Risen from the ashes ...

pixiechick99

Hellloooooo...you have a diary:j:j
I don't often go to the diaries board, I just catch up on all my subscribed diaries so I've missed yours:o

I haven't read it yet - I'm just here having a browse while I eat my lucnh then must get back to an essay, oh joy;) I will be back later to read all 4 pages - be lovely to catch up...hope you've been well:D

rising_from_the_ashes

Hi Pixie :wave: not seen you for ages!:D

I'm afraid I lost track of the daily thread as I just couldn't keep up and then when I was trying at the weekends I was just lost with people talking about things that'd happened during the week:o

How's things? Tummy / course work - are you nearly finished? / kids etc etc

Honestly, this is a very boring diary, I started it ages ago, got side tracked by a sad event and am trying to pick it up again (rather unsuccessfully as it'd been nearly a fortnight since I'd written in it) - must try harder!:)

rising_from_the_ashes

Despite my assurances I will write in my diary more .... I just never seem to get round to it:o. Some of "my challenge" threads are massive this month as loads of new people..... Fantastic but by the time I've read them each day - that's it!

rising_from_the_ashes

So .... 1 month in (can't quite believe it - it seems to have lasted forever but flown by IYKWIM).

Budget update from me (hope no-one minds - it keeps me on track!). Wanted to do it today in case I forget tomorrow (working late & already several things to do) before the new figures appear in the Budgeted Spend column for Feb!



Anything else was really surprised about this one as this is huge compared to last year (was £600 in 2011) - extra added to cover garden shed & new table) but I have had my 6 monthly dentist check-up (and inevitable filling:o) and did buy a couple of new tops for work (desperately needed & much reduced in the sales). Hopefully it should even out a bit next month!

Car tax & breakdown cover spent for the year but both renewed:)

Fuel I tend to need 3 tanks in one month and 2 the next so this should balance out by the end of Feb.

Cats insurance this will probably be another one that bugs me all year:o I changed to a new co in December but they didn't take a payment then so took 2 in Jan .....

Groceries mmmmmm have been stocking up (esp with threat of redundancy) so overspent - whether I keep my job or not, it will balance out over the year and I (personally) feel better having lots of stocks in case the worst happens (so I don't need to worry as much then). I do have a years' supply of Persil and heads for the elec toothbrush until June 2013

I must start a list of things not to buy - even when on great offers!:D

Knitting_Nora

Helllloooooo Rising! Lovely to see you back on the diary....*skips around in glee*

Can I ask - what are you doing with the underspends on your allocated item budget each month? Is that what's going into your coin jars, or is it simply sucked up into the overspends in other areas?

rising_from_the_ashes

Hi Nora .... I will (I know I keep saying that ) try harder to write more from Feb - honestly, the Grocery Challenge has been averaging around 6 pages a day and if I don't read every day... I'm lost. By the time I've read that, the Frugal living one & NSD one - I'm beat!

Anyway.....

Knitting_Nora wrote: »

Can I ask - what are you doing with the underspends on your allocated item budget each month? Is that what's going into your coin jars, or is it simply sucked up into the overspends in other areas?

I am chuckling at this!:rotfl:

It depends on the budget - I have various budgeting pots set up now (fantastic & helping hugely with a novice budgeter:o). I transfer the money on payday and as it's out my account, I don't touch it!:D I then reallocate money from them to cover relevant spends on the cc bill when it arrives.

Unfortunately, I'm still trying to "get ahead" IYKWIM (cc bill runs say 16th Dec - 15th Jan and is paid out of Jan's wages - so 1/2 of it is December spending IYSWIM:o).

The only ones I've got ahead on so far are the pets' pots - any underspends build up in there which should cover trips to the vets, boosters etc and best of all means I can take advantage of great offers as the money is already put aside.:j

I'm trying to get the fuel one in advance (have put £20 away in Dec & Jan - so only Feb & March to go) which will make that easier.:)

As for groceries .... well errrrr mmmmmm .... the *aim* is to put any underspend in a pot and it can build up to allow for bulk buying / stocking up on offers but I'm well overspent on this one atm . Main reason is the threat of redundancy (mentioned above - and an inbuilt fear I have) so I'd rather stockpile now.

Fingers crossed, it doesn't happen and I can balance it out and put away money later in the year - again, I'd love to be able to get this budget to an "advance" one as per the pets.....


The coin jars .... well I've always had a £2 one which I use for errrr not quite sure I'd call them treats as last year it went on new lino for the bathrooms:rotfl:.

The £1 and 50p ones were started a while ago to try to build up fund in case I need to get the bus to work if the weather's terrible (£8/day compared to £2 in fuel:eek:) and are loose change here and there if I've got a few coins in my purse - hoping it's not needed and I can use it for a real treat .......... errrr a garden shed! (I think I need help!:p)


Sorry, that's long:o about to turn in as it's been a looooooonnnnnnggggg day and totally shattered so I think the brain cells are on shut down mode!:)

brizzledfw

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

So .... 1 month in (can't quite believe it - it seems to have lasted forever but flown by IYKWIM).

Budget update from me (hope no-one minds - it keeps me on track!). Wanted to do it today in case I forget tomorrow (working late & already several things to do) before the new figures appear in the Budgeted Spend column for Feb!



Anything else was really surprised about this one as this is huge compared to last year (was £600 in 2011) - extra added to cover garden shed & new table) but I have had my 6 monthly dentist check-up (and inevitable filling:o) and did buy a couple of new tops for work (desperately needed & much reduced in the sales). Hopefully it should even out a bit next month!

Car tax & breakdown cover spent for the year but both renewed:)

Fuel I tend to need 3 tanks in one month and 2 the next so this should balance out by the end of Feb.

Cats insurance this will probably be another one that bugs me all year:o I changed to a new co in December but they didn't take a payment then so took 2 in Jan .....

Groceries mmmmmm have been stocking up (esp with threat of redundancy) so overspent - whether I keep my job or not, it will balance out over the year and I (personally) feel better having lots of stocks in case the worst happens (so I don't need to worry as much then). I do have a years' supply of Persil and heads for the elec toothbrush until June 2013

I must start a list of things not to buy - even when on great offers!:D

Hi, just popped in when saw your link from the frugal thread..well down on all the tracking. Keep it up!

jaffacakegal

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Despite my assurances I will write in my diary more .... I just never seem to get round to it:o. Some of "my challenge" threads are massive this month as loads of new people..... Fantastic but by the time I've read them each day - that's it!

I feel exactly the same rising!!!

rising_from_the_ashes

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Hi Nora .... I will (I know I keep saying that ) try harder to write more from Feb

FAILED (MISERABLY):o

jaffacakegal wrote: »

I feel exactly the same rising!!!

So glad I'm not the only one JCG .... I do think about it but by the time I've read everything else I just never get round to it ....


Dreading posting this months budget update (already:o) as over the % limit for Feb already (and it's only the 20th:eek:) - down to £425 spent on the car :eek::eek::eek:.

Carp ...... things seem to be going off track again

Have been religously logging things on the SOW (positive) but am being lax with the spending diary:wall::wall::wall::wall: so although every penny is accounted for, I've no idea what I've spent on individual days:(

So - giving myself a big kick up the "what not" as I KNOW what happens when I stop writing things down in here :mad:

Lesson for the month is ......


MUST TRY HARDER

paidinchickens

Oh hello sneaky, trying to have your own little party over here without me are you ummmmmmmmmmmmm ??????? :rotfl: