My journey to living within my means

inamess200

Hello

i have just read your thread and I know how you feel - I have spreadsheets of budgets for the next 6 months and the last 3 years and actual spending (although this was only started this month ) and on paper we should have money left by the end of the month - in reality we run out a week before payday and exist on nothing for a week even the children ask when is payday!!

so i am starting a fresh from september no more flashing the debit card and daily visits to the local shop ( 10m over the road so way too handy ) instead I will draw cash for food each week and when its gone that is it until the next week.

Lewby

Thanks for the congrats A. We are so proud of her. She signed up for A Levels yesterday at 6th Form in Chemistry, Biology, English Lit, Geography and Critical Thinking. She wants to be a Vet or Surgeon so lots of work to do but she's on track so far. She does work really hard and the thought of university is what is spurring me on with my two year 'be debt free' campaign!

Well done Inamess, Lauli and Yorkshire for joining our crusade to have money in the purse at the end of the month. I think September should be my fresh start too as the first in on Monday and that's always a good day to start! I'm back to work then after 2 weeks off.

I'm going to work out how much I have to last the month and follow in A's example and post it on my signature so I can be reminded each post how little I have left! We get paid monthly too and it has just about covered the overdraft so my ambition is to reduce the OD as much as possible so that in October we can live totally in credit and 'within our means'. Have fogotten what that actually means!

Today I have to go into town to buy my son, who has grown 3" in 6 months! some new school trousers. A painful process for us both! He so hates shopping and I hope he always feels that way as it's my husband and I's love of shopping that has got us into debt in the first place. Will let you all know how I manage with resisting buying anything other than the trousers! Will be strong!

See you later.

Lewby xx

Lewby

Home again and will now confess slippage on budget!

Bought son's trousers as agreed but also bought him some new boxer shorts which with some discount vouchers cost me £2. They are essentials so don't feel too bad about it.

My daughter bought some items in Boots and got a £5 off No 7 voucher. She didn't want anything so I used it and put £2 towards a new £7 eyeliner pencil. Again, eyeliner is essential to me but feel I did get a bit sucked in by the voucher!

Final confession - daughter and I were very hungry by 2pm, still had things to do in town so we went to Wetherspoons and bought 'two meals for £7' on a deal. Did drink water with it at no cost though!

Have resolved that this is the last time I am going into town for the next month. I'm going to do the food shopping on line and get it delivered. Out of sight - out of temptation has to be the motto.

OH has just come in and announced that we and the kids are off eel fishing tonight and he's had to buy a fishing licence for the day - £3.50. Too late to protest now as he's bought it and it will otherwise be a cheap night of entertainment for 6 of us. Will take gas stove, coffee and sandwiches and make a bit of an evening of it. Weather is good so should be fun ..... shame I'm a vegetarian otherwise should probably make use of the eel we hope to catch! OH might have a go at cooking some .... ughhhhh!

Pledge to have a NSD tomorrow and Sunday.

Lewby xx

andrinaperry

Well manger my NSD today which I am really pleased about.

Friday was an expensive day kitting my DD out for school, college and work but its done now.

I am starting my grocery challenge anew on the 1st of September and trying for a whole month on £320, I was spending in excess of £100 per week just four weeks ago. I have almost £90 left out of this budget which I will put into my savings and start again on the first.

Aslo a committment of 15 NSD for September, lets have you committments one and all.

Good luck and heres to a successful month making samll dents in those debts.

Andrina

~Yorkshire_Belle~

I'm doing my first GC so will need all help I can get! Has been a difficult month with uniform etc etc so hopefully Sept will be more on a even keel.
You are doing really well on NSDs. I just can't seem to manage those. Always something I need ( must get more organised). I am aiming for LSDs instead!
Keep going - you are really doing well
Belle

Lewby

Hi All,

Not a bad day today. Have only spent what I'd budgeted for and OH went shopping with a list and stuck to it!! Unfortunately he then felt the urge to surprise us with a take away this evening - need to explain the concept of 'living within our means' again to him me thinks!!!!

I agree with starting the new month with the grocery challenge. I am committing myself to £300 for the month, a saving of about £200 on the usual spend. I too will committ to 15 NSD's. Will adjust my signature accordingly tomorrow.

Cooking Sunday Lunch for 9 of us tomorrow so need to be up early for the joyful task of peeling a mountain of veg. :rolleyes:

Night all.

Lewby xx

andrinaperry

Belle I like the LSD concept a lot. Lewby enjoy the dinner sounds like a lot of work.

I am feeling a bit uninspired at the moment, the green eyed monster has raised its ugly head, my friend is out spending big time and I am at home saving, whats that all about then my hubby reminded me that we are now on a good path and need to stick to it. dont you hate is when people talk sense.

NSD for me today, fingers crossed.

A
xx

Lewby

Dinner was lovely - only 7 of us afterall as eldest son has broken a rib and didn't feel up tp coming over and daughter's friend had to work but still a table full with the rest of us. Roast chicken, all the trimmings followed by apple pie and/or rasp pavlova. Apples from a friends tree and raspberries from our garden. Cabbage and beans from dad's graden. Lovely!! I can hear the rest of the pavolva calling me from the fridge right now.

A - What a great hubby to be so behind you and remind you of the positive work so far. It is hard when others are out spending but I have been amazed at how many of our friends are in the same position as us. Most of them are in debt but are in denial so they keep spending. I feel so glad that we have seen the light and although we are struggling to reduce the debt we have at least we are not increasing it!

Have had a NSD today but the 15 day challenge starts tomorrow. Will take lunch to work so can have my 1st NSD of the month! :j

Lewby x

Lewby

Well unfortunately I didn't manage my first NSD yesterday! My daughter started college and needed some folders so I popped into Staples to oblige. An investment I suppose in her keeping on top of her college work! Also found myself buying my son chips on the way home from his friends last night - a guilty conscience as I was late picking him up after work and I was then going out to a meeting as soon as I'd dropped him off at home.

Need to buy fruit and veg today but tonight will sort out our meal planner for the week. I hate going home from work and everyone asking 'what's for tea'. If there's a planner someone else can start cooking it if they are home first. Have plenty of food in the cupboards and freezer but everyone opens the fridge and says there is nothing to eat!

This is a strangely nice week for me - all back to work, school and college. There is something comforting to me about the routine of it all ..... I'm probably a bit odd but I like the evening chatter about how our days have been. Daughter very excited about college yesterday. Spent most of the evening trying on her clothes to work out how she can wear a different outfit every day for the next fortnight - oh to be 16 again!

Hope you are feeling more positive A. Let us know how the weeks going for you. Tomorrow I'm definately having a NSD!!!!!

Lewby x

andrinaperry

Well I am feeling very virtuous today, shepherds pie in the fridge ready for tonight and hoping for my first NSD today I like it once I get off the starting mark.

I have meal planned and shopped on line coming tommorrow when my dh is at home to deal with it all, I will be working. Now that is what you can good planning. I find if I shop online that I spend less and I used Quidco for the first time so will see how that works out and report in.

Hope everyone is looking forward to the end of the school hols and a return to normallity of some sort.

Andrina
xx