SEALED POT SUNDAY-WEEK 26-HALF WAY THROUGH THE CHALLENGE!-MONEY ON THE SIDE AND SAYING NO TO DESSERT!

Hi Everyone!

And now we are half way through our year's challenge :)

I hope you've all had a great week! 

And maybe saved a little towards your sealed pot goal.

I always LOVE reading your comments, and feel so pleased that we are all saving together, across the globe!

Mr Sft and I are keeping our eyes well and truly on the sealed pot prize-our big overland trip down through Africa in 7 years time.

I love this picture! I'm going to use it to redecorate my sealed pot!

This year we hope to save a seventh of the cost of one person-which is about £1200! That's a lot of spare cash but it's a goal and what's life without a couple of those...

Last week I shared a wonderful photo of the Pyramids with you! And heard some lovely memories from the lucky folk who've traveled to Egypt before.

This week I'm sharing something that I hope to see with Mr Sft at the Cairo Museum of Antiquities (I did deliberate posting a photo of a Pharoah Mummy but decided against that! :)

The mask of Tutankhamun!

I also can't wait to see all the other treasures from his tomb and I confess those Mummys are a fascination too. I know that the museum got raided during the Cairo rioting a few years ago, I just hope that some of these precious artifacts are still around!

MY SEALED POT WEEK

IT'S A RAID-Mr Sft was raided-a few pound coins and a bit of silver.

EMPTIED MY PURSE-a few pound coins and some bigger silver coins went in!

FREE PARKING-Finding a 'free' parking space in town-£1 ish saved and went in pot.

SAVED NOT SPENT-Bought a blouse for our School Prize Giving ceremony for £15.90 instead of £22.80 so that was a saving of £6.90

MAKING MONEY-I sold an unwanted present on ebay-for £30!

MONEY BACK-I got reimbursed for some travel expenses so that £9 can go in the pot too!

SAVED NOT SPENT-We went out for lunch today (to celebrate the end of a very long week-school work wise) and I went without DESSERT- £5.50 in the pot.

HOW DID YOU WEEK GO?

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR FUTURE SAVING?

Sft x

I will be posting SEALED POT SUNDAY WEEK 27 on Saturday (GMT) morning as WE ARE OFF TO ITALY that day. 

Mr Sft feels I will be able to post from there....we shall see! I just can't wait! Grazi!

SEALED POT SUNDAY-WEEK 25-SAVING TO SEE THE PYRAMIDS!

Hi Everyone!

Firstly my apologies for lack of posts on my blog and comments on yours. 

I'm working so hard, trying to clear my half term so I can go away with Mr Sft and have a lovely time in Italy without thinking about work.

But I promise to be here for each SEALED POT SUNDAY!

As you know last week I made my dramatic decision to change my SEALED POT GOAL. 

Now I will be using the sealed pot cash for the next 7 years to pay half the cost of our DREAM AFRICA OVERLAND TRIP!

So I suppose that this year we are hoping to save a seventh of the cost of one person!

 Which works out at about £1200. That's a lot of cash!

Since a seventh of of our trip will be spent in Egypt-

I'm focusing on that being the part the sealed pot savings will go towards.

It helps to put it into focus like that.

So I'm looking for an inspiration photo, of what we are going to be doing and seeing and the most obvious one would be:

1. THE PYRAMIDS AT GIZA!

TAKE ME THERE! I WANT TO RIDE ON THAT CAMEL!

MY SEALED POT WEEK

EMPTYING MY PURSE-I only spent on 2 out of 7 days this week so I had £15.20 to put in the pot.

SAVE NOT SPEND-£2.80-My lovely Mum bought me a lovely Turkish coffee in a London cafe yesterday. It looked something like this:

CAN I MENTION THAT THE COFFEE IN AFRICA IS AMAZING TOO!

IT'S A RAID-Mr Sft got raided!

I've just quickly listed something on ebay so I'm hoping that I might be able to report a sale for that in the next few weeks.

HOW WAS WEEK 25 FOR  YOU?

WHAT'S GIVING YOU INSPIRATION TO KEEP FOCUSED?

Sft x

EATING WELL ON A BUDGET-CUTTING THE CARBS AND UPPING THE WATER!

Hi Everyone!


A huge welcome to Delusional Grad. Thank you for  joining my little blog. Hope you can leave a comment from time to time.

Despite having lots of saving goals I think it was a wise decision to up our grocery budget TO £100 per month.

FIGHTING THOSE CARBS!

