Got to get a grip of this...

E2006

Im really chewing about the savings. We havent put away as much as we had hoped by now, and whilst its better to have some savings than none, I really wish we had a bigger amount. Its such a turnaround from when we were worrying about the debt all of the time. Thats now at such a managable amount that we just have a standing order going towards that everymonth and dont have to think about it. We havent used credit cards for months (well over 6 months at least) and now that we have savings wont need to, but our problem as always is sticking to budget. We set a weekly amount but always end up going over that. Granted, its better than before when we would go over the budget then start using cc's, but I want to set a budget and stick to it.

Its all Ive been thinking about at the minute, and I think the solution is to use my spare account as a 'pin money' account i.e an account where money builds up and is used for lunches out, haircuts, clothes, meals/nights out etc. The other acc will then just purely be for food and petrol. Anything that we buy/spend which isnt food or petrol comes from that acc, because at the minute we use the weekly 'housekeeping' money, which means when I need a midweek top up (like today - I did the big shop on Friday but I now need some milk and more fruit) I have cash left over in the shopping purse, rather that drawing more out of the bank. I cant start this until April payday though as Feb and March salaries are earmarked to top up the savings acc's, but I definately think thats the way forward.

So when Im on maternity leave, £50 pm will go into the xmas savings acc, £75 into the 'pin money' acc, and the rest will be for food and petrol. When I return to work we can continue to save for hols, add to the rainy day/emergency savings, and set up the ISA we want to set up as 'retirement' savings (we are 33 and 34 and have been meaning to start this for a couple of years. Once I return to work we should be financially able to do this).

Feels good to get it down in writing and out of my head...

E2006

Ive been thinking about the budget loads lately! We never manage to stick to budget and I think the simple fact is I just dont allow enough. The cost of food and petrol is going up, and we are still trying to spend as much as we always did without factoring in this, and the fact that we have a growing child and another on the way!

When we were trying to clear the debts we would work out how much we wanted to pay off the debts and try to manage on what was left over, rather than working out how much we had to left to pay off them after we had worked out how much we needed to live comfortably. Its the same now - we work out how much we want to save and try to manage on whats left over - this moonth for example was a 5 week month for me in terms of when I was paid, and what we had left over for food, groceries and expenses for 3 of us was £500; £100 per week. Petrol takes at least £50 of that, £10 for expenses such as DS's kickboxing fee's, breakfast club money and snack money etc, leaving £40 for groceries and anything else we may need. I cook from scratch, I bulk meals out and I shop in Aldi, but £40 just isnt enough for all food (inc breakfast, packed lunches for three of us and dinners), all toiletries and cleaning products and anything else that crops up. This means that every week we have to pop to the cash machine and draw out extra. We then find ourselves like today, 12 days off payday with very little of the budget left in the bank. The savings are there but I dont want to be dipping into them. I really dont want to dip into them when Im on maternity leave as once Im getting just maternity pay, I wont have the means to replenish the savings like I can at the minute. I would be gutted to think we used our hard earned savings to buy food and petrol during my maternity leave just because we couldnt set and stick to a budget! If at all possible I want the majority of those savings in tact when I go back to work next year!!

So, the short term plan (i.e the next 12 days) is to do a meal plan with what I have in. Do a minimal shop this morning, stick petrol in both cars for next week (thankfully I wont need much now that Ive finished work, but will need a little for the school run - cant walk it at the minute due to pregnancy issue, but after bubs is here I fully intend to walk it every day) and try to make the little cash we have last as long as possible without taking from the savings.

Longer term plan is to re-jig the figures and allow more in the monthly food/petrol budget. Im thinking £600 per month, taking £130-£150 per week. Hopefully if we are careful, there may be a little left over at the end of the week, which is then shaved off the amount withdrawn the following week and so on, so that by the end of the month there may either be a little left over (which can be swept over into the savings) or ts all used, but we havent had to dip into the savings acc's.

Ah well, off to meal plan as ever.....

The_Frugal_Frog_2

Hi

Have just stumbled across your diary and subscribed

Froggy x

E2006

Hi froggy, and welcome - do you have a diary? Im not really sure Im in the right place as although I am a dfw, at the minute its more about budgeting and saving so we can manage during my maternity leave.

