Don't hit me with those negative waves Moriarity

LzzyIsGod

(This is the) Return of the Space Cowboy - Jamiroquai

Well hello. Thank you for your lovely messages. Just back after a little break from online/social media. Sometimes I find i need a little hiatus and a few weeks off have seen me trying to be a bit nicer to myself. 

Not much to report money wise although I'm starting to.prepare for the festive season but haven't quite yet decimated the Christmas pot. I'm sure that will change in the next 2 weeks!

I've now done my extra weekends until just before Christmas and I'm slightly relieved as j could do with a bit of normality for a bit.

Hope everyone is well Lzzy x

Rhyddid2026

Nice to see you back, I hope you're feeling better after the break 
(I initially put rest, but then deleted it because I doubt you've been resting)

LzzyIsGod

sharp dressed man - zz top

for many many years youngest yoof for various reasons has resisted ever having a wardrobe in his bedroom (too scary/I don't like them/I don't need one/spiders might hide in there/i dont want to go to Narnia). It's never sat well with me but he's a character and knows his mind (and tbh has managed perfectly well with a good chest of drawers which has always weakened my argument).

Recently though the tide has turned, and with agreement i started looking for one for him. Its been a while since ive spent money on furniture, tbh and i was a bit shocked if im perfectly honest 🤣 Jaw. Ground. Hit.   Anyway after much internet searching and design discarding (one well known Swedish brands website I was up to 400 quid with a basic design and no doors) I happened across the local 2nd hand vintage/house clearance shop fb page. It's rough and ready, some of the stuff is not great but then sometimes a little gem pops up with exactly what you want that's worth going down to have a closer look at  ......... anyway £165 lighter (i haggled and included delivery) we have a new to us wardrobe coming on Saturday. Woohoo

As my fave time of year approaches my Christmas pot appears to be haemorrhaging money - I console myself with the fact that this is it's purpose in life and it's fulfilling its destiny and I've planned every penny so it's ok to spend it.

What a difference a year makes 😅 I missed my 1st MSE anniversary in my absence and my mindset is so vastly different now to back then. I'm almost don't recognise myself

Best start making space for the new arrival!

LzzyIsGod

Greetings on this rather damp Sunday morning!

What a spendy week 😂 although it did include a wardrobe, a desk and Christmas presents - not quite as catchy as the Lion, the witch and the wardrobe though. Said wardrobe and desk arrived yesterday so it was a day of building, reorganising, furniture moving,  cleaning dark corners of bedrooms and getting stuck on the stairs with said wardrobe (it's ok I was rescued). Overall a very productive day and I was too tired to pub last night 🤣

Today i am side hustling for a few hours and then need to catch up with the usual weekend tasks. The Ironing Fairy still hasn't found me!

 Money wise it's the last few days before payday and things keep pootling along.  One of my biggest fears (as regular readers will know) was my fear of falling back into bad habits and spending like a lottery winner which has always happened previously when I've dug myself out of money holes. One advantage of keeping the 0% balances and gradually paying the balance from the saving account is there is no credit card spending occurring as it would nil and void those 0% deals. Psychologically, I think that's really helped as I continue to budget and cash flow things - its been months since i last carried a credit card in my wallet which never happened pre last christmas. Not quite cut them up yet but I suspect I will chop all but 1 up once the 0% deals run down. 

Although we won't have saved as much as last month due to the furniture purchases and Christmas pot reducing (all cash flowed!) we will have saved about £900 I think.  I did turn down the opportunity to purchase gig tickets last week which did break a small piece of my musical heart but with all our other 2026 plans it would have been foolish to over committ to a pricey gig and weekend away. And I have seen Bon Jovi a squillion times before - the yoofs were a little disappointed but we have our 1 Big Gig planned already and I'll be focusing on saving for that post the festive season.

Happy Sunday folks love Lzzy xx

Cara_

It's good to see you back; I missed your posts.

