TizerCats Fiscal Adventures

TizerCat

Excellent Idea L! I think I will follow you:T I already have 3 empty accounts that are doing nothing!


Mr G Had to stay in last night, but unusually he was happy about it. none of the others were out and he won't stay out on his own.


We finished the stock check re the Kitchen and it is all present and correct...I've got a fair few evenings ahead putting units together!


I need to go and dig up the last of the potatoes at the allotment before the slugs get them! not sure if I will grow them next year as I have lost half the crop to slugs, rats and wireworm. My neighbour grew Desiree and they seem less effected. I have also decided to go no dig next year. One of the other plot holders did and they had an amazing crop of everything and hardly any weeding to do. I can use the huge amount of cardboard my kitchen came in to suppress the weeds.


I've also been told to go to w$lkos to get supplies for next year as they have a gardening sale on. I am hoping to get some onions and garlic.


and I need to refine the accounts!

Busy day :-)

TizerCat

So I refined the accounts and now have a whole selection of spreadsheets to get my spending under control. OH is also beginning to show interest in coming onboard the cost cutting exercise:T


Sheet 1 is a budget sheet tailored more to my expenditure than the SOA and I hope covers everything that I can think of over a year that I spend money on. It highlights how much I have to save each month to cover non monthly expenses.


Sheet 2 is an analysed cash flow to my main current account. this will enable me to keep track of what I am spending and how I am doing against my budget in sheet 1.


Book 3 Is a sheet for each bank account that I have set up for the different piggy banks. One for The car/ the horse/ the dog and personal stuff like xmas birthdays and clothes. This will enable me to keep track of how much I have saved for each 'pot'.


I have also set up all the bank accounts and transferred my first month savings into them. Next step is to set up Standing orders to the money goes out automatically each month.


It took a bit of working out but I am glad I have done it. It has been quite an eye opener to be honest! I was feeling well off after selling the second horse and thinking I had lots to spent for a bit, but I DON'T! there is nothing surplus and I wish I had done this before taking out the IKEA loan as I would have realised how tight it was going to be to make the payments . No idea how I was paying for Horse no 2?


I only have the minimum payment amount to pay into the credit card as well. To help things along a bit I have used some of my savings pot from selling the flat to clear the overdraft on my current ac, which I had overlooked in my SOA.:eek:

So next step : Set up SO for each month and keep it up to date for the month.


Then I have to look into making some income from selling my excess horsie stuff left over from Horse No 2.


And look to reduce some of the expenditure.


This month tho the goal is to stay within my budget - which will be a first time for many a year! setting up the spreadsheets has already had an effect now I know how much I really have to spend on things, as I am thinking twice about how buying something will effect my budget. :j

anyway off to take the Russell out and check on the horse.

TizerCat

Had to spend more on fuel yesterday as I have had to go up to the office which is about 40 miles away, twice so far this month. Have spent 3/4 of the budget and we are only 1/3 of the way through the month. hopefully my expenses will get paid this month to cover it or I will be walking by the end of the month :eek:

Had to do some more food shopping as well. Slimming world involves a lot of fruit and fat free yoghurt whilst I don't have a kitchen! So am half way through the budget for food too.


Good news is the electrician and plumber are coming tomorrow so I will have a hob oven and sink :j

lucielle

I feel your pain, are you sure we're not twins? Currently getting my kitchen done. It's a bomb site
L

TizerCat

lucielle wrote: »

I feel your pain, are you sure we're not twins? Currently getting my kitchen done. It's a bomb site
L

Hope your kitchen gets finished faster than ours is L! Plumber cancelled :mad: but will come tomorrow, but just to fit the sink, radiator and cloakroom will have to wait until next week. Electrics wont be finished until tomorrow as well, when they are changing the consumer unit. I will have to go into the office again as electric will be off for couple of hours.

Yesterday the course in Gatwick finished early and I nipped back to look in a patchwork and crosstitch shop I pass on the way there. Sadly it closed at 4 and I missed it but consoled myself with a lovely coffee and cake in a retro style cafe! instead. It was lovely, sat and read the paper and it was really relaxing. Shame about the shop though. Did spend £5.95 of my entertainment budget on the treat and may regret it tonight at weigh in!:o

TizerCat

Postie has just been. I requested a new debit card for my old H&lifax account when I went into town on Sat and they have sent me a Credit card!! :mad: That all I need another credit card!

TizerCat

Yay the hob is working! :-)

TizerCat

It is much colder here today OH and I put the calor gas heater on in the sitting room at lunchtime so we could be cosy! Trying to avoid putting the Central heating on as we haven't got the timer fixed yet.

We also have the possibility of having an open fire. We need to get the chimney sept and have them have al ook and see if it is in working order. What remains of the boxes for the new kitchen are still piled up in front of the fire place so it will have to wait until it has all been moved.


I have been wondering if it is cheap to run an open fire? I have seen an open backed truck load of logs for sale for £65 locally but am not sure if this is a good deal as I have never had a real fire before.

We need to do something, as since we have had the smart meter installed it has been a bit of a shock. Last week we spent over £30 on electric alone :eek: but maybe it seems a lot as we are not using gas to cook anymore?

I need to update my budget now it is getting close to the end of the month. I don't think I have done too badly, it has definitely made me think twice about spending:beer:

TizerCat

So I have updated the accounts. Am pretty pleased with my first month. A few days left until the end of the month but the successes and failures are as follows.


Food budget up to today I am £9.36 over budget :cool: Mainly down to having no kitchen for most of the month and living on slimming world frozen meals which are relatively expensive.

Petrol : I am 36p over budget. Due to 2 unplanned trips into the office at Gatwick for which the expenses have not been paid back yet. :cool:

Misc : things not budgeted for over spent £28.75. these were bank charges from last month and paying for a Which subscription and an amazon subscription , which I didn't know I was still paying for and which I have yet to cancel:eek:

Medical costs: £6.25 overspend. Due to buying high levels of Vit D and K2 at a health store, have been back to Dr's for a prescription but he has insisted on a blood test first. fingers crossed he will let me have it.

The Good news :-)

Have under spent on the ponio by £14.25 as haven't had to buy feed this month. 1 bag is lasting 2 months as he is a bit of a fatty!

No spending from the house budget - this is because we are doing the kitchen up out of the joint house renovations savings. In fact I found some receipts for things that I had bought out of my money but which should have been joint expenditure and have refunded myself another £71 :j


Entertaining budget: Underspent by £31.15 :j didn't go out for the usual pub lunch when DS1 came over to visit the oldies but had fish and chips instead. Only other entertainment was to have a quiet coffee and cake on the way back from Gatwick one day .

Mobile phone was £1.40 less than budgeted as well


So on top of this I have also been able to piggy bank nearly £400 towards forecast expenses over the coming months.

So much better than my usual spending every penny and some, each month :beer:

Also looked at the 0% credit card that I put a vets bill and a new bed on and it is 0% until the end of February 19 so will have to look at paying it off with my savings or moving to another 0% card by then.

lucielle

Can you ebay facebook anything to help get rid of the 0% card? I like a challenge. My M&S card bill has just landed and I'm going to try and clear as much as possible, before the big one lands.


Not sure regarding the open fire, a lot of heat does disappear up the chimney. If you could afford it I'd go for a stove. You can get them to link up to a back boiler.
L