The "Grand Plan" - Phase One well underway!

setmefree2

Good Luck and well done:T:T:D

EssexHebridean

Another £100 into the ISA this week - half of it being the refund from British Gas on the gas bill, the other half being some surplus cash from the joint account after this fortnight's spending. (We work on a fortnightly basis as I get paid on the 15th, and OH on the 28th).

Got a good result from our pay reviews at work - working in the construction industry any sort of pay rise this year was unexpected - I got what equates to about £50 per month after tax though so am very happy with that. I've adjusted the amount to head off into my savings account by the same amount.

Did a stock-up shop at tesco this evening - I had all my vouchers sorted out before I went and managed to get accepted a £10 off £50 clothing spend one, a £4 off £40 total spend one, and the free smoothie one which went through at £2.49. Also remembered the washing powder one for 100 cc points. Net result, and including a few BOGOF's and special offers - was a £61.88 trolley load ending up costing me £40.77 - happy days! I aim to keep my monthly grocery supermarket spend as close to £100 as I can this month - although OH will be doing the shopping next week as I'm away for a girls weekend with friends. He's going to be given the list though AND informed that I shall be receipt-checking on my return!

Skipped my Friday bacon roll at work this morning so another £1.50 fed into the pig. Plan is to count him up around the middle of each month and pay in the proceeds. Any spare cash from the ClubCard Plus account will also be heading across to the ISA.

EssexHebridean

Is it irrational to be actively looking forward to your next mortgage statement, do you think?!

The weekend has been quite productive - we've changed four lightbulbs in the flat to low energy ones - including the two lamps in the front room that we use most often. I dropped OH off at Rugby training yesterday morning and came home via Sainsburys so I could buy a free range chicken - (our local Tesco are playing silly !!!!!!s with their sales figures at the moment - if the only free range birds they stock are organic and ridiculously expensive, or corn fed and ridiculously expensive, and as a result they don't sell any, that means their figures show they need to stock less. Hmmmmm. I guess their rapidly dropping sales of cheapo imprisoned birds were alarming them rather a lot then?!) - today we've had some of it for lunch, I've cooked the carcass up for stock (three pots of it cooling ready to go into the freezer, and a jug with some more to go in a risotto tomorrow) and I now have a massive pot of curry on the go - also for the freezer. I still have the second chicken breast in the freezer for tomorrows risotto. I reckon that bird is going to make 7 meals plus the foundations of three more risottos. :j Whilst OH was at training I also made cheese scones for lunch and todays tea, and a batch of biscuits.

We've got a bag of stuff to price up and get onto eBay this evening too.

poppyoscar_3

Thought I'd drop in and say hi.......sounds like you're doing great!

Will follow with interest!

PO xx

EssexHebridean

Cheers PO - if determination alone could get us there then we'd make it, no problem!! I've got a really clear picure of where I want to be in a year's time - that helps I think. Long way to go though - and this is just phase 1!

evab_2

I agree about the poor chicken in Mr T's, our local one just stocks rubbish. Dh and I are going to go round the local farm shops and try to stock up once a month on meat, we don't eat a lot so hopefully it will last a while and be cheaper but better quality than Tescos.

mdeebee

Slightly off-topic I know, but Stuart, please would you send me your spreadsheet?

Thank you.

Courgette

EssexHebridean wrote: »

- although OH will be doing the shopping next week as I'm away for a girls weekend with friends. He's going to be given the list though AND informed that I shall be receipt-checking on my return!

That's hilarious!! Such a relief when I read statements like that, not just me who's a complete control freak then!!!!!!:rotfl:

EssexHebridean

evab wrote: »

I agree about the poor chicken in Mr T's, our local one just stocks rubbish. Dh and I are going to go round the local farm shops and try to stock up once a month on meat, we don't eat a lot so hopefully it will last a while and be cheaper but better quality than Tescos.

That's what we do. Our farmers market don't have a stall with Chickens annoyingly, so I'm stuck with the supermarket for those, but I do make them work for me. We've not bought any other meat in the supermarket for well over a year now though, with the exception of the occasional pack of sausages. Once you get used to the stallholders at the market, and they to you, you'll find it works really well.

Courgette wrote: »

That's hilarious!! Such a relief when I read statements like that, not just me who's a complete control freak then!!!!!!:rotfl:

Definately not - if I don't keep the finances under control, no-one else will, and I adopted the "shop alone" principle for the most part a while back.....certainly brings down the cost!! He did come with me this week though so he saw how I'm working it now, and he can't deny that our spending has dropped significantly!

phizzimum

EssexHebridean wrote: »

Is it irrational to be actively looking forward to your next mortgage statement, do you think?!
.

I thought it was just me that does that!