CrazyBee wants to be Mortgage Free!

CrazyBee787

I had a little word with MD today I said I have bought a few presents for xmas and we started planning a little bit for Christmas. We both agreed a few small pressies to open but not to go overboard, she also said not to buy anything else bless her. Don't worry I didn't tell her what I bought, I told her what I bought SFD and I told step sister, she approves, thankfully as I have now purchased! It is just good to be open, I think we all like to have a little gift, but we are all trying to accumulate cash so no great need to spend a fortune.

Christmas we decided to get the magazine from MandS and get a few bits from there so we won't have to prep much, I don't think it has come out yet, but I will keep my eye out for it as the slots soon close up for collections. I think I will bring the game that I had a previous year. I know it is early to talk about Christmas it is just my favourite time of the year, It is what I look forward to the most, surprisinlgy even when it has not been so good.

Today I earnt £20 to help out MD & SFD I haven't spent any money and therefore my bank balance is at £549.85/ £600 to last until 25.10.25. No spend days are up to 12, I think I need to make some flap jack for the monday coming and the rest of the week, because if I have something filling and something sweet to tied me over I may not purchase anything more - that is the aim. It would be great to get through an office day without having spent anything.

I have checked HMRC and there is nothing to show for payment for this month, so they (the company I work for) must leave it right until the last minute to sort payroll, I guess they don't get the charges like they use to for same day payment? Still if it was me I would want to be a bit more organised it is leaving it right until the last minute. Maybe someone will be sick on the last day or something? I won't complain unless I don't get paid which is 30th of the month (or last working day).

I am still loving the expenses book, it was particularly good to see the increase in funds today! On another note my lodger is a gem and seems to have moved in a lot more things, I am glad I was worried he didn't have many things, but quite a bit more now. We had a little natter earlier in the week and he said he would still like to make me pasta and tirimisu, I asked about the tirimisu, it will be interesting to see what he is like as a chef. What an angel, I don't know how I pick em but someone is on my side.

I have all of Sunday to myself, I may do some writing today or tomorrow, some reading and cross stitch, I have been thinking to make the correction on the cross stitch that has stopped me from continueing it, if I run out of thread I can always order more! I just need to start it again and stop holding back. I do have some things left to do housework wise, like clean the bathroom and wash up, I may do those now before dinner and leave the fun stuff for tomorrow and this evening.

Have a lovelly evening allXX

CrazyBee787

A little motivational list of chores before I put the dinner on : -

1) Clean bathroom

2) sort bag that came out of the car

3) Prepare dinner and put on to cook

4) Wash up

5) Eat dinner.

I do need to at some point check out the stored winter clothes and see what there is there that is suitable for this year also maybe put away some of my summery things, maybe today maybe tomorrow? I do need to do a wash though! Maybe I will do that first? I also want to minimise some of the things that I have stored that I don't use, I think the charity shop will get some stuff, a good sort out is needed! Maybe that is what I will do tomorrow? as well as all the things I said before on previous postXX

CrazyBee787

Today I didn't do as planned and relax in, I took MD to the garden centre and in the end although I picked up a good bargain, and enjoyed some food I really wish I had stayed in. I paid for the food and spent £32.65 and a further £10.07 on a quality made sieve for £5 from £30.99! (plus stuff for pack up tomorrow) Bargain, I am pleased with that. The sieve I have is falling apart and I only bought it a little while ago (more then a year ago!), so glad to have found it. 

Which means I am down to £477.19/£600 and we are on day three that is 20%, I am hoping to avoid buying anything tomorrow and the rest of the week now, but I am never sure i'll stick that like glue. It is soo so easy to spend i'll try and keep it low if no to no!

MD & SFD have both tried to encourage me to buy a car, I am getting the hint, but if they weren't here I probably wouldn't bother with one, it is nice being able to go where you want but if all you can say when you are saving money is I am saving for a car, a car really is too expensive especially when you have other dreams. My dream wasn't just to own a car, actually it wasn't my dream to have a car! I don't miss it but then I am borrowing MDs car right now, I would probably miss it if I didn't have a car at all. But then I think I could get used to going without a car. Anyhow I am saving for now, well when I get paid I will be!

I was planning not to spend money when I got the £600 and try and keep it intact as long as possible but I didn't do that I feel somewhat pathetic, how the hell am I going to save if I spend so easily, I kind of wish I didn't have to take MD out all the time.....I just spoke to her and she says I don't have to take her out all the time, she is still happy for me to have the car as no one else takes her out anyhow. And the other thing bothering me is that my sister used to take my mum out to the hair appointment (which she contstantly argues at her) every 6-8 weeks and I said I would rather take her then wait around for my sister to throw her weight about come back with the car. MD said she is happy to sort that too. MD is a good egg that is for sure. I think I will do that crosss stitch card for her for Christmas, as well as buy her this beatiful shawl I have seen!

Why does it take me soo long to learn anything, I am a free spirit but also I am very slow.

RedLipstick

Why don't you start easy? 

Save 10% of all the money that comes, that'd be £60 already on the side. Save 10% from the benefits, from rent, from salary and the money will start growing. Baby steps.

