SAHM to 2 boys Money Diary

SAHMto2boys

Michelle - thanks for the ideas, will def get the maternity stuff on Ebay. How strange about the wellies? Ebay strikes me as a strange place, I tired to sale some maternity shorts and didn't get a bid so I relisted it without changing anything and got 18 watchers and they sold how £9.66 a week later. Strange place.

Thanks everyone for all the budget advice. I've realised I'm not doing as good of a budget as I thought, I'm missing lots of things off.:o For example when the cars need tax, etc we just 'find' the money instead of putting it away each month yet we know that will be an expense coming up. Hhhmmmm lots of thinking required me thinks.

After an hour in Clarkes and DS trying on countless pairs of shoes we now own some everyday shoes and school shoes. He had grown a whole size:o:eek:. In the end we settled for the best possible fit and added insoles to make them fit better. So £60 lighter - they didn't charge for the insole *roll eyes*. Also went to Home Bargains for loo roll, Heniz beans at half price for 4, biscuits - whatever I needed from Asda at cheaper cost. Managed to get some lovely wine glasses from M&S at 6 for £4.80.

Have got a big event this month and am doing a party at home afterwards so need to think about buffet food. Want it to be lovely and special so picked up a M&S food catalogue for ideas and will try and source elsewhere cheaper and home make what I can. Any tips folks?

Doggie got a thumbs up at check up and no charge so thats good. Asda tomorrow when I've made a proper list and meal plan. Managed to cobble together a mince beef cottage pie type thing in the SC for tea and have made enough for me and DS 2 nights (DH can't eat potates so he had his without but it didn't work) think I made 7 portions for about £4 which I think is :money:

Pinky15

Yummm I love Cottage pie!!
Sorry cant make any suggestions on the baking/cooking front as I am really carp at it lol!
Boo to Clarks my loast shop there cost me £120 was gutted!

cha97michelle

Clarks - that explains it a bit. Maybe his old shoes would sell well on ebay too. I agree on the strangeness of it, but i keep relisting the same old bits at 99p until they do go. I am never going to be rich doing it, but if the alternative would be to bin it or give to the charity shop then i must be a bit better off. My two have huge feet and seem to need shoes every few weeks. At least every 2-3 months. DS2 is only just 2 and in a 9.5G. That is the same size as my friends boy who is nearly 4. Strange. You might have the same thing with DS2 having narrow feet too. Might be worth hanging on to any really decent ones in case in an effort to forward plan.

My mum gave me quite a few bits of her old stock from her shop yesterday for me to list, and doesn't want anything for it. There are some really nice bits in there. I suppose i should list them on a 5 day listing tonight. Not all of it in one go though as that would be soul sucking. It is the wrapping it up and taking to the post office that gets me. The ladies in the post office must be sick of the sight of me.

Budget - i have a spreadsheet for my budget. I sent it to another MFW who wanted to budget. I can send you a copy too if you need help thinking about it. Just PM me your email address if you want it. I find it helps, as although i am far from perfect with it, i can see where i am missing things more easily. Course you might be more of a pen and paper girlie.

SAHMto2boys

Pinky - £120 ouch!! Suppose it'll be that when both DS's want shoes.

Michelle - thats a kind thing of your mum to do with the stock, hope it all goes well on Ebay. Yep am saving shoes at the minute for the baby incase they fit, all in there boxes in the cupboard. If not then they will be on Ebay. Crikey my DS1 is only a 8.5E so your boy does have big feet!

Firstly good news

1. Vet just rung and lab results show the dogs illness was just a cyst, it complete so he removed it all and only one more test now to come back but vet is confident:j
2. DH bonus came in at £2000 in our hands so to speak:jabout £18000 short but not looking gift horse in mouth:cool:

Have just a budget and opened a few more online savers so I can put money away, I was already saving some but clearly not enough. So I've now got direct debits for most house things

• council tax
• food (goes into my single account
• fuel
• bills
• Savings for both boys CTF
• monthly savings - trying to put £100 away for just in case money, think I'll top this up once credit card is paid to make an emeergancy fund
• life and house insurance
• tv licence
• Christmas and birthday savings
• DVD rental (lowest package of £3.97 but a little treat)
• Monthly spending money - drawing out cash for month so I can see where its going and keep diary of spends

Now I've added

• car savings for main family car - DH's is to do with work so he sorts that
• holidays - have saved up for this year but started putting away for next year so the cash is there when I want to book
• Child benefit - set up a seperate account to hold the money I get to pay for the boys things - shoes/nappies for baby/fees for clubs
• Clothing - don't really want to put money here every month as I need to cut back here
• Vet bills - £15 a month away for dogs

DH pays for landline/internet through his account (normally about £22 a month) and my mobile (£15 a month).

What do you all think? Have I covered everything?

I've been good covering the house type stuff but its all the little bits that I spend that leaves me skint for the rest of the month - shoes/car tax/etc:o

Jo_R_2

That looks pretty comprehensive actually:) As well as saving for holidays, I actually have a separate saver for holiay spends, is that worth a thought?

