September 2020 - A Month In Review

Goodbye September! It feels as if this month has absolutely flown by. September has seen us go back to the normal routines, which has helped. I definitely am better with a routine in place. As are our two boys; they have loved seeing people, being back at school and nursery and generally getting to do more. September seems to have shown just how busy our lives actually are! One of the things about lockdown that I am desperately missing are the slow mornings, where we could take time over breakfast. Now it’s just the same old rush to get out of the door on time.

I have taken a step back during September, on the blog front. I have been questioning the future of The Frugal Cottage, in terms of where I want it to go. I have branched out into different things this year, such as my YouTube channel and my first physical product, so more than ever I need a plan. I feel like I am constantly juggling too many plates! Hopefully I’ll get back into some kind of routine with writing blog posts; I have so many sitting in my drafts folder.

In terms of finances, September has been ok. Our car had it’s MOT which meant paying nearly £400 for that. At least it’s done for another year! Plus we have had a couple of unforeseen expenses. So, our budget has been fairly tight this month. I think it will be the same now until Christmas is over, if I’m completely honest.

My Financial aims for September were:

– Have 20 No Spend Days (NSDs)

– Overpay the mortgage by £185

– Put £700 into savings

So, NSDs should be easier to get as I am now back at work and it is more difficult to spend money. However, there have been other expenses this month that I didn’t plan for. That being said, I have, including today, managed to get 20 NSDs. Only just!

Overpayments are going to be lower for the remainder of the year. I am over my target and feel that the money will be needed for other things. I have managed to overpay our mortgage by £32.76 which I’m happy about

I have also put £700 into my investments, as per the plan. I haven’t had anything above that though; our childcare expenses have gone up to £350 and it means our budget is fairly tight now. We are going to continue this for as long as we can though! The savings combined with the overpayment is such a big chunk of our combined take home pay.

My Personal Aims for September were:

– get back into the early nights routine

– eat more fruit and veg!

I have been strict about going to bed earlier and winding down before bed. It has made such a difference. I take the time to read a book and just get to sleep that bit earlier and it has such a positive impact on how I feel and my overall mental health. I don’t know why I’m surprised by this; whenever my nighttime routine goes out the window I immediately feel worse.

And I have been trying hard about eating more fruit and veg. It just needs to become the habit, rather than having to remind myself all the time!

The top 3 posts on The Frugal Cottage during September were:

And over on YouTube, the top 3 videos were:

How has September been for you? What has been the best thing that has happened to you during the month?

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