Diary of a home owner wannabe (my 6 year journey)

Goldiegirl

Hi, just been reading your April summary.

I was interested to read that you'd kept count of your washing machine usage.

I've made a conscious effort to reduce washing machine usage, as it's a saving on electric and water. I previously used to do washing on set days, even if I didn't have a full load.

In May, I think I'll keep count of washing loads, to see how many less I'm now doing.

Thanks for giving me the idea!

Pearla*Merle

Hope everything's going ok, PFTP?

pennyforthepot

Still decorating full time- not even earning minimum wage - but every penny counts:eek:

Will report in properly when I have more than two ounces of energy.

On the positive side I no longer have bat wings with all the rollering I have been doing :rotfl:

PFTP x

slowlyfading

:rotfl: enjoy your decorating

pennyforthepot

Goldiegirl wrote: »

Hi, just been reading your April summary.

I was interested to read that you'd kept count of your washing machine usage.

I've made a conscious effort to reduce washing machine usage, as it's a saving on electric and water. I previously used to do washing on set days, even if I didn't have a full load.

In May, I think I'll keep count of washing loads, to see how many less I'm now doing.

Thanks for giving me the idea!

Hi Goldiegirl - sorry for the delay in responding - have been going full pelt on the decorating front over the last few weeks. Glad to be of help - I'm not doing quite so well on the washing front this month as I've been doing my SIL as well as her machine is broken. It's amazing how all these little things do add up. We should set up a challenge - 'cut your washing down by a number of days per month!

PFTP x

pennyforthepot

PrincessLou wrote: »

Hi Penny,

I've been subscribed from your very first post! Just a quick question - I remember reading a while back that you were bulk purchasing food and toiletries etc for the whole year. Can I ask how you worked out how much you needed of certain things and what items were on your list? I love lists so I suppose it's just nosiness really :rotfl:, but also I'm thinking of trying out the idea myself and am at a bit of a loss where to start. :huh:

Hi PrincessLou -so sorry for taking so long getting back to you - I haven't had a chance or the energy to get on here over the last few weeks. Thank you so much for subscribing - it makes me feel very loved when I hear that

To answer your question about bulk buying I suppose I generally know how much we use over the year because I have been monitoring our usage of things for a few years now - ie a approx 27 toilet rolls per month :eek: It's much easier to do it for toiletries and cleaning products as well as things like tea and coffee. I suggest you write a list of all cleaning and toiletries you use and monitor it for a month and that will give you a general figure. I'm never totally accurate and typically under estimate. In terms of store cupboard items - that is much harder - I always underestimate those. I try to think about how many times I might cook pasta during the month and then times that by 12. Same with rice, tins of toms, sugar, flour, condiments, flour, oil etc! One thing I do make sure I do is to do that annual shop when there is an offer on at Mr T - typically the save £5 when you spend £40.I then only buy £40 worth of stuff but tend to shop several times in one day! That way I can often save £70/£80 on my bulk shop. I am trying a new technique now which is to do a bulk buy when things are on offer rather than buying all the annual purchases in one go. This way you save loads of money. I have just bought about 2 years supply of shampoo and conditioner for the family whilst it was BOFOFF. I have saved £100 doing this :money:

If this is to work the most important thing is to remember to take what you have purchased off your monthly or annual food/cleaning/toiletries budget. I have a £400 monthly budget and deduct what I spend when I bulk buy over equally over the 12 month period. If you don't do this then it doesn't really work as you will end up overspending on your monthly budget. So for June my budget is £400 but as I have already bulk purchased my actual available spend is only going to be £230. The other important factor to remember is that you must have the money available to bulk purchase. I have spent £970 on my bulk purchases which is owed to my savings. This will be repaid each month with difference between what my food budget is and what I actually spend. So again for June my budget is £400 my spend will be £270 therefore I have an additional £170 to put back into my savings for that month.

One final warning - be careful of sell by dates. I have 9 large tubs of butter (can't believe its not!) sat in my fridge with 2 weeks to eat it as I didn't check the sell by date :eek:

Well sorry to bore you - I haven't read it through again so I hope it makes sense. Go gal :rotfl:

PFTP x

pennyforthepot

edinburgher wrote: »

I like your roundup PFTP, I have been reading Your Money or Your Life and like the idea of tracking these sorts of things visually.

I'm planning to start doing so in the old fashioned way, with a pad of graph paper and some marker pens

Thanks Edinburgher - I've found it really insightful - particularly when you do a monthly comparison. It's not always a pleasant experience when you post it though - but it hopefully keeps me on the straight and narrow.

Since I've been decorating I've been using the YMOYL book to think about the actual cost of me working, taking into account travel, food etc and determined that it financially isn't really beneficial to do. Too tired to cook when I get home sometimes, taking my eye off the ball when it comes to bargains for shopping, not tracking where my money is going and the high cost of travel. It is certainly the way to look at the financial cost of work. Mind you earning less than the minimum wage certainly doesn't help :eek:

PFTP x

pennyforthepot

At last a chance to get back on here. I have really missed my daily updates which I now realise are what keeps me on track. I may not have much to say but posting spends etc each day stops me falling off the wagon.

daily food budget: £2.11 !!

Well I'm still decorating - I think I have a couple more weeks to do.I mentioned in a reply to Edinburgher that at the end of it all I won't make much money at all as my fuel costs are very high and my food spend has been very high this month - for the first time this year I will be above my monthly budget and nothing put by for the christmas food shop:(

However I have really enjoyed getting out the house. Two to three days would be perfect for me.

So everything has slipped this month - though this won't show until end of June statement as everything goes on the credit card. DH and I went away for a city break at the beginning of May so my entertainment budget has hit the rocks. The food budget has also hit the rocks as has my petrol budget. I have to pay off the holiday this week as well as get the kids new passports so in terms of spends May will certainly be up there amongst the greats. I have had several sources of income so far this month so that should balance things out for this month - I hope!

My investment fund performed poorly again this month leaving me short by £1500 for the rent for May - worrying though it is I keep telling myself that I need to think of the longer view as I was up £11,000 last year- it would be awful to think that all the money I am saving gets wiped out by a poorly performing fund.

I did have loads of things to post here but I can't remember what they are. Oh that's right I saved £7 on my petrol bill by having an 18p fuel save from Tesco I now have 16p towards my June save and 180 rolls of toilet paper sitting in my wardrobe, as well as 40 bottles of shampoo and conditioner, 15 boxes of cereal bars, 20 deodrants, 30 bottles of mouthwash and a partridge in a pear tree

Off to enjoy the sunshine and read my book (oh yes another unnecessary purchase in May as well as the new boots ). Hope not to leave it too long till I pop back here.

PFTP x

Secret_Saving_Squirrel

Well done, you are doing brilliantly!

pennyforthepot

Secret_Saving_Squirrel wrote: »

Well done, you are doing brilliantly!

Why thank you Secret Saving Squirrel - you were one of the first diaries that I read - a true inspiration

PFTP x