Spend Nowt, Buy Nowt, Owe Nowt

Thanks for the good wishes on DH job application. It will be completed and submitted tonight, a little later than planned but I know the manager is on holiday this week.

I have ended up going over my food budget by about £50 but I am getting closer to what I am comfortable spending. It is the takeaway and DH spend on lunch at work that has been our overspend and more this month. My actual weekly food shop is at a reasonable level. I have split my spends weekly in July and split out work food, booze and takeaway and it has given me a much better idea about where we over spend. My target is £90/week for everything and last month I was about £110 with £20/week of that on takeaway and lunches at work so it shouldn't be too difficult to get to where I want to be.

It was my birthday at the weekend and we came under budget on my gifts so the extra has been squirrelled away to go towards a winter coat. I want a particular coat this is not cheap and have put off buying it for 2 years. I am aiming to save my personal spends and Christmas money towards it for this year. If I use all this months personal spends I am at about 18%

On Saturday I went over to see my friend who has been given the all clear after her cancer op and needs no more treatment. :T:j:j We have been busily planning trips away with the girls/couples for next year. Seeing the change in my friends outlook on life in the 4 weeks from diagnosis to cured really puts things into perspective.

While I was out DH put up the tent we were planning to take on holiday that our friends gave us several years ago and have never used although we have erected it before. We were shocked by how small the living area was especially since we are going to a place where we got eaten to death by midges last time we were there and have to sit in the tent with the 'net' doors up on an evening. This tent has no 'net' doors.

We went to the camping shop from some gas, some nikwax restorer stuff and a few other bits and ended up leaving with a new tent!:eek::o It was in the sale, came with a load of extras (a carpet!!!) and we got another 10% off. We usually have 1 or 2 UK holidays a year, 1 week of which is twice the price of the tent so we will have to make we use it and it will pay for itself in a couple of years. We joined the CCC as it was cheaper to do so and get discount on our week in August so will book a weekend next month and a few days in May next year as a start. I don't think I am brave enough to camp next year at Easter as it is really early and will be freezing at night.

Luckily we don't have to drive more than half an hour to be in deep countryside or at the coast from where we live so have no excuse not to make the most of it.

DH is trying to sell the old one on a local selling page.

Pay day and money shuffle has been done with nearly all bills due out tomorrow. DH wage is a little higher than the last few months due to a new tax code I think. It will be another tight month with our holiday spending money to find and the plasterer to pay for. I have meal planned up until 19th when we return from camping and have a Tesco delivery due on Friday and will also do an Aldi shop that day. I have spent £26 of August's food budget already on 1.5kg of bacon and 4kg chicken.

DFIL has offered to do some work in the house for us when we are away so I will give him a little list of jobs to do.

Goals for August

No increase in debt from balance on 31st July
Stick to food budget of £90/week
Do some surveys to earn vouchers for Christmas
Go to gym at least once a week 0/4
Finish all prep in hall, landing and stairs
Plaster hall, landing and stairs
Clear conservatory gutters
Lose 4lb (hoping all the hill walking will give me a boost )
Order DS uniform jumpers and buy rest of uniform he needs

Thanks apple

Ordered DS uniform jumpers and a PE kit via a school mum whose mum works at the uniform company as the school have taken down their website and I cant remember who we ordered it from last time and it is not showing on my bank statements from last year! DMIL has bought DS trousers from Aldi and trousers from TK Max but although they are 9-10 (he is 7) they wont meet in the middle :eek: He is chunky rather than fat (same shape as his Dad) and needs pleated fronts rather than flat front. He will never have the physique for skinny jeans :rotfl: It's a shame the trousers don't fit as all 3 pairs came to less than £8. Mind one fall over or tree climbing session and the Aldi ones would have been ripped as they are wafer thin.

I don't buy him logo polo shirts for school as he can ruin one on first wearing. The aldi ones were 2 for £1.50 I think and are fine. I bought 4 and he has a couple of M&S ones left from last school year. His shoes (DMs) should be OK for a while with a good polish but he will require trainers for school and trainers for home at the end of summer.

DS is changing Rugby Club at the start of the season and will require new kit and probably new rugby boots too! Add to that the Beavers uniform if they ever get back to me about a place and it is going to be an expensive September :eek:

No money spent yesterday and no money planned to be spent today. I will withdraw DH and my personal spends tomorrow and hand his over to him. This way mine doesn't get eaten up by our overspending and DH doesn't draw out £20 to pay for a £15 PT session and I never see the fiver again :rotfl:

DH Wage was higher due to the tax code changing as I thought, lets hope this is the correct amount going forward as it was nearly £200 more than I had budgeted and will definitely make it a little easier to stick to our budget for the rest of the year if he doesn't change jobs.

I did end up spending today but all was budgeted for.

I bought some jeans and a t shirt top from my personal spends. I have put on a good stone in the last 18 months and my 2 decent pairs of jeans in an 8 and a 9 wont go anywhere near me. These are a 12 :eek: My last pair of blue jeans went in the bin last week as they developed a hole where the material had worn really thin and DS kindly told me you could see me knickers!

Other spends were 99p on a washing up bowl and £5 on a disposable BBQ both for camping. Wishful thinking for the BBQ I think

The bowl was from B&M and I saw a few items in there on my list that were cheaper than aldi so got them and crossed them off Friday's shopping list. I also got 3 boxes of GF cereal, also on Fridays list, reduced in sains.

Personal spends have been drawn out in cash for us both and I have squirrelled the rest of mine away in a draw so I can't spend it and can save it towards my winter coat.

I am off to the gym shortly for a spot of cardio while DH as his weights PT. I cant be bothered really but will feel good when I get back