Paying the car tax via EBay, and other shenanigans.

mfmaybe

OK I think I've made a plan F for the fluffies. They are going to spend the last month of winter without grazing. Stabled at night, on my hardstanding with a ringfeeder of hay during the day. Then in April once weather is better I can maybe put them up to the local farm or, failing that, I've found a yard they can go to. It's a bit too far away to be ideal hence I want to delay a bit, for cost reasons too. In the meantime, maybe the house will sell. Ha.

In other news, have another option in the pipeline regarding our 5 year plan. Will say more at a later date.

In smaller money matters, payday has been. A few money switches made. I have changed the settings on the heating after our last shocking bill, trying to be much better about just using the stove instead of heating. And religiously switching off lights etc; though went through to the kitchen about 45 minutes after dinner last night, to find DH hadn't turned the oven off when he took tea out. Grrrr.

On that note I must go to bed as DS has decided to wake up the last two nights, after months of sleeping through. It's a shock to the system.

brizzledfw

Hope you have a good week. Sorry re the stresses of houses, horses and non sleeping toddlers... Nothing much changes as they get older tbh. I have just been in to DD1 to tell her off for making such a racket in the bathroom...she hates waking up in the mornings but is happy to inadvertently keep her younger sister awake now...

mfmaybe

Ah Brizzle don't tell me that . To be fair after being a bit tricky going to sleep last night, we had to wake him up for nursery this morning. Fingers crossed for a better sleep again tonight.

Spent way too much today (£5 for a coffee and lunch) but there's so much going on just now that I'm struggling with any money saving that is time heavy. I took out the cash for hay for the month, this is generally a good way of doing it. I set it aside and can pay for bales as they are delivered.

Haven't transferred cash to my annual bills account yet, must go and work out what I can afford.

brizzledfw

Heres to sleep for all of us

mfmaybe

OK so budget for the month ahead has a £106 shortfall.

Think I can avoid £20 of discretionary spend. Will aim to shave £10 off the lunch budget. Will try for £30 off the food shopping. There might be a tenner out of the nursery budget but I'm not sure yet. Might have to get the rest from TCB or something.

Best laid plans and all that..... (already overspent on food shopping in week 1. Pfft).

brizzledfw

Groceries are my downfall too...see what you can do. Can you take leftovers in for lunch? I generally do and heat up in the work microwave..

mfmaybe

brizzledfw wrote: »

Groceries are my downfall too...see what you can do. Can you take leftovers in for lunch? I generally do and heat up in the work microwave..

This is 100% my lifesaver. Except with DH not working, he is in charge of meal planning and we seem to have meals that aren't leftover friendly. Whereas I plan them in deliberately

mfmaybe

Nursery fees confirmed and they are same as last month, so £15 saving against budget. Food shopping in week 1 wasn't over like I thought, but it wasn't under either. Managed to cobble together lunch so only a coffee purchase today. WFH tomorrow so hoping for a NSD.

brizzledfw

Enjoy WfH..me too and have already done a couple of hours and already on a quick break! Its much more efficient time wise for me to do this. Must do it more often.

mfmaybe

So a NSD, hurrah. Well except for moving money into joint account for nursery fees. Triggered a saving against my budget, so predicted overspend for the month now down to £98. This is good as I'd overspent by £8 on horse feed. Well the truth really is my budget wasn't big enough.

Weather is predicted to be bad tomorrow, however today it was sunny most of the day, so managed with heating off again all day Lit the stove at about 3.30 to save triggering heating towards late afternoon and it's still burling now. Also still making sure lights get turned off wherever possible.

I should really go and have an early night now though as DH away and I've been up since early doors with DS; with no chance of that changing tomorrow!