MFW Diary.....before moving in!!!

chocolatecat

Hi Laura

I may start a diary on my savings for my deposit. The diary I really want to get started though is the Mortgage Free one (I am just hoping I get the mortgage first though) lol....... although I am sure I am worrying over nothing as usual.

I love your table and chairs - very modern

I am only a 20 minute drive from Ikea. I am always spend crazy in there lol. I can't resist the food haha (just love the meatballs and daim cake)

You are doing so well with your savings. That is a brilliant saving without having to change what you want too much xx

LauraWxx

i think starting a diary is a good way at keeping yourself on track...i have found I am a lot more concious of how much I am spending and focused on saving!!

I work money week to week in terms of petrol, food shopping and spends - ie anything that is not a monthly bill. I did a spending diary (think it on pg2) and have been updating all week, catagorising into what was necessary and what could of been avoided etc....might be worth you doing something like this?

In just the few days I have been doing it, it has made me a lot more aware of where my money goes.....quite clearly on food!!

Good luck for the mortgage application....am sure you will be fine but it is a nerve-racking time

LauraWxx

ps...im all about the ikea hot dogs.....accidently had 2 though!!!:rotfl::rotfl:

in fact between the two accidental hot dogs and my accidental afternoon nap....yesterday was quite a clumsy accidental day!!!:D:D:D

quintwins

lol at 50p each those hotdogs look good value but there always really busy so we've never had food at it, much rather go to the burgerking up the road.

LauraWxx

yeah but for the price of a bk you could have 10 hotdogs!!!!!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
hmmm maybe taking this mse thinking a bit too far!!
My greedyness is coming out here!!!

chocolatecat

Good advice laura on the spending. I will start writing it all down - Thank you. I have booked 2 weeks off work in November to deal with the stress of applying for a mortgage ha ha

Oh I eat the hot dogs too and the ice cream lol (but I also go into the supermarket section and stock up on the yummyness in there). Saying that I have not been for a while and have been very frugal, but it just shows how much money I have wasted on food over the years.

If I worked near Ikea I could have a hotdog a day for lunch - at 50p x 5 days my lunch would be sorted for £2.50 a week haha :rotfl:
...........although I am sure I would be spending more money on bigger clothes to deal with the weight gain

Talking about frugal lunches though - I have found some cheap ones hehe
I love pasta so I buy the tomato mug shots from B&M for 38p each. I take them to work in the sachets and when it's time for lunch just boil the kettle and I have instant pasta in a few minutes. I love them. It means my lunch costs me £1.90 for a week. I sometimes also take some chicken and cooked peppers in a tub with me from home and throw them into the pasta if I am feeling extra hungry. That with a cheap yoghurt and an apple keeps me going until tea time. It means I don't spend a lot on lunches really whereas before I would spend £3 a day on a boots meal deal xx

LauraWxx

oh i will have to look out for those in b&m's....making lunch cheaper is a good idea...as you say shop bought lunches can seriously increase spending!!

Well a NSD yesterday...wooohooo!!

However I am running on petrol fumes today so have to fill up this evening.

I normally work Wednesday to Wednesday for my weekly money (£100 - out of which comes petrol, food and any other bits and pieces i want) but if needs be can take it out a bit earlier, ie today - tuesday. I don't see the point in stopping today to put £10 worth of petrol in and then filling up tomorrow, so will draw out cash today and fill up on my way home.

I will be putting in more than my normal £30, and instead filling it up to the brim!! I have to do a 300 mile round trip this weekend to pick up chairs so will need a full tank!

I have allocated £40 of the furniture money towards petrol and classed this as a cost of the dining set...however if I can pay for it out of weekly money then that will be a nice little saving made!!

I think I am getting a bit ridiculose (sp?) with this budgeting and allocating costs....last night I was thinking about doing a comparison bar chart to compare the money I had budgeted for things and what I actually bought them for......hmm too much???!!!!!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Anyway, apart from petrol later, today should be another NSD and I will be aiming for as many as possible this week in a bid to recoup some of the petrol costs!

Hope all are well!!

Oh and by the way......2 WEEKS TODAY WE COMPLETE!!!!!!!:j:j:j:j

LauraWxx

LauraWxx wrote: »

Spending Diary for Week 08/08/2012 - 14/08/2012

Starting Balance - £100

08/08/2012 - £4.29 (Mr T Express - Lunch) Unnecessary expense
08/08/2012 - £30.00 (Mr T - Petrol) Necessary expense
08/08/2012 - £6.18 (Aldi - Food Top Up) Half & Half!
09/08/2012 - £3.40. (Cafe - Lunch). Unnecessary expense
09/08/2012 - £6.40 (Morrisons - Bits & Pieces) Half & Half
09/08/2012 - £2.00 (Morrisons saving stamps) Necessary expense
11/08/2012 - £4.32. (Dinner top up bits). Half & Half
12/08/2012 - £8.55. (Breakfast at the gym). Unnecessary but Regular expense, although did pay for friends which is not
12/08/2012 - £10.00 (car cleaned inside and out). Unnecessary expense...but only get it cleaned once every few months!
12/08/2012 - £3.50 (Ikea food) Unnecessary but delicious!
12/08/2012 - £10.00 (Pub dinner) Unnecessary but don't begrudge spending it as nice night with bf


Current Balance - £11.36

Summary -

Necessary Costs -£40.45
Unnecessary Costs -£48.22

Leftover...£13 ish (found a couple of quid when cleaning out bedside cabinets!

Food top up shops are clearly an area I need to work on!

LauraWxx

Spending Diary for Week 14/08/2012 - 22/08/2012

Starting Balance £130 ish (£10 Carried over from last week + few bits of change found in car and bedside table!) (Added an extra £20 as took from Furniture money for Petrol)

14/08/2012 - £58.00 (Mr T - Petrol) Necessary Expense
14/08/2012 - £1.10 (Crisps & Chocolate from Lunch Man) Unnecessary Expense
15/08/2012 - £1.00 (Drink at gym Post class) Regular Expense
15/08/2012 - £3.80 (Lunch) Unnecessary Expense
16/08/2012 - £3.00 (Morrison's - Dinner Top up) Unnecessary - as I had already eaten the Chorizo
16/08/2012 - £2.00 (Birthday Cards) Necessary expense
16/08/2012 - 2.00 (Morrison's Saving Stamps) Regular expense
17/08/2012 - £4.80 (Asda - food to take on road trip to save service station spending)
18/08/2012 - £19.10 (B&Q) Regular Expense (Not regular but happy to spend it)
18/08/2012 - £35.00 (Mr T Petrol) Necessary Expense
19/08/2012 - NSD
20/08/2012 - NSD
21/08/2012 - £3.00 (Pop & Choc for bf) Unnecessary Expense (but don't begrudge on this occasion!)

Current Balance - £2.20

quintwins

Poundland do mugshots 3 for £1 ok not an awful lot cheaper but if like me your poundland is next to your b&m it doesn't make much difference.

Laura this isn't a critisium but i'm surprised that you necessary spends are more or less the same as your unnecessary, i might start doing that as i do justify all my spends but i think thats a real eye opener.

Oh only 2 weeks!!! it will fly round

I could buy alot more than 10 hotdogs for the cost of a bk theres 5 of us!!! it rarely comes in under £18.