Budget is not a dirty word

lizzie_dripping

This is my first attempt at a diary, not sure if it really belongs here as I don't have any debts but I don't mind if you don't.

Let me explain first of all that I have always had a budget and am usually very organised with finances. It just that budget has always been somewhat flexible, especially when it come to feeding my Ticketmaster habit . But following a drop in household income I need to rein in my expenditure without giving up the concerts/theatre trips/days out that I enjoy.

I have been inspired by two posters - Lula Hula and LondonGirl252. Like LG, I am going to give myself a daily allowance of £5/£150 per month. This needs to cover anything I need to spend on clothes, parking, days out, lunches out, tickets , magazines and fripperies. It doesn't have to cover petrol, household food shopping, clothes for the kids or birthday/xmas savings as I have a separate allowance for these.

Like Lula, I shall be shopping in Waitrose if I want to and getting someone else to clean my car (which does have to come out of my daily allowance!).

So, whilst this diary might not be the ulimate exercise in austerity, I hope it might be useful in exploring how to have a good time on a budget. :beer:

Ps. Tickets I've already bought don't count, right? :cool:

Sylvia1982

Hello Lizzie dripping,

I too have no debt but also living on a budget by choice.
I shall "subscribe" to this diary and follow with great interest and Happy New Year

P.s i don't think the tickets that you already purchase count


Sylvia

lizzie_dripping

Wow, someone read this! Thank you Sylvia and Happy New Year.

I've had a bit of a tally up over the past couple of days. Luckily I received some gift cards for Christmas, so I have £115 available to spend on clothes plus another £70 to spend on Clinique. That should come in very handy!

I've not spent anything on myself since payday either so my daily fivers are intact. I am going to withdraw £60 which is my allowance up until Friday and see how long I can make it last.

I am hankering for a theatre trip to break the January monotony but I have about £200 in Tesco Clubcard vouchers so I can redeem some of those for a show. If I get a Pizza Express voucher as well then that's a night out sorted. A friend owes me £35 for something we are going to next month, so I will keep that money separate and use it to fund another trip. The show next month will cost next to nothing as one of us will drive to the theatre, parking will be free and the other one will buy the lime and sodas!

Was talking to some friends on NYE and we are thinking about going to see Les Mis. I've seen it before (and fell asleep!) some years ago but friend really wants to go. She is on a bit of a budget as well so a full price ticket at £65 is out of the question, we are going to look at Lastminute.com and see if we can get something for around £25. That will come out of my daily fivers once we have set a date.

I have a busy week this week and next so not much opportunity for random spending - that might help me build up a surplus.

DaisyMeRollin

Hi Lizzie, hope you enjoy your show! I think that there's no point in having a fat bank account without being able to enjoy yourself whilst you're still young!

Sylvia1982

Hello Lizzie,

I must say you seem to have it all sussed out in the way you are so organised.

Good luck on getting the Les Mis tickets

Sylvia

lizzie_dripping

Well, I'm a month into this budget and by goodness it's hard!

I didn't get to the theatre, in fact I didn't get to go anywhere of note.

Out of my allocated £150 I paid £77 for friends birthday weekend and £5 deposit for a birthday meal. I also went for a meal out which cost £25 :eek: and I wasn't even drinking! It was one of those split the bill between us nights and I didn't feel I could make a fuss. So that's £107 and who knows where the rest went.

You know what that means? Spending diary. :money:

Lula-Hula

Hello lizzie,

so sorry, but I've only just seen your diary .

I'm now on a reduced budget so will be keeping a watchful eye on you for tips as to how to stretch those p e n n i e s into pounds on fab nights out

Boo to bill splitting, not good

Happy spending diary
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