Our attempt at being MF!!

Goldiegirl

This year, I've been aiming for an average spend in the supermarkets of £250 per month. This is food and cleaning products etc. There's only the two of us, so the figures you've been mentioning in this thread don't seem too bad when you've all got families to cater for.


I expect we could cut back, but food is a pleasure, and we like meat and fish, although we also have at least one veggie night a week.


It's the old question of balance - and prioritising what is most important at the time in question

CathT

Hi Arkers, am not looking forward to my food bill once mine are teenagers. DS growth spurts are expensive enough!

Lula and Goldiegirl, good food at home is a must. We make our meals stretch much more than we used to and have started using a meat man. I think it's helping to reduce our spends. Lunches are a cheap affair as I usually take homemade soup or beans on toast.

Had a really lovely evening with the children, just what I needed midweek.

Wage issue sorted but missing hours be paid next month, £18.81 left of food budget - can we do it!?!

I need to contact BG again tomorrow as waiting on a voucher to arrive. BT offer of a pre-paid card should also arrive in next few days but I fully expect to need to ring them again!

Edging closer to the weekend :j

lulabelle1

Full of admiration over here for your food spends.... I'm sure you'll do it!!

CathT

Thanks Lula, have just looked back so I can update my total and am surprised how little we have spent this month!

Food - £217.65
Petrol - £202.44

Monthly budget is £500 so not doing too badly at all! DH going to do overtime on Sunday which gives us extra in his November pay. Childcare worked out and budgeted for. For the first time the childcare voucher I get through work will pay for the childcare for the month. Until recently we were having to find an extra £500 a month which is how the stoozing card has crept up slowly as there wasn't quite enough left from wages to clear it.

I will clear the 0% card this week from my wages. Bit frustrated that it doesn't credit straight away when account and cc are with the same bank!

Chased up a voucher I should have received when changing gas and elec tariff. Have chased it 3 times already and now they say a different department need to sort it out, guess I will ring again tomorrow!

The end of the month should see a pre-paid card arrive which was part of a TCB offer (not holding my breath) and hopefully some TCB money should become payable. Had to raise a claim on this so once again not 100% expecting to receive it!

Super busy day in work followed by another one tomorrow, good part is that it makes the weekend come round a bit quicker

newgirly

Impressive low grocery spends cath.

CathT

Grocery spends may not stay low. I can't find our meal plan! :eek: how does a scrap piece of paper just disappear!

This morning have paid £200 off stoozing card and cleared the 0% card which ends sometime next month. This meant finding almost £700 so things will be tight until next payday. Haven't I just been paid???

Rough calculations show we need to find £1007 by the end of the year to reach our goal of being sub 100k for WIOTW. This is definitely achievable. :j I am so looking forward to setting goals for next year. I am hoping to try and work out childcare costs for the year and have this amount sitting in an account so that this won't be taken into account for any mortgage application we may be lucky enough to make! Without wishing time away...after Christmas I would only have 7 months to think about. Hopefully voucher account could get in credit over school holidays. It will be a huge moment in this household when I can cancel the childcare voucher and see my take home pay increase!

Busy but fun weekend planned but firstly I HAVE to go for a run. Too easy to slip when the weather isn't as good and I can't be a fair weather runner for the third year in a row :rotfl:

newgirly

Great minds think alike cath, I've Already got a big new diary for next years finances have a good weekend.

atypicalblonde

Ditto, my 2016 diary is up and running too, I adore plans!

Best wishes xx

CathT

Been to Mr S twice today! :eek: first time was to pick up milk for my mum before visiting her. Also picked up the things we needed for the week that were part of the meal plan. Second trip was to get dd a new hallowe'en costume for a party she has next week. Apparently she wants to win the scariest costume contest and only a new costume would suffice! We bought the same one as last year in a bigger size! £13 for one costume! They have boxes of dressing up outfits! Does mean I can dress DS up in the smaller one and get a good photograph opportunity.

Total food and petrol spends. £392.03.

Latest plan to get us to the end of the month is to only spend the remaining £7.97 to round up to £400. Monthly budget is £500 so be really happy to come in £100 under :j

Had to chase up a missing voucher again which was meant to arrive from a utility company a long time ago! I have been fobbed off with it now arriving in 3 days, we shall see. Pre-paid card from landline switch has still not arrived and should be here by the end of the month.

On a good note, cashback that is also due by the end of the week became payable today. That's worth £100 as soon as it reaches payable.

Quiet Saturday evening planned, went out for a fast 4.5 mile run earlier which I really enjoyed but felt tired and achy afterwards! Glad I went though, always find that first run after an event the hardest to get out for. Time to book another race!

HelenDaveKids

I've been trying to work on a fast mile, just once in a week in gym (when doing other cardio and the weights). Today managed in 9:01... grrrrr.. so close. Damn hard.