I am finding 'eating out' a bit tricky. So this will be an area to work on. And eating at my Mums today also meant more carbs than usual!

One of my 'treats' recently has been to chose a few packets of sea food to take to school to 'enhance' my salad and keep me away from the carbs. Now my lunches feel much more appertising. Sometimes what is being served is fine.

DRINKING MORE WATER!

The water situation has improved vastly. I use plastic litre bottle and fill it with water. I pop it in the fridge and then I help myself to it. When it's empty I have one more glass full to bring me up to my 1.25 litres for the day. 

At school I fill my small bottle up 3 times then 2 more times at home. It seems to work!

OUR WEEKLY MENU

SNACK AND DRINKS WILL BE ADDED AS WEEK PROGRESSES

MR SFT/SFT

MONDAY
BREAKFAST-CORNFLAKES/MUESLI WITH ORGANIC MILK
LUNCH AT PARENTS-BEEF/GLAMORGAN SAUSAGES (bread and cheese), VEGGIES, 3 SMALL ROAST POTATOES,  SMALL SCOOP of CAULIFLOWER CHEESE (A BAD CARB MEAL!)
TEA AT PARENTS: PRAWN COCKTAIL, CUCUMBER SANDWICH (2 slices of bread)
SNACK: 1 ORANGE
DRINKS: 1.25 Litres of water, 2 cups of tea, 1 glass of orange juice, 1 cup of Red Bush tea.

TUESDAY
BREAKFAST-CORNFLAKES/MUESLI WITH ORGANIC MILK
LUNCH-GARLIC AND CORRIANDER PRAWNS, LETTUCE, CUCUMBER
DINNER-1 QUORN SAUSAGE AND BAKED BEANS ON 2 THIN SLICES OF TOAST
SNACK: 1 BANANA, 2 SATSUMA AND A CUP CAKE :(
DRINKS: 2 Cups of Tea, 1 litre of water

WEDNESDAY
BREAKFAST-CORNFLAKES/MUESLI WITH ORGANIC MILK
LUNCH: SMOKED MACKEREL SALAD
DINNER: SMOKED MACKEREL, BAKED BEANS ON 1 SLICE OF TOAST
SNACK: 1 BANANA, 3 SATSUMAS
DRINKS: Cup of Tea, 1.25 litres of water, 1 cup of fruit tea.

THURSDAY
BREAKFAST-CORNFLAKES/MUESLI WITH ORGANIC MILK
LUNCH: TUNA MAYO TORTILLA WRAP WITH SALAD
DINNER: SMOKED MACKEREL SALAD
SNACK: 1 BANANA, 1 SATSUMA
DRINKS: Cup of Tea

FRIDAY
BREAKFAST-CORNFLAKES/MUESLI WITH ORGANIC MILK
LUNCH: SMOKED SALMON SALAD
DINNER: TUNA PASTA
SNACK: 1 BANANA, 1 SATSUMA
DRINKS: Cup of Tea

SATURDAY
BREAKFAST-CORNFLAKES/MUESLI WITH ORGANIC MILK
LUNCH: MACKEREL SALAD (taking this with me when I go to London for a Play)
DINNER: 2 QUORN SAUSAGES, POTATO WEDGES BAKED BEANS
DRINKS: Cup of Tea

SUNDAY
BREAKFAST-CORNFLAKES/MUESLI WITH ORGANIC MILK
LUNCH: SMOKED SALMON FILLET WITH VEGGIES and 3 SMALL ROAST POTATOES
DINNER: 1 QUORN SAUSAGE AND SCRAMBLED EGG
DRINKS: Cup of Tea

WHAT'S ON YOUR MENU THIS WEEK?

ARE YOU CUTTING DOWN OR UPPING ANYTHING?

Sft x

FULFILLING A DREAM-MOVING THE SEALED POT GOALPOSTS!

Hi Everyone!

Yesterday I was writing about the sealed pot challenge:

1. Any saving is allowed. It's not a competition. We share to give each other ideas for different ways to save and to spur each other on. 

2. Every goal is as important as the next. 

3. It doesn't matter if your sealed pot is a recycled gravy tub (like  mine) or a work of art! 

4. And it doesn't matter if times get tough and the only cash you have in in your pot. 

That's when I'm thankful you are doing the challenge because that cash might just be a god send in a crisis!

No I haven't had a crisis-but then who knows what the future holds....

Speaking of the future!

Like many of you, I like to think of myself as mildly non-conformist.

This blog seems to have developed 3 main points of focus.

