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

Ex-Spendaholic

:j :j :j I sold the car. :j :j :j The money is sitting in an envelope whilst we decide what to do with it. Sensible choices would be pay off a bit of debt or put in savings but we may just be non-sensible and use it for a holiday. We've had 2 friends die suddenly in their mid 30s in the past 6 weeks and it has made us think that life should be enjoyed as you never know the minute.

I also sold a set of the wheels. :j:j 2 more sets to go and a guy a couple of hundred miles away is planning on coming to see them at some stage. Maybe just maybe I'll get rid of those too. I'll take anything for them just to get rid of them and clear a bit of garage space. Miraculously I got full asking price for the car and the other wheels even though I'd added money on to allow for the usual haggling. :beer:


With the car gone this brings savings. Between tax and insurance it was costing £600 per year just to sit there and every time it was driven (which was rarely) it seemed to need £20 of petrol to go nowhere. So glad to be rid of it.


Yesterday I had a small win - just a £20 pet food voucher but it will buy the dog food for a month thus saving us £20.


I have also changed my dentist. The one I had been going to was charging £39 for a check up. It was getting beyond belief. I've changed to a new one where a lot of my friends attend. They pay about £8 for a checkup. :beer:

Otherwise things are good, money in the purse still and Monday brings child benefit, Tuesday brings my salary, Wednesday brings tax credits, Thursday should bring in my expenses from work and next Friday brings OH's monthly contribution.


I had bought 2 pairs of boots in the Office sale at £25 each - these were out of my birthday money. I returned them during the week and the money has just been refunded. Must not buy stuff I don't need.


Targets for next week


Sell the other 2 sets of wheels - 1 set down, 1 set to go

Have a look at holidays - Done, now booked

Sort out the house, its a bit of a mess of late - Done this last night

2 No Spend Days - achieved

Up my competition entries, they have been slack of late - have made a little progress here

Ex-Spendaholic

Amazing, I've just sold another set of wheels. :j :j Just one set left now. Not very optimistic on this particular set but will take anything for them just to get rid of them. :j

Ex-Spendaholic

Well tomorrow is that most wonderful day of the month - Pay Day. :beer: :j Miraculously I have £150 left over which at one time was unheard of. The child benefit went in today but I'm going to use that on new summer stuff for the kids. They have all outgrown everything so will buy them all new shoes and clothes over the next few days. At least I can go and do this with cash nowadays. For years I just used the Next Card. :mad:

Tax credits are due on Wednesday and I have a work expenses payment due on Thursday. I'm also awaiting a refund of £55.60 to the account.

My daughter has been seeing a private tutor for some help with reading. She no longer needs that so will have one more session only. This is going to free up £15 per week - so £60-£75 per month. :j I'm thinking of putting the youngest child into playgroup a couple of mornings a week from September so this would cover the fees. :j

Car insurance is up on 6 June and rather than pay by DD which I have always done I have enough in the Principality e-saver to pay in full. This will free up £18.71 per month and I'll have the satisfaction of knowing its paid. :j

So in general things are quite good at the minute.

Now on to those competition entries. :eek:

Ex-Spendaholic

What a beautiful day it is.

I've signed DD up for playgroup in September. Just 2 days per week at first. She is going to love it.

Was out for lunch - friend treated me. :j

Have had a total NSD. :j

My pay is in and I haven't touched it. :A

carlos*the*mackem

Woo-hoo! Well done you! Had a really busy time work-wise, so haven't been on much I'm afraid, and when I come back..POW!!! Amazed at all you've achieved...well done!

Ex-Spendaholic

What a weekend. :j Eldest child got into our first choice grammar school. :j We are delighted. :j He went on his school trip today and won't be back until Friday. The fact that he is away for a week is probably money saving in itself. :rotfl:


This morning I booked us a summer holiday using the car money. The good thing is that it covered it all. Big change from the days when it went on the credit card never to be paid. :eek: I got a really good deal. Had been dithering for a while but Alpha Rooms had a 10% off deal on if booked by midnight tonight so we saved ourselves £177. :j It also tracked on Quidco for £86.13 cashback. Not depending on that though as you often don't get quidco if you've used a discount code.


Finally had a refund of £55.60 from Jet2 which was due to a flight not going a couple of months back. :j


Still have a set of wheels to sell but no movement on them as yet.


So targets for the week:

1. Pay the car insurance - Done

2. Have 2 NSDs - Done

3. Enter loads of competitions - Done

4. Do a bedroom clearout - sad to say the kids rooms are ok but ours isn't. :eek: - Done

carlos*the*mackem

Well done to you and your son for getting his school place; you must be thrilled, and a load off your mind!

Good news on your holiday too; it's a nice feeling to pay it off in cash isn't it? Now the only thing you need to be concerned about is packing enough clothes for everyone...

Ex-Spendaholic

Oops haven't posted in ages.

Approaching the end of the month again. Child Benefit in today, Tax Credits due Wednesday, salary due Friday and OH hands over the month's money on Wednesday of next week. Also awaiting £107 in expenses from work. :j Will need to budget spends for next month's holiday although it is all inclusive so shouldn't need a lot.

No big cash surplus left at the end of this month but we have had a wall built at the front of the house, pvc fascias cleaned and oven repaired. So the money has gone far this month.

On the plus side OH's business is going good at the moment. :j

Tonight we go to DS new school and we order the PE kit. I'm led to believe that this costs around £200. :eek:

School ends next week. This will instantly mean that I'm not handing out £53 per month on DD's school lunches or £16 per month on DS swimming lessons plus the other bits and pieces they ask for all the time. I'm under no illusion though that the money will be usurped somewhere else. :rotfl:

Targets for this week:

2 NSDs

Open an account with a cashcard for DS

Book the dogs booster/kennel cough injections

Sort out the utility room - I'm sure the ironing is breeding

Win something

Ex-Spendaholic

Not a lot of progress.

The PE kit cost £135 so less than expected (although still a fortune) :j

Son's music lessons are cancelled for July due to the tutor being away for 2 weeks and then us. That will save £48. :j

I'm continuing to contribute to the sealed pot. It is really heavy now so should have a tidy sum for Christmas. Still chucking money in the odd change jar too.

Was really worried about the budget as I thought they were going to do something horrible with child benefit. Luckily that worked out ok. No major changes for us although I'll have £14.67 extra in my pay each month from April. They'll get that in the VAT rise though.


Targets not met so back on the list for this week:

2 NSDs

Open an account with a cashcard for DS

Book the dogs booster/kennel cough injections

Win something


New Targets

Investigate one of those new places who are buying clothes by the kilogramme - I'm always taking stuff to charity shops etc. If someone wants to give me a few quid for it instead, I'll gladly take it

Relist the remaining set of wheels for sale

Do something about the "toy situation". DD really needs some sort of storage in her room rather than the floor. Wanted some kind of boxes for under the bed but can't seem to find any to fit.

Do an Asda online order - I feel I'm starting to slip a bit into old habits of "nipping to the shop".

carlos*the*mackem

Hello! Hope you're OK. How are things going?