Learning to budget to make future adventures happen

I’m still here! Still in the old house! The move hasn’t happened this weekend as planned - delayed until hopefully next week - for loads of reasons! Big sigh! There is nothing I can do about it but loads of things we can do to make progress. We are tackling the loft today and taking some car loads over to the new house.

On positive for the delay is that the closer we get to the end of the month the more likely it is our first mortgage payment will come out in December giving us £1k extra. That would be marvellous! Fingers crossed.

I’ve been busy organising the utility bills for the new place and so far it’s going to cost us an extra £60 roughly a month. This is just about doable in the new year budget. We shall see though.

I have also had a little chat with the husband who has developed a rather unnecessary duty free habit during his weekly commute up north for work. Recent purchases include fresh ground coffee for £12.60!!!! (Which lasted a week bye), a bottle of expensive gin for sloe gin for Christmas (£17.99), and two bottle of prosecco to celebrate the house move when it finally happens £10.99......each). I told him this has blown our monthly spending budget and of course all of it is completely unnecessary. I’m still waiting for him to have his proper light bulb moment. Perhaps when we are on one income he will.

He has been invited on a European stag do next year which will cost £250 for a friend of a friend. He said he would like to go if he can! My heart immediately started racing as I’d like him to have fun however it is money that will be taken away from the family holiday/family fun. I spelled out to him the new budget and how tight it is and suggested I stay in work until Easter to pay for all of this. He got cross with me telling me I’d be unhappy so no. Why does he totally contradict himself like this? Actions and words are so different. Perhaps this move will really change him.

Crunchy xx

Morning diary!

We still haven’t moved! It’s a sore spot indeed. We drowned our sorrows in over £20 worth of prossecco last night!!! It’s was delicious with not a hint of hangover today.

We had a chat about money and updated spreadsheets. It looks like we will have circa £2500 left after the move. The plan at the moment is to use £2k towards the hmrc bill and then pay off the rest in instalments.
The other £500 will be the start of our emergency fund. We looked at my budget spreadsheet in more detail and I’m certain I saw a little light flicker above his head seasodegal!! He said he would of course like more money but he also wants me to give up teaching. He has asked me to use nicer language about money and I have asked him to stop using his credit card when he is away for throw away purchases. The general consensus was that it would stand us in good stead to be careful for the next 6 months and get on a good footing again. A frugal Christmas was mentioned as was cutting out clothes for us for a good few months.Hopefully this is progress. Date I say it - the stress of the move is bringing us close together!!

In other money news, I am picking up a second hand version for £20 of dd’s £100 new birthday present today! Found on the tree of gum! Husband was getting in the spirit and looking for a bike for ds for Christmas.

The bigger news is I already have interest in my services for my new venture I’m starting next year! I’m starting to imagine myself doing it and it feels great!

Crunchy xx

Nicnak wrote: »

The interest in your new venture sounds amazing, I hope it takes off for you.

Do you have a new projected move date? How frustrating that you haven't moved yet.

Christmas looming really is making saving a lot more difficult and working through that isn't the best. I am awful at saving. I have about £400 in my emergency fund, but want to get that up to 2k. Once I have something in my bank, I seem to spend it. I need an account that I can't access at all.

I love prosseco. I got a couple of bottle for my birthday so we have been working our way through them this week!

Hope you move soon x

Not yet Niknak! Its annoying but out of our control. We are focussing today on picking up the puppy!!!

I'm also the same as you regarding saving. I always seem to have something I really NEED but that seems to be changing now.

Don't tell the husband but I'm seriously thinking about staying on in teaching until Easter. (Gah!)

It makes sense financially, it is only 5 weeks of actual teaching then half term then 6 weeks. I worked out my childcare for the whole 3 months and took it away from my prospective earnings and I should make around £2900 which will go along way. Particularly if we are as frugal as we plan to be. It will be really tough especially as I will have started my course by then which will be an additional strain but 3 months in the grand scheme of things is nothing. If we really get organised and focussed we can do it.

Crunchy x

Morning diary,

We survived our first night with the puppy! Hardly any whimpering and we went out to the toilet twice. He is adorable. The cat keeps giving him evils though (ha ha).

My stipulation for leaving at Christmas was that the house move was done and it isn’t so I’ve definately got to stay. I’ll jist think of the money and my next steps and try and have fun with the children and ignore all the bull.

I’m going to make a list of all the blockages to my thinking and ways to overcome them.

Still no new in house move. Husband will chase today x