My Ongoing Challenge - To live with my means

Intergalactic_Floozie

I can't find my notes at the moment (with my monthly spends on them) but I know my own personal spends, which currently come out of the 'everything else' budget are well over £20 per month so I applaud you on doing so well!!

My own personal spends are: clothes, shoes, breakfast butties, shop bought lunches, stuff from the vending machine, magazines, bets and buying raffle tickets from colleagues.

This month I have spent £61 so far (eeek) with 10 days left til payday. It's no wonder I am skint.

Trouble is I have an everything else fund (after I have taken out petrol, groceries, kids stuff and bus fares) and because that's not too bad an amount I see things I want and think "Yep, can afford that" so end up spending money on myself. Maybe if I give myself £10 a week it'll encourage me to actually save up - by which I mean - the rest of the 'everything else money'

The_Golden_Goose

savingholmes wrote: »

hi lurker - like your idea of £20 spend - I would like that - but can't really afford it at the mo.... yet probably spend more than that anyway..... hmmmm

GG - sorry to hear things are so tight.... are you still working?

Aye - for free it feels like!

Lurker1972

Well, I can't really say I 'lived within my means' last week.
Forgive me MSE-ers, for I have sinned and must confess.

I used my credit card.

But. There was a reason, if not an immediate need! If my job is ever made permanent (or the contract extended) Mr Lurker & I are hoping to make a mini-Lurker but as it is we don't really have any space to put one!
We've had a mental re-arrange of the house & the long term plan is to remove the PC from spare bedroom & simply use our laptops.....which then would create a need for a wireless printer (no options to print at work these days.....completley off topic, i have to buy stamps too now!!!;)). Anyway, for want of something to do we wandered over to a Printer shop....and found one that almost makes tea as well as print. And it was half price!!! so, we went away, checked the internet for cheaper/quidco etc & couldn't beat the price.....so decided to get it now cos the price was so good - we've since looked on ebay & its selling for £70 MORE than we paid ! Decision was made to recycle 2 mobiles which will almost cover the cost so I feel less guilty.....sort of anyway!

Broke the grocery budget, but the overspends are covered by the free council tax month. Now on a new month & am thinking of doing a toiletires & cleaning spend @ wilkos......which should work out better in the long run as I think they cheaper than supermarkets

Have new meal on menu list - chow mein....yum yum is all I can say.....to think I didn't like noodles.....

NSD yesterday & should manage 3 more this week.....& have approx £50 due from money magpie once I get Mr Lurkers CDs packaged up & posted......which is what I best go & do

x

Lurker1972

oh rats, forgot the other event of the week - my sodding tax code has been messed with again - was on low one cos of perks of old job. new employers put me on normal one (having said they'd check with IR which to use as job Centre had me on normal too).....now back on stupid low one which mean the 2 saturday mornings I worked last month that should have been an extra £70 in my pocket was only £23!

grrrr:mad:

still.....I have another notice of coding for 2010-2011 & that has me back on normal code....for now anyway!!

savingholmes

hope the coding works out in the end

mini-lurker arrangements sound interesting!

The_Golden_Goose

ooooooh when are you planning on a minilurker ????

'fess up you know you want to!

Lurker1972

The_Golden_Goose wrote: »

ooooooh when are you planning on a minilurker ????

'fess up you know you want to!

s'true! I do......hopefully we'll be 'letting nature take its course' within the next 6 months....& hoping like crazy that nature won't take its time as am getting on a bit!!!

its all connected to maternity pay & MrL's debt. We are letting his debt run its term as its all to do with his ex & some of it is still in joint names & with the best will in the world i am not busting a gut to pay off HER debts. Anyway by Aug 2011 that will all be gone & MrL will be a whopping £650 a month better off. Then as long as I am getting maternity pay the finances will just about balance.
Don't really have a plan for after that...I figure we'll muddle through like most people & we've already adjusted to one big pay cut & survived, so it will be just another challenge.....and an excuse to spend ages on the forums looking for ideas for an MSE-baby!!

Am hoping to hear about extension to contract in next 6 weeks...if it doesn't happen then job search will begin (again) but the plan will stay the same

The_Golden_Goose

Getting on a bit? Don't tell me... you are about 30?! That's not old.

Good luck! Keep us posted, not on the TTC but you get the drift.

Lots of parents have MSE babies and manage on little income, I am sure you will be no different. Oooooooh so exciting!

Lurker1972

Best add a ££s update!

Not been quite as good on the NSD front this week, work has taxed my brain so much that I've had to get chocolate from canteen
& the car has been in the garage since yesterday having developed a problem on the way to work yesterday - expecting a bill of around £300 for that!

music magpie parcels have gone, cheque for one of the phones i recycled arrived today & I am due 53p from a credit balance on an old cc i decided to close a few weeks ago!

got some cleany bits from wilkos as prices are muchly better than mr t - less than half the price for big bottle of ariel!! must check out savers prices too & the good ol' 99p shop!

workikng tomorrow morning so am having an early night tonight, at some stage will need to check the cupboards & do meal plan & shopping list before my weekly visit to Mr T, so far only have 2 ideas for meals....so might nip over to old stylee board for inspirations

Lurker1972

The_Golden_Goose wrote: »

Getting on a bit? Don't tell me... you are about 30?! That's not old.

Good luck! Keep us posted, not on the TTC but you get the drift.

Lots of parents have MSE babies and manage on little income, I am sure you will be no different. Oooooooh so exciting!

am nearer 40!!!!.....37.....& MrL is 49........