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Confessions of a mortgage-spreadsheet-a-holic

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  • fishfins
    fishfins Posts: 162 Forumite
    A quick update on this week- it's been better than my budget in some areas but gone a bit downhill in others :(. It was worth it though!

    I updated my SOA to include some things I'd forgotten, which has dropped my spare money at the end of the month a little bit. It's only 10 days into my month (I start it when I get paid) and I've already gone over budget on a couple of areas. The first, my trainers completely went and I had to buy a new pair, but I did buy them from ebay with topcashback on top. The second was a day out yesterday, we went to Go Ape in Grizedale forest which was SO much fun. It cost £30 each plus parking though oops!

    On the plus side though my Asda shop on tuesday, which I budgeted £30 for, came to less than £19. I made myself swap more stuff for smartprice, used the voucher I had and also got £1 off the fairy washing gel I bought because the till lady dropped it and cracked the lid! I'm not expecting it to go as well next week though as I didn't really have a lot to buy this week.

    I've made a little bit of extra money this week too, a grand total of £2.10 on topcashback surveys, plus £8.60 for a jacket I sold on ebay. I'm going to put some more stuff on tonight too, but I'm not expecting a lot from them.

    Better start saving too, after the devastating news that sky got the F1 deal I might have to buy sky next year :eek:
  • fishfins
    fishfins Posts: 162 Forumite
    I've been keeping a spending diary for nearly 3 weeks now and thought I'd do a quick update.

    So far I'm within budget for eating out and groceries but I'm already over budget on clothes and "other" only 3/4 of the way through the month!

    Clothes I think can be excused a little bit (I hope! ;)) because my trainers completely went and I had to buy a new pair. I did buy them from ebay using topcashback though so saved about £10 that way.

    "Other" is not so excusable! It consists of:
    -£9.98 on eyeshadow for a wedding I went to on Saturday (good excuse :D)
    -£32.75 for a day out at Go Ape (too much fun to make me feel bad!)
    -£15 spent at the wedding on drinks etc
    -£11.20 on cinema ticket to see Super8 (but it was really good)
    -£4.99 to get a key cut (necessary)

    So I'm not doing too well on that! Normally I wouldn't spend so much money on the cinema and a day out, but they just lined up in the same month and I enjoyed them a lot.

    I'm going to try to be more frugal for the rest of the month, I've joined dooyoo and written 4 reviews and I'm trying to keep up the surveys too to make a little bit extra. I sold two things on ebay too!
  • Lois_E
    Lois_E Posts: 2,227 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Spending diaries are such eye-openers, aren't they? I find with mine that every month has some kind of "oh but this was a one-off so it doesn't really count" kind of thing. They're all different, but there almost always seems to be something. :(
    Starting again 13/4/19
    Home loan 1: £21,102.50 Home loan 2: £7,698.99
    Total owed: £28,801.49
  • fishfins
    fishfins Posts: 162 Forumite
    Lois_E wrote: »
    Spending diaries are such eye-openers, aren't they? I find with mine that every month has some kind of "oh but this was a one-off so it doesn't really count" kind of thing. They're all different, but there almost always seems to be something. :(

    It has been such a help! And you're right about the one-offs :(

    Doing an SOA has really helped me a lot. I thought I was in control of my spending before, but I've realised my budgeting was basically "don't spend more than get paid". Now I know how much I should have left at the end of the month for OPs it's really given me a goal to stay on budget! :o
  • Hi fishfins and welcome.

    Just popped by to say hi.

    I agree with you on the holiday front - it is very important to keep yourself happy and motivated. A treat every now and then is good for the soul.

    You mention 17p smartprice soup for lunches - have you thought of making your own soup at all to go with that wonderful HM bread you are making. I look at it as making something out of things you would maybe throw away. Have a look on the Old Style Board, there are loads of ideas and recipes there.

    Good luck, seems you have a plan already and are well on the way.
    Mortgage Free x 1 03.11.2012 - House rented out Feb 2016
    Mortgage No 2: £82, 595.61 (31.08.2019)
    OP's to Date £8500

    Renovation Fund:£511.39;
    Nectar Points Balance: approx £30 (31.08.2019)
  • I don't have a mortgage but I am a savings-speadsheet-a-holic. Mine is pretty basic (with lots of pretty colours) but my OH has just done a course in Advance Excel so I'm going to get him to adapt it :)
  • fishfins
    fishfins Posts: 162 Forumite
    Hi fishfins and welcome.

    You mention 17p smartprice soup for lunches - have you thought of making your own soup at all to go with that wonderful HM bread you are making. I look at it as making something out of things you would maybe throw away. Have a look on the Old Style Board, there are loads of ideas and recipes there.

    Good luck, seems you have a plan already and are well on the way.

    Hi!

    I do make my own soup sometimes, especially if I have tomatoes/red peppers etc which are going a bit soft! I've been meaning to check out the recipes on here though, I do love cooking!
    I don't have a mortgage but I am a savings-speadsheet-a-holic. Mine is pretty basic (with lots of pretty colours) but my OH has just done a course in Advance Excel so I'm going to get him to adapt it :)

    Ooooh advanced excel :D:D:D

    I do think spreadsheets are a great help, I'd be lost without mine!
  • ruby911
    ruby911 Posts: 67 Forumite
    Hi FF I would love to see your spreadsheet to help me get started, I've looked at a few but all the ideas I can get would be greatly appreciated to help me get more control and tighten up - I need to increase my confidence with Excel!!

    Thanks
  • fishfins wrote: »
    Ooooh advanced excel :D:D:D

    I do think spreadsheets are a great help, I'd be lost without mine!

    I don't know how I coped before I started my spreadsheet. I have too may savings accounts spread all over the place so it's great to keep on top of them all. Once we've bought a house and have a mortgage I will definitely keep up with one for that. Having everything written down really helps to clarify targets and gives something to work towards. It the best tool I have when it comes to setting budgets.
    ruby911 wrote: »
    Hi FF I would love to see your spreadsheet to help me get started, I've looked at a few but all the ideas I can get would be greatly appreciated to help me get more control and tighten up - I need to increase my confidence with Excel!!

    The best thing you can do is just sit down and experiment. You will be amazed by how quickly you will figure things out by trial and error. Once you've got your head around some of the basics there are loads of free tutorials. For what you need you probably will only need some clearly laid out charts and simple sums. Good luck and enjoy having more control of your finances!
  • fishfins
    fishfins Posts: 162 Forumite
    ruby911 wrote: »
    Hi FF I would love to see your spreadsheet to help me get started, I've looked at a few but all the ideas I can get would be greatly appreciated to help me get more control and tighten up - I need to increase my confidence with Excel!!

    Thanks

    Hi Ruby :o

    I will definitely PM you a copy of it, I just need to clear it up a bit first, got lots of notes all over it! I'm always interested how other people do their's too, nice to get ideas!
    I don't know how I coped before I started my spreadsheet. I have too may savings accounts spread all over the place so it's great to keep on top of them all. Once we've bought a house and have a mortgage I will definitely keep up with one for that. Having everything written down really helps to clarify targets and gives something to work towards. It the best tool I have when it comes to setting budgets.

    That's what I like best, is the way it makes me aim for more overpayments or more savings, just seeing it written down (in nice colours of course) is such a good motivator!
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