I'm going to do a diary too :)

gerbiljo

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These are the bug boxes, I think theoretically its to help good bugs for the garden have places to hide/hibernate because i guess there is less habitat for them with more houses, patios/decking etc. i haven't seen any bugs in them!! I tried to put a few in and they didn't seem bothered about it, don't think are any in it at the mo but lots of people seem to have them and they have them at preschool so I guess its just a bit of fun.

The book sounds spot on

The canvases sound great Pammy, I love stuff like that, like that program 'through the keyhole' where your house kind of represented the family, I like our house to reflect us. I like to have memories in every room. I think if they're good photos then you can keep them forever and i think well worth the expense, to a degree

My husband has made a fantastic picnic bench for our daughter from old building material pallets, its amazing, will post a pic when I have finished painting it It took 2hours.

On a non- money saving issue we spent £4 on an inflatables afternoon at the local school and our daughter wouldn't go on any this time as they were 'too bouncy' I think that won waste of money award of the month!!!

vl2588

Oh dear re inflatables!

Nice boxes, maybe someone should rig up some minute cameras to prove they actually get used!

gerbiljo

Yes I definitely need a way to find out if they get used! I was looking at all the different insect boxes in the garden centre and they're quite fun, there was even one for bumble bees but they die each year and i think that'd make me sad plus they are £70 a time, plus I get somebody might get stung, although it sounds like they are not angry bees compared to honeybees apparently!!

I am struggling with money issues this month and am feeling a bit burdened! I have not told my husband as generally I don't worry about money and he does so I like to set an example that its nothing to worry about. We have had a refund from british gas £15 and I don't really understand their bills but there could be another one coming our way, maybe... We have ordered lots of materials and these have gone on my 'investment credit card' which wasn't really the plan but it seems silly us not getting on with the building. We are nearly up to where we can get to now, we can get to first floor then that is going to be it until we have a few thousand to pay bricklayers etc. So I guess I am happy to spend out to get to here but we are now going to have about £7k on credit cards. One needs to be paid by march- so that is the priority the other not til october unless our investment comes through big time. We have had a few unexpected expenses too like £196 for preschool, we thought after 3 we wouldn't have to pay, but its the term after the third birthday, this money will have to come off paying the credit card for the mo so next month we will hardly reduce the balance and we have spent a lot on it this month . Next month also I think my husband will have less salary as he has been off a lot and done less overtime. Lets not forget spending either, I have spent loads or so it seems, little things have added up like I have started getting bit for our daughters birthday- like for the cake and party, but I wouldn't want to not get these things, plus I need to buy balloons etc, I think part of the guilt is that I didn't set a budget for these things I just think I can get them out of our food shop, which seems to have gone up a lot anyway. Theres still things I have to buy as well, ultimately of course its simple, we might have to overpay the mortgage by less and tbh thats not the end of the world, I mean it would probably extend it by maybe a month, so why is it so hard to contemplate not doing this???? grrr

Anyway I will have to see how things go, must try and spend less for the new year

gerbiljo

Food shop yesterday £56, we've looked through what we got and we bought a bit of chocolate and some hair bands but no clothes and hardly any dinners after last weeks shop, so it wasn't really a top up shop, my husband has been home so we've possibly eaten more. Most of what we buy is smart price, I can only conclude the cost of living is just much higher. Our current food budget is £200 a month, I think we need to up it to £300 otherwise realistically we spend every month feeling bad for overspending. The consequence of this realistically is that I guess over the next months of the challenge we will go £1500 behind in overpayments which means what a 2week change to our mortgage free date?? I don't think this is worth getting upset over. I know our credit cards are going to be way off this month so I will have a big signature update when we next get paid. I still need to buy some bits for our daughters birthday so I will just go with it and reevaluate after I've bought it, we don't buy her loads but I still want it to be special also we are off work around that date and I like it to be a family event. If I can't enjoy that time what is the point!! She's at such a lovely age and I do want to enjoy the times we get. Anyway in the old days I would have thought nothing of going to lakeside and blowing £300 on clothes and dvds so getting panicky about spending £20 on things for her cake and birthday balloons in the grand scheme of things is nothing I guess.

On a 'trying to make myself feel better about myself' for spending all this I should remind myself I once spent £14k on a car and sold it 5 years later for £1.5k after I'd thoroughly wrecked....grr that'd pay a third of our mortgage now....I won't go into any more money wasting reminders atm, and believe me I have loads:rotfl:

I think this is becoming a money spending rather than money saving diary atm!!!:o

[Deleted User]

Hey Jo
Totally hear you on the cost of living - food/petrol seems to have gone up massively and I too spend most months feeling "guilty" for overspending on the budget! Am gonna a try having a couple of months of keeping reciepts as it seems too easy to lose track of what's even bought!!
Even with adding a little bit of wiggle room into your budget you are still going great guns on the MF efforts - I think we can all look back on things we have blown money on needlessly that could in hindsight paid something off- but I guess thats part of the MSE journey eh! :rotfl:

cha97michelle

I too keep spending more than I intended and I have been making a real effort the past couple of weeks. I don't know if it is the kids getting bigger, so eating more and needing more clothes what seems like every week at the moment, or if it is me being flippant with the pennies, but I know I need to really knuckle down again. I always seem to be saying it.

The approved food stockpile in my pantry is really helping. We are slowly eating our way through it, and not spending quite so much.

I feel you though. It is a constant juggling act, and I feel like a right scrooge with money constantly in my mind.

gerbiljo

I think as well when we first started this our daughter was 1 and didn't want for anything, now she likes certain things and getting her those things gives us so much happiness, its so much easier when they're small. I am so excited about xmas and her birthday (I don't even celebrate my birthday) and its such a highlight, she is easy to predict what she likes and I am so looking forward to giving her presents I know she will love, I want to get her a playhouse for the garden and lots of other things, I guess I try to make up for her not getting my time, which of course I can't but I just want her childhood to be magical, I guess I am less willing to sacrifice things she wants now than I was. I think also with other things I have slacked, I don't want to be doing surveys in the evening when I can play with her or batch cooking at the weekends, because we have struggled as well I think we need this day to day pleasure rather than having everything on hold. i loved her as a baby of course but I do much prefer this age and I want to help her progress, I don't want her getting behind with stuff because I was doing a survey. Time is the problem, we need more, I guess with the building too...

I need to do what you are doing michelle but I guess we need a break I might try and improve stuff in the new year food wise but I guess with every month being a struggle, keeping up with our plans is as much as we can do for now. Thanks TYO I know we do do a lot every month really in the grand scheme of things its all good but I guess the point of a challenge is you keep trying to challenge yourself

gerbiljo

£10 ipsos:j:j:j

gerbiljo

£2620 off the balance, £44080 :j:j:j

gerbiljo

This weeks food shop was £45 including £13 on a work shirt for my husband and a top for my daughter which i think might end up being a present.
Haven't got much to report at the moment I still find it bizarre that the mortgage direct debit can't come out on a saturday! Gonna get some final bits for our daughters cake. Think thats about it for now :cool: