The Little Cottage by the Sea

rachmac3

That's amazing progress!! well done!!
The shift in mindset really helps, doesn't it? 
Although I seem to have lost my mojo this last week or so, I'm just trying to not lose the plot totally before payday on Monday. 
Having that holiday for motivation will be good. I'm sure you can do it. 

BrimfulofSascha

Thanks @rachmac3
What is it that's causing you to loose your Mojo this week? is it that payday seems ages away. or are you being tempted by spending on something?

Had a NSD yesterday, my sport team are doing their best to get me to sign up for an event in 3 weeks but it just isn't in the budget and I have other events I really need to concentrate my energy on. Trying not to get FOMO as there are, so far, 16 of them signed up to attend. Has me thinking about how I balance being sensible and only spending on things I really want to do vs not being a bore and supporting my friends in the future. 

I did have a small money win though, logged into my TCB for the first time in ages and had £28.78 there ready to payout. and another £15 that should mature in the next couple of weeks.
My thoughts are to check it in my savings account so it can earn some interest. I'm currently rounding CC debt payments to the nearest £100 from minimum, then anything else into the savings account so I can earn a little interest and then pay off in full before the 0% term runs out.

I didn't buy lunch yesterday! but I was so hungry when I got home. Todays' lunch is provided by work (They have a food van come every time we have a General meeting) Today's delight is Tibetan food - That shall be a new one for me.

Small wins
Love and light
Sascha

rachmac3

I think it's just been one of those months. I saw friends at the start of the month, which was lovely, but 24h in Exeter cost me about £200 and I can't help think I could have gone somewhere warmer for that. 
A friend is doing the NC500 on Saturday and it was originally planned (2 years ago) that I'd go with her but I just can't afford it. 
I worked a couple of extra jobs this month and one of my pets got ill so there were a lot of late nights and early mornings, and a few extra spends so I think my mojo got lost along the way. I had a mini blow out on Friday and spent money I shouldn't have but it was only about £120 and I was desperate for a few new clothes and shoes for work. I've lost a lot of weight and so most of my clothes either don't fit or are very old. I've had to dip into the house/emergency fund, but I haven't got any more into debt so I'll be happy with that at least. 
I think I'm going to have serious FOMO if I don't book a mini holiday, or something to look forward to soon. 
I hope the Tibetan food was lovely. Our local Indian takeaway is actually Nepalese and it's delicious. I wonder if it's similar food to that?

BrimfulofSascha

Oh Bless you @rachmac3
What a month indeed! It's periods like that where you just think s0d it! what is the point, 2 steps forward and one step back. But it will pass and that one step is still progress. Slow progress is sustainable because you learn as you go.

We spend a lot of time in the highlands, it is so beautiful, especially the West coast. but when you are free from the shackles of CC debt the view will be that much more beautiful.

Well done on the weight loss (I hope it's well done and not illness), you can't exactly go around in no clothes so justifiable. Just tweak the budget and move forward. on the positives you had a savings fund to dip into and the credit cards are still locked away. You have got this!

It was really nice, it wasn't oily or creamy like an Indian curry. There was a dry chicken curry, fluffy rice and a dahl. the flavours were so fresh, less chilli, more cumin, turmeric, clove and cardamom. I'd definitely have it again. One of my big goals is to hike in Nepal for my 40th birthday and if I get rid of the debt I can afford to do that guilt free. The curry definitely helped inspire the debt busting.

rachmac3

Thank you.
That does sound delicious! Maybe the occasional Nepalese meal will keep you motivated for that goal.

BrimfulofSascha

Good Morning Loves,

Spring really is here. I've had a glorious weekend in the sunshine with my sister and her family.
My BIL is an amazing cook and the smalls treated me to breakfast in bed on Sunday. Yesterday was spent being silly in the garden with the children. Sunday long run abandoned due to a slight red wine head (I only ever drink when I stay with them).

The spending account is looking ok. I still have most of a weeks worth of groceries in the house and the car is full of fuel. I did spend £40 on treat food over the weekend (cake and coffee out, pizza Friday night) was not needed but the budget can accommodate. I also spent £44 on skincare, I'm pretty low maintenance and just moisturise and SPF normally, but my skin has been looking so dull the past few months. My sister also gave me some other beauty bits and pieces she got in a subscription box that she wont use, that should set me up for a good few months. Even better she said she's doing a clear out in the next couple of months, especially gym wear that just doesn't fit right. It will be barely worn, she has a lifestyle way beyond mine. That will save me a lot this year, I exercise pretty much every day, and the sport i do ends up destroying my gym wear. So the unnecessary spend this weekend will be totally balanced out by my sisters generosity.