That's a great saving on the wardrobe.

When I read your diary, I do think your mindset towards money has changed as there is planned spending and you are also saving which is fantastic because it can be a very expensive time of year.

LzzyIsGod

Good lord how is it December already.

I am surprised it's been a week since I updated but things have been busy with family and my sister and I are finding we are having support our parent a little more currently than usual which has physically and emotionally been quite hard. Between that, mock exams,  eldest yoof getting another (slightly more grownup) part time job and running youngest yoof around I'm surprised I find the time to go to work myself. I'm keeping my head down at work and being as super efficient as i ever have been as things do look dark on the horizon even for clinical staff at the moment.

Money wise we did hit above the savings target for November 🥳 BUT it is the season of jovilties so I squirreled some of that away to top up the Christmas pot. I think I may need to be a little more generous with it next year - not because I've seen the light like Scrooge on Christmas morning (heaven forbid!!)  but that inflation has outstripped my budgeting - even edible sticking Fillers have shot up in price.   Dh and I are sticking with the Absolutely No Presents Pact bar a small cracker present (I make our own) - I'm afraid budget won over my personal ethics and I got all the cracker presents for about 2 quid each off a well known abroad website. Maybe next year I can review that decision.  Anyway Christmas has been completely cash flowed and I've had to check where my physical CCs are hidden as I had forgotten!

I know MSE avoids political posts but last Weds I was reminded of my dear grandfather who always knowingly advised " there's only 2 things certain in life - death and taxes". He was a Wise Old Owl.

On we trundle!!

Rhyddid2026

Three people have recently asked me if I'm worried about some changes in work. The first was the director telling us not to be worried. I wasn't worried until he said that, I hadn't even considered I should be. But now the third person has mentioned it I think I need to keep a little tiny worry at the back of my mind to be on the safe side. Hopefully you'll have nothing to worry about too, but I'm guessing you'll have multiple back up ideas/plans already. 

LzzyIsGod

Rhyddid2026 said:

Three people have recently asked me if I'm worried about some changes in work. The first was the director telling us not to be worried. I wasn't worried until he said that, I hadn't even considered I should be. But now the third person has mentioned it I think I need to keep a little tiny worry at the back of my mind to be on the safe side. Hopefully you'll have nothing to worry about too, but I'm guessing you'll have multiple back up ideas/plans already. 

It's one of those worries that just niggles away quietly in the background (or loudly in the middle of the night when I'm wide awake - thanks perimeno). Trouble is you can't actually do anything about it but ive thought about potential options that might mean we could hopefully scrape by. 

Certainly focuses the mind on getting the mortgage down asap and has helped with keeping Christmas spending in check. 

LzzyIsGod

All i want for Christmas - Mariah Carey

All I want for Christmas  ....... is a peaceful life, kids doing ok at school, work to calm down, bit more money would be nice and a new body that won't give up on me.  I think the phrase is "moon on a stick".

Surprisingly, given the time of year, money is the least of my little world's problems currently, but it's feeling like the universe is throwing snowballs from all directions at the moment. I do finally know atleast what's wrong with my back which continues to play me up and I have a new diagnosis to add to the ever growing list. Genuinely (despite working in health care) i never thought I'd get my own list of ailments.

But although the savings is slowing this month (not unexpected given the time of year) I'm still looking ahead. Next year im going to pay off the ccs with the money in the bank when the 0% deals run out and set a new target ........ Mortgage Free By Fifty Three. 

Ok more realistically 55 and I currently have NO PLAN on how to achieve this 😂 but I'm sure I'll get some inspiration from somewhere. 

Seasons Greetings love Lzzy xx

Rhyddid2026

I usually like when you post a song, but I have to disagree with this one. I do not want that stuck in my head til I go to sleep.
Also, I prefer mortgage free by 53 because it rhymes. I read some of the MFW diaries sometimes, for future inspiration.