And so it begins: The Pig Vs The Mortgage

Betterthanever · 1 December 2017 at 9:06AM

That is, indeed, very impressive! Even in those areas that have overspent, it isn't by much! Well done you and good luck for December!

museumworker · 1 December 2017 at 6:40PM

Good month by the looks of it - hope you have a relaxing weekend and feel back up to strength soon. I’ve had a day in bed and feel so much better for it (although conversely I sound worse, which might be a bit of a blessing!) the five week month certainly threw my grocery budget out (by three figures, not £16 I must add! :rotfl:)

pinkypig · 6 December 2017 at 10:00PM

Emerging from my brush with the lurgy for a very late monthly update _pale_. I've managed to get to work but there's been a few days when I probably shouldn't have. Consequently I've lost track of much of the detail as its been pretty much work, feed the kids and then bed

. Everything else has been very neglected and I'm hoping some energy will return before the weekend as I'm so behind with everything at home:eek:
I have however , finally got around to working out my November totals which are ;

Avc contribution £800/£800 (net):j

Os payment £616.43/£400:j

Os benefit £66.97:j

November capital reduction £1,613.19/£1216 :j:j

Really pleased with this as it was an expensive month for annual costs plus there was some Christmas gifts to buy and a weekend away and a night out.

In terms of my other goals ;

2 weights sessions and three cardio - Fail. I've done no exercise for over a week do to illness but I'd stayed on track until that hit me.
Drink 2 litres of water - mainly succeeded
1 organising task and daily cleaning routine - success. Utility room cleared , cleaned and organised and daily tasks done.
EBay dresses - fail
Batch cook, meal plan and use up - success and grocery budget held up despite a five week month and succumbing to a £36 wine offer

I was also very, very glad of my batch cooked freezer meals during the last week as I just wasn't up to cooking. It meant everyone got a healthy dinner without having to resort to takeaways or expensive convenience food.

Goals for December are ;

Capital reduction on Mortgage £1216 to keep me on track for my mini goal of sub £95k by the end of Jan.

Drink 2 Lt of water. This needs to become a habit.

4 exercise sessions a week.

Meal plan from stores

Clear remaining leaves and dig out large unwanted shrub.

Deep clean the living room and kitchen

Budgets will be;

Personal £50

Grocery £175 I'm determined not to go mad as we are out for Christmas lunch but I have a family meal to do Xmas eve and three desserts to do for Christmas day. Luckily I have my cupboard of Shopium treats I've been collecting since September:)

Thank you to everyone who has dropped in an I'm sorry I've been so rubbish with my updates. I'm determined to rectify that now I have returned to the land of the living :rotfl:
Hope your all having a thrifty December - I'm looking forward to having a good catch up on the diaries this weekend
PP xx

pinkypig · 6 December 2017 at 10:04PM

wishingthemortgaheaway wrote: »

All looks good PP. annual spends are just that, annual, at least you aren't paying out dribs and drabs each month.

I'm impressed with your £160 grocery spend. It's something I should aspire to.

Betterthanever wrote: »

That is, indeed, very impressive! Even in those areas that have overspent, it isn't by much! Well done you and good luck for December!

museumworker wrote: »

Good month by the looks of it - hope you have a relaxing weekend and feel back up to strength soon. I’ve had a day in bed and feel so much better for it (although conversely I sound worse, which might be a bit of a blessing!) the five week month certainly threw my grocery budget out (by three figures, not £16 I must add! :rotfl:)

My grocery spend used to be ridiculous. Meal planning, batch cooking and the Grocery Challenge over on OS saved this Piggy's bacon :rotfl:

pinkypig · 7 December 2017 at 10:39PM

Feeling much livelier today thank goodness. Work was the easiest its been for a fortnight as my voice has recovered a bit and we are beginning to ease into Christmas:)
Ive had a lovely evening of pasta and wine and a great catch up with friends which has done me the power of good and was £10 very well spent.
The weekly shop was done for £24.70 which was great although i forgot eggs despite my list so I'll need to pop back. I've meal planned around the freezer which is still going strong. Does anyone else take one thing out, cook with it and end up putting four things back as a result?!!
The house is relatively clean due to the quick and easy daily cleaning tasks and the sc is going on overnight to make Tarka Daal for lunches and an odd easy dinner.
It was rent day today so money was transferred to the annual spends and the os pots. This means I'm entering the part of the month were its just focussing on not spending as there will be no more income for a while.
Off to bed with my book for a a quick read and lights out by 10:)

PPxx

wishingthemortgaheaway · 7 December 2017 at 10:52PM

pinkypig wrote: »

Does anyone else take one thing out, cook with it and end up putting four things back as a result?!!

