - the money is not going to be spent in the first quarter of the year so am going to make it earn it's keep!

WELLBEING - (forward planning to avoid fatigue)
I've planned out the first quarter of the year for work commitments (had to do something while waiting for the midnight bells to toll) - workwise, we are starting out the year with an inspection/audit & followed up by what can only be called the ethics tag-team - I've also got a few mandatory courses to finish, a couple of skills refreshers and a full on digital team project to bring to fruition!  Should be manageable over 3 months. 
Have also mapped out January to keep lunch spends low - a mixture of freebies & discounted meals as well as a c0-0p salad or two will keep it all in check - so far only two social work obligations - one next week and one the week after - both being done with budget in mind.
Today's planning goal is to transfer my never-ending lists of house projects into some type of time-line & set out my weekly 'dopamine' tracker so I can get a hit by checking off a list!

teapot2

I also pay the council tax over twelve months, I know others like the 2 'free' months but its never made sense to me.