Progress is...

rtandon27

So my monthly challenge of scrounging up 294GBP for a mortgage overpayment has begun!

48p saved on a 3 month fitness app renewal by pre-paying instead of monthly & 3gbp earned from a P!necone survey.

3.48/294 with 290.52 to go!

I'm thinking that this will go towards March's payment as Jan & Feb have been juggled out of the quarterly budget!

dawnybabes

I can’t remember if I’ve seen it but has your DH applied for pip / attendance allowance ? That might plug the gap 

northAthenian

HNY  @rtandon27 ....im wondering does the gap in council tax come ito play for you ? ( where i live i can opt to pay 10 months split rather than 12 months -  i quite like that Feb & Mar are Ctax free so I allocate the extra cash then to E/F & mortgage Ops..)
 hope more relaxing is on the cards over w/end...
nA

Greying_Pilgrim

rt - following on from northAthenian's point about the CT, do you pay your water rates over 'less than' 12 months too?  Any spare change 'swimming around' (see wot I did there 😉) from the water co?

Greying X

rtandon27

Hello my lovelies - thank you for popping round to the virtual kitchen and lending your wisdom!  You lot are always good fun and provide lots of food for thought when it comes to a self-imposed challenge! 

@dawnybabes - yes OH does get attendance allowance, but it is already budgeted for items he needs for his care & the extortionate taxi fares to the nearest hospital & specialist as driving that far is currently out of the question - we are in a small town & it is 60gbp round trip for his appointments, several times a month!  We have also purchased specialist equipment for the house - bath aids, extra railings for the staircase & other specialist medical devices for use areound the house so that he can stay at home for as long as possible, so unfortunately no spare pennies there.

@northAthenian - I switched to 12 month payments for the council tax last year when new rates were announced, to give us a bit of breathing room in the monthly budget and make budgeting over the course of the year a bit easier - so no 'free' months I'm afraid.

ETA - I've been enjoying my last day of relaxing - staying at home in comfy cloths, with music or utoob running in the background!  I'll be getting back on track tomorrow with proper weekly chores and planning as I'm back to the office on Monday!

@Greying_Pilgrim - Do you know I actually understood that one without having to ask the English-to-English in-house translator??? 🤣🤣🤣 We are in one of those areas of the country where the water rates doubled this year!  We are an unmetered property due to the age of our house - four houses share an intake so we have no ability to have meters.  In some ways this is good as I know for a fact that we pay less for our water than a comparable, but more modern property with only one occupant who does not even garden! - but even so, it was still double the cost for us! (Last year's monetary challenge was coming up with that amount!)

Im very thankful that our combined income covers our outgoings & last year, OH received a payment from an endowment policy which covered our (non-extravegant) wedding expenses.  This upcoming year, we are in a position to pay all our bills and continue living frugally within our means, but any mad-cap schemes such as mortgage overpayments will require juggling & penny pinching!

rtandon27

Another week, another list...

(which I've lost 5 times today - SIGH)

It's been a week of resting both for OH & myself - tomorrow is back to the grind so a list is needed just to keep my head on straight!

March overpayment goal...
3.48/294 with 290.52 to go

routine tasks...
✅YNAB juggling - had to clear cookies to get logged in!
🔆 across the pond banking
✅ grocery order - we are at the bottom of everything so basic stocks will be replenished Tues evening
✅ meal plan - eat from the stores - the less we spend, the more goes to the March mortgage overpayment
🔱 weekly digital planner
🔆 Delay Repay - for the past month
🔱 supplements into dossets - half the week - other half on Weds
✅ Weekly surveys & contests
✅ laundry - mostly caught up - still a load to fold & another one drying 
⏳ clean washing machine once laundry done for the week

non-routine tasks...
🔆 book off 1/2 20th & all of 21st - OH bday & next chemical cocktail IV
✅ meter readings - in the red but payment in 11 days will cover that and then some - may have to add an ad hoc payment next month as OH has been keeping the heat up to counter-act the cocktail side-effects
✅ bathroom scrub
✅ kitchen scrub
✅ several loads of dishes
✅ load of pots and pans
✅ vacuum downstairs
✅ vacuum furniture
✅ vacuum stairs
✅ vacuum landing
🔆 vacuum bedroom
✅ repack OH's bag for next intervenus cocktail outing
✅ home facial - twice a day every day for a week - xmas present to myself!
🔱 have sourced weighted blankets - singles - Scandinavian style! - just need to purchase in the xmas sales
🔱 still on the hunt for ballerina wedges that fit for everyday use! - the pair I like is not in the sales
🔱 new everyday blazer and trousers sourced - waiting for delivery - fingers crossed they fit correctly!
🔱 return several items that do not fit! - online process so not onerous
⏳EHIC card - is old one valid or do up application - not travelling soon so can wait on this
⏳ look into oiling/waxing newly installed xtra banister
⏳ will need to find brass paint to disguise screws or screw caps
⏳BFF across the pond - we owe each other money - neither of us is asking the other to sort out! 🤣 - chat this week to sort out

important tasks...
🔱 new load of paperwork filing ready to be filed! - haha - never ending!
🔆 print off pay statements
🔆 dig out interest statements
🔆 check total of interest received last year
🔆 pay taxes owed so that tax code is not adjusted next year
⏳ do bus pass application
⏳ my savings need juggling - not started yet

medical follow-ups...
🔆 Book dental hygienist appt for Jan
🔆 Book flu shots for Jan
🔱❗my dermatologist referral - have docs names - now need to book appt - insurance has authorized! - sigh - have to have this done in the city as decent onces in my area are scarce as hen's teeth!!!!! - now have LDN names so will book for January
🔱 ❗follow-up on OT recommendations for work assessment - the Cerberus has woken up and is biting at my heals
⏳❗follow-up on private eye specialist for myself