The groceries cost £30 this week, but I shouldnt need a midweek top up as I bought loads of fruit (Aldi super 6 this week includes pinapples, and kiwis which I got as extras) as well as 2 packs of banannas (always run out after a few days) satsumas and some tinned fruit. I also bought 6 pints of milk rather than just 4 and the freezer is full of bread - these are the things I usually need midweek.

Things that wernt on my list that I managed to get were a 12 pack of extra special sausages ys to £1.30 from £3, and a whole gammon joint in mustard crust for £2 instead of £4. Im going to do the joint for dinner today with veggies, roasties and yorkshires, then gammon egg and chips tomorrow, and whatevers left over in sandwiches or a pasta. That means the shepherds pie I was going to do today can do a day later in the week, and I have an extra 3 meals to add to the meal plan with the pack of sausages, and the meal I will save from having gammon again tomorrow night. Im hoping to stretch what we have in for as long as possible without having to go shopping any time soon.

Im also experimenting with some smart price things this week. Ive bought yogurts (39p for 4), choc wafer biscuits (40p for 5, for DH's packed lunch - he tried one and said they are nice), some choc digestives and cookies for the biscuit tin and also some custard and rice pudding for puddings for the boys after dinner. Ive baked a lemon cake as I had all of the ingredients in, and DS and I will make some chocolate cornflake cakes later on for treats too.

I got 3 massive bags for life worth of shopping for my £30 so not too bad really

E2006

First day of maternity leave. Feels really strange! For so long Ive been thinking 'when Im on maternity leave.....'. Nows the time to budget budget budget! Ive been working through the figures this morning based on the breakdown HR gave me before I left. I have a near full wage this month, and then a wage of about £600 less than usual in March, then im onto maternity pay where I will just have enough to manage, no extra for savings (other than the xmas savings and the pin money acc savings hopefully). I should have £2000 in the maternity savings by then ideally (a little less than we had hoped but still good all the same!).

We have a little UK break booked for December which DH has said he is going to pay for. Theres only £296 to pay, but what I think I may do is try to pay £20/25 per month to that so come September when its due, there will only be a small balance owing. I wont tell DH that Ive paid any though - it can be a supprise!

We've just had loft insulation fitted. It was free through our gas company, and they've also repaired and insulated our loft hatch free of charge :money:

Dinner tonight is half of the pack of ys sasauges, with egg, chips and beans, yummy! Only 10 days till pay day :T

E2006

Well Ive managed to do no top up shopping this week so far! That means (other than DS's budgeted for kick boxing yesterday) Ive had 5 NSD's! We still have 4 bananna's, 3 kiwi fruits and a little pinapple left in terms of fruit, and a little milk left in the bottle for today. I also have enough for main meals in the freezer, but will have to do a little shop this weekend to get us through to payday - I reckon it should easily be under £10 though! Ive done a freezer and cupboard inventory and i cant get away without shopping unfortunately, but Im happy with a little spend.

Its half term next week (although DS's school broke up on Wednesday, but we've just had a couple of pyjama days in the house. Weve been doing some crafts with gifts he got for Christmas, and he's been quite happy playing with his toys. As we will be out and about all weekend, and much of next week, Im quite happy with him having a few days in the house.

Plans for the weekend/next week include swimming (already paid for) and a class party tomorrow (Saturday). Cinema Sunday morning (its £1 per person) then lunch at MIL's. Playday on Monday with a friend and her little girl. Soft play area Tuesday as DH has an appointment in the venue, Park Wednesday, swimming Thursday (its only £1 per child and DH will take him in - I will sit on the side and watch them) and then walk along the beach and some time in the amusements on Friday. Swimming again Saturday (already paid for) then a lazy day on Sunday before DH goes back to work and DS back to school. So lots of things planned but not a big spend involved.

Payday in 6 days :j

E2006

Pay days been :jSavings pots have been topped up and the budget set for the month. Thankfully its a 4 week month so will hopefully be a little easier to get through.

I started filling the freezer ready for after little one arrives last week. So far in there, theres 3 portions of shepherds pie, 3 portions of chilli, 2 portions of sweet potato mash and 1.5 portions of turkey and bacon meatballs in tom sauce. Ive bought a whole chicken on this weeks meal plan and will use some of the left over roast meat to make some chicken and veg soup and some chicen and veg pie for the freezer too. Im also planning on doing so chicken curry, some lentil and bacon soup and some casseroles too. It means not only do we not have to worry about finding the time/energy for cooking healthy home cooked meals in the early days after LO arrives, but we wont need to do much shopping either for a while which will save money too.