Yup and hubby hates 'freezer meals' so I only eat them when he's working away or late, which to be fair he does a lot. But, we're entering a quieter period for him so it will be operation jenga very shortly.

Pleased you are feeling better though PP

pinkypig · 9 December 2017 at 12:20AM

Made it! Tucked up in bed with a fruit tea, my book and with the electric blanket on. Bliss:D. Mother's taxi service is done for the night and I'm very much looking forward to my Saturday morning treat of a lie in with my book and a large cup of proper coffee. Appreciating the simple things so much these days and it makes for a very contented piggy:)

Today's successes included;

A nsd

Cheap healthy eats ( porridge for breakfast, Tarka daal for lunch and hm meatballs with tom and Basil sauce from the freezer, spaghetti and hm garlic bread using up some ys paninis).
Daily cleaning tasks done
Laundry folded and put away.
Drank 1.5 litres of water
Had coffee with an ex colleague who I haven't seen for years which was just lovely:)

Tomorrow's to dos are;
Finish christmas shopping - a few bits to finish the kids stockings.
Make a cake to take to work (do this instead of Christmas cards)
Visit mum and dad
Rake up leaves - again:eek:
Try a short run - Ive been so poorly I've done nothing for over a week so it will be short and slow.
Wash uniform and pe kit
Relax for a couple of hours as I want this recovery to last:o

Way past my bedtime so I'll say night night

PP xx

wishingthemortgaheaway · 9 December 2017 at 1:06AM

Keep going PP the end of term light is starting to flicker.

pinkypig · 9 December 2017 at 5:58PM

wishingthemortgaheaway wrote: »

Keep going PP the end of term light is starting to flicker.

Thanks Wish - seven days :j:j

Hope alls good with you and yours xx

pinkypig · 9 December 2017 at 6:35PM

Well nearly

. I've done the the last bits of shopping for the kid's stockings and and some bits and pieces for my dad. I've written cards for immediate family but will be making a donation to the food bank rather than spending a fortune on postage , presents are wrapped apart from the few I got today and I have everything for the hampers but I'll assemble them once I finish work. I've decided that what we don't have now I'll manage without.

The Christmas puddings were made a while ago and I've iced our cake plus four which will be gifts. I did three with marzipan and icing but used glazed nuts and dried fruit for the other two. Does anyone know how long theses keep for ? Icing seems to last forever.

The decorations are up and a load of laundry is on the airer. It is so cold here that the wood burner has been on all day so at least it will dry quickly. I've got the sc on to do a batch of braised red cabbage with apples which freezes well. I'll use some tomorrow for our family dinner but the rest can be frozen for Christmas eve.

I also had a lovely, long rummage around my favourite charity warehouse which proved worthwhile. £10 spent but I got two baskets that will do for hampers, a jumper, 8 war DVDs for dad, a cookery book, various utensils including a pasta cutter, a coloured glass bowl which us now full of baubles and twinkly lights and looks very festive and best of all two ancient (but lovely) covered veg dishes with a large meat plate, a sauce dish and two sauce ladles - £2 for the set:money: They were very grubby and the underside of one on the lids was chipped but even so, I can't believe they were so cheap. I'm absolutely thrilled with them:). They have scrubbed up really well and I'm going to christen them on Christmas eve when the extended family descend

I got out for a run which was a relief as I've done nothing for two weeks. It wasn't the the easiest I've ever done (I was b****y knackered!) but its a start. Just going to have to build back up slowly and hopefully my energy levels will get back to normal soon.

Meals have been thrifty and easy ( hm veg soup and ys rolls for lunch and ys rainbow trout with herby potatoes and broccoli for dinner).

Tonight I'm going to do nothing but have a glass of wine and catch up in some TV. Dd is away Christmas shopping with friends and ds has a friend round and they are glued to the Xbox so tonight I can please myself

Off to start now :rotfl:

PP xx

And so it begins: The Pig Vs The Mortgage

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