Something to aim for

DeterminedSingleMummy · 12 September 2017 at 9:16PM

Hi.

I am the same, some days everything's feels impossible and is hard but others I feel like I'm right on track with my mortgage and I feel really positive about things.

Will be following your diary

Xx

Dragonrider · 12 September 2017 at 9:22PM

Hi DSM :wave:

Thanks for stopping by, and for the moral support.

Will be following you too!

We got this.....

Dragonrider

Dragonrider · 19 September 2017 at 9:18PM

Evening all,

So I've been working hard not to spend money....

Considering I started part way through the month, I think I'm doing good OK, although the rain has meant more bus rides than I had planned. This might be a case of having to invest in some good waterproofs in order to save longer term on travel. Most of what puts me off is the admin of having to protect everything, or carry lots of extra stuff with me in case it's raining on the way home!

Progress;

1. Have put in my promotion form!!! This is the biggie, but now have to wait nervously until October to find out if I've got through to the interview stage. And if I have, then I'll have the stress of the interview itself. I hate interviews, and feel that I'm no good at them, which makes me dread them even more.

2. My phone contract has just run out. My phone had been really playing up, so 2 weeks ago I took it into a repair centre to see what they could do. As it is still under warranty, they changed the motherboard and the screen for free, as apparently there was something wrong with both of them. In my eyes that means I've basically got a brand phone, as there can't be many bits left that they DIDN'T replace!! So I'm now wondering whether to stick with my current network on a SIM only deal or look for something else - will do some ringing around this week.

3. Have meal planned for the last 2 weeks, which has meant fewer top up shops and less wasted food - will definitely keep going with this one. It's making me be more adventurous as well, so should drag us out of the rut we've been in of the same meals....

Am now anxiously awaiting pay day next week to work out how much I can OP by!!!!

Dragonrider

Dragonrider · 29 September 2017 at 10:36AM

Hello all,

Pay day today, and am making the most of all the kids being at school this morning (still not used to the quiet house!) to do my accounts.

So I've totted up my totals, and although I thought I hadn't done that well this month, I am pleasantly surprised by how much I've NOT spent....

Food 379.26/400
Fuel 65.62/100
My personal spending 72.08/150
My travel 102.98/100
Family spending 171.98/200

My travel is the only one I have overspent on, and if I could just get off my backside and sort out my bike, I know I could bring this down significantly.

Therefore, out of my £950 budget, I have saved ...... drumroll please ...... £158.08 ...... bring on the OP!

I'm so happy about this, as I started part way through the month, and felt like I was being quite spendy. I think the biggest saving has been taking my lunches to work, so this will definitely continue.

I've also opened a 5% regular saver, and will drip feed £3000 of my £5000 emergency fund into this over the next year. I've got this emergency fund in a Nationwide Flex Account that pays 5% up to £2500, and the balance is currently £5400, with the first £250 monthly payment to the regular saver already gone. So bar any big emergencies, I should get the 5% for the whole year on the £2500, plus be able to put the full £3000 into the regular saver - total interest approx. £200 over the year!

I've swapped to PAYG on my phone, hoping to spend no more than £10 per month on this (so £20 saving per month from my previous contracted amount).

I've also done the energy club swap onto a cheaper tariff for my gas and electricity, so I need to submit meter readings this weekend.

Hoping for a very low spend weekend, bring on the next month! I can do this!

Dragonrider

Dragonrider · 29 September 2017 at 10:39AM

Update :

My OP means I have taken £970 off the capital this month - so close to my goal of reducing it by £1k per month!

This gives me an added incentive to do better next month...

Dragonrider

Dragonrider · 2 October 2017 at 11:43PM

Evening all,

So, the beginning of another month....

Managed to have a very low spend weekend - an apple juice and a kit kat to share between me and the little 2 on Saturday, and some milk on Sunday. Pretty good!

Managed to keep this week's grocery spend down to £58, so even with some top ups of fresh stuff towards the end of the week, I should come in under budget.

Met my sisters for supper tonight, but only spent 6.49 in itsu and drank from my water bottle! I can do this!

As I said before, I'm putting 150 aside from my spending budget, and hoping not to touch it. I'm also trying to spend less anyway so that I can add to that 150, and doing Tilly Tidies at the end of each day too.

I am enjoying being frugal - it's quite weird how much I spent just because it was expected - I've got 10 minutes before my bus, I'll just get a drink to take with me (2.50 gone), or I'm feeling hungry so I'll get a snack on my way home - FOR SUPPER (another 2.00 gone).... Once you curb those unnecessary impulses it's actually easy not to spend!

Anyway, just my musings before bed!

Dragonrider

Dragonrider · 17 November 2017 at 12:45PM

Hi all,

It's been a while since I updated here, but I have been continuing to work hard not to spend money!

My totals for this month are:

Food 399.76/200
Fuel 56.86/100
Personal spending 83.58/150
My travel 122.40/100
Family spending 108.65/200

This give me a grand total of 771.25/950....

So savings of 178.75 out of my 950 budget - really pleased with that. I was then able to top up my OP from my bills account to 194.59, meaning that I took £1031.53 off the mortgage balance this month!

This means that if you put together last month and this month, I have just taken £2k off the balance and have therefore met my target so far! :j

Onwards and downwards....

Dragonrider

greent · 18 November 2017 at 6:07PM

Just caught up - you're doing great

x

Dragonrider · 5 December 2017 at 3:08PM

Another OP!

This month, I managed to spend:

Food 390.34/400
Fuel 32.75/100
Personal spending 77.30/150
My travel 109.80/100
Family spending 122.98/200

Drum roll please......

That's 733.17/950, which is a saving of 216.83 !!!!! :T

Then I had quite a lot left over in my bills account this month, so I used some of this to add to my OP.

Total OP this month is therefore £483.73, which has reduced my balance by nearly £1300.

I'm so so happy with this, and I don't feel like I'm denying myself or the kids nice things. It's just that not doing the little drip-drip impulse buying, and meal planning properly is making SUCH a difference!

I feel like jumping around!

Dragonrider

Dragonrider · 5 December 2017 at 3:19PM

Plus, I got through the first round of my promotion process, and had my interview last week. I've been told I should hear next week, so just waiting with baited breath now!

It would mean an extra £300 per month on my salary - unfortunately my tax credits will be adjusted downwards to account for this, but it does mean that more of my incoming money is down to ME, not dependent on anyone else (HMRC/ex-husband). Even though the bottom line will be the same, I will feel better about it! And then when I get to the point when I no longer need tax credits (no childcare costs etc) then I'll be in a better position overall.

Dragonrider

Something to aim for

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