Champagne Lifestyle Lemonade Budget (My attempts to get debt free by April 2010)

Sun_Addict

Day off today for gas boiler repair and I'm pleased to report boiler now fixed. I've also sorted out lost wireless connection with Virgin so that's now up and running again and I'm currently in the process of getting everything out of my freezer and itemising it so I know what I've got. I've also made a fish pie out of a piece of white fish that has been lurking in a lonely manner in my freezer for ages. Have gone all round the house with polish and hoover as well, so all in all a very productive day off. The best part though is that I've been in the house all day so have had a very rare NSD!!:money:

Swinstie73

Hi SA,

Well done on the NSD! I've had two but only cos spent £90 at Tesco buying a tonne of stuff (most for lunches at work), the plan is to get to the end of the week without buying lunch! Good job with Sainsbury's love it when that happens x

Sun_Addict

Back on the spending trail today but only in Aldi so got two very heavy bags of fruit/veg for £7.31. They seem to have gone overboard on their Super 6 and it appears to be a Super 15! Not that I'm complaining - got tons of stuff for my money.

New weekly grocery budget starts tomorrow so have totted up how much I have left in my purse and it's the grand total of £3.48. This has been added to my pay off the debt fund so I now only need to accumulate £82.14 by the end of the month to hit my target of £399. (ONLY she says!!:rolleyes:) Should do it though as there may be a few bits and bobs left over from my other budgets to add to it.

Swinstie - I never buy lunch at work. I make a huge vat of soup on a Sunday which lasts me all week. I usually make a different one every week and am quite famous for them at work. Some of the (how shall I put it politely?!!) larger people at work think I am so slim because I exist on soup and nothing else - if that's what they want to think then let them! I also take loads of fruit, crispbreads, cottage cheese and always have a pack of Go Ahead biscuits in my drawer to have as a treat.

Sun_Addict

Friday at last!!! :j

Feel really skint today but only because the last bill of the month has gone out of current account. I only keep enough money in current account to cover bills going out, everything else is in the savings account waiting until the end of the month when it can be set free. It just looked weird seeing almost nothing in it. Hurry up payday (2 weeks to go yet).

So feeling in a poverty stricken state I haunted the £1 shops this lunchtime. There were some brilliant things in one of them - ingredient type things - dead cheap. Huge jars of olives! I intend to investigate further when the new grocery budget is released into the wild next Thursday.

Inspired by a thread on home management manuals on Old Style, I bought an A5 project book for £1 from Wilkos. It's great - different coloured tabs separating the pages - not a clue what I'm going to do with it!! :rolleyes: It just looked so organised! I have got a thing about notebooks, have done since I was a little girl so no chance of growing out of this fetish now!

Got hairdressers tomorrow, time to get highlights redone, but thankfully budgeted for this last month. I'm lucky I go to a small local hairdresser who's really good and I still get change out of £50 for a full head of highlights, cut and blow dry. I know most places charge at least £70. After the hairdressers I will be meeting OH in the pub for lunch. This is a very rare occurence since I've been trying to get debt free and is also budgeted for. I need to show off my hair when it's first been done as once I get my hands on it it never looks the same!

Hope everyone has a great weekend. The weather forecast is good for most places. BBQ tonight - it's the only time OH does any cooking and I love it. :beer:

Sun_Addict

It's Monday again!

Was quite restrained over the weekend - no going over budget or anything despite going into town yesterday - actually didn't buy anything for myself. OH bought some work boots he really needed as others have a tear in them so count as a necessity. He always seems to be needing something for work!! :rolleyes:

Joined a 12 week challenge today so hopefully that will keep me motivated. I usually see challenges I would have joined when they are about half way through so it's great to be in at the beginning of one for once. Have pledged in the next 12 weeks to:

1. Pay £1200 off debt - then I will only have £400 left to pay!!
2. Save for March holiday and all associated costs.
3. Buy all Christmas presents by end of challenge.
4. Lose that pesky ½ stone I having been trying to lose for ages.

If I can achieve all this in the next 12 weeks I will be very happy (and very shocked!).

