We are about to pull the purse strings soooo tight!

Verbatim · 25 February 2017 at 6:51PM

Hi Alice
I'd want to get rid too but I guess the EF is pretty essential too. Glad pegging out weather is here again!

Eager_Elephant · 26 February 2017 at 10:04AM

In Suffolk we have also been breezy - I managed to get my bedding and towels all dry.
The neighbours must think I am mad!!

What is your aim for the emergency fund?
I don't have an emergency fund just loads of savings accounts for various things which I save a set amount to each month - do you have the funds to be able to do that Alice?

Alice_in_Poorland · 1 March 2017 at 10:42PM

brizzledfw wrote: »

Hi Alice, glad its been breezy (like your turn of phrase ) so you can peg out..youre clearly an expert in seeing a silver lining!!

I am also trying to set up an EF..but mixed success as want to pay down the CCs more...its a toughie

Just done my meter readings too and thought of you

Have a good weekend

Verbatim wrote: »

Hi Alice
I'd want to get rid too but I guess the EF is pretty essential too. Glad pegging out weather is here again!

Eager_Elephant wrote: »

In Suffolk we have also been breezy - I managed to get my bedding and towels all dry.
The neighbours must think I am mad!!

What is your aim for the emergency fund?
I don't have an emergency fund just loads of savings accounts for various things which I save a set amount to each month - do you have the funds to be able to do that Alice?

Hi All, you just can't beat a bit of pegging out.:rotfl:

Ideally I'd like £500 in the EF but realistically I think £200 would make me feel more at ease. I've really got to find that bit of money to put away each week/month.

Tomorrow night I will sit and go through the budget for the month and payments toward the debt. Forgot to mention there is a debt that nobody has chased yet. I have been making payments towards it but only £5. It's with S@nt@nder. Wrote to them but still haven't heard anything. Also nothing from the Bcard since that has been passed to the debt recovery department. You watch they'll be a letter through the door tomorrow.:eek:

Got a busy month for birthdays. Still need to replace windscreen. Not sure how many NSDs I had last month, not very many and definately not enough. Going to try really hard this month. Today was NSD 1.:)

DS needs swimming trunks for school lessons, and he also needs new school socks. Need to colour my hair too.

Nearly forgot OH had a statement from PRA, one of his debts is down to £550.

Just got to keep plodding.

Xx

Alice_in_Poorland · 4 March 2017 at 10:48AM

No sports club today. Games have been called off because of the weather. Soooo whilst everybody else is grumpy I'm quite relieved.:rotfl:

Had chance to catch up with budget/spending diary this morning. In Jan we spent £380 on food/cleaning stuff/toiletries and in Feb we spent £355. Petrol spends were £240 January and £220 in February.

Have done meter readings and we are -£32.12. I have started to either leave the heating off or turn it off earlier in the evening. Hopefully we will see a saving soon.

Food/cleaning stuff/toiletries works out at £91 per week for everything. Going to try and bring this down in March. Haven't been as.....id say 'strict' but not sure that is the right word.....recently but definately going to try harder.

Have pegged out all the bedding, jeans, thick sweatshirts this morning. It's so nice not to have then hanging around the house.

I'm going to go into town....armed with my list!! Kids and OH are out this afternoon so I will have peace and quiet to do the housework in.:)

Need to colour my hair. My cut and blow dry has gone up a couple of £'s. Hmmm don't really want to switch hairdressers so will up the hair budget a few pounds.

Hope everybody has a good day.
Xx

Verbatim · 4 March 2017 at 2:20PM

Well you've saved on the sports this week in petrol money and maybe a drink? There's your extra for your hair!
Are you going to work out your dfd again?

Alice_in_Poorland · 5 March 2017 at 12:16PM

Verbatim wrote: »

Well you've saved on the sports this week in petrol money and maybe a drink? There's your extra for your hair!
Are you going to work out your dfd again?

Hi V, haha that's true, so haircut sorted for next month......I like it.:D

Yeah I must do some sums and see where we are at. Currently paying money to parents for flights and other spends for DS so unfortunately it will be longer than originally planned.

Xx

Alice_in_Poorland · 5 March 2017 at 12:23PM

Yesterday afternoon turned out a bit spendy...but all good. I went to town and got my bits from there, then I went to C0stc0 with my friend and spent £53. But amongst the spends I did get 2 birthday presents and some chicken :rotfl:

Will put theses spends down in the spend diary. Going to keep a close eye this month.

I just got back yesterday and it started to rain. Washing had dried a treat. Now got an huge ironing pile.

Off to deliver one of the gifts. Then a chill out afternoon.

Xx

Alice_in_Poorland · 8 March 2017 at 12:33PM

Half way through the week.

Only managed 2 NSD's so far this month. Had to get petrol and a small top up shop £11.55 in @ldi yesterday.

Also on the money front, nothing from Bcard or the other debt that we haven't been paying (still waiting for them to confirm account details).:eek:

Pegged out two loads on Monday. I was out at exercise class on Monday night. Last night the kids had footie and I dashed back to get tea and clear up before I watched The Replacement (how good is this programme....well its gripped me anyway).

Tonight as I've already mentioned to OH and DS's we need to have a tidy up. I can't believe how untidy our house is in just 2 days. Might tackle the ironing pile as well.

Feel like spring is just around the corner.:)

xx

P.S. Must work out DFD too.:)

Alice_in_Poorland · 14 March 2017 at 5:28PM

What a lovely day.:)

Had a spendy weekend. We went to a wedding and stayed over. It was a really lovely day and night, and it was quite relaxing to stay over.

Back home Sunday afternoon, back to reality. Didn't go to exercise class last night, did all the ironing instead......I know how sad.:(

Think we....well I have become very complacent over the last few months. Now that we are not paying £475 direct to SC I haven't been as strict with our money. Need to pull the purse strings back in before it comes back to bite us on the bum.

Got a few jobs to do tonight, one of them is the spending diary/budget. Have started a sort of meal plan for the lunches which does seem to be going well. Might have to mix it up a bit next week or everybody will get bored.

Only on 5 NSDs so far.

xx

Eager_Elephant · 14 March 2017 at 8:16PM

Its so easy to spend money isn't it - when you spend so long scrimping the need to treat yourself is always there.

When you left SC what was the plan for debt repayment? I know you were going to reduce BC but did all the other debts stay the same?
If you have £475 available for debts and are only paying debts £400 you need to find a home for £75 unless of course its needed to balance the budget/pay for DS' flights etc

We are about to pull the purse strings soooo tight!

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