Can't you find a cheaper car? Your income is very low, the car you have picked is third of your annual salary if I remember the numbers right? That's champagne on a Prosecco budget. Maybe aim for something within 10-15% range? xx

CrazyBee787

The thing is @Redlipstick I have to do something about my weight and something about my spending the spending is excessive when it is just food let alone anything else. I need to get to a good place with food and spending. And I hope my attempts are not in vein, I have just stopped taking a drug for Diabetes which as the pharmacist said was setting me back because I was constantly painfully hungry and only junk food could satiate it, it was awful. I am more human today now that I am off of it. We are having an appointment next week to talk about another med. So I think I will once again re-configure my shop, I am going to shop once per week and have fresh every week, include veg and maybe even cook a bit. Importantly I need to be prepared for the week so that I don't go off and buy junk food, today I have eaten a lot of junk food and I hate that I did it. I just need to fill up on healthier food and now that I am not constantly painfully hungry I might just be able to do it. We shall see. I feel a renewed sense of possibility. bear with lest see what happens when my new shop arrives on Sunday - scratch that I think I will change it to Saturday so I can cook and bake!

CrazyBee787

I have a few tasks to do this morning a motivational list will be just the trick: -

1) Have breakfast

2) Put crockery on to soak

3) Put all washing away

4) clean dining table

5) Wash up

6) get dressed

7) make bed

8) get office set up and get to work!!

CrazyBee787

It has been a power day today where it has been breezy to get stuff done, I want to get something done and I push myself to do it and it is done, and work was good, although it wasn't my strongest day, I didn't do too badly though. I got paid today, my EF/ Car fund has increased and I have trasferred the maximum amount to Savings account £250 with 5% interest, I don't know how long I will have it as I can't remember when I opened it!, but I will just get another when it ceases.

I am keeping the money in the current account otherwise and watch it slowly grow not from interest just monthly top up, I have always been worried that I can't pay bills if I am hit by a car or worse, I guess I shouldn't worry but it would be nice to know I have a home to go back to should I be alive, and having a balance in the current account will allow for bills to be paid. By the I hope nothing happens and all is okay but it has worried me in the past. Anyhow today I spent again, but not all bad I bought eggs and mayo and have actually made an egg mayo sandwich for tomorrow when I am in the office I am hoping it will be filling and stop me from reaching for cXXp! Although I did buy popcorn and chocolate coated rice cakes as well! This made me think of my shop I have now ordered yoghurt as a healthier alternative as well as some kit kats and popcorn. Plus I will have oranges and or apples.

I am hoping now that I am prepared I can start October off in a better way then these last few days of spend spend spend!! and try and nab a no spend day to start me off. Wishing you all do as well as I hope I do. CrazyXX

CrazyBee787

White Rabbits! Happy First Of October, New month new attempt at being an improved version of myself. I have made a pack up where I made the egg mayo myself, sounds silly but I tried this before and faild; this time round it worked! I think the trick is shelling them when they have just boiled or not long after. I had trouble taking off the shells before this time all went well, eggs mayo is filling and better then shop bought, so I have done a good deed for myself! I think I am being successful at all actions in my mission list which is on my signatuire as follows:

1) Build up an emergency fund (EF) 
2) Improve spending habits.
3) Create a budget that is compatible to me.
4) Buy healthier snacks to avoid junk food splurges.

Proof will be in the pudding when the month draws to an end and see if the £600 lasted? or not? then if it did I would have saved money.

CrazyBee787

I have done a bit of money moving etc. I now have a £2K EF and I have no debt (except student loan and mortgage), I have calculated what I could potentially achieve by the end of the year if I were to stick to £600 spending money, which is I could put away another £1K each month, not every month just the next two, so defo worth aiming for. I have had a brilliant first day of the month, long may the good behaviour continue, I am on £416.13/ £600 spending money so quite a whack has gone for the first of the month, and there is 30 days to go until next £600 is in my pocket. I have racked up 1/12 no spend days also. 

The eggs mayo sarnie was a success I have to say, it kept me satiated mostly, there is a good chance I don't need another medication for sugars levels, I have had sugar today, but more controlled, not brilliant but I didn't go out and get any extras however I did have quite a bit anyhow. But defo improvement. I would say I am definetely achieving my missions.

I think it is helping me that I know I am not on a diet but instead I am changing what I do so it is healthier, I don't think I want to go on a diet but I do want to improve what I am doing but there is a way to go but I have made a start however small it may be.

Because food is where I spend money and I still will do but the two are entwined/ or twinned saving money and eating less or eating more sensibly. Instead of buying several bags of cXXp over the course of the week I will make sure I have filling wholesome snacks in, also it helps that I no longer feel hungry all the time like insanely hungry and after all the Junk food. When I say wholesome snacks instead of a bag of sweets I will have a yoghurt, I know there is sugar in yoghurt but not a bag of sweets amount. Instead of getting a massive bar of chocolate or several cakes I will have a kitkat (4 finger) with egg sarnie filling power I won't need so much big choc or shop bought sarnies. 

I will likely lose some weight however I am not trying to lose weight, the ultimate goal will be to be more sensible in my food choices, a kit kat now, another time it might be a few nuts, I love walnuts, actually I may make the change now! Done plus I got dried apricots, I know they are sugary but they also have health benefits, and I do still use other meds for diabetes. I no longer have anything naughty on my shop, except choc pops on the cereal front, I should have muesli, I think I will make the change...one second...Done, actually there is still ice creams but they are small and I really enjoy them compared to what I normally have not a bad shop.

Have a good evening allXX

CrazyBee787

It has been a quiet day today, I have kept to plan and added a no spend day 2/12, I have actually added some cash MD & SFD wanted me to get fish and chips for them so I said I would like some fuel money £10 so my spending money stands at £426.13/ £600 28% of the way through the money and only 20% way through the month (starting from 25th September and ending 31st October), the numbers are not drastically bad, but I do need to keep a tight reign on spend if I am to stick to target. On that note I added a few extra things so that my spend for groceries is £90 for two weeks. Which I am happier with.

Good evening allXX