Getting it before it gets me

klfairy

Progress!

OH came home and thrust a receipt in my face :rotfl: without me asking what he'd spent!

My yeast and bread flour came yesterday with the shopping so I'm hoping I can keep DS occupied long enough to do some baking later. He's into opening cupboards and pulling things out of drawers at the moment, playing with the bin and the microwave, trying to open the fridge/washing machine.... Off to the SureStart centre later this morning to wear him out, I hope.

klfairy

I think we may be on course for a No Spend Day!!!

klfairy

We didn't manage a NSD yesterday and I'm quite cross about it really. OH needed tobacco and a can of coke, apparently. I've looked at our expenditure for the last week of November (when I started tracking EVERYTHING) and we've overspent on the shopping by about £20 and had a few bits and bobs here and there. The bits and bobs are fine and accounted for, but the topping up of shopping is very frustrating.

Is it ok to shake OH and say "for God's sake STOP spending money!"? Probably not but it's doing my head in. I sent him to the supermarket for bread and a rotissery chicken, but he came back with that PLUS two packs of finest bacon (£5) and a pack of cans of coke and had spent £13-odd instead of about a fiver.

We had a chat about Christmas. I've jotted down everything I expect us to spend and it's more than I want. I made a comment about not going mad and he disagreed. Christmas is a time to go mad and be generous, apparently. I don't want to be mean, but I don't want to get us into more debt. I'm not spending money we don't really have.

Feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall, but it's early days yet I suppose. At the weekend, when we should have a bit more time, I'll sit him down with November's figures and show him what we're doing and where we need to make changes.

On the plus side, his trip to buy bread and carrots resulted in just that, with no extras. Shame he bought Hovis rather than Tesco's own, but it's still progress!

klfairy

I've paid a sneaky extra £50 off OH's most expensive credit card. I'm actually slightly excited about getting the latest statements so I can see exactly how much progress is being made.

This week's shopping was £36; I don't anticipate needing any top ups apart from milk, and perhaps onions.

The thing we're struggling with most is the way OH is paid. He gets a cheque every week, which then takes 4 working days to clear. It's difficult if there's a bill due out from the account or something, and means we're constantly waiting for money to clear. I suppose it's giving my moneysaving muscles plenty of exercise, but it's annoying. I'm a bit worried how we'll cope when he starts his new job in January and goes from weekly pay to monthly.

MFWannabe

Hi
If money goes out by direct debit ring up the various people (phone company etc) and advise them when OH payday will be e.g 28th. Then ask them to change the Direct debit date to 1st for example (make it a couple of days after payday) That way within a couple of days of getting paid all direct debits will be paid and oh won't be able to spend the money on anything else

klfairy

FREEZ wrote: »

Hi
If money goes out by direct debit ring up the various people (phone company etc) and advise them when OH payday will be e.g 28th. Then ask them to change the Direct debit date to 1st for example (make it a couple of days after payday) That way within a couple of days of getting paid all direct debits will be paid and oh won't be able to spend the money on anything else

They were all neatly aligned but somehow a few have shifted :mad: but yes, I do need to get them all tidied up. At the moment almost all the bills come out of my own current account, but I want them to come out of the joint account really. Just a PITA to get on to everyone and I'm not a big fan of phoning companies (endless complicated menu systems, long hold-times, call centres on Mars...)

klfairy

Another success, entirely thanks to the motivation and support on this forum! I've just been checking transactions from my online banking against my (meticulous) records and found a discrepancy. After combing through all the information for the last 10 days I've found what's wrong: Tesco have charged me twice for my shopping. I have one debit for £23.89 and one for £22.55. One of them is wrong, I think the £23.89! I've been on the phone to the bank and then to Tesco and hope it'll be sorted later today.

If it wasn't for this place and the kick up the bum I needed, I would never have noticed that I'm twenty odd quid worse off than I should be. Thank you

klfairy

Today I am mostly moaning about being too cold. I am wearing multiple layers and have blankets on, yet still needed to put the heating on for a bit. I don't feel much warmer for it either and my hands are just icy. I'm too cold to do anything.

What I really need to do is get on to all the utilities and everyone and give them new bank details. I think I'll have another cup of tea first. Maybe try to bring some life back to my fingers...

klfairy

*sigh*

I haven't so much fallen off the MS wagon, but it's sort of run off away from me. We're now in our third week of being away while the builders make us a kitchen. It's taking so long because of all the bank holidays and various suppliers not being open, which means we've spent a lot of time staying elsewhere. I haven't kept good records (although I have a pile of receipts) and am finding I've got that "I don't want to do it" feeling about checking online banking again. I'm having to force myself to check things, when previously it was almost a pleasure to see if my figures matched up with reality.

I think I need to take myself off to the bedroom with the laptop (ooer missus) and receipts and put in as much information as I can. I hope that'll be enough to get me past the horrid feeling I have now.

jem2

chin up fairy, your doing great!! sorry the kitchen is taking a long time, must be very frustrating for you living elsewhere.

i just wanted to suggest that when it comes to your oh spending maybe you could try giving him a set amount every week and anything he wants for himself it should come form that ie cigs and coke. i do this with my husband, he has £40 a week to do as he likes with ie pub, footie, lottery, shop treats like choc and pop and if he wants a takeaway at the weekend, but i cant justify the money form the 'food money' pot, it has to come from his. it took a while for him to get used to this but he now says its great for him to keep an eye on what he's got left. if we go out as a family it comes from the 'family money' pot (as i budget for everything) but its a nice suprise when he uses some of his spare money to treat us all and a bunch of flowers now and then is a lovely suprise when it doesnt have to come form the household money!! i dont work so all our money is pulled together an is ''our'' money but for stickin to a budget i found this the only way i could keep in control.

hope this can help x