1. It is about being frugal-not so I can spend my days counting my cash, but about using what we do have TO FUND WHAT WE REALLY WANT. 

A wise woman once said-

YOU SCRIMP ON THE THINGS YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT SO YOU CAN AFFORD THE THINGS YOU DO!

2. It's about retirement-I am trying to save a bit each year so I CAN RETIRE BY 50! This is partly to do with the fact that teaching in the UK is a profession for the young AND that gradually you feel burnt out. But I also want MORE FREEDOM in my life, not to just live for my holidays but to enjoy the whole year (rather than work regular 10 hour days at school, with 2 x 20 minute breaks if I'm lucky and then work another 3 hours at home :(

3. And of course it's about TRAVEL-which is a common love for Mr Sft and I. I have very itchy feet and I don't mind scrimping and saving for travel, as 

LIFE EXPERIENCES ARE NEVER A WASTE OF MONEY!

So this leads me to the title of my post!

FULFILLING A DREAM

This weekend has been one of reflection for me! I do keep a simple life plan-with 2 columns-in one what we hope to save for retirement. In the other where we plan to travel to and when. 

About 15 years ago I travelled in an Overland truck with 2 Brits (male), Kiwis (couple from Auckland, a couple of 'farm girls' as they called themselves from the South Island) and Aussies-all the way FROM ISTANBUL, Turkey to CAIRO, Egypt.

This map shows the highlights of a trip I WILL NEVER forget! We also went to Lebannon-to stay in Beirut. Looking at Syria now I feel so sad that one of my favourite countries is at war.

So looking ahead to the age of 49-so 7 and a half years away-I want to fulfill a dream!

I want us to travel OVERLAND from EGYPT TO SOUTH AFRICA!

This map shows our route.

It will take 5 months.

The cost is unbelievable!

You know me, I've done the sums.

Flights to Cairo/out of Cape Town, Basic cost of trip + Local Payment (which includes 2 meals a day and lots of park entrances), Recommended daily spending money and Visa Costs (and I have tried to overestimate things-better to not be too short) makes a cost of £8,500 per person.

(This excludes visiting Mountain Gorillas-would we be fit enough?)

However when I think that Africa 2011-Botswana/Zambia cost us £3000 per person for 15 days, that actually

is really good 'travelling' value.

Highlights for me would be:

Ethiopian Highlands

Serengeti Park and Ngorongoro Crater

Zanzibar

Cheetah Orphanage in Namibia

Cape Town

I would also return to loved destinations:

Egypt-museum, temples

Kenya-Rift Valley Lakes

Zambia-South Luangwa Valley-one of the best wildlife places in world

Botswana-Okavango Delta

Namibia-Etosha -where you can watch the animals feed at the waterhole at night, Namib Naukluft Park in the Namibian Desert 

MOVING THE SEALED POT GOAL!

Well I've decided that to achieve this it's going to take A LOT of saving..and I thought about the sealed pot and how it could provide us with a great holiday in Europe each year, but if I keep adding to the total each year it could ULTIMATELY PAY FOR 50% OF THIS TRIP!

THAT WOULD BE THE SEALED POT GOAL OF A LIFETIME!

AM I MAD?

YES TRAVEL MAD!

Mr Sft is up for it provided we sleep in the occasional bed!

SFT X

SEALED POT SUNDAY-WEEK 24-LOVELY SHARING BY MR SFT!

Hi Everyone!

Firstly a big welcome to follower Donna! It's lovely that you want to read my little blog and I hope you can leave a comment from time to time.

Would you believe it we still  have folks interested in joining this challenge. Last week I heard from Green Flag:

I would like to join in too.

My sealed pot will be to reducing my mortgage.

I will count up all the coopers and some silver we have in the house. [Sadly on pound coins, methinks] That will be a start.

Then, as I am not taking my purse out with me, unless I am going to buy something essential, I will not produce much change.

However, what I have always done is, when ever I see money dropped on the floor, when I am out, I always pick it up; never walk on by.

Also, am I write in inferring that it can be virtual money that you have chosen not to spend/had some sort of windfall? For example, next week when I redeem my £5 off Tesco voucher on a £40 shop. Would you view that as £5 for the sealed pot.

Sorry if I am getting too technical?

Green Flag's questions made me smile. I am so pleased this challenge doesn't have hard and fast rules. 

Any saving is allowed. It's not a competition. We share to give each other ideas for different ways to save and to spur each other on. 

Every goal is as important as the next. 

