Daffy's 'a nice cup of tea cheers you up' diary

Cheery_Daff

Mags30 wrote: »

About that budget--is there any money for for socialising/alcohol/nights out/clothes/haircuts/beauty products? I'm not recommending a shopping spree but surely you would need some money for the above items in the budget? Could any of the money you can't account for have gone on these things?

Good suggestions! However... I don't drink, nights out tend to be watching Mr Daffs' bands, so I get in free, and usually drink soda water I cut my own hair, so haven't paid for a hair cut for several years

Beauty products is only the occasional foundation, plus 43p shampoo and conditioner from Sainsbury's. I make my own soap (and my own sanitary towels, but don't tell anyone!) :rotfl:

Anything I spend that isn't accounted for specifically in that budget comes under 'unnecessary' - I have £15 a week, and that's where clothes/socialising etc comes in. Clothes are *always* from charity shops, and I don't buy them very often (I've been making skirts etc with old sheets etc I've bought in charity shops). Socialising mainly consists of cups of tea in cafes - also within unnecessary budget

I don't use my cash card for anything, and get food/unnecessary spends cash out of the bank at the beginning of the week, and if it's gone I don't spend it

(gosh, I'm making myself sound like a right dull freak - I'm not, honestly! :rotfl:)

I reckon I just counted wrong with last month! I was less than £30 out, and I think I just got confused with the extra I assumed I had coming in

It's taken me years and years to get to the stage where i've got this much control over my budget! :rotfl: And I ain't letting go just yet... Got to keep watching that pesky bank account so it doesn't misbehave... :rotfl:

(thanks for the suggestions though! I've never posted an SOA up here properly, partly because my outgoings are quite simple, and I pay my household contribution all in one lump sum, negotiated with Mr Daffs when I moved in here a couple of years ago. However, we're in the process of sorting all the household bills out together, so maybe I should! So it's a slightly bizarre experience having someone else looking at my budget!

Cheery_Daff

Ok, couple more things to add!

TA DA!!!!

* Day 3 of Shred! :j
* PhD supervision
* cup of tea and intellectual discussion with friend :rotfl:
* lunch with Mr daffs
* internet banking and spreadsheets
* rang dentist (been meaning to do this for weeks - unfortunately I left it too late and they'd shut (before 4pm!) so I'm going to have to remember on Monday too!
* put redcurrant bush outside (sadly just *put* outside rather than *planted*, but it's a start!)
* read chapter of evil political science book for PhD chapter
* made and ate tea

Mr Daffs is off out in a minute, so a flurry of activity for an hour or so, followed by a nice bath, and some knitting, and a daft film I think! :T (ooh, and a little bit of sneaky birthday present hunting!) :T

Actually - Mags - presents is something I kind of missed out, largely because I've had a bit of a challenge on to *make* all of my birthday/Christmas presents over the last year or so, which I have actually done! :j The odd small thing that I don't make (not very often) comes out of my unnecessary fund. I don't buy cards either. Mr Daffs is the exception though, we usually get each other a few bits and pieces - I did try to make just one present for him for Christmas, (which I, er, still haven't finished ) so I'm resorting to making a couple of small one, and buying another couple. Must do that tonight! :T

missymoo81

Hi Daff


I just wanted to say what a wonderfully fantabulous diary. You have inspired me to get back into my MSE ways and have started a new diary. I totally agree on the tea drinking it solves all problems in my book. Keep up your wonderful work, you are a star.

Missy x

Mags30

Wow I’m impressed that you can live so cheaply.

Nights out, are you sure you spend nothing? Do you pay for parking, a bus, taxi? Go to the chipper on the way home? I’m not criticising your budget by the way, please don’t think I am, I’m just comparing it to my own expenses. I sometimes go to free events too but can still end up spending maybe €10.

The materials for all these things you make must cost some money and knitting wool can be expensive.

When I was doing the “accounting for every cent” budget a trip to the post office gave me a bit of a shock. I recall spending €8 posting 2 parcels and then there was the letter that had to go by registered post. Stamps weren’t in any of my categories obviously.

No matter how many categories I invent I still can’t do budgeting properly. But I try!

That "unnecessary" category is an excellent idea.

Can I ask why you always buy in charity shops? Is it for environmental reasons? Where I live charity shops are full of Primark clothes so it’s pointless. Next time I go on a trip to London I plan on finding the good charity shops.

Your social life sounds a lot like mine. I go for coffee a lot, don’t really drink, just an occasional glass of wine or vodka if people I’m with are drinking and I used to go to lots of gigs before I split up with the guy who organizes the events:)

Mags30

All this tea everybody's drinking--is it ordinary tea or herbal or green tea? Being Irish I drink Barry's tea (I think you can buy it in the UK) I almost always order cappuccinos in cafe's but I have have tea at home 'cause it has less caffine.

Cheery_Daff

Ah, thanks missymoo, you brought a tear to my eye! I'll investigate your new sparkly diary later this evening, hooray! :j

Mags sorry, I didn't mean to sound defensive! It is interesting to think/talk about this stuff though, you're right, sometimes you do end up spending without thinking! Let me think....

Nights out... I live about 25 mins walk from the town centre, and often Mr Daffs or other friends play there, so I usually walk, and then we walk home. We're temporarily without a vehicle at the minute, but when we had/have one, we usually drive (especially if he's got guitars etc to take), and then drive home. Rarely park somewhere that needs paying for, usually it's in some tiny back street pub with onstreet parking (very glamourous!) Haven't been in a taxi for years! Buses run frequently and quite late here too - and they do student tickets up to our house, so I pay a maximum of £1 for bus fare (but don't do that very often).

I'm quite good with material etc - I know it can be shockingly expensive! However I rarely, if ever, buy anything new. I'm lucky enough to live within walking distance of 10 charity shops (!), and once a week or so will just have an idle amble through most of them (they're in 2 different 'areas'), without looking for anything in particular. So over the years I've built up a nice little stash of old pillow cases, sheets, scarves, bits of fabric, offcuts of things we've thrown away, bits of material other people are throwing out, old curtains etc... I've only ever bought new wool once (when my friend bought me wool shop vouchers for my birthday), so that all comes from either charity shops, or friends throwing things out. Buttons are all just collected/acquired, and it very much helps to have Mr Daffs, who is a complete hoarder, and has been for many, many years, so has a never ending stash of things like nuts and bolts and screws and bits of wood etc cluttering up the house :rotfl:

I'd never do it if I bought wool or whatever new!

I must confess though that my stuff is pretty 'homemade'... I don't tend to make big expensive quilts, more things like bags (with pillowcases, or small bits of fabric), or stuffed toys (I'd buy stuffing). I rarely buy anything with a specific project in mind, just when it's time for a present, have a hunt around and decide what to make. People seem to appreciate stuff I make mostly! (or maybe they're just being nice )

I do charity shops because I love them! Partly environmental, partly don't want to waste stuff, partly to support the charities, partly because after all these years I just can't bring myself to pay any more than £4 for a pair of jeans :rotfl: And there's so many round here, we're pretty spoilt for choice (although a lot more primark stuff these days you're right. Still worth a rummage though I find! I think the trick is lots of short visits, rather than hours spent looking at everything or looking for something specific, just see what catches your eye).

I always struggled with budget - especially for stuff like presents, stamps, drinking (I *do* drink, I just *don't*, if you see what I mean! I haven't sworn off it, it just doesn't happen very often! :rotfl:), clothes etc. That's partly why I just go with the 'unnecessary' category (which I got from someone on MSE somewhere!). All the 'necessary' things have their own budget, and this is for anything else - means you can sometimes spend it on beer (but then you can't buy a new jumper), or on cake, and save the potting compost for next week, when you'll just have to have slightly less cake :rotfl: It pretty much works out.

I've only worked 2 days a week for the last few years (finishing off full time PhD, which was funded, but not for the past couple of years...), and Mr Daffs gave up his full time job last year, so we have to live pretty cheaply, but both enjoy making stuff for ourselves, and are quite happy to wait and save up for things (mostly!). I've done debt and I HATE it and don't want to go down that road again! I like having lots of free time, and if I can avoid working full time again then I will - and if that means no new shoes, or making more cakes myself, then so be it!

Phew, that was a big waffle, sorry! Whereabouts do you live if you don't mind me asking Mags? Intrigued by the euro signs! Good luck finding charity shops in London, I wouldn't even know where to begin!!

lucielle

I hate sewing and coming from a family that love it I am a bit of an enigma. I like to hear about people who enjoy sewing and wish I could get into it, IYKWIM.
L

missymoo81

Mags I love all tea, especially Earl Grey but have to save it for special occassions as it is rather expensive, tea just makes me happy, typically british I guess.

I really like the way you budget daff I think I might try the uneccessary spend fund, it would help me a lot I think.

I'm not so much of a charity shop fan but an ebay addict, there is no way I'd pay more than a £4 for a pair of jeans either, oh and I'm with you on the sainsbury cheap shampoo and conditioner!!! And I never thought I would say that!!

Keep smiling

Missy

Cheery_Daff

Missymoo, we used to drink loose leaf tea in a tea pot, and would just put a pinch of loose earl grey in the pot - some of the flavour without it being all earl grey (although leaf tea in general is more expensive so that doesn't really help, and we're uncivilised tea bag fiends in this house now!) :rotfl:

Mags30

Cheery_Daff wrote: »

Phew, that was a big waffle, sorry! Whereabouts do you live if you don't mind me asking Mags? Intrigued by the euro signs! Good luck finding charity shops in London, I wouldn't even know where to begin!!

I live in the south of Ireland (Cork). I used to go to London a lot a few years back but that was before I became a broke homeowner. I'll do my internet research in advance to find the charity shops.

I'm intrigued by your lifestyle, as the others have said you really are an inspiration.

Mr Daffs sounds cool too:) The musicians I know aren't like that, they are some of the most materialistic people imaginable. Iphones, ipads, expensive cars, expensive guitars....That makes them sound like celebs....its more wedding band.

£4 jeans(and probably originally purchased in Selfridges), wait till I find those charity shops...

My most recent pair of jeans were from Topshop costing €61. I had vouchers worth €50 from various survey sites so I only paid the difference but