My Ongoing Challenge - To live with my means

Lurker1972

woohoo, just checked my valued opinions balance & had enough for a £10 voucher!

chose M&S, that will go with birthday gift card & be a new pair of jeans once I'm half way to weight loss target (could be a while, as its going in the wrong direction!!!):o

Lurker1972

was updating diary with appointments earlier & had a quick count of my NSDs.......:T:T for first time have hit target with days to go!!!! today is NSD 15!!!!:j:j

EssexHebridean

Well done on the NSD target - I've just read right through your diary and it seems like you're doing ok. Not surprised you felt faint at the £90 pizza bill, either!

Oh, SH, I don't get paid for overtime either so I know where you're coming from!

Lurker1972

Am not doing too well with updating am I?!
I blame this on lack of laptop (broke it again) & even worse - no Internets!!!!
I also started farmville
any way, enough excuses

November summary
Not Bad at all!!!:T
16 NSDs, & 6 LSD (Low spend being £1 or under)
Came in £2 under grocery budget
Got to do a little bit of overtime which will will show up in bank account at some stage.
Closed an old egg CC now that the anniversary 0% offer is gone

Still trying to teach MrLurker about quidco - he's ordered a couple of things from ebay & play for folks at work.....without logging in first - it may only be pennies, but that not the point!

Not started anything festive yet - not for want of trying, but need inspiration - tree should go up at weekend so maybe all the glitter there will help!

Have been thinking about this for a while but the time really has come to post SOA (as recommended by flying_fresian). the numbers are JUST about balancing but theres not much flexibility for washing machine breakdowns etc & thats a worry & I really must finish my 2010 spreadsheets - that could become todays job instead of the ironing...

Boiler has been services & the cheeky man left the heating on!!! will switch that off while I visit the dentist....have just got time to put the washing on & do a couple of other little jobs...or I could farm!

x

Lurker1972

ok, this is the first proper MSE SOA I've done so be gentle....

Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet
Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 2
Number of children in household......... 0
Number of cars owned.................... 2
Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 1056
Partners monthly income after tax....... 0
Benefits................................ 0
Other income............................ 150
Total monthly income.................... 1206
Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 400
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 0
Rent.................................... 0
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 128
Electricity............................. 25
Gas..................................... 27
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 33
Telephone (land line)................... 0
Mobile phone............................ 0
TV Licence.............................. 12.12
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 65
Internet Services....................... 0
Groceries etc. ......................... 175
Clothing................................ 0
Petrol/diesel........................... 45
Road tax................................ 35
Car Insurance........................... 0
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 65
Car parking............................. 0
Other travel............................ 0
Childcare/nursery....................... 0
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 14.52
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 10
Buildings insurance..................... 16.16
Contents insurance...................... 0
Life assurance ......................... 15.21
Other insurance......................... 17.52
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 30
Haircuts................................ 0
Entertainment........................... 0
Holiday................................. 0
Emergency fund.......................... 87
Total monthly expenses.................. 1200.53

Assets
Cash.................................... 0
House value (Gross)..................... 175000
Shares and bonds........................ 1000
Car(s).................................. 3000
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 179000

Secured & HP Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Mortgage...................... 102000...(400)......5
Total secured & HP debts...... 102000....-.........-
Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Total unsecured debts..........0.........0.........-

Monthly Budget Summary
Total monthly income.................... 1,206
Expenses (including HP & secured debts). 1,200.53
Available for debt repayments........... 5.47
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 0
Amount left after debt repayments....... 5.47
Personal Balance Sheet Summary
Total assets (things you own)........... 179,000
Total HP & Secured debt................. -102,000
Total Unsecured debt.................... -0
Net Assets.............................. 77,000
Created using the SOA calculator at www.makesenseofcards.com.
Reproduced on Moneysavingexpert with permission, using IE browser.

I've not included Mr Lurkers income as his current priority is servicing his debts from first marriage. He gives me £150 a month, pays for the car insurance (multicar policy) & our mobile phone is joint - he pays for that.

Have just switched the gas & leccy supply, satellite tv is Sky, includes internet, phone & sky sports...and I ought to confess its HD too, but I see this as our entertainment figure....:o

insurance is for Buildings & Contents - due for renewal at end of this year, will be shopping around as I expect my staff discount will be withdrawn!

I put £10 a month away to cover cat food & vet bills so its not really insurance

The £87 is my £20 a week spends money - I very rarely spend this much & any excess is put into savings account at the end of a week - its to pay for hair cuts & the various oddments that crop up - all accounted for in spending diary.

£30 a month is for Xmas (save for 10 months only) again, don't spend this much, any left over goes to increased foodbills at this time of year or into saviings account.

I think the only area for cutback in groceries - thats already down from £240pm & am struggling to keep under the £175......despite old-styleeee

any thoughts or views are welcome, but please be gentle!!

savingholmes

You seem to be doing really well on a not that large an income so no kicking required! I am probably nowhere near as good as you - despite anything I post on my soa in the past.... I blame the kids LOL!

Lurker1972

thank SH,
I just think I should be doing better!! when really I should have been doing better on old salary - am £500 p/m down on before - and I thought it was hard then?!!!

My other theory is that if I can stick to small budget now, should be able to continue to do so when (not iff, thinking positive here) we have junior lurker!

savingholmes

Hi - that's the spirit! Hopefully by then your OH will be more able to contribute to the main outgoings which would make a huge difference!

You could improve your grocery and sky budget - but I could improve my grocery and chocolate budget - we all have things we do that are not strictly mse. My strongest advice would be to do more Make £10 a day challenge stuff to give more slack in your budget and then perhaps you can use more to pay off stuff, whether it is debt, mortgage or whatever

Lurker1972

grocery is certainly on the keep tackling list - I think it should be about £150 but its a matter of balancing out the need for toiletries - they always put the bill up....

Sky -everytime I try & haggle they knock me back & I'm a bit lost now on what am paying for each part (very bad of me)
Have resisted the offers of ESPN for 3 months half price though, despite knowing that Mr L would like it v much for the footie!

hopefully though the little bit I get for overtime can go stright into the mortgage fund!

savingholmes

sounds like you are doing well