Fresh start....

Hollyberry

I have also seen you around on SH's diary - I like your new sparkly home. :cool:

That will be fabulous if you can work from home more permanantly, saving not just travel costs, but lunches, little extras, coffees etc, and even possibly replacing smart work clothes. If they do decide you have to go in more often, perhaps they would be able to accommodate a later start, so you could get a cheaper train? Fingers crossed for you.

Good luck with all your plans, and congratulations on having money left at the end of the month, rather than vice versa.

Karen_30

Morning all,

Thanks for your posts, it's nice to know that someone is reading my diary

Well it's pay day today and it's looking good :j Have to work out exact figures etc and then will be back later today to post a plan of action.

I plan on having the cheapest month ever if possible and really go for it with my 'fresh start'!!! My thoughts at the moment is to live off £200 only for this month but will have to do the calculations etc.

Hope everyone has a lovely day,

K x

Primula

Hi there
Just a thought, have you thought about posting your SoA and then all the lovelies and experts will come along and help you out with things you possibly never even considered?
If you don't want to go that far, then re your £200 for the month, then definitely meal plan, and double cook (I sound like an expert, LOL, but I am not, it's just what I am starting to do now!). Also, I find it easier to deal in cash so take the money out the bank, leave your cards at home and that way you are much more aware what goes in the shopping basket. Also, even putting the odd £1 or £2 away each week if you have spare soon builds up. I have been doing this only since the start of the year and I am so proud I have not missed a single week and it has already built up and now I am enjoying counting it out every so often. :rotfl:OMG I don't know what is happening to me! Seriously though, it's a great feeling managing your money. Good luck. You can do it. You sound positive.
P
x

Karen_30

Thought i'd post in pink - i'm feeling pinky/girly today

Hollyberry - good idea re the train! I might suggest this to them and ask them to arrange meetings etc for afternoons rather than mornings so that I can get the later trains into London it's almost half the price! Also didn't think about the food, coffees etc....wow it would be amazing if they do finally agree it :j

Primula - thanks for the advice re meal planning. It's def going to be lots of planning. I like the idea of taking the cash out and leaving the cards at home. What do you do with the odd £1 to £2 a week?? I'm intrigued.

I'll be back later, this place is SO addictive but I must get on and do some work. Working from home again today...woo hoo :T

sistercas

Hi Karen
hows it going?
I would like to do a cheapest month ever like you but i'm afraid something always crops up that i'm not expecting. i am sure you will do well though you seem to be very positive

primula i save little bits here and there too and recently banked £100 of £2 coins, i save anything left from my weekly shopping ( £80 so far) then I use them not to pay something off but for a treat for me and the family. we went out to a play and had a meal in the theatre restaurant as one of our treats,

savingholmes

Hi Karen - happy shiny new diary! thanks for the kind words (and SC). It is always interesting how people see the virtual "you" / "me"!

I agree with the poster on the statement of affairs - would it help to do one? Can't remember whether you already did that on your other diary. My other thought is that if you are trying to live on £200 for the month have you done a detailed breakdown/list of what you are planning to spend it on? Hopefully if you did that you could identify any problem areas in advance to help you stick close to the £200....

Meal planning definitely helps too. I like cooking 3-4 days of meals in one day so that it frees up more time on the other days. It also helps me avoid meals out and takeaways as there is alrady a good qualiyt meal available to just heat up. One of my temptations is the local carvery where you can eat and have a drink for about a fiver... these all add up however. I have therefore decided to do more roast dinners at home - easy enough to do and a lot cheaper than eating out!

Karen_30

Afternoon all,

Hope everyone has had a lovely day. Thank you for the posts :A

Just about to start overtime now until 8pm - get me :T No spend day for me today as not left the flat and don't intend to given I am working until late!

SH - thanks for idea about breaking down spends etc, i'll get onto that tonight hopefully. Haven't done an SOA of late, something to look at too. Have my one with payplan but they always tweek it to what suits them more than me - not that I am complaining as they were far more generous than I would be with budget :rotfl:

Sistercas - thanks for posting. All is well, it's nice to have friends on here I'm hoping I can stick at the cheapest month things as would really like to boost savings this month. Might pop a little mini budget on later and see if that helps me to stick to things. I don't envisage any big expenditures but you just never know.....

Right off to work the overtime now.....feel so good knowing I am already adding to my debt free future :j....although it's a long long long way off yet :mad:

K x

sistercas

good for you with the overtime :T
I would be interested in seeing a mini budget

Karen_30

Just had to quickly read and post on here to keep me motivated and remind me why I just worked a 7:30 to 20:00 day!!! I know why but sometimes I find it sooooooooo hard and then end up getting upset and annoyed at myself for the mess I have got myself in :mad:

Anyways, enough of that business....this is my FRESH START

Just wanted to say thank you to you guys posting and any lurkers...it really does help knowing that I have some great support :A

Off to have some dinner and a little bit of 'me' time and then i'll be back.

K x

Karen_30

Ok, I have just had the shock of my life! If my calculations are right after paying out everything this month I think (I hope!!) that I should have approx £500 or there abouts left over!!!!

HOW????....I think it's a combination of overtime, one weeks less travel costs and some pay arrears. HOW GREAT IS THIS :j

I don't have any big events coming up, only costs left to pay out are food shopping, day to day living, bdays and social things etc etc. I am definately aiming to live of £200 for the rest of this month now. Means I could potentially put away £300....what am I saying....I WILL be putting away £300 this month. Positive thinking!

Now I really need to sit down carefully and work out how I am going to do this, I don't want to waste this opportunity. I'm still in shock, I can't remember a time where I had this amount of money left over. This has def spurred me on to maximise my overtime hours, even if I spend all my spare time doing so. It'll be worth it in the end.

Off to read some other diaries now. Bored of mine :rotfl: