XSpender - MFW in Training

Iris_Blue

Nice to see you back

XSpender

Had a result on BIL birthday present. I had seen an IT* Crowd DVD box set I thought he might like and suggested it to DH who said he wouldn't like it but how about Pac1fic box set. Managed to get this for £17 so nice present bought and £13 under what it would have cost us in cash.

Looks like we may be £40+ overdrawn this month:mad: We don't have an overdraft and can not get one due to our poor credit rating following the IVA. If I had one it would just get used on nothing so best not having one really. My bank do waive the fee once in a 12 month period I think and I can't remember the last time were overdrawn so I may get this back. IfI can't, I can't and I will just pay it. DH needed his suit cleaning for an important meeting and I needed diesel to get to work. Plus, MIL got an item for DS on our behalf that I had mentioned I wanted to get him at some point that we then had to pay her back for. I could have done without spending that £16 this month

I will be glad when this month is over and we get back on an even keel in July.

In other news, had a lovely weekend with DH and DS. Used our NT membership for a visit to a local garden and then took the dogs out for a long walk on Sunday. My legs are sore today. We also got a bit of gardening and weeding done and stuck a load of stuf that DS has outgrown into the loft. All despite the wet weather:T

I am doing well keeping the food spends down but everything is so expensive, especially fruit which we eat a lot of.

Over the next 3 weeks I am working at a different site. It is closer to home and I can claim mileage back for it. I have calculated I will probably make more on expenses than I will spend on diesel as my car is very good on fuel:).

Discussed the idea of opening a limited access regular saver with DH yesterday. The thought of having no savings worries me as if my car (it's 10 years old) or the washer needed major repairs or replacing, we would have no money to pay for it apart from our normal income. DH has agreed to do this from September when the car HP is finsihed and to save the same amount as the car payment which is just under £128. I might see if I can raise this to £150. This will be our emergency fund and is not to be touched.

I have found an account with N&P Bsoc which only allows 1 withdrawl a year which sounds ideal.

If we can ever stick to our budget we should also be able to save £60 towards annual bills like car tax, insurance, NT membership etc and another £200 towards holidays and Christmas,decorating and stuff we need in the house like a new bed (we currently have a 4ft double:eek: )and increase our overpayments by £100 on direct debit.

This is my plan but wether we can stick to it is another matter. From next month I am going to keep a spending diary again. I find that having to write it down makes me think about my spending rather than identifies where I could cut back.

As part of my budgeting challenge. I am allocating £500 to diesel for my car (DHs comes off his salary as it is a co car), food for humans and dogs, toiletries, cleaning and alcohol, days out/entertainment, takeaways, household stuff, gifts and anything else that is not a bill or personal spending money I guess.

This gives me a small sum to focus on rather than thinking about the whole budget and getting stressed out. Our bills are as low as they can go really so there is nothing to squeeze there.

I am also transferring my personal spending money into another account as when things are tight I go without but DH always has his which isn't fair really and then when I have social events come up I am struggling to find the money for them. I need to buy a dress and have some money for Ladies Day at the races next month.

Sorry for the boring waffle, not much there about MFW

SmlSave

Sounds like you've got a good plan there with the regular saver. We've got one and it takes a load of my mind even though there's not that much in there really. But every little helps. And I think that it does count as talking about MFW as fingers crossed it'll save us from a) interest from a loan b) going overdrawn and c) not being able to OP for ages.

You say you eat a lot of fruit Xspender. Do you have room for some strawberry plants? They cost a bomb to buy from a supermarket but are very easy to grow. I've even got raspberries, blackcurrents, redcurrents and tayberries in my small garden. When I win the lottery I may get meself an orchard

XSpender

I love strawberries SmlSave, they are my favourite with raspberries coming a close second. We did try growing some a couple of years ago but didn't get much off them.

We have a plum tree that has fruit on it for the first time this year and there are brambles growing over our fence from the woodland behind so I will make sure I snaffle the fruit instead of wingeing that they are spoiling my garden and sending DH out to chop them down.

I seem to remember my Mum offered us some fruit bushes but I can't remember what they are and I think it is too late in the year to move them. She lives quite far from me so I need to time it better for next year.

DS, 13 months, is also a fruit bat/little chimp and eats tons too.

XSpender

Shattered today. DS was up at 6 which gave me plenty of time to get ready and to load the dishwasher, washer and a quick tidy up. Training today at work on what I will be spending the next 9 (hopefully 13) months training others on.

Came out to find I had a puncture:eek: I was going to call the RAC when my lovely female colleague offered to change it for me. What a super star. I have promised her I will make her a chocolate cake to say thanks:T

Then had to pick DS up, came home, fed dogs, made tea, prepared lunches for me and DH who then moaned when I asked him to put DS in his jarmas while I made his milk. I then did the milk, story and bed routine.

I think DH felt a bit guilty as I am so tired he ran me a bath and made me get in it. :A I don't really 'do' baths but I do feel better for it tonight:)

No spending going on here. No oping either:o I like the idea of the PAD thread that Flying Fresian mentioned and I think I will have a read through the thread to get the gist of it. If I made the payments direct to the mortgage it would mean I couldn't touch it. Might make my statement run to pages though:rotfl:

mooomin

XSpender wrote: »

I like the idea of the PAD thread that Flying Fresian mentioned and I think I will have a read through the thread to get the gist of it. If I made the payments direct to the mortgage it would mean I couldn't touch it. Might make my statement run to pages though:rotfl:

My credit card statements were huge when I started PADding My current account statements are still enormous because I use a number of accounts for budgeting and PAD as well

SmlSave

Busy day yesterday Xspender!

Oh, I'd love a plum tree - yummy I think my strawberries were at their peak last year as they were the grand old age of 3

XSpender

It's not even 7 o clock and DS is in bed:eek: He didn't have a sleep at nursery this afternoon so is worn out. DH is at a work meeting tonight so I am on my own and I am not used to it. Not sure what to do with myself :rotfl:

Not spent any money today, still managing to resist the staff canteen, but will need loo roll and nappies tomorrow and DH suits need dry cleaning.

Had a look though the PAD thread last night and will start this in earnest after pay day in September. I think I may have to order my internet banking details for the mortgage account for the third time:o I am sure someone keeps pinching them as I never lose any other paperwork!

XSpender

Only spent 40p today on a packet of crisps at work cos I really fancied some. Managing without more nappies and loo roll and should be able to do so for another couple of days. I have been keeping a list of stuff I have run out of next to the cooker and it was getting longer and longer as I have run out of so many basics like oil, sugar and baking marg and I was worried it was gonna cost a fortune to stock back up. I have costed it out on my supe and even including 100 nappies it only comes to £31 and I had allocated £75:T:D

I have ordered my mortg internet logons again and won't be able to ring second mortg co to order sett fig until Saturday.

I think my original 2011 targets were far too optimistic. I am going to revisit these when I have got the up to date mortgage figures. I think I need to prioritise building up our savings to reduce my what I owe the world total and give us a bit of a buffer then pay monies direct to the mortgage. I need to remember that my contract ends in March although it is looking likely that it will be extended until September 2012.

I am mulling over £3000 for savings and a nice round figure for the mortgage balance:)

XSpender

I am sooooooo glad last month is over money wise. Pay day was yesterday so a nice fresh month to get us back on track.

DH is doing fantastically well at work and it looks like he may be given a much bigger branch to manage in the not too distance future. He is prepared to take a branch that will involve some travel each day which has had an impact on the jobs I am looking at.

I am 4 months into a 12 month contract that looks like it will be extended to 18. I am not actually enjoying the job much but it fits in well with having a 14 month old DS. The permanant jobs I have been looking at (including one my boss found for me with our company advertised externally that I would like to do but is also a contract) involve travelling. If DH is going to be late in each night because of his commute I can't be late home or away overnight as well. I will have to stay where I am and see what happens with DH. I do not need to job hunt in earnest until Xmas or this time next year if the contract is extended.

Sorry for the waffle but DH came home with his news today and it has made me think.

A bigger branch for DH should mean a lot more money so I feel that I am best just sticking where I am and looking for something local even thought the money and job are less than I had before.

Have made my first PAD to my virtual pot today of 81p:rotfl: Must join the PAD thread and report it over there too.

We had a couple of items returned last month due to the complete mess up with my wages over the last 2 months and our overspending. The fees are much lower than expected and we are back on track.

DH is due 2 bonuses soon. His colleague (same level) says one is about £1000 before tax that they get:j:eek: I am sure it was £250 the last time he got it when he first got his promotion but DH says this is what the staff get and as a manager he gets more. The 2nd bonus is about £550. The £550 is earmarked for our hols but a big chunk of the £1000 is going in the savings pot if it is that much.

I am determined to spend no more than £400 on everything but our personal spending money and bills and will keep a track of it on here.

Spent so far of £400 budget = £174.28:eek:

This includes a big shop including a lot of storecupboard items, wipes and nappies, a tank full of diesel, 2 bottles of wine and a chinese takeaway.

Out of the £400 I need to get another stair gate and some cupboard locks for DS who thinks he is a monkey and has started climbing into and up cupboards and is up the stairs like a whippet as soon as my back is turned unless I barricade it with the clothes horse:rotfl:. Will also get some wipes and things from Mr S on the 1/2 price event.

Ooops bit of a long post there.