Spendy Wendy to Saver Savvy

Suffolk_lass

We paid ours off with a credit card then balance transferred to 0% interest 0 fee,  and stoozed it once before finishing it before the second card ran out.

Personally I would be saving in an interest bearing place between now and November, earmarked to reduce the balloon payment, then pay that off the CC balance before balance transferring the remainder

Spendywendywoo

@Suffolk_lass thank you very much. What a great word, stoozing. We will do just that. I’ve put a reminder in to look at credit cards nearer to the time and have added the car payment into the annual expenditure budget I have so it gets an allocation each month. That’s incredibly helpful, thank you x 

Spendywendywoo

Another productive day and a NSD too. 

Work, washing, dishwasher, meal prep done (spag Bol and chilli (5 portions of each)), a walk done in 45 mins that usually take around 50-55 mins and now, time for 2 hours of reading 😀

Suffolk_lass

How lovely, time to read. I must do the same. I have book club next week and only a quarter of the way through mine

Spendywendywoo

@Suffolk_lass, this is completely unknown for me. I usually run around at 100mph, working far too many hours (more than I am paid for), saying yes to every invite or request for my time... but in the New Year I started saying no, I work just my hours, or if I do work a few more I am then more flexible with taking time for myself when I can, I time block so if I finish a task ahead of schedule I now allocate that time to something else like checking on here, or putting a wash on. The time I am saving also by not being on social media is being used for walking or reading. It's a whole world...and I LOVE it! So much more time to think. 

What genre of book are you reading?

I read over 200 pages last night, it's an easy read which is all I can manage atm whilst I get back into reading, I couldn't put the book down, so I was later to bed, felt that this morning, but early night tonight to get back in a good sleep pattern. 

Spendywendywoo

Today is a WFH day, quite a few meetings and work is ramping up, which is good, I have time blocked, I have a to do list with the top 3 tasks to complete, and I will remain calm

* Meals all from stores; english muffin with butter and coffee, hm soup and a tuna sandwich, paella

* Need to review one drawer for the declutter challenge

* One hour walk after dinner whilst listening to an audio book (book 6 of the year)

* Minimum one hour of reading (fiction, book 7 of the year)

This is the time of each month, the lull, that I think I will struggle with as I can't move any more money over to annual expenditure, and it's not my payday until the 14th Feb, but I know we are in a good place (compared to normal) so this is motivating me to concentrate on doing things that are free, but also are moving us in the right direction (weight loss, organisation and a clean home). The budget is working well and I am enjoying reading other diaries, though I must start to comment more often. Today won't be a NSD as the shop I went to at the weekend didn't have any paella rice and I haven't been to any other shops this week, yet, but should still come in under the half month grocery budget I set on the 15th (£250, £450 for the full month to 14th).

I hope everyone is having a great week,
Wendy x 

Suffolk_lass

I'm reading Twenty Years Later - it's a crime based thing. Quite enjoying it so far. I'll let you know.

The lull gets all of us - I put up an annual budgeting worksheet that tells me when to expect automated things and things I need to budget for to hit, split into monthly and annual. I still find things I have forgotten! And I remove things.  (Pause) That reminded me to check if DVLA cancel the automatic DD when you sell a car (DS's has historically been paid by me but we sold his car in December) - it looks like they do but I will look out for it just to be sure!

Spendywendywoo

@Suffolk_lass, that sounds interesting, I’ve added it to my book list for potential future reading. 

Yes, I have a budget for on going monthly costs such as groceries and then underneath the bills that come out by DD. I am checking and updating them almost daily (even if there isn’t a charge to record) so that’s keeping me in check. 

I can’t wait until next month, and March when I can reallocate my council tax payment to mortgage and car balloon payment 😀. 

It so good when there’s things to check, I guess it getting used to not having to check but trusting that progress is progress as the days go by and we aren’t throwing money at things we don’t need or necessarily want 😀

Spendywendywoo

Wednesday, again - the weeks are soon passing by (though it feels like it has been January for an age). 

Today is a day focused on both my work and my personal to do list;

* Finish ironing pile
* Utility room reset
* 3 litres of water (really haven't been drinking a lot these last few weeks and maybe why my weight loss has stalled, even though I'm eating well and walking too)
* maybe a walk (I've got pain in my heel and it seems to get worse when I walk so going to monitor this)
* one lot of washing 
* run and empty the dishwasher
* Change doctors appt as it now falls on a day that I am attending a funeral
* Freezer inventory (I've moved most of the freezer stuff into the chest freezer in the garage so that the meal preps are inside and easy to reach)
* work task list is as long as the above lol

I've noticed that I am replacing social media with MSE Forum...so from now on I will check the forum and provide a morning summary, and then revisit again towards the end of the day, once a month just after payday I'll do a full summary and advise what I've been able to overpay and what progress has been made, to keep me accountable. 

Finished an audio book on the walk last night, and also finished a physical book in bed last night, so 7 books already this year.  I don't think I've read 7 books in the last 10 years!! 

Realised that there have been no Amaz0n spends so far this month, that in itself is a miracle... very proud of us for the progress we have made in such a small amount of time. 

Today should be a NSD too as the plan is all food from stores, leftovers or JPs for us all for dinner. 
So many changes, it certainly feels like 'new year, new me' this time round. 

Hope you all have a lovely day, 
Wendy x

foxgloves

It's JP night here too! Very useful for using up single portions of things.
F