epic list of garden things...
(revaluate and create a winter list - autumn passed me by!)
⏳ harvest last of the chilies
⏳ need to transplant two chili plants & bring indoors
⏳ autumn pruning needs to be done
⏳ start getting quotes for new felt for flat roof & summer house & shed (needs doing in autumn) - on hold
⏳ 4 bags cotswold stone - trip to W!ckes postponed - on hold
⏳ transplant remaining baby trees into their new pots - on hold 
⏳ trim down and rehome butterfly bush - on hold
⏳ new trellis needs to go up for the climbing rose in the front - OH has acquired the hardware! - on hold
⏳ finish taming climbing jasmine & add more supports for it to grown on - on hold

social calendar...
✅ need to organize coffee and mooch around the market with the miliatary wives - one on holiday - fun day was had
🔱 birthday meal with mate from work on 13th or 15th - he's chosen market hall
🔱 lunch or coffee with work aunty 12th or 26th
🔱 ladies who lunch - Thursday 29th? - January deals
🔱 festive meal in January with manager - leventine food
🔆 have been asked to organize a dosa lunch by some mates at work for January
🔆 have also found out that March 3rd is international Dosa Day so have another group to invite to this 
⏳ korean street food - on hold until February - is this one ever going to happen - need a group!

Meal Prep activities...
✅ make beef stew with root veg
⏳ make saag paneer (dig out tried and true recipe!) (c/o)

Meal Plan...
Last Week

✅ 🥬🧀🫓 Monday Dec 29 - Veggie Day - chicken noodle soup [OH's hospital appt day]
✅🐟 Tuesday  Dec 30 - Fish Day - fish&chips

✅🍗 Wednesday Dec 31 - Chicken Day - chicken pie New Year's Eve Boofée
✅🍖 Thursday Jan 01 - Meat Day - New Year's Day Boofée Chicken Fillet strips & chips

✅🍕🍟 Friday Jan 02 - Fakeaway Day - Polish Dinner!

✅🫓🍜 Saturday Jan 03- Easy Peasy Day - bao & dim sum & noodles - Tandoor takeaway - kebabs & naans

✅🍖🥕🍠🍅🥔 Sunday Jan 04 - Roast Day - Beef Stew with root veg (freezer & fridge)

This Week

✅🥬🧀🫓 Monday Dec 05 - NOT Veggie Day - stew & rice & sprouts

✅🐟 Tuesday  Dec 06 - Fish Day - lunch - cauli-cheese (from freezer) - dinner - takeaway fish & chips

✅🍗 Wednesday Dec 07 - Chicken Day - chicken tenders and fries

🍖 Thursday Dec 08 - Meat Day - mousaka (from freezer)

🍕🍟 Friday Dec 09 - Fakeaway Day  - tajine & couscous (from freezer)

🫓🍜 Saturday Dec 10- Easy Peasy Day - chicken pie (ingredients from freezer)
🍖🥕🍠🍅🥔 Sunday Dec 11 - Roast Day - peirogis & keilbasa (from freezer)

Next Week 
Saag Paneer & Parathas (stores, fridge)

ETA...
A few old habits to revive over the course of this month...
1) 10 min pilates before bed (new course starts tomorrow)
2) 10 min yoga before work day (combine with physio exercises)
3) 10 min walk at lunch
4) 20 min walk to or from work (up the step count)
Aim is to revisit more movement in my day, adding 50 mins over the next few months!

rtandon27

Monday Update

Monthly challenge update...
1gbp saved at co-op via app coupon - needed milk for the office coffee
4.48/294 with 289.52 to go!

Movement
1) 10 min pilates before bed - not on Sun night
2) 10 min yoga before work day - physio done - not yoga
3) 10 min walk at lunch - done - picked up lunch and brought back to office
4) 20 min walk to or from work - this was 30 mins to the train station - no taxis available
Active minutes for the day registered as 31 - but more than double my step goal!

rtandon27

Tuesday Update

Monthly challenge update...
nothing saved or brought in today
but ended up wfh unexpectedly, so no taxi fare or lunch expenditures

Movement
1) 10 min pilates before bed - nada - was too tired to move!
2) 10 min yoga before work day - physio done
3) 10 min walk at lunch - nope - the kitchen is 30 seconds away
4) 20 min walk to or from work - nope - the stairs was the extent of the commute
no active minutes & well under my step goal

None of that is inherently bad, in the bigger picture, but it does make me aware that the rhythm on a wfh day is very different to a commute day!

rtandon27

Arrgh - I'm down with either a flu or strep - started feeling off on the commute home last night and by the time I got home needed to go straight to bed.  I'm using one of my precious sick days today as there is no way I'm going to power through anything!  Have cancelled some lunch plans for both this week and early next week so that if i'm contagious nobody else gets sick!  So it's on the sofa under a blankie with my favorite sweater on today & also need to be super careful not to infect the OH!  Hand sanitizer and dettol wipes at the ready. 

Wednesday Update

Monthly challenge update...
nothing saved yesterday as money from lunch budget spent
but also nothing extra spent so living within means!

Movement
1) 10 min pilates before bed - this goal has not happened yet!
2) 10 min yoga before work day - physio done - again no yoga - may have to revisit this goal
3) 10 min walk at lunch - yes!  went to pick up a hot lunch
4) 20 min walk to or from work - 20 mins in the morning from the station to the office
active minutes only registered as 11 though - but 1/3 more than my step goal! - average so far for the week has hit my step goal

Today however, I don't see a lot of movement happening!  My body is crying out for some TLC so it's lot's of fluids & rest!

edinburgher

Living within your means is a victory, even if it's not the most exciting one ever! 

Take care of yourself, it sounds like your body is telling you that it's time for some enforced rest.