Cherry takes the reins

Hello everyone.

NSD yesterday - and a bit more income due to working Bank Holiday.

Today I have a thousand and one resolutions which are really aspirations. That's a bit overwhelming so I set out to find my bullet journal, which is elusive. Meanwhile I have two piles of books at my elbow which came from the shelf where I thought the BJ was. Next place to search is on top of a box of files but that's where the receipts of doom (i.e. not on my spreadsheet) are lurking and I'm rather worried about touching that because they are even more overwhelming. So a good old displacement activity or several were called for and I cleaned the bathroom, made more ginger syrup, put laundry in to wash and took some recycling out.

Now I'm sitting here trying to collect my thoughts.

The other thing I managed this morning was a look at the mortgage: I've paid off a lot in the last 12 months or so. There are three parts to it, all at the same rate and the aim is now to snowball these. All else being equal (ha, ha) I should be able to reduce it to the original mortgage only, by January. Of course I'm impatient and want it done sooner! I do have a piece of paper with my workings out but I don't grasp maths very easily so the figures won't be spot on. I've left out the bit where parts 2 and 3 get a bit smaller while I'm paying off part 1, because I don't know how much smaller they will be. However, the aim is to be finished with the smallest payment and starting on the second during June. If I can make it earlier, that's a bonus.

I also want to start AVCs - which I know I've put off forever, which can only be stupid when I have the option... also there is the Big Holiday now booked for the autumn (we have the cash for all basic costs but need spending money) and I want to start a Christmas fund. To that end I've looked at starting a new bank account but got bogged down in whether switching banks would be worth the hassle. For the sake of cash to switch, it probably would but I don't want to close my existing account as it's useful for the mortgage, which is with the same bank. In theory I could do a DD but how about all the easy five minute overpayments that have made such a difference so far?

I need to get out of panic mode so I've decided to treat myself to the book about living on £1 a day. It costs £2-something but having an easy read is a good way to unwind.

I've saved a small amount so far today by cutting bramble leaves for the guinea pig from the garden instead of feeding him from the fridge! He says they make a nice change but hey human, I saw you getting cucumber out for yourself.

DH has repapered the place in the kitchen where there used to be a cupboard so if I can get that painted I will feel better. I have the paint already.

I'm also inspired to eat from stock today - not sure if I can as I wanted to make a pie and I don't think there's chicken left in the freezer. The rainy weather may help here though.

VelvetFreak wrote: »

Happy New Year!
Perhaps we can be diet buddies ?

Judging by tonight's food, I need all the help I can get! :rotfl:

Quite happy to do some mutual cheering on / consoling / kick in the right direction.

parsniphead wrote: »

Isn't it amazing how much housework and tedious tasks can be achieved when putting something off. :rotfl:

Absolutely.

DS decided to go into town so I asked for a lift, only to find his battery was dead. I was determined not to stay in the house any longer, though, so I walked. This did involve spending some money. I wandered into a charity shop and spotted some jeans... never go shopping when you are wearing clothes you don't like. The ones I have on today are a poor fit and I suppose I wanted to feel I have more choice for very cold weather - so a whole £3.99 spent.

I couldn't go to the cheap place at the far end of town because I couldn't carry stuff from there but I did go to a few High Street places and nearly, but not quite, resisted the lure of the supermarket on the way back.

Dinner: I found chicken in the depths of the freezer - it had freezer burn :eek: but after defrosting and baking in oil and rosemary I sliced it up with some gammon and various veg and my secret ingredient, shop-bought pastry and it made a reasonable pie. Afterwards I decided to use up the rest of the pastry in something savoury, and invented a cheesy lentil thing that worked out rather well apart from there was far too much of it. Then I had one of the pasties after dinner :o:o, froze the rest before I could eat them, too, and have a dish of baked lentil thing to eat tomorrow lunchtime. It will not be low calorie.

Rather despondent as I've found out that the new boiler has stopped working - the chap says it won't be a problem and he'll fix it next week. I was hoping for sooner. I've also found the rubbish has just been put in bins not taken away - which I'd paid for them to do.

On a positive note, I signed up for a workplace fitness challenge and got a colleague to join me. She's found someone else from work has already joined so this could motivate me over the next couple of months.

Still no sign of the BJ but I found some notebooks I could use and managed not to get a new one (though I did look).

It says something about my book habit that I'd been thinking of getting a particular cookery book and while looking for the journal today, found I already have it.

Spends:
Book £2.08
Clothes £3.99
Toiletries £1.00
Housekeeping £7.78
Pets £1.50
MS stuff:
Today's food all from cupboards and freezers (housekeepign spend was for DS and some fruit & cereal which we haven't had yet).
Found lots of potential good reads already on my shelves
DH has fixed a couple more areas of dodgy plasterwork
Workplace fitness challenge is free and I'm competitive so may well benefit there without the expense of the gym.
Jeans for £3.99
Very cheap coconut conditioner from £ shop, and so far it seems okay.
Haven't joined in the conversation about pre-meal drinks with colleagues tomorrow. Just the meal for me.
Confession time:
Eating a pasty that was meant to be lunch from the freezer
Jeans...
Book... (but I'm quite enjoying it)