Jamiedodger's Sparkly New 2011 Diary

JAMIEDODGER

Back after a busy few days. The funeral was hard:( but a beautiful service. Its going to be very weird not having my grandad around anymore:(

Ikea was busy, but I got everything I needed and it has all been put together now. I am so pleased with how it all looks. I haven't bought any accessories yet as I wanted to get all the furniture in before I decided what I wanted. Will be going back to Ikea I think on 9th September, so I had better start saving for it!

I have been in my house 7 years today and I have done so much work on it. I am nearly at the end of all the major work now. I have just the front room left to do but it has been repainted, I need to buy a new sofa, table and chairs and the new flooring. I may just have it all done by xmas!

I am hoping to have the money together to do the flooring by the end of August, I shall be getting it from screwfix and laying it myself. I have to be very good during next month so that this can be done.

Start of the summer holidays today, looking forward to spending some decent time with the kids!

Have a lovely saturday peeps!

JAMIEDODGER

morning all:)

Beautiful day outside again, still behind on the washing but hoping to get a fair bit done today.

DS3 & DD off to playscheme this morning until 3pm so I will be popping to Tesco to pick up a few bits that I have run out of. Hoping to spend as little as possible!

August budget is finished and I am aiming on being very careful this month so I can afford to buy the flooring.

Bit of a disaster yesterday afternoon, DS3 was watching Tv and got really distressed and threw the remote control at the Tv and smashed it:( Bless him, he doesn't understand consequence and was saying that samsung were going to come round and arrest him! So now I have a new TV to buy! This will have to wait as I haven't accounted for it in the budget for this month, but not the end of the world as the kids have Tv's in their rooms. It will have to wait until September now.

So plans for August:

- Continue to use 2nd purse and try and buy only offers where possible

- Keep spending to a minimum to avoid blowing the budget

- Transfer leftover money in account each week to savings towards the flooring for the front room

I have now got a month to remove old flooring from front room, dispose of crappy old table/chairs/sofa (also broken tv) and repaint. I didnt think it would need redoing but on further inspection of the walls yesterday, I have decided it could do with a fresh coat. This won't cost the earth as I still have leftover paint from dining room, so I should think just a small tin of emulsion will do, no satinwood needed as I have plenty of that left.

Now I have finished Aug budget, I can crack on with September's. Major expenses for the next few months will be new sofa and TV, starting the winter clothes shopping for the children and a trip to Ikea for accessories and some other small furniture.

JAMIEDODGER

Morning

Managed to get rid of quite a few bits on freecycle yesterday, including my table and chairs, which has freed up a huge space in my front room:) Still quite lot to get rid of, down to the last two boxes of stuff to go through which has been sitting in the front room for ages!

Didnt spend much in Tesco yesterday, just a few much needed bits like milk/bread etc. I am planning a trip to Asda next friday with a friend and will be picking up quite a lot there, the cat food is very cheap so will try and buy a months worth of that.

I have to renew my driving licence (photo) next week and that will cost £20 so must get that done.

Starting to write a list of all the things the kids will need for winter, I will be starting to buy this little by little from September.

Every month seems to have it's own expenses and I think as long as you are aware when they come up you can account for them all.

hypno06

Can you not claim for the tv on your contents insurance?

Well done on starting to plan for winter - you are quite right that things can be budgeted for if we keep ourselves aware of them. It is in years gone by when we have buried our head in the sand and forgotten about those things that do, actually, come up year on year, that we have hit problems!

Have a good day!

JAMIEDODGER

Hypno - my excess is too high to make it worthwhile doing! Especially as I know the premiums will go sky high afterwards! x

JAMIEDODGER

Morning:)

It looks like it is going to be a beautiful day here! Sun is shining already so I may be able to get out in the garden and do some work on the flower beds today.

A NSD yesterday (finally) going to be aiming for the same again today and stay away from the shops. Have managed to tuck a little away into savings out of this weeks money, which will be going towards the flooring at the end of August.

Have a good day everyone:)

hypno06

Shame about not being able to claim on the insurance.

No sun here - it seems to have forgotten this part of the UK recently!!

JAMIEDODGER

Morning all

Another Nsd yesterday:) Off to Tesco this morning for a few bits to see us over the weekend. I may pop into Iceland too and get some pizza's and a few other freezer things.

I have a wedding to go to next weekend, so next week I need to buy the present and card, plus a top to wear, have looked through my clothes but I don't have anything suitable.

Yesterday I booked a trip to Paris using my airmiles. Eurostar and hotel paid for all using miles so only spending money to find. We are going 21st - 24th October, just me and DD. The boys are at their dads that weekend and DS3 is off to Weymouth with his carer.

I am trying to come up with things to do that won't cost the earth, although I know that France is expensive. I am planning one day in Disney (the sunday) and will need to buy park passes for that, any suggestions on where to buy them would be appreciated, also any other ideas?

JAMIEDODGER

Crappy nights sleep so up already on a saturday morning! DD not very well so she has been in my bed most of the night.

Went to Tesco and Iceland yesterday in the end, spent just under £20 in total. Hoping for another NSD today although I may have to spend a little tomorrow on milk and fruit.

I have spent some time looking up things to do on the cheap in Paris and how much travel is going to cost us while we are there, I think I have some kind of idea of the cost now.

JAMIEDODGER

Monday again!

Aiming for NSD's for most of this week. I will have to go food shopping at some point but am aiming on stretching out as long as possible. Budget is looking fairly healthy and banking and spreadsheets done for this morning.

Just going to have a lazy day at home with the kids today and take advantage of the sunshine:)