DH is back at work and DS back at school next week. I read a while ago on the OS board a tip about making up the weeks sandwhiches in advance and freezing them ready to be lifted out fresh on the morning. I freeze the bread anyway, so have decided to give this a go this week - as I said to DH, its not that much more work doing 10 sandwhiches rather than 2 in one go if you're grating cheese etc anyway, and saves us doing it every night which is a pain when we have so much other stuff to get sorted.

E2006

NSD yesterday and will be one today too :T. I wont make the full week though as I need bread and milk, but if I limit the spending to just that, and have NSD's the rest of the week, that will be 4/5. Im going to try and push my grocery shop into Saturday rather than Friday as that will be an extra nsd.

The rubber chicken is going well. We had a huge chicken salad last night, which fed 3 of us and left a portion for lunch today using only one breast. Its a roast dinner tonight using most, but not all of the other breast. The rest of that and a little from the legs will make a curry for Thursday evening (will freeze the meat in the meantime) and the remainder will make chicken and veg soup for the freezer (probably 4 portions) and a chicken and veg pie (1 portion). The whole chicken cost only £3.99!! Other nights teas are quiche, salad and coleslaw (using up the last of the salad stuff) and a veg pasta on Friday night (using whatevers left in the fridge), meaning we should have no waste this week

E2006

Spend day today. I needed Milk and bread. I hung on until today though as it was also a baby event in Aldi, and they had lots of things like tommee tippee feeding spoons, bowls etc for 99p per pack. I got some bowls and spoons - spent £2.98 on 6 spoons and 6 feeding pots with lids. It will be a saving in the longrun. Some of the bits I had wanted wernt available, and some were not available because people bought the lot! For exampla, I watched a man walk in and pick up every single stair gate off the shelf - Im talking around 9 - leaving none for anyone else :mad: I even heard one of the staff members exclaim that he had bought every single one! Bit annoying really because I cant understand why 1 person would need so many and its not leaving any for other people who also want to benefot from the good offer :mad:

I also went and bought the daily mirror because theres a £5 aldi voucher in that as well as loads of 30% and 50% off vouchers, including off baby wipes and nappies etc :T You need to spend £40 to get the money off and the funny thing is, Ive managed to reduce my spends so much lately, that Im really having to get my thinking cap on about how best to spend that amount! The most my shopping comes to these days is around £30-35 per week (and thats a big shop!). Im thinking that I will get some extra meat for the freezer and also some nappies and wipes as some of the money off vouchers are on those - and then these things end up being free :money:

DH's friend at work also buys the daily mirror everyday and has gave him his copy so as the vouchers expire next Thursday, I will do my next shop then rather than the Friday/Saturday and hopefully that will produce enough food to last us until the end of the month other than fresh top ups. Just need to think of a meal plan to make sure I get the best things for the money.

Im recording my weekly/montly spends slightly differently this month. Ive spent almost half of the months (low) budget this week so wont be able to do the usual 'draw x amount out each week' approach. Im just spending from the entire total as and when I need to and recording how much is going each week - that way I may get a better feel for how much we really need which will help with setting the budget. Im still trying to be as careful as possible, and a lot of the bits bought this week and next will run over into the other weeks of the month and im still hoping to come in within budged (although accept this may be hard as the budget was low to start with again this month with the extra savings we put away).

E2006

Am so :mad: with Santander - the rubbish bank that they are!! I logged on yesterday, first of the month, to pay some bills, one of which was to the virgin cc. The payment was rejected - but there was no message to say why it was rejected, nor that it would be re-tried etc. Just came up on my statement as credit - rejected payment. Because it needed paying I tried again a little later, but it was rejected again. Again no message or any information. This morning Ive logged on to find that Santander have now made the payment to virgin twice :mad::mad::mad: I also noticed that one of the other bills I paid yesterday was also rejected but then paid today so they muct have been having probles, but where was the info/message to say they would automatically re-try the payment themselves! They've totally messed up my budget now. I know I could get on the phone and try and get it reversed but its such a hassle. Grrr!!

Off to DS's swimming lessons this morning, then to the park going to take sandwiches and will just buy a cuppa while there so LSD. Off for the shopping this afternoon armed with the aldi money off vouchers and hoping to get a big shop that will last us around 10 days ish.