Also I have a small budget for 'me' things, by this I mean personal stuff that only I will buy, I always include the cost of a couple of pairs of tights, my fave moisturiser (is only a Simple one but still budget for it), facial scrub and a packet of hair dye. I also include each month any other girlie stuff I know I will want that particular month (eg make up for example.)

I also have a budget for children's school and nursery things. In this is included DD1's school milk money, and DD2's snack and lunch money for nursery, and I add the cost of any upcoming trips to that as well.

Clothes I do on a month-specific basis, and work out what I need and what it will cost roughly, and factor that in rather than putting some aside per month.

Car tax I budget monthly for.

cha97michelle

:jGreat news about your doggy. So pleased for you.

Sounds like you are being really organised. The only thing i thought of different to you was do you have life insurance? I know not the biggest priority, but we pay £10.99 a month for the pair of us, and there would be enough to last a few years if something happened to one of us. I think it is really important after watching how my mum struggled when my dad was in hospital for a year. The only reason life ticked on for them was because my nana lived with them and she made sure the bills were paid and mum had money for food.

It might be hard at first budgetting in a slightly different way. I am still struggling a bit and i have been doing it since last october ish time. I thought i had a budget before then but i was playing at it really. And i could still improve. The way i look at it though is once you have made a start, it means less true emergencies happen.

I also have a fund i call big purchases, and i put £50 per month into it to cover when things like appliances need replacing. I know i could go out and replace things like a washing machine that life would be unbearable without.

SAHMto2boys

Thanks Michelle and Jo

Jo- totally forgot about hair and the like. That is a bit of a weakness for me - the hairdressers. I love it and its my one time I'm totally child free and can sit and relax so I must put that in the budget - thanks for the reminder. Thats a good idea with the childrens school budget too, I'm hoping mine bits will come under the child benefit. DS milk money is 50p a week, I've put the £12 needed for his trip away from the car boot.

Michelle - yes we have life insurance, the mortgage company insisted we had it for our loan but its not something I would ever be without. The thought of being on my own is terrifying enough without worrying how I'd pay the mortgage - DH has a really good pension too. I want to get some quotes though as we are paying out lots for that, house insurance is a lot too but I struggle to find people to cover because of the number of bedrooms. Thats a good idea about having a 'big' fund.

Having a good day today. Have managed to get the ironing done and give the downstairs a quick going over so it looks nice for the weekend. Have taken boys to library and swapped our books (got next Dexter I've been wanting to read) - love sitting feeding the baby in his nursery at bedtime and reading while the house is still. Big DS is just having a nap as he doesn't look great and baby having a kick on his playmet and then later we are going to make pizzas for tea. Have the offer of a babysitter at the weekend so DH and I are going out for a meal, booked a nice place but they have a 'cheap' night on a Sunday so trying to have a bit of time together in a MSE way. Normally we'd have booked a fancy place and not thought about the cost so we are getting there. Slowly.

SAHMto2boys

Another good day today. Plus I think I can say it was a NSD - and a Saturday too! First time EVER!!!

DH did go and collect the dogs food from the wholesalers but it was budgetted for and no spending on lunches out or drinks or anything which is totally unheard of in this house. Just been out visiting and swimming lessons today.

I think I may cave in and order things for our 'do' from M&S. Yikes. But it all looks so lovely and I honestly do not think we could do it all cheaper by the time we have brought in everything and used the oven. Bit more thinking about that but I have put away £200 for food, drink, flowers, etc so I think I could afford things. Plus MIL is making all the sandwiches and my mum has offered to pay something towards it all.

The HM pizzas were a massive success yesterday. DS and I made the dough in the breadmaker and then made cookies while that did its thing, when we topped and baked them they came out lovely. Never made them before, only used the dough programme to make a garlic bread and thought they tasted so fresh for a pizza. Will be something we do again and think it cost about £2 to make two huge ones - I normally could spend about £6 in the supermarket or £15 on a takeaway so very MSE!

Two tired little boys are settled in bed, DH just cooking our tea - a good day!

Pinky15

Well done on the NS day - I dont think I have ever managed one on a saturday yet lol.
The pizzas sound nice were they easy to make? I budget £9 per week for a takeaway as we dont go out very often - but would have a crack at some pizzas:)

Jo_R_2

I used to go to the hairdressers fairly regularly - that was before I started being 'properly' DFW and used to stick it on my cc fully intending to pay it off - and never quite managing it:o

Once my DFW instincts kicked in I just started dying my own hair and have the occasional trip to the hairdressers usually funded by gift tokens/cards from Christmas or birthday and maybe top up any difference myself.

I know what you mean about it being a real luxury - when I do go it's usually a Saturday morning when DDs are at their dads and OH will look after baby for a couple of hours so it's real 'me' time:D If I did it more often I would budget every month for it so that is a good idea if you do go regularly unlike some who really should get their hair cut more often:o