Gonna get there.....

f1widow

Hi - sorry ive been awol for a few days and have just caught up on your diary - you do make me chuckle!

I too have made plans for pots to allow for annual spends - mot on OH;s car, birthdays etc as OH and I normally just wing it! this is why we are in the state we are in robbing peter to pay paul - although the idea of it all is making my head hurt - I wish we could go back to the days when you were paid in cash and you put it in pots in the cupboard (Im showing my age I remember seeing a neighbour doing it - my mum and dad possibly did it too - £x in the rent pot £x for electric £x for the wife for housekeeping and then he would put the balance in his pocket for the bookies :D:D:D but at least all their bills were paid and they always said they owed no-one nothing!

I wish my bank had the pots available I think Barclays do it - will just have to transfer it over to my savings account

As for xmas I started in Sept once DS went back to school - always looking on the internet for offers etc but then Im lucky as Im home - I noticed this year that people like Amazon / Play.com started Mad Monday Sales etc around this time

Hope you have a good day x

hp48910

Thanks f1, work was ok....decided by about 8.45 that I don't want to work there any more:rotfl:everyone's really stressed about impending visit from the almighty 'O'(mustn't say the word) Inspectors and it's not a nice place to be right now!

Actually just been looking on a couple of jobs sites, wondering about getting out of education but not sure what else I could do. I'll probably be back to normal by tomorrow so not really sure why I'm even worrying:o

Went to mr M after work, via the next-to-new clothes shop where I had just over £9 owing to me from clothes that had sold. Put £60 diesel in the car:eek: it's now almost full. So will transfer that straight back to the CC on payday, as the fuel should last the month, for DH to get to and from the station.

Left 3 pairs of shoes at Mr M shoe repairs to be re-heeled at a cost of £8.30 each. Cheaper than town and free parking:) Also got the fajita mix, extra wraps, which weren't used, bread and fruit. I saw a lot of items on offer which will be worth getting. I don't normally use this shop so will have a wander round when I go back to collect the shoes at the weekend. We'll have been paid by then so I can use the trip to stock up on any bargains:)

I was thinking on the drive back about how much more careful I am nowadays about making sure I plan trips for more than one purpose and work out if I can get things cost effectively from the same place. In the past I would have just gone from here to there and back again without thinking:eek::eek:Before I started working full time last Sept, I would quite often end up going to the supermarket after picking the kids up from school, doing small top-up shops which would have been totally un-budgetted. I'd probably have stayed out later than was good for getting a meal sorted and end up taking something back from the shops to have as a quick dinner. I'm so much more organised now I have less time, work that one out?!

Had a good swim this eve and a catch up with one of my running buddies, who reminded me that we've got the Bupa 10k at the end of May. I have been swimming, cycling and Zumba-ing but a few runs to pace things would prob be a good idea.......:rotfl:

No packed lunches made yet, so suppose I should get myself off here and get my other team member to give me a hand:p

Nite all x

f1widow

Same! Although Im really no where near up to speed and in the swing of things (and could always do better) - Ive noticed just around the home Im better turning lights off more - using everything up in the fridge and freezer - so like you Ive noticed being better on things and thinking more

Im sorry that the dreaded visit is making you all stressed at work - its so sad that this atmosphere makes good workers want to leave - I hope you feel better about it all today.

Enjoy your fajitas tonight and keep up the great work x

hp48910

I know I could probaby still do better and I aim to. I want to be in the MSE mindset so that after my DFD, i still live by the same principles.

Today was quite busy at work but I had a lot of admin time and was able to get ahead on a few things which is always nice:)

Had niece round to play after school and had a freezer mixture dinner of fish fingers/mini kievs/chicken fillets with oven chips and peas. Dessert was sliced apple drizzled with honey. You can tell it's the end of the month but the kids love dinners like that and we probably only have about 2 a month.

Have done 2 loads of washing and 1 load of ironing, also half the packed lunch. May do a bit more irong later, not sure yet if I can be bothered. Don't have the same choice about the lunch tho

Really looking forward to DH payday tomorrow. It'll mean we can pay the cards etc tomorrow and allocate the money for Feb. DH's 2nd slary and mine go in on Tues, Child Benefit in Mon. Also have the money to pay off the existing loan from the new loan company. It's nice to see such a high figure in the bank for once:rotfl:

One more working day this week, woo hoo, then it's round Dad's for a belated Burn's night and a catch up with the family. We all live relatively close to each other but haven't properly caught up since Christmas.

