Diary of an Ex-Spendaholic - Sorting it out in 2010

Ex-Spendaholic

Gosh its been ages since I updated.

Well its the school holidays. We've been on our holiday and I'm pleased to say that for the first time ever we actually brought money home - £250 or thereabouts once I get around to cash in the euros. Totally unheard of as normally we spend all the money and use the credit card.

I also managed to sell the last set of wheels for £80 so that was money for nothing too. :j We used this for bargain garden furniture.

Have a couple of items on ebay which were wins. Also have 2 phones to go to Fonebank.

Yesterday I called at one of those clothes buying places. I had 2 large bin bags. Got £14.70 for them. Whilst not a fortune its better than a poke in the eye with a big stick.

I'm having another baby in 14 weeks time so that will have an impact financially. Luckily I'll get 6 months full pay before going on to SMP and I will get more Tax Credits and Child Benefit. However my aim now is to squirrel away any surplus cash to allow me to take some maternity leave on SMP.

I'm now due the £190 Health in Pregnancy Grant which they give to everyone.

As the baby will be born near Christmas I've got my paranoid head on and am starting Xmas shopping. Got the youngest DD some stuff a few days ago. I intend by the end of August to have bought for all out of the outlaws.

Have managed to get all the school uniforms and supplies in with the exception of one pencil case so at least thats sorted.

Oh and its time for my CCCS DMP review so must get that sorted.


So just a recap for myself:

I'll save the

£250 brought back from holiday
£190 Health in pregnancy grant

£440 Total towards the maternity fund

Ex-Spendaholic

Have been having a bit of a debacle with tax credits. They didn't receive the form on time (despite it being sent in plenty of time). They then didn't scan it properly. As a result they have stopped the payments (was due next Wednesday) and I've had to write them a letter with the information they required. Will chase them up tomorrow.

Also a debacle with the Health in Pregnancy Grant. Hospital says that GP is responsible for issuing the form and GP says hospital is. I think its sorted now and I should be able to collect the form from GP tomorrow.

Have sent the 2 phones to Fonebank but mysteriously they haven't received them yet which is a bit of a worry. Hopefully they will turn up in the next day or two.

My ebay stuff didn't sell so I must get around to relisting. Haven't won anything in a while at competitions either despite putting in a lot of time and effort.

I've been working at the Christmas shopping. Have now got all the outlaws presents and my own family except for my parents. I plan to sort that by the end of August. I've been picking up some stuff for the kids too when I've seen bargains. This year I will not be running around shops in December amongst all the madness.

Ex-Spendaholic

Well thats the Health Pregnancy Grant form in the post at long last. :j

Also found out that I may get the Sure Start Maternity Grant of £500 (depending on Tax Credit Award) :j


Have been on with Tax Credits and hopefully they will be able to tell me what my award is tomorrow. I'm dreading in case there is a massive overpayment. :eek:

Phones still haven't arrived with Fonebank. :eek:

Must list some stuff on ebay.

Ex-Spendaholic

Tax Credits are sorted :j How they ever come up with such random amounts I'll never know but I'm happy. :j I'm just noting amounts below so I can check back here rather than having to keep scrappy bits of paper everywhere.

20 August £129.79 + £184.81 = £314.60
15 September £182.00
13 October £208.00
10 November £243.00 and monthly thereafter

All will change in November again anyway with the new baby.


So today I need to:

Sort swimming lessons for DD1 - Done
Sort speech therapy for DD2 - Done
Go to bank with OH's business cheques - Done


I've started on the payment a day thing again. I'm paying odd amounts to the council tax. For example £1.57 yesterday and £1.11 today. OK its not a fortune but it rounds off the bank account and will hopefully bring the council tax down a little earlier.

Still plodding along with £1 coins into the sealed pot too. Original plan was to open on 1 December but may leave that now towards my maternity leave.

Ex-Spendaholic

Oh happy days I've just had an email to say the Fonebank phones have arrived. Thats £83 heading my way. :j

Ex-Spendaholic

£83 in Fonebank cheques received today. :j

Today I've been returning stuff I bought that I don't need so have £62 due to come back on the debit card. I've 2 other things which need to go back too which will net me another £24. :j

Must list some bits on ebay too.

