Back to Black - XSpender's 6 Year Plan

XSpender

The power cable on the lap top has started smoking and giving off sparks:eek:. Went to PC world to check out a replacement and they were £80:eek: Pre LBM I would have just bought one and put it ont he credit card, yesterday I left the shop, looked at how much they were on the interent(£25) and then asked the next door neighbour if he could fix it. It looks like it is the internal connection to the power cable as another one works. Looks like I might have saved the cost of a new one as he has a replacement thingy to go inside the laptop:j

Managed a NSD yesterday and found a few more things to sell. OH and I are going to check out a local car boot on Saturday as OH has never been to one and wants to see what goes on before we attempt it ourselves. I haven't been to one in years either.

Off to see War of the Worlds at the Arena tonight. I am really looking forward to it. Will walk there and back and take our own drinks. Very MSE. :money:The tickets were £42 each and I can't ever see us wanting to pay that much for a night out in the future. I am getting a bit obsessive about not spending money:o It is my birtday next month and I will get about £70 and I cannot think of anything I want enough to spend that money apart from a pie dish thing from lakeland that's a tenner. Is this the same woman who sold her car and bought Dolce and Gabbana shoes with the proceeds?

XS

XSpender

The laptop is cream crackered:eek: Neighbour couldn't fix it so have ordered a replacement board thing in the hope that this will mend it. We don't have £400 saved for a new one and have no credit cards to use to buy one which I am pleased about as before LBM we would have just gone out and bought one without batting an eyelid.

War of the Worlds was really good. Did end up buying fish and chips for tea because I was so late finishing work and then spent £7.40 on two drinks as we were so thirsty when we had walked to the arena:o. Not happy with myself.

Overspent a bit in Sains but they had some really good offers on the BOGOFs. Hair dye, fish fingers, ice lollies all things we use and I also got some baking things I needed. This is the reason I do the GC on an annual basis so that I have some flexibility over picking up offers and when I buy store cupboard stuff.

Went to check out a carboot this morning. Really busy and lots of stuff for sale and people seemed to be buying all sorts. I got 2 small whicker laundry basket shaped baskets for the Christmas hampers I am making this year for a pound each.

I am off next week so will sort out the loft and will do my car boot in a couple of weeks. Some of the clothes I have are a bit too good for a car boot so will stick these on Ebay.

I have got £40 left in the account, £80 in the savings and OH has over half his entertainment money left. I am hoping he has some of this left next Sunday so we can stick it in the savings. Won't need to buy anything but a small amount of fruit this week and possibly some weed killer.

XS

huxley

Hi, you are doing well:j keep it going.

XSpender

Long time, no post

I have not been able to get on to the internet with the laptop being in bits as I was off work last week so couldn't sneak on there either. I feel completely lost without my spreadsheets and daily access to internet banking. Maybe its a good thing as I would check both all the time:o The replacement part will cost £60 but its cheaper than a new one.

There is too much money in the account:o You won't catch me saying that very often, more like never! I had accounted for everything spent on my (locked on the broken lap top) spreadsheet and should have £3 left by pay day which is Friday. The balance showing that there is £74 left after everything has gone out. I cannot think what has not come out and I am not going to spend it or transfer the money until I know what is happening. Just my luck I would have forgotten something and end up with a bank charge:mad:

The June £100 earnings target is almost achieved. OH had a £60 pay out from a savings/lotto thing he does at work so I have almost done it and haven't ebayed a thing yet! I am hoping he will agree to save this as we do not need the money for anything specific in July.

This week I will set some specific goals for June including a bigger earnings target and a very small GC budget. Have overspent on the GC this month so want to claw it back in July. OH is up for it too which always helps.

Enjoy your day

XS

XSpender

I have found out where some of the extra money in my account is from, unfortunatley. The bill payment for the IVA co. share of our extra income has not been paid so I have paid it today. That accounts for £57 but there is still about £15 too much in there and I haven't used the account since 16th as I took out what cash there was.

Oh I am lost without my spreadsheets, must order the new part for the lap top on Friday when I am paid.

Had a man at the door earlier. The council are offering free wall insulation to all. I thought we wouldnt get it as we own our house, its 14 years old and we both work FT and have no kids but its for everyone. Think I will have a bit of that then!:D They are also doing loft insulation for £99 but our house is only little so I would rather see how much it is to do it ourselves first if they say we need it.