Work has been full on for months now to the point that I've had just two days annual leave since August last year. I use Monzo for day to day spends and round ups go into an 'adventure fund'. There should be just about enough in there to do 1 or 2 nights camping Easter bank holiday. I need something to look forward to and to stop me thinking about work. Shall investigate options.

I got to experience a heron fly overhead and land in a small pond beside me on today's lunch time walk. I work on the edge of a university city and it never fails to amaze me what wildlife I can experience just yards from the office.

This week should be back to spring routine, running or sport training every day, back in the routine of cooking (pasta and meatballs, chickpea Korma and flatbreads, Sausage and mash, on the menu from the current contents of the kitchen). I must get into a better routine with the housework too. Everything is clean-ish just not to the standard I would like.

Love and light
Sascha

BrimfulofSascha

Some more money news to end the day. It was confirmed that we would be recieving pay rises (board approved) that will be reflected in Aprils pay. I should receive the letter to let me know how much by the end of the week, boss has put in a catch up tomorrow so hopefully then?!. It's usually inflation related (as we get performance bonuses) so I'm hoping February's 3.7% is the minimum I get. 

rachmac3

Sounds like a pretty good week all round!

BrimfulofSascha

Good morning loves,

Another sunny day here in the countryside. This weather has me thriving.

I had my pay rise letter yesterday, it was a flat 3% which is better than no pay rise at all. Have worked out what that means in my spreadsheet. The difference will cover my utility rises and pay a tiny bit towards my mortgage rise at the end of the year. I also got awarded some more business share options, which hopefully will be worth something when I vest. Current projections for the shares I hold are £15k value for £2k to vest. I pretend these don't exist though because options are simply options not shares or cash savings.

I did a small top up shop of £17 which should see us until the end of this week. If I'm totally honest with myself not all of this was essential. 
My month runs 24th to 23rd, so far I have spent £76.08 on groceries, my goal is around £200 a month so I have £123.92 left...to cover 3 weeks (boo to 5 week months). This should be ok if I don't shop tired and hungry and do a little meal prep. I do have at least 4 days worth of dinners in stock, and I've done a batch of jacket potatoes for work lunches, so that makes things a little easier. I need get better at not doing all my spending at the start of the month (some can't be helped, I pay upfront for school transport for the month and pocket money) but with food shopping especially I convince myself that I'm bulk buying at the start of the month, then the rest of the month I'm having to play catch up, I should spread the bigger items across the month when they are needed so that I can practice pacing my cash. The same with fun spends, I'll treat myself to coffee with a friend or a new yoga class at the start of the month, have to be more frugal for the second half of the month, then a new payday comes and I treat myself as a reward for having to be frugal. It's so dumb.

There's a gorgeous cottage with a big lovely garden just gone up for sale in the next village. It would be the perfect place for me and my partner B, with a workshop, countryside views, 2 larger bedrooms (I currently have 3 smaller) and a snug, and I wish i was in position to buy it. It's only about £30k more than mine is worth but I'm in no position to pay for a house move right now. Plus our village has far better transport links for high school, so not at all practical right now. It has had me thinking how much I still need to work on my relationship with short term gratification though. My small person finishes GCSE's next summer, and so I'm 3 years and 2-3 months away from her being independent (obviously she will probably be living with me forever, but at least she will be driving and doing her thing) this timing corresponds nicely with me being debt free and having a nice financial cushion behind me. I'm conscious that this freedom of no school runs and no debt could result in me getting into bad habits of lifestyle inflation, eating out, holidays etc. at the detriment of longer term plans like not working until I drop dead, and moving somewhere that isn't a housing estate.

I look to my parents, that have always worked lower paid jobs and lived hand to mouth, spending on things they can't afford. I really don't want that. They are only a few years away from retirement, they still have a small mortgage, a car on finance, no savings and investments, and a combined private pension less than mine is at 36! I do worry for them.

Today's musings have been a bit rambling, so thank you for stopping by.

Love and light
Sascha

Hazelnutty

My daughter's the same age and it's hit me what major changes are not that far away now! College, driving, university etc. I'm not really sure how I'll handle all this financially, let alone emotionally. 

She wants to go to university, at which point her dad will stop paying child support to me and pay her the same by way of helping her through, which is great for her (he earns at least double what I do and has always been consistent in paying) but my losing that and also needing to contribute will have a massive impact on the budgeting I've been used to. We're a single-income household as my PH has a lifelong disability that means they can't work. And that will all happen right around needing to remortgage and turning a major age milestone! But I am looking forward to her being more independent that's for sure (although I'm hoping she'll have more road sense as a driver than as a cyclist)!