Next month I'm going to get tough on grocery budgets. Although I've stopped the running to the shop for milk and spending £18 and rarely go to M&S now I find that I'm forever chucking out bread (sometimes not even open) :eek: In September I'm going to try to do an Asda online shop every 10 days with a maximum spend of £70, buy all meat in bulk at the butchers and fruit and veg in the local greengrocer. Toiletries will be bought in Poundland. This should save a few quid.

Kids back at school week after next so other than the expense that will create - school fund, residential and the like at least with them at school and me at work I'm not spending all the time.

DD1 is wanting a camera for Xmas - going to buy this in the next week as we are doing ok for money this money.

Ex-Spendaholic

Just going to revise my weekly budget from 1 September. I'll withdraw £250 per week and budget it as follows:

School Dinners 20
Kids Club/Church Activities 6
Kids Pocket Money 6
Kids Lessons 12
Groceries 70
Diesel 40
Gas 30
Electric 20
Papers 4
Sealed Pot Challenge 7
Other 35 - this will cover anything miscellaneous like kids going to birthday parties etc

Ex-Spendaholic

Feeling really sorry for myself at the minute. 28 weeks pregnant, sore all over, loaded with the cold and 3 kids (2 of whom are behaving really badly). Couple that with an OH who is working 12-13 hour days at the minute and the only place I get any sort of peace is ironically work. I'm off until next Thursday though.

I am really glad the schools are back next week. Everyday its the same story "where are we going today?" Apparently they have gone nowhere this summer. :eek: 2 weeks in the canaries, going on the boat every Saturday and Sunday, trips to parks, beaches, indoor adventure playgrounds, cinema and several meals out obviously don't count for anything. :mad: On top of that my parents have had them to various places. I'm really not pleased as I know for a fact that I have done more than any of their friends and their mums are home 24/7.

Well anyway I'll stop feeling sorry for myself for a while. Have just done an Asda online order for groceries which will arrive tomorrow. Could have done with the food today but I can't face taking the kids.Total cost is £82 and I really hope to cut this down a bit.

Have found another mobile phone which is going to Fonebank to net me £40. :j

Miraculously my electric spend seems to have gone down by £5 to £15. OK not a lot but its an extra few quid to use elsewhere.

Last night counted my sealed tin as I couldn't resist the temptation. There is £347 in it. :j I'm delighted. Initially this was the Xmas fund but its now going to be my maternity fund (I think) to go towards the shortfall when I'm on SMP. Hopefully I'll get the Sure Start Maternity Grant too of £500 which I'll add to the maternity fund and I'm waiting on the Healthy Eating Grant of £190. I may use that on clothes etc though.

I'm going to get a Post Office budget card one of these days and use that to save up for car tax. I do have £100 in a principality esaver to put towards insurance and stuff but think a card would suit me better.

Next week will be expensive as have £50 school fund, £57 school trip and £70 music lessons to pay for not to mention school dinners.

Right I'm going to take these horrors to the park now as they are doing my head in. :mad:

carlos*the*mackem

Ex-Spendaholic wrote: »

I am really glad the schools are back next week. Everyday its the same story "where are we going today?" Apparently they have gone nowhere this summer. :eek: 2 weeks in the canaries, going on the boat every Saturday and Sunday, trips to parks, beaches, indoor adventure playgrounds, cinema and several meals out obviously don't count for anything. :mad: On top of that my parents have had them to various places. I'm really not pleased as I know for a fact that I have done more than any of their friends and their mums are home 24/7.

I can sooo relate to that! Sometimes it doesn't matter what you do, it's still not enough, and you know only too well that they've had more done for them than their mates have.

On the plus side though, this year they've been much more mature...so far!

Apologies for being away for so long...been on holiday with the kids

Ex-Spendaholic

Here it is last day of school holidays. Just at the park with the kids now letting them burn off steam. May investigate winter coats for them later. I know its early but it will be cold before we know it.

No great moneysaving going on at minute. Getting the bedroom done soon so this week's focus is to clear it. May even find some ebayables.