Have a good eve x

kerri_dfw

You're doing great although everyone can do better but then there would be no need for chocolate

I wanted to let you in on my experience today before I spool loads off into my diary as it's related to pots Today I went shopping mad, buying all the stuff I really need, contact lenses, OH's e-reader, food, a gingerbread man at lunch, dine in for 2 for dinner... Then I went to check my spreadsheet and you know what? All I've done is spend from those jolly pots! £110 from the annual pots, £30 from the spending money pot, £12 from the grocery pot... I thought I was going to break the bank until I looked at it all written down So I've got a lovely relief from that as normally I would be panicking. So being a pot lady is a goood thing

J4mes

Just caught up the last week of your diary!!

Well done on sorting your SOA, like you said its a good guide and works well at keeping a record of things, even when not 100% accurate.
Sounds like you are doing really well with regards to getting organised, I need a bit more work on that aspect!:)
I also aspire to the 'oldschool' way of budgeting with pots, I want it fully up and running by the time I'm DF!

Keep up the good work!!:)

James.

hp48910

Thaks James, slowly getting my head round everything but a new pay period is a good a time as any to start 'potting';) I do this monthly anyway with the kids' activities etc but am gonna try to do a couple more for some longer term bits I can pay into monthly.

This morn I hav been checking out the best deals on mysupermarket. It's quite time consuming but has saved me loads of money so far. Dad was on his way to Mr S so asked him to pick up the few bits that were coming out cheaper from there.

Have to collect the shoes from Mr M later and saw some bargains there on Wed so will pick up any bits that are better value than those I've come across already!

It is a bit of a faff going to different places but I guess as I'm only actually driving to one, it makes sense. Need petrol in my car too, so I can do that at the same time. That's if I make it, the red light has been on for a couple of days but as I live in a village, not near any stations and all my trips have been local, I'm starting to panic:eek:

Not sure where I am with the bank/cards etc as I'm still waiting for some B/Ts to credit. Think I'll wait until the rest of the wages are in on Tues and then go through everything.

Dad's just brought the Mr S stuff round. V chuffed with the savings:) Wish I didn't feel disappointed that he got 2 x cgate tpaste @ 90p instead of 1, get a grip:rotfl:I could have told him to keep one as I'm trying to budget shopping month-by-month. However, in the long run 90p for tpaste is a great saving. Just 90p I wasn't planning to spend as I have 2 tubes plus the ones we're using at the mo haha.

Better get up, I've spent far too long on here. Despite getting up for a cuppa and later, breakfast, I've found my way back into bed:p DH has cycled 7 miles into town to go kick boxing. I'm off to an extra Zumba session @ 12, then a bike ride @ 3. That will either be 5 or 10 miles depending if DH can manage any more exercise after 14 miles and a Kick boxing class....

hp48910

OMG:eek: Finally checked out of Tesco, via mysupermarket, it's only taken all day on-and-off:eek: more off that on if I'm realistic but you get where I'm comng from. I must be slower than a seasoned MSE'r and the site itself was slow but I did manage to save about £48 by comparing.

Just wondering if it would have been easier just to go to Mr A for the lot and get the difference refunded via the cashback price promise. I'm sure if i'd done that I wouldn't have eye strain and a stiff neck from shoulders that have ended up around my ears:rotfl:

hp48910

Seem to have lost a bit of momentum despite the fact I was so looking forward to posting my progress with debt busting, post payday. Think the main reason for this is that balances are all over the places in terms of me having a final figure. Hfax card has paid off some of Tsco but hasn't credited yet etc. Also been shopping all over the place for the best deals and don't actually get the Tsco delivery til tomorrow so can't remember what the meal plans were :mad: Should be sorted by midweek with a proper total:)Once that's done I will post up my progress one month on, looking foward to that:)

Lack of exercise this weekend also. Only 1 x Zumba class as the weather wasn't great for bike rides and DD2 was poorly so been having lots of cuddles. Back to Zumba tomorrow eve and swimming Wed, so onwards and upwards......

PS Looking forward to Super Scrimpers in a mo on C4+1 :O)

kerri_dfw

Keep your chin up lovely, just gotta keep swimming and I'm super jealous of all your enthusiasm towards exercise.