It doesn't matter if your sealed pot is a recycled gravy tub (like  mine) or a work of art! 

And it doesn't matter if times get tough and the only cash you have in in your pot. That's when I'm thankful you are doing the challenge because that cash might just be a god send in a crisis!

So welcome to Green Flag. I'm already looking forward to your first comment about your savings :)

SLOVENIA PICTURE OF THE WEEK! I'm reseaching the hotels we could stay at. This one is at Lake Bled and has wonderful reviews. Not surprised with views like that from the restaurant. It would so be worth getting a balcony looking over the lake.

MY SEALED POT WEEK

SAVED NOT SPENT-MR SFT generously shared a gift voucher with me so I could buy some delicious food from a shop! £6 went into the sealed pot.



SAVED NOT SPENT-£1 on parking this week. MR SFT's little white van can park in loading bays for a short period of time so we park for free.



EMPTIED MY PURSE-I only spent once this week so the rest of the  money went in the pot.



IT'S A RAID-MR SFT has been paid so I'm able to raid him each week for his leftovers!

HOW HAS YOU SEALED POT WEEK GONE?

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST CREATIVE WAY OF SAVING MONEY?

SFT x

SPRING MINI-GOALS UPDATE WEEK 2

SPRING MINI-GOALS UPDATE WEEK 2

Hi Everyone!

This month and next I am determined to achieve some of my Mini-Goals.

So here's my weekly review:

ACHIEVED/NOT ACHIEVED/ONGOING

MONEY:

1. Keep debt free!-Yes!

2. Keep some savings in the bank-Yes! But I will have to 'borrow' some more of that money for our spending money for our holiday. Although this will be paid back but I will change my progress bar to reflect it.

3. Make £50 for my SEALED POT-I've made £30, thanks Moneysupermarket.com, so I've  upped this amount to £50 to encourage me to list something else on ebay!

4. Start saving for Japan (April 2014)-Yes! I have added the progress bar, will add some more money at the end of May.

HEALTH

1. Take a long walk each week-Week 1 and 2-Completed longer walk

2. Take at least 2 shorter evening walks-Week 1-Completed 1 evening walk, Week 2-no walks-this has not happened, I just feel so tired at the end of a school day. I think i will make it a really short walk, maybe just up the road and then see if I feel like doing more.

3. Eat salad each weekday-Yes, in fact I've probably had salad twice some days.
4. Start taking a walk during my lunch break-once a week -I'm struggling with this so I'm going to say just once a week and see if I can go more. I need 15 mins to do this and often I end up with a lunch break of 10 mins.
5. Lose 10lbs-I have lost 5lbs but that may reduce after the weekend. Eating less carbs seems to be working.

6. Eat less potatoes, cheese and bread-Achieved-This week I've only eaten 6 new potatoes/1 jacket potato 1 pieces of bread/4 small pieces of baguette/cheese in lasagna pizza. This is a LOT LESS than normal I'm proud of my efforts. I'm eating a long of fish too and loving it! 

7. Take a bottle of water out with me and drink it!-Achieved-I am drinking more water-admittedly more at the start of the week, but I have a bottle on my desk and I keep filing it from the water dispenser.

8. Minimal alcohol (maybe a little cider at the end of a sunny day)-Achieved-No alcohol consumed this week.

BIGGEST HEALTH SUCCESS THIS WEEK: LOSING 5lbs! EATING LESS CARBS!

BIGGEST HEALTH GOAL FOR NEXT WEEK: WALK MORE!

COTTAGE LIFE

1. Tidy up conservatory-We are almost there, a bit of tidying up and hoover of the blind and we'll be able to sit out there and enjoy it!

2. Start to fill up our wood stores for next winter-Ongoing. We collected some free fire wood from a builders tonight.

3. Use up bits from the freezer (started)-Ongoing-Yes this is continuing.

4. Cook from scratch as much as poss-No cooking from scratch this week.

BIGGEST COTTAGE LIFE SUCCESS THIS WEEK: FREE WOOD!
BIGGEST COTTAGE LIFE GOAL FOR NEXT WEEK: COOKING FROM SCRATCH

HAPPINESS/FUN

1. 1 date night with Mr Sft-Not achieved yet!

2. Time outside with Mr Sft-No time this week but hope to spend time together at the weekend.

3. Read 3 books-Ongoing-Finished The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith, half way through Long Way Down by Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman and I am reading a mini No 1 Ladies Detective Agency-The Cleverness of Ladies.

