LJ's Mortgage free road to early retirement

LouiseJ

Merry Christmas everyone, almost had a no spend day today but I saw some towels on the grabbit board at £3 each so I got 4 as we are decorating the bathroom and they are just perfect, reduced from £12 to £3:T

I have been working on my budget for 2010 and with the help of my slow cooker which I received for a prezzie yesterday I am really determined this time to get to grips with the escalating food budget.

Having a roast pork lunch tomorrow, we were planning to take MIL out for Sunday lunch as we couldnt go last week due to the snow so in true MSE style I am preparing it myself at 1/4 of the cost she will probably enjoy the visit as she doesnt come to our home very often.

Catch up soon with more plans, lists and ramblings........

gallygirl

Have you used the sink yet

How is boiler - that can't be right surely?

Enjoy your dinner tomorrow - we're having proper Shepherd's Pie with left over lamb I bunged in slow cooker - they are wonderful :T, I'm sure you will love it. Have a look on Old Style Board, I posted a recipe there earlier on a slow cooker thread, will probably be banned from there for not taking it seriously but that really is how I use my slow cooker :rotfl:

LouiseJ

Boiler has been "sorting itself out" the last few days as the temperature raises above freezing during the day the pipe unfreezes and by the time it has frozen up again its almost time for bed.

We are waiting for a good mild spell so we can lag the whole pipe properly.

Not sure what you mean about using the sink

I shall have a good look at the slow cooker recipe thread although I have a feeling that I shall be a bung it in and hope for the best kinda gal:rolleyes:

gallygirl

LouiseJ wrote: »

Not sure what you mean about using the sink

I shall have a good look at the slow cooker recipe thread although I have a feeling that I shall be a bung it in and hope for the best kinda gal:rolleyes:

Oops, me being thick, thought it was you who had a new kitchen, ignore me .

Bung in recipes rule :T

LouiseJ

gallygirl wrote: »

Oops, me being thick, thought it was you who had a new kitchen, ignore me .

Bung in recipes rule :T

:rotfl:There will be nothing new in this house until its paid for:o the list is getting longer with things that need doing once we are Mortgage free, starting with new kitchen, bathrooms, roof, new carpeting, sofa, dining room furniture, decorating throughout...........the list is endless:eek:

LouiseJ

Roast pork is absolutely amazing out of the remoska, I have cooked a full roast dinner and not had to turn the main oven on at all:T

The £8 joint of pork from Mr T's is huge and I reckon that at least another 2 meals can be had from the leftovers.

Snow is finally starting to thaw so hopefully we can get back to normal routine soon and the council will send the refuse collectors around, we havent had our bins emptied for 2 weeks:eek:

MoneyQueen

Hi LouiseJ,

Hope you had a good Christmas.

Where are you in UK? We are in Scotland and we have got more snow today and temperatures below zero.

Our refuse collectors also haven't turned up for the last 2 weeks but as we were on Holiday most of this month the bins are not full yet..

MQ

beanielou

MQ~Im in scotland too & a foot more snow today & more forecast.Gah.
Hi Lou

LouiseJ

Im in North of England MQ, thankfully snow is almost gone this morning but what is left is frozen solid:eek:

Brother came to stay last night and we ended up having a Chinese takeaway:o still we dont see each other very often, I don't think that this money saving lark and drinking alcohol bode well together, far too easy to take the "stuff it" attitude after half a bottle of merlot:rolleyes:

Off to town with boys today as they would like to spend some of their Chrismas money, I can have a mooch around the sales (if there is anything left) and get myself some new boots with my Christmas money.

Dont think OH will be joining me after drinking 2 crates of Budwieser between him and brother last night, he still hadnt come up to bed at 4am:rotfl:

LouiseJ

Feel in a sorting mood today.........

Have written to MPI insurance to cancel.

Sent cheque off to Tesco online saver to grab the 1000 extra clubcard points.

Have started my nagging campain on OH to ring flippin Orange up to sort out the mobile and broadband deal, he will ring today otherwise he will be making his own dinner tonight:rotfl:

No response from Sky re the cancellation but I am reluctant to ring as there is a call charge involved. I shall send them an email to chase it up.

Budget for January has been set and started yesterday as next paydate is 29th Jan.

Food - £200
Work - £30
Petrol - £150
Gas - £76
Takeaways- £17
Nights out/Alchohol - £80
Lottery - £8
Pocket Money - £50
Misc - £50

Total £651

All DD's will come out of OH's salary including mortgage etc.

My bank account is looking pitiful and after putting money into savings for the holiday etc and paying back some more borrowing I have a measly £280 left towards the mortgage overpayment pot this added to the £150 included in the DD leaves me £410 short for January payment:eek: not much I can do about that one now.