MSE blog 2008

MushyPeas

After encouragement from benbenandme (and yeovilmac) I've decided to start an MSE stylee diary. I've wanted to for a while, but wasn't sure where to put it (thanks for the suggestion MSEAndrea gave me here).

I'm fortunate enough not to be a DFW anymore, so can't diary there....but want to get more focused on OS / MSE / DFW ways!!! I guess I want to combine stuff such as stocking up on freebies, getting to grips with flying, healthy eating and losing weight, reducing my mortgage, stoozing etc. So you can see I want to get in with lots of different areas of MSE, but bring it all together in one place! I thought a diary would help if I wittered on a bit here .

Overview of the situation is that I have a flat I moved into 9 months ago and I still haven't really unpacked.... :eek: I had to leave my home suddenly in July 2006 and my lovely family packed up all my belongings so my stuff has been in storage and is all shoved in boxes, who knows what where... Then I managed to get a small flat last year, but have been working away a lot and then when here more working (4/5 jobs....silly Pea). I've decided to cut back on work for a moment while I sort out my life! How one person can amass so much clutter, paperwork etc. is beyond me, but that's one of my skills .

So I'm going to post priorities here and I think it will help me focus.

Finally a big thank you to the inspirational benbenandme diary, read the diary here.

Pea x

jo_b_2

Hi MushyPeas! :wave:

I kept a similar savings diary on this board all through last year and I've just come on to add up my totals for the year and start a new one for this year!

I'll be keeping an eye on this thread for inspiration and mutual encouragement! Good luck and hope you'll be healthy, wealthy and wise throughout 2008! :beer:

MushyPeas

Right young lady, time to have words....it's the 2nd and you've not achieved much!!!

Ok....so maybe I am talking to myself ...

To help me focus on some work tonight, this is my list:

* hand wash 5 items did them all My belongings have been in storage so before I unpack most things have to be washed..oh and washed some make up brushes and stuff.
* cook myself bacon pasta dish (also tomorrow's lunch), using up food from NYE party (aren't I good, pouring away vodka jelly) kinda yummy bacon dish...but now oven is COVERED in oil - doh. Been a good flylady and just cleaned it!
* restart Spark logged back on, planned tomorrow's food and weighed ...
* go through white plastic box of paperwork: URGENT pile start to action tomorrow
* sort out stoozing card I applied for to sort out other CC tomorrow
* apply for teaching job tomorrow
* C work - emails tomorrow

Ooh and pat myself on the back for completing my Assessor's course, finally! :beer:

Edit 2235: Where did this evening go?!!!! Think I spent too long browsing on here again.... doh!

MushyPeas

Diary is going slowly, but have been away for a few days

I travelled to London last week for a meeting. The train journey is about 4 hours each way and I have got into the habit of buying tea / sandwiches / bacon rolls on the train. They are disgusting and v. expensive..:o

So I made sure I got up at 0530 :eek: to make a flask etc. with some Dec 17 dated cake which turned out to be fine.... and here's the evidence on the train:



Yes I was bored! :rotfl:

Shopped at Morrisons when I returned, it's a bit wierd for me doing supermarket shopping as I haven't really done any for about a year and a half. Have to keep reminding myself I'm now going to be living in one place . Managed to pick up a carton of soup for £0.09 and a tub of humous for £0.09 so that was last night's tea and today's lunch. I did buy some crisps for lunches....but ate some last night, no will power!

Been reading other people's running totals of savings so I might look at doing that myself later

MushyPeas

Well another 'non-work' day, this morning wizzed by and then I met a friend for lunch in town and spent this afternoon / evening at uni. My MSE lifestyle achievements today include:

* Using the TomTom and driving 'shortest' route rather than 'fastest' route into town and back so saving a total of (drumroll please....) 7 miles travelled . Now I just need to calculate how much that actually saves me in £££.
* Taking teabags (from hotel stayovers) into Uni to spend £0.40 rather than £1.40 on cuppas
* Parking 15 min walk away from town so I parked for free and saved around £6.50 +
* Checking calories at Costa online before lunch so could go for healthy meal
* Booking train ticket for Wednesday's journey up north at the city's train station so I could a) use credit card with no fee (% cashback) and b) ensure seat reservation

Today I was offered another full-time job in the smoke, this is the 3rd in as many weeks. I've said no, even though I'm not sure it's the right decision...:o I miss the smoke, but need to spend time in SWest getting my life in order. Geez I hope I've done the right thing, but I'm not sure!!! I'm so confuddled at the mo.

