Isla's "the final stretch" diary

isla_red

Last week I managed to get to a total of 4 NSDs woo! This week is not looking so good on the NSD front. I bought a birthday present for a friend yesterday but managed to get 30% off it and I'm going for a cheap lunch today. I can try for NSDs Wed, Thurs, Fri because I've done my food shopping for the week. It's touch and go on the finance front with the end of the month looming, I've got very little cash to hand but fingers crossed all my planning will pay off. I'm going away for the weekend but I have budgeted for that from the last 2 months so I have cash to hand for it. I just hope it's enough!

isla_red

Argh ripped my last pair of tights this morning and can't go without until pay day - typical! I'm going to have to sit and look at next month's budget because now have a family do to budget for as well as a friend's wedding. Eeek! I just need to keep reminding myself that at the start of 2011 it's all going to be so much better than it is right now. I'm in a bit of denial about the winter fuel bills already though. :rotfl:

Little_Miss_Red_Head

Hi you're lucky it was just your tights that went it usually my car that ends up breaking. Well done on your no spend days - I know what you mean about finding a nice balance I always find this time of year hard as its almost all my familys birthdays and then Christmas:( at least you know its going to get easier

isla_red

Your car! Eek. Yes I'm very very grateful it was only tights. I've had a hell of a week and I'm reaching the point where I'm just trying to work out how little sleep I can cope on which is never the right approach. I have to look at my budget tonight as I've bought a few presents recently and just need to see where I am with it.

I've made some payments to the debt so back down to £850, if I can just keep it there and reducing not going back up.

How's things with you?

Little_Miss_Red_Head

I know how you feel with lack of sleep! I don't know how I'm going to cope when I go back to work if the baby's still not sleeping.

Well done on reducing the debt to £850 that seems like a fairly manageable amount I hate having to look at the budget, we're going to have to do that next month when we have to start paying nursery fees:(

isla_red

Did you find a nice nursery? Nursery fees are very high, it's quite something to work into the budget.

I have made a complete and utter mess of my budget this month and now have roughly £24 a week to get me to payday in 3 and a half weeks time. I have totally screwed it up with bad planning and forgetting that I hadn't bought a wedding present for my friend yet - yikes! Going to the wedding in a couple of weeks time and that's never a cheap day out either.

I also submitted our meter readings for a gas / electric bill which came back much higher than we expected so going to call the gas co later to make sure that they have received all our previous payments okay.

It's only the 4th and I'm already picturing a very, very long month ahead!

isla_red

So the lesson learned so far this month is that if you screw up your budget so early in the month you get irritable and money weighs on your mind even more than usual. I caught my fingers itching towards the credit card today when I was looking to buy gifts for my friend's son's birthday. Luckily sense kicked in and I popped to the local poundmart and found some fabulous toys for him that he'll enjoy just as much as the super duper expensive ones.

I could kick myself for this because I just didn't do the maths properly and account in for everything we have to do this month. Still onwards and upwards I guess.

isla_red

2.5 weeks till payday and money is definitely at the front of my mind. Next month's budget will be much better managed so I don't replicate this month's fantastic miscalculations. Thankfully no weddings or birthdays next month so it should be an easier month. *touches wood*

I've found some cracking recipes in the other forums here so I'm going to take a stab at doing more baking and meal-planning to help ease the budget woes. I looked into swapping to a 0% card but I know that if I zip my existing debt onto 0% I'll use that as an excuse to ignore it and to be honest the transfer fees are pretty much what I'll pay in interest if I pay it off on my current plan so it seems a lot of hassle for nothing.

Roll on payday! :j

Little_Miss_Red_Head

We found a lovely nursery that I'm very happy with as my daughter's only going 2 days a week that helps keep costs down but its still £323 a month:eek:

I'm always getting my sums muddled up hopefully the month flies by for you - I get paid on Friday and can't wait spent far too much this month eek!!

Hope you enjoy(ed) the wedding x

isla_red

Thanks little miss the wedding was incredible and my friend looked stunning

£323 a month?! Yipes. At least it's a lovely nursery but it's incredible how much the costs for nurseries are. It's so much to consider. Getting sums muddled up is so easy isn't it? I could still kick myself and I've somehow lost £10 from the budget so I'm going back through all my receipts to try and work out how I've managed to screw it up so badly this month. Still, my records for the last 9 months are fine so 1 month of screw ups isn't too bad I don't think.