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WTBSEs 'Starting From Scratch' Savings Diary.
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Morning All
I am waiting tax credits and big payday on Friday..bring it on!
I am toying with the idea of doing something a bit different. At the moment, I save what I get from Tax credits, clients, petrol allowance and CB every month, and live off my wages from week to week.
I am considering changing this.
I am thinking that I am going to withdraw my monthly food shopping money (£400) when I get all of the payments that I have mentioned above ( Tax credits, clients, petrol allowance and CB) and then that will last the month.
So, say for example I get £600 a month. I will withdraw £400 of it from the bank, and transfer the extra £200 into my savings account.
Then whatever I get weekly (depends on the clients I have every week, but generally its between £100 and £140) will pay for day to day stuff ( school dinners, petrol etc) as well as my monthly DDs and SOs.
It shouldn't mean I save any less than what I do already, but means that I wont have to go to the bank quite so often. I like that idea!
I am going to sit down today and work out all of the numbers.
Food wise, I plan on doing 1 big shop a month (tinned goods, packetss, frozen foods) of about £200, then I have £200 left (£50 a week) for packed lunch stuff, fresh fruit and veg and other stuff).
What do you think?0 -
Sounds like a good idea - except make sure you don't supplement your shopping from your weekly income.Eco Miser
Saving money for well over half a century0 -
Hi EM,
yes you are right, I will have to make sure that I only use the cash that I have available to me for the food shopping budget (£400 a month should be plenty after all!) and not touch any of the other money.
I MUST stay focused on the saving. I am finding it hard at this moment, but I must remember my goal, to have some sort of financial security in the form of a £5k savings pot.
The healthy eating is actually helping me with reducing my food shopping as I am no longer buying so much wine and junk food. I have lost a total of 4lbs this month and am only 12lb away from my target weight. I am spending a not-so-small-fortune of salad and fresh fruit and veg though!
I have a complimentary day to use up at the gym that I am considering joining, so will probably use that to go swimming with the boys in a couple of weeks.
I am also going to see if I can get a free day at the other gym to try out their facilities.0 -
I spend more on food when I am trying to lose weight too (ironically). I'm not doing so badly - think I have lost about 8-10kg since Feb. Bit hard to tell the exact amount as my first pair of scales proved to be a little wonky but that's my guess.0
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Good evening everyone
Well, I am pleased with myself today. Despite my loathing of food shopping, I have already done a huge food shop! It's going to be delivered on Friday.
As I said above, I am planning on doing a big online food shop on payday (Friday) and then get small top up shops for the rest of the month.
So I spent £133 on Sainsburys website, getting loads of tinned goods and also the expensive things like tea, coffee, meat, fish, deodorant (almost £4 for a can of lynx!!!!) etc. I had a £20 off a £100+ spend, so paid £118.
That means I have £282 left for the 4 weeks for food, about £70 a week. I am secretly hoping that i'll have some left over to put into my pot of dreams at the end of my 4 weeks
I am officially feeling lazy today. I cannot wait until the weekend, I am shattered!
how are the savings coming along, Cathy and Jo?0 -
I hate the cost of things like deodorant. which is why I buy stuff like that on special offer and stock it in the cupboard. I hate paying full price for Lynx, Sure etc for the boys.
My son at Uni is starting to learn to bargain shop. Been buying meats at 3 for 10 a few places but then is stumped on how to cook it once he does the one way he knows. This week I showed him how to make garlic pork, salmon teriyaki and chicken dijonnaise. He send a pic to me after, and i can see he is actually eating veg which amazes me- don't think he bought much last year lol. Gotta build up his repertoire further over the summer hols i think.0 -
atush- my teenager (he is 14) has, up to now at least, refused to wear deodorant and had an aversion to hygiene at all.
I reckon there must be a girl sniffing around (literally and figuratively) because all of a sudden he wants face wash, soap, deodorant etc....oh dear Lord, I am not ready for girls to be hanging around my little boy!!
It sounds like you are teaching your son very well about cookingI wish my mother had taught me when I was a teen (or younger).
I have written out all of my budgets for the next month. So tomorrow I will withdraw a rather large amount from the bank (booooo) but then I shouldn't have to withdraw anything else all month apart from for school dinners (yaaaay).
I have been accumulating a lovely amount on my pot of dreams over the last few months since I bought it. If there is any money left at the end of the week, I have been putting it in the POD. I reckon there must be about £60 in there now.0 -
Good Morning
So, I have to spend some money on a few garden things today. I don't have a strimmer anymore, and the garden is looking more like a jungle! So I have reserved a strimmer and some shears to tidy up the garden a bit. That will be my plan for today, to make the garden look half decent.
to be honest, I barely spend any time out there, as the neighbours make it very difficult. They are out in their garden smoking, drinking and playing loud music all day when its sunny. because our gardens are so small and so close together, there is no escaping it either.
But I still want my garden to look decent.
I really am looking forward to moving house!
I had my HUGE Sainsburys delivery yesterday. It was my 1st time shopping with them online, and it all went brilliantly. my cupboards are bursting with tinned goods and my freezer is packed with mince and meat and fish. I definitely will only be needing a few bits and bobs (fresh fruit, veg, eggs mainly) until the next month.
Washing is out on the line, and its a really beautiful day today.
Right, I am off to Argos to pick up my reserved garden stuff. Have a lovely day everyone!0 -
Sounds great! Too funny about your son. My twins spend more time on getting ready than I do esp one of them. So now you know to stock up on bogofs when you see them. He will get even more expensive once he starts shaving so start saving those tesco and boots points lol, shavers are expensive (and I only buy them for Bday or xmas even if I only pay points).
Anyway, the cooking thing only started once they went to Uni and had to do their own. After living on scrambled eggs and spag bol for a year they are getting more interested.
the one asking me stuff now, is the one who is buying 3 packs of meat for 10 quid so that is at least 2 meals per pack if not more w/o guests. and some of the dishes are interchangeable (he used the salmon teriyaki recipe and then did chicken thighs in t he sauce today). Even taught him to think ahead and put them in marinading yesterday lol. But he is a bit more interested in cooking than his brothers ever were. He likes to cook more complicated stuff at home with a recipe, but is needing fast and easy just now due to studying for final exams- he is in law school so it wont be a walk in the park lol. I just hope he puts in enough time to pass.0 -
Good morning All
Another lovely sunny day here in Cornwall.
GREAT news about my Mum, they don't think its Cancer! They have said that they wont be 100% sure until they remove the mass (which is now the size of a honeydew melon!). Her op is scheduled for the first week in June.
I need to face my bank balance today (OK, just looked now, and its healthier than I thought!) I didn't get chance to withdraw any money, as the Bank doesn't open on a Saturday here, and the ATM was out of service. I have worked out how much I need to withdraw though. I'll have to do it tomorrow.
My garden looks a LOT better after I attacked it yesterday! It looks about double the size now that I have trimmed back the hedge, trees and strimmed the grass. I dream of having pots of flowers out there, but I kill everything I grow!
I am going to have to spend some money tomorrow as I need to take the cat to the vets. She has been sneezing an awful lot lately, and although she is fine in herself, I still want to get her checked out.
What does everyone have planned for today? We are just going to have a quiet one. I was going to go to the beach today, but I actually just want to potter about at home, take the kids to the park and get ready for the week ahead.0
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