my puddle of money diary

moneypuddle

Hello

Thought I’d try again (for maybe the fourth or fifth time – oops!) at keeping a diary. :j

In brief, OH and I are trying for a baby so reckon we need to save about £6k in order to do so. I’m not pregnant yet so have in theory at least 9 months to do this, and we’re already at £2,700, so need to save around £366/month going forwards. We’re trying to put away about £450-£500 a month instead just in case I do fall pregnant and the baby comes early. It’s building up surely but oh so sloooowly. I’m too impatient for this whole saving thing. The plan is that once we hit the £6k we’ll just keep saving so we can hopefully afford to have a holiday once we do have a baby, and I can hopefully extend maternity leave. The savings are for maternity but also for baby equipment in the first place and any unexpected costs too!

We were both just paid on the 31st Jan. Total income this month was £2670, although we’re hoping going forwards its going to be closer to £3k a month as OH’s bonus has just returned at work! Hurrah! We set aside all our bill money (mortgage, insurances etc) into a separate bills account each month as this seems to work best for us. Our bills are high (£1300) but that’s because we have a high mortgage payment each month (£817). I also shifted £500 into the Baby Fund – how tragic is it that I love doing that and can’t wait for payday to shift it over!?! La-hoser!

We are terrible for ending the month in our overdraft (its free up to minus £300) but as Feb is a short month we’re determined to stay out of it this month, so it should be slightly easier what with only 4 weeks till payday again. Jan on the other hand was incredibly long! So now…. that leaves us with £443 in our spends account at the minute, but we have already put £50 worth of petrol in the car. That might last us 3 weeks or so. Hopefully just a little top up at the end of the month.

What else?? Hmm well I did go on a spending spree in Ikea last night (£86 for some baskets to finish off my unit in my lounge, and of course some totally unnecessary purple candles !!!!!!?!?) – but I have wanted them for AGES, and can sort of say I needed them, so don’t feel too bad about it. That is still to come out of the bank though. Along with £9 for ebay fees, and our big shop (£153 this month), so that takes us down £193 left for the month. Amazing how it dwindles down! So I guess that £48/week to last us till payday. Hmm not so great.

So I have also been trying to up the income with surveys etc but I find them painfully slow. I’ve also been selling on eBay a bit recently but have now really sold all the clothes I no longer wear, and re-listed those that didn’t sell first time round. I think I’ve taken about £300 so far. We also sold some of OH’s playstation games, and an old fridge that was left in our garage by the previous owners for £50 to a local landlord. Just running out of stuff to sell now! Looking forward to the carboots starting up again for some stock! :cool:

Am in the middle of changing our third bedroom into a Playstation room for OH. We’re doing it very efficiently – lining paper that we already had, carpet lifted from my mum’s lounge, little blind from Ikea for £9.99 and I managed to get OH one of the BigBoy beanbags that were on GroupOn not so long ago for xmas for £39 (usually £109). I also got his a canvas for the wall (us on a beach on holiday last year!) from GroupOn for £29 (rather than £79), so gotta crack on with that room now really and get that done! I do love a project on the go!

Not going on holiday this year (too busy saving) but we do have a hen party in April, a wedding in June (where I am bridesmaid), a wedding in Ireland in July which obviously we need to fly to, and our birthdays in June and August so I am sure summer will be expensive enough without going away as well!

I also have a complaint in with Asda at the minute for two of their manky chicken dinners, and have sent a letter to HM to reclaim tax for washing OH’s uniform for the last 6 years. Uh and just remember my car tax is up at the end of this month!

Uh debt – got about £1400 on a credit card and that’s it. Worked down from £5,300, but its all on 0% now.

Umm.. think that’s it Really going to try to keep on top of things this time and visit often

Feel free to read my ramblings or totally ignore if you please :rotfl:

moneypuddle x

moneypuddle

Wow, well slight update I guess… I found out yesterday that I am 4 weeks pregnant. Hurrah! So the money saving had really now better step up a notch !! :D:D

petabear

just wanted to say congratulations moneypuddle!

Would love to follow your thread as I am desperatly trying to up my income and put it all into savings at the moment so would love to know how your doing it and how its all going for you.

Once again Congratulations!!:T:j

JonnieShah

Congratulations MoneyPuddle.

How is the saving going?