4. Go to the Theatre-Booked 1 theatre trip for May. Mum and I are going to see Before the Party (based on a short story by W.Somerset Maughn) next Saturday.

BIGGEST HAPPINESS/FUN SUCCESS THIS WEEK: MY READING!

BIGGEST HAPPINESS/FUN GOAL FOR THE WEEK: GO ON THAT DATE NIGHT WITH MR. SFT!

Have you set any mini-goals for May?

How did you decide on them?

Sft x

EATING WELL ON A BUDGET-MAKING IMPROVEMENTS and our MONDAY MEAL PLAN

Hi Everyone!

One of my Spring Mini-Goals is to eat more healthily, having salad at school, eating less potato/bread and cheese and drinking more water each day!

Bread, Cheese and Potato
actually planning my consumption of potato/bread and cheese made me realise how often I consume it! Scary. This is me cutting right back.
This is what I consumed this week:
6 new potatoes/1 jacket potato/
a third of a baguette pieces of bread/1 slice of bread
cheese in lasagne/pizza

Salad at School
I am lucky that salad (lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes) are always avaliable for my school lunch (unless it's a roast dinner). Sometimes peppers, celery, coleslaw are avaliable too. Cheese is provided. Tuna is mostly provided-but because of my tuna disaster last week I've decided to take some Smoked Mackerel with me for 2 days this week so I'm not caught out!

Water
I am making a big effort to drink a lot more water. I am drinking it at break times and lunchtimes instead of tea. I am drinking 2 small bottles of water in the evening too. This is still not enough but it is a start :)

Eating better
Our food budget now stands at £100 per month. It was £60 per month when we were paying off the mortgage and sometimes it didn't feel much fun, now we have an extra £40 to play with. I'm going to spend more money on fish and salad this month. So I will be planning our shopping list accordingly. I
We went to Marks and Spencer to spend Mr Sft's £15 Christmas Gift Card. He bought roast chicken thighs (I wanted him to get a whole chicken, but it was his choice) and lucky me got garlic and parsley prawns/smoked salmon and smoked mackerel. Not bad for a gift. 


Our Menu Plan for the week:

Mr Sft/Sft

Monday
Breakfast: Cornflakes/Muesli-both with organic semi-skimmed milk
Lunch: Egg Mayo Sandwich and Muffin/Veggie Sausages, lettuce, cucumber and coleslaw
Dinner: Baked beans on toast/Garlic and Parsley Prawns, lettuce, cucumber and 3 new potatoes, small spoonful of light mayo, small spoonful of chutney.

Tuesday
Breakfast: Cornflakes/Muesli-both with organic semi-skimmed milk
Lunch: Cheese Sandwich and Muffin/Smoked Mackerel, lettuce, cucumber and a small spoonful of mayo
Dinner: Mr Sft eats at his parents/Veggie sausage, baked beans on 1 piece of toast

Wednesday
Breakfast: Cornflakes/Muesli-both with organic semi-skimmed milk
Lunch: Egg Mayo Sandwich and Muffin/Smoked Mackerel, lettuce, cucumber and a small spoonful of mayo
Dinner: Homemade Burger and wedges/Veggie sausage, scrambled egg on 1 piece of toast

Thursday
Breakfast: Cornflakes/Muesli-both with organic semi-skimmed milk
Lunch: Egg Mayo Sandwich and Muffin/Veggie Lasagne (with cheese), lettuce, cucumber and a small spoonful of mayo
Dinner: Seafood salad with 3 new potatoes

Friday

Breakfast: Cornflakes/Muesli-both with organic semi-skimmed milk
Lunch: Egg Mayo Sandwich and Muffin/slice of Pizza (with cheese), lettuce, cucumber and a small spoonful of mayo
Dinner: Seafood salad with 2 slices of baguette

Saturday

Breakfast:Marmalade on toast/Muesli-with organic semi-skimmed milk
Lunch: cheese on baguette/4 slices of baguette with humus and a homemade blueberry smoothie
Dinner: Seafood salad with new potatoes and a fromaige frais
Drinks: Smoothie, 2 cups of coffee, 2 cups of tea

Sunday

Breakfast: Marmalade on toast/Muesli-both with organic semi-skimmed milk and a homemade blueberry smoothie
Lunch: Mr Sft-not sure eating out/1 prawn jacket potato with salad
Dinner: Beans on toast/Humus with salad and a fromaige frais
Drinks:

What is on your  menu this week?

Are you cutting/limiting anything in your diet?

What are you eating more of?

Sft x