OH treated me to a chinese last night with the last of his entertainment money. He is still suffering from the effects of his Saturday night out. We have cut back on going out so much he can no longer take his beer:p A good thing I think as it will save even more money!

Achieved a NSD today as working at home today. In the office tomorrow so need to see what I can find to make for lunch as will only have a 30 min working lunch between sessions. Oooo I will have eggs as there are 14 in the fridge!:rotfl:

Off to work out my goals for July, will pop back on before I finish work.

XS

Raini

Hello XS, just wanted to say how well you are doing! It's really good that you know you shouldn't have the money in your account as, if you're like me, I bet there was a time when you wouldn't have noticed! :rolleyes:You're certainly going in the right direction!

XSpender

Hi Raini

Your right. There are times in the past when I would not have looked at the bank account from the middle of the month onwards as there would have not been anything in it and I wouldn't have a clue what had been spent and what was still to come out. I still remember getting a sweat on at the till in Tesco hoping that my debit card would go through cos I hadn't got a clue where I was with the account:o OH now says I am good with money so lets me deal with it:rolleyes: I think I have made myself get better at it, it certainly doesn't come naturally.

XS

Raini

XSpender wrote: »

I still remember getting a sweat on at the till in Tesco hoping that my debit card would go through cos I hadn't got a clue where I was with the account:o OH now says I am good with money so lets me deal with it:rolleyes: I think I have made myself get better at it, it certainly doesn't come naturally.

XS

I've been there a few times! I also remember thinking when I got my first credit card (& was paying it off!) how grown up I must have looked to the cashier with my great spending power! How very deluded!! :rotfl: I guess you live & learn xx

XSpender

Ooo I had some great news when I got in last night. A cheque for £106.17 for some share thing at work. Wasn't expecting profit share shares this year (as I work for a bank) but it looks like I had some allocated and they have been sold. Serves me right for not reading the original letter properly:o Nice suprise though.

This means I have saved £210.07 against a target of £100 this month:T That doesn't include the £50 I save for contingency and annual bills like car tax and dog boosters. I am really pleased.

I have finally decided my goals for July and feel very enthusiastic about achieving them this month which should help when things get tough! Here they are:

1. Save £100 from salaries
2. Save £120 from salaries for contingency and annual bills
3. Save/Earn an additional £310 - £10/day - from car boot, ebay, £2/week pot excluding sale of diving gear
4. Agree £120 entertainement budget with DH for both of us this month
5. £150 grocery budget:eek: Spending diary shows I need to be more organised about lunches, snacks outside the home
6. Start a 20p sealed pot in addition to loose change sealed pot
7. Look into changing energy supplier - WIIFM?
8. Achieve 8 NSDs
9. Get the laptop repaired so I can get access to my lovely spreadsheets again but in the meantime keep a paper one going
10. Keep the spending diary going - it makes very interesting reading (well, only for me cos I am a saddo:o)

This is the first month since I started the IVA in Feb that I have felt in control of my budget and finances and even managed to save over £210:T:T

XS

XSpender

:j:j:j More Good News!!:j:j:j

I had sent a letter to my IVA co advising them of a small pay rise, changes to my utilities and a copy of the letter from my mortgage company advising that my mortgage payment was going down by £275 due to coming out of the fixed rate period and going on to variable.

I was originaly told I could keep the payrise, about £30/mnth but when I spoke to someone else they said I couldn't which was fair enough as that is the nature of my IVA. I also thought I would have to give them all of the saving in my mortgage payment. They rang last night and said they had reviewed it and my payment would stay the same I had to ask the girl three times 'what about the mortgage payment?' and she finally said from the terms of my agreement I can keep 50% of it:j:D That means I have an extra £100 disposable income a month!! I am hoping to save this extra money every month as we can manage on our budget I think and we never expected it so won't miss it as it will be as though we are still paying our full mortgage if that makes sense

Did my grocery shopping at 8am this morning at sains. Lovely full shelves and quiet but they could have done with a couple more tills open. Happy with the money I spent and got a good offer on dog food.

I am off to pay in the cheque from earlier in the week and my other £68 cash savings.

Got paid today and my current account and savings have never looked so healthy cos they all had something in them at the end of the month!:T

Probably won't have much time to post over the weekend as BIL for tea tonight, hair cut, bank, library and out tomorrow night and then picnic at local nat trust place on sunday. I love the food in their cafes but it is very expensive so we are going to take a picnic instead. Very MSE:money:

If anyone is reading, hope you have a great weekend.

XS