New grocery budget on Thursday and am desperately clinging onto the last few pounds in the hope that there will be a little bit left over to go towards debt!

Sun_Addict

Have shuffled a little (VERY little!) bit of money left over from other pots into debt repayment fund so now only need to find another £76.07 by the end of the month. Should be a bit more tomorrow as grocery budget finishes then. I WILL find that last £76.07 (oh yes I will!). Rebate from Atlantic Gas & Electric is due at the end of this month and also annual interest on savings account so I always have those to fall back on if all else fails!

Sun_Addict

Half way through the week already! :T

Last day of grocery budget today and I have £20.01 left over to go towards debt. This means I have to find £56.06 by the end of the month to hit my target of £399 paid off. I'm getting there!

Have made myself a running schedule based on a running website I found the link to on another thread. I tend to run 2 miles on my treadmill at least twice a week so this is something a bit different to follow and builds up to running a total of 9 miles a week over 3 days. I will be honest and say I don't always enjoy running but always feel great after I've done it. I'm determined to lose this pesky ½ stone I've been trying to get rid of. It's this 12 week challenge thread - it's really keeping me on track (but then I'm only 2 days into it!).

The Christmas meal has already been booked for our office and I have to pay £10 deposit asap. The whole thing is only £12.95 so at least it'll be almost paid for by just the deposit. Should be able to rummage this up from somewhere!

Sun_Addict

Good afternoon everyone. Nearly Friday!!

First day of new grocery budget today and I went a bit mad in Sainsburys this lunchtime (not too mad though;)) and spent a bit more than I usually would but this is because I have fresh money in the grocery account and feel flush! Back to normal I'm afraid after today. Have allowed myself £300 for the next 4 weeks and have already spent £91.11 on monthly online shop but this leaves me £208.89. I tend to spend no more than £50 a week on top up shops so this is ample and I should have some left to go towards next month's debt repayment. I'm keeping a track of exactly what I spend on a spreadsheet this time. I know lots of other people spend a lot less than me but this is almost half of what I used to spend when we did a big shop every week, although since DS moved out I've noticed a vast reduction in food bills - just need to get rid of DD
now (her room would make a brilliant gym)!:rotfl:

Sun_Addict

Monday again (boo!)

Bought a few bits and bobs towards Christmas at the weekend, just stocking fillers really for DD and DS. I usually do them each a "stocking" and fill it with 10 items for £2 or less as a little extra prezzie, they love opening up all the bits and bobs. I always stock DS up with socks and boxer shorts as I can't imagine he buys such trivia himself. I've just about got everything for the stockings now only a couple of things left to get.

Payday at last on Friday when I should hopefully be able to shave £400 off my debt this month. That will get it down to just below £1200. I really want it gone by Christmas! Fed up of it hanging around now!

Tesco have kindly sent me a voucher for £10 off my next online shop as according to their records I haven't used them recently. Bearing in mind I only had a big shop from them last Tuesday I think their records need updating!! Not that I mind them sending me £10 off so I shall be using this for my next big shop.

Sun_Addict

Well after totting up my finances for the end of the month I am pleased to say I think I've done quite well! :j

When I get paid tomorrow I will have paid £400 off debt. This means it is now down to £1199.00! :j Next stop under £1k!

I have saved enough money to pay for the March holiday accommodation in full so will be paying this off this month! I've already paid for the flights so this means I now only have to save spending money and money for taxis to and from airport, pre-booked seats and money to buy drinks at the airport and on the plane. :j

AND I have got the grand sum of £120 in my Christmas savings. I've already bought quite a few bits and bobs over the last few months when I've spotted a bargain so actually don't have that much left to get. :j

AND for once I've got £30.48 left over after everything has gone off into different pots. I've put this in a "float" just in case it's needed at any time. :j

So next month's projects are:

1. Pre-book flight seats and save £250 towards holiday spending money.

2. Pay another £400 off debt.

3. Buy some more Christmas presents. It's also DD and DS's birthdays over the Christmas period so birthday presents are included in this.

Hope everyone else's end of month plans are going well!