Oh, but I have just applied for a job down here, so fingers crossed....I can't keep turning work down, mortage to pay off!

Right, now to studying. I have an exam at 9 am tomorrow, I think it will be a late night! :eek:

yeovilmac

Hey MP, nice diary. Thanks for the "heads-up" on where to find it. What's that? Make it look like I found it spontaneously, oops, sorry! :rolleyes:

I'll be following your diary intently from now on too. Benbenandme's diary inspired me and maybe we can all inspire each other.

Best wishes

Martin
x

PS I can't believe you took a picture of a flask on a train...

MushyPeas

Tee hee thanks Yeovil (I'm too used to names on here!), what do you mean you didn't just accidently find this?! :rolleyes:

Um....'following it intently' well I don't have anything to say for today .

Though I've just realised today has been a NSD :j .

Up at 5.30 am this morning :eek: after little sleep and had an exam first thing. Was running late so drove the 'fastest' route on the way there but 'slowest' route on the way back saving..... 1.3 miles, wow! :rotfl: I really need to find out how to figure out the ££ saved in petrol, but don't know where to start.

For the rest of the day I've been working from home, so not much to report.

Tomorrow is another long day travelling, I have my flask all prepared....so be warned...I may get bored !

Pea x

MushyPeas

Oh, the shame, Tuesday wasn't a no spend day after I posted that message....then bought something online

But I've had two NSD yeyeyeyey get me :j :j :j

Yesterday I had a 12 hour round trip on the train and was really, really prepared and took loads of food and drink so didn't spend any money. Even after browsing in shops.

Today my friend made me lunch (as I helped her tidy up her place), then parked in town a 10 min walk away so parked for free AND took shortest route home so saved a WHOLE 5 miles!!

And have just got some more work :beer: It's all good.

On the flying front, RUBBISH, but am keeping kitchen tidy

Wowee my updates are exciting But this is helping me keep focused

jamtart6

Hi Mushy! :hello::hello::hello:
Loving the flask! Looks like you are doing well. I worked out that if I stay at home for one day a week and work from home that is £2.50 each day in petrol (and £2.30 in tolls) that I am saving. This is £250 a year, combined with my "take milk and dont buy cups of tea" this is another £175... which almost equates to a week in Mallorca (I like to think of things in terms of how far I can travel!!)

Best of luck!

MushyPeas

Hey jamjam :wave: I like your thinking I want to try and figure out how much it costs to run my car per mile so I can calculate how much journeys cost me and how much I save if I drive 'shorter' routes. How did you work out your cost of running your car? I think that's what I need to do next!

Oh last night I cancelled what I had bought on Tuesday, so technically 3 NSD and then because I want to get fit I bought some exercise DVDs as my nearest gym is a 20 mile round trip. BUT I didn't buy them till 0030 so still technically 3 NSD . It felt like a bit of a treat as I spent around £20 but I've calculated that I saved that over the last few days so feel I deserve it a little bit.

I also treated myself to an album which contains a song which means something to me. I remember hearing this on the radio when I was driving back from Cornwall one day and it helped me make a big life decision (against all my friend's and family's wishes) about where I wanted to live: Suddenly. It's the best decision I've ever made .

MushyPeas

Afternoon all. Blimey I can't believe it's 1700!! :eek:

Spent the day doing work, just washed up and now need to shower in 15 min and head out the door. Going to see a mate for the evening, we're sharing a curry and then back to hers to watch a DVD so kind of saving pennies. I recon that will save me around £30 on a night out on the beers, cabs etc. :beer:

Going to the smoke next week so I'll spend a bit of tomorrow planning how not to end up buying cappuccinos, sandwiches from Pret etc. :drool: