One of my 2012 ‘to-do’s’ is to make a clothing wish list and the best way to do this was to assess the clothes that I already have – I’m really strict with myself about clothes buying and for the most part (one pair of jeans being the exception), will only buy (and keep) clothes in my wardrobe that I wear.

Notice a trend ^ – Since going a little more minimalist with my clothing I’ve noticed a definite move towards a ‘uniform look’, and nearly everything I own is either grey or black…..this works out brilliantly for mixing and matching and I love it, but may seem a little boring to others!

Full clothing list: 29 core pieces

• 9 jumpers (pictured0
• 2 tanks
• 3 shirts/blouses
• 2 jeans (1 that fits!)
• 1 jersey top
• 1 waterfall cardigan
• 1 white/blue striped summer top
• 2 pairs black work trousers
• 1 pair black linen trousers
• 1 pair casual black trousers
• 2 floaty evening tops
• 1 black long sleeve t-shirt
• 3 black t-shirts

After pulling everything out of the wardrobe I removed 6 items for recycling – mostly tatty looking jumpers – and made a very small list of needs. Mainly t-shirts. The ones that I have, Gap t’s bought in 2009, are looking very washed out and need replacing.

Clothing Wish List: (2012)

• 3-5 t-shirts (black and grey)
• Black Trench Coat
• Black (summer) wedge shoe

Sourcing the items:

I’ve already got my eye on a pair of summer wedges, and will be buying them with the gift vouchers that I have – the t-shirts I’ll buy in Gap (I like their t-shirts), when we go on holiday in April. The trench is the one thing that I’ll need to search for, although I’m probably going to wait until I’ve lost a little more weight as it needs to be something that lasts (and I keep) for a very long time.

So that’s it.  I’m really pleased that I did this exercise as I now have a simple ‘items to buy’ list that, when everything is bought, will update my wardrobe quite nicely.

Let me know, do you keep a clothing wish list? Are you regularly assessing your wardrobe?

My Minimalist Wardrobe (Update) is a post from: Move to Portugal

I don’t know if I’m making an assumption here (and please tell me if I am) but I think a lot of you, lovely readers, prefer the country to the city.  And yet here I am a country born person who has only ever lived in the country or very small towns, craving city life.

Let me just say from the outset though, that my husband doesn’t!  He works in London and for him, that is enough. Perhaps if I had had the opportunity to work there then I would feel the same. Who knows?!

Anyway for now I suppress my craving with the occasional day trip and holiday, all the while focusing on paying off the mortgage so that one day we can move to a city (Lisbon) for a short while.  Hubby will happily live in that city!

Let me know are you a city or a country person?

(photo credit)

The call of the city is a post from: Move to Portugal

Our goal is to achieve Financial Freedom by December 2020; being mortgage free (as soon as possible) is part of that goal and every month I track our progress.

February 1st 2012 Mortgage Stats:

• Original Mortgage: £138,485 (April 2006)
• Original term: 300 months (March 2031)
• Outstanding Balance: £102,283.32
• Reduction from last month: 2,128.42
• Paid off to date: £36,201.68
• Monthly payment: £542.34
• February over payment £1,673.87
• Actual payments left: 221
• Months until goal date: 70 (31st Dec 2020 2017)
• Months until stretch goal date: 46 (31st Dec 2015)
• Original term reduced by: 8 months

Us vs. Bank: 26.14% vs. 73.86%

Mortgage Goals:

• Mortgage neutral (mortgage – savings) by December 2015
• Mortgage fully paid off by December 2017

Stretch Goal:

• Mortgage fully paid off by December 2015

The mortgage snowflakes (£216.21) provided a nice boost to our overpayment this month, and I”ve worked it out that we need to increase the overpayment by about £400 to reach the five figure goal we’re chasing on March 1st. This figure feels like such a milestone and we can’t wait to reach it.

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Mortgage Freedom: February 2012 Report is a post from: Move to Portugal

As we focus on reducing the mortgage as much as possible before we move to Portugal, I keep myself motivated and moving forward by setting monthly mini goals……some months I’ll set just a few, other months, a lot.

February Mini Goals:

Financial:

1. Make extra payments to reduce our mortgage to five figures
2. Make at least £300 above and beyond our normal income
3. Contribute £500 to our travel fund
4. Contribute at least £250 to our long term savings
5. Keep our grocery spending to £150 by using up the food we have and sticking to our menu plan

Personal:

1. Lose at least 5lbs (0/5)
2. Watch at least 4 films
3. Read at least 2 books (Hunger Games & Sarah’s Key)
4. Drink 1.5L of water everyday (0/29)
5. Paint the small hall

How did I do in January?

Financial:

1. Make a £2k payment to our mortgage – Yes. We were able to make an overpayment of £1,673.87 to our mortgage.
2. Keep our grocery spending below £180 – No. Nearly made it. I spent £184.67 on grocery in January.
3. Make at least £300 in side income – Goal achieved. January was my best month so far and I’m so grateful for how well this is going.
4. Contribute at least £700 to our travel fund – Yes (see above)
5. Stick to Carla’s ‘No Spend January’ – My only miscellaneous spending this month has been £5.15. £3.15 on posting a parcel for my son and £2 on library reservations.

Personal:

1. Lose 5lbs (here we go again!) – Yes!
2. Watch at least four films – Yes. Watched, Larry Crowne, The Switch, Sarah’s Key and Last Night.
3. Read at least one book – Yes. Finished When God was a Rabbit. And started Water for Elephants
4. De-clutter at least twenty items from the house – Yes. We went through my daughters old shoe collection and we (reluctantly) managed to de-clutter ten pairs! I also de-cluttered a few holiday decorations that we no longer use, and recycled my old phone.

How did your January go? Are you setting mini goals for February?

(photo credit)

February 2012 Mini Goals is a post from: Move to Portugal

As we continue to live frugally, pay down the mortgage and keep working towards our move to Portugal, I’m using the time to focus on getting healthier. In 2012 I’m hoping to lose another 42lbs and I’m updating my progress every month.

January Mini Goal: To lose 5lbs

Now depending on how you look at it I’ve lost either 6.5lbs, or 3.5lbs this month!  On January 1st my total weight loss was 32lbs but, I’m assuming due to Christmas eating, my weight fluctuated at lot in early January and at one stage I was 3lbs heavier (weigh loss 29lbs). Anyway following a couple of good weeks my total weight loss is now 35.5lbs.

This weeks feel good week went really well apart from the sleep goal – I cannot it seems, go to sleep at 10.30pm. I’m not sure if I was trying to hard and made it worse, or if my natural sleep pattern is just 11pm-6am and I should just stick to that. I’m going to try that pattern this week and see how it goes.

Cupboard update: I’m pleased to report that a lot of the **** has now gone from our cupboards,

Before:

After:

I’ve also de-cluttered and cleared the fridge – pictures here.

For February, even though it’s a shorter month and we have a couple of eating out engagements planned,  I’m going to keep the same goal of losing 5lbs. If I stick to my calories every day, then I should be able to eat out and it not affect my weight loss….fingers crossed

Are you trying to lose weight? If so how did you do in January?

2012 Goals: Losing weight (Update #1) is a post from: Move to Portugal