Getting there...slowly.

giblet1979

Love the idea of your dad and the Christmas collection GAP - such a great idea, and great news about the CSA payment (as it should be, grr....)

skinty - long live German supermarkets indeed; love them x

girlatplay

skinty I have pots for most eventualities. Most of them have their own bank accounts too It's the only way I can organise my finances. If I had them all in the one pot I would lose them

I followed Jack during her Live Below the Line challenge last year as well. I find it fascinating what she can do with food. I usually use Morrisons for my messages as the store is across the road from where I live. I used Lidl on Wednesday as their mozzarella is 44p. Morrisons is 55p :eek: up a whole 25% from when it used to be 44p. It really annoys me and I try not to buy it from there now but it can be awkward when I am buying the rest of my groceries from there and I need it. I can go to Lidl if I very slightly detour on my way home from work. There is an Aldi just as you go in to Musselburgh from Edinburgh (with another Lidl beside it) but it is not close enough to make it worthwhile for me to do a regular shop there.

giblet we have been doing the Christmas meal savings for the past 2 years, this is the 3rd year. Sometimes the savings can be a bit sporadic as some weeks we forget and that can happen quite often. My dad took it upon himself to make up a spreadsheet this year to show who has paid what and when. He is quite particular about it and we have all been well reminded when we have forgotten! It is a really great system though. We are adults now and it is good that everyone pays their way. We all get a lovely Christmas dinner and no one has to do the washing up


Today I received some money from CSA so spread that into a couple of pots that needed topping up. One of those pots is a pension fund for LMG. I started it in April last year as I wanted to put some of the CSA money away so that it couldn't be touched and I thought what better way than to start a wee pension fund for her. She can carry on paying into it when she starts working (I made her promise, even if it was only £10 per month). I always remember a colleague I had a few years ago telling me that her dad started a pension at the age of 16 and he was able to retire before he was 50. I have no idea how much he was putting away but it inspired me. Anything is better than nothing and the earlier, the better.

I counted the change in Bestie's fund last night. Somehow I had mis-counted and there was only £35 in it. That is the 2nd time I have done that :mad: I don't know how I am doing that. Anyway, I took £2 from my purse to make it up.

5p to sealed pot.

Met friend for lunchtime catch up; £2.30 for a hot chocolate.

£3 left in my purse. £20 pocket money waiting to go in ready for the weekend.

Have a lovely weekend

skintygerlinky

girlatplay you are an inspiration!! Your daughter will be financially savvy too as she has a great role model xxxxxxxxxxx

girlatplay

Aww skinty that's kind of you to say. I'm not so sure though as she is a proper girly girl and loves shopping. I hate shopping but that doesn't put her off haha. I must admit though, she does save all her money and plead poverty to everyone else: "Granny?" *bats eyelashes - proper Daisy the Cow eyelashes* "I really would like a glue gun for my crafts but I don't have enough money." Cue granny buying a glue gun for her (and one for herself too. My mother can't see green cheese but she wants it!)


LMG has grown up with me saying "no" to almost everything. It could go one way or the other in her future! Hopefully she will be savvy. Hopefully more savvy than I ever was.




Put the £3 into Bestie's pot so that is now up to £40. I will take that to work on Tuesday and bank it at lunchtime.


Spent the pocket money on "stuff" yesterday but that is my guilt-free money that I can spend on whatever I want so I shouldn't feel guilty. I did buy black bags, a new cat litter tray, a birthday card for a friend and some tablets I need due to the illness. I am going to see if I can get them on prescription.


Running late for Sunday dinner so running off now!!

mummytogirls

Hi GAP,

Only just realised you have a new (ish) diary so thought id pop in and say hello :T. Ive read back and you are doing soooo well, I cant believe youve managed to save over £12k, im super impressed well done you!

What on earth are messages, not the text version haha!!!!

Keep up the good work xx

beanielou

messages=shopping.

skintygerlinky

Hahahahaaaaa messages still ongoing I see! xxxxxxxx

girlatplay

Hi mummy nice to "see" you again! Yes, I started up a new diary as I had February blues and I needed to focus better. I pop into yours and mooomin's diaries often as you are the ones that keep me on the straight and narrow with meal plans! Don't be too impressed with my savings skills, some of that £12k came from my lovely grandad's estate when he passed away. I didn't save it all from scratch

beanielou wrote: »

messages=shopping.

Or groceries


Forgot Bestie's £40 to go in the bank. It's not urgent though.

LMG and I went out with my parents yesterday. We had a lovely wee day driving up the coast to St. Andrews. We took a packed lunch (:money:) and sat in the car near the golf course to eat it. We had an ice cream in St. Andrews town centre which I paid for (they wouldn't let me contribute to petrol). Popped along to Craigtoun Park and discovered it is now free to get in there :money::money: I can't remember what it used to cost but I don't remember it being cheap so that was a lovely surprise Drove back down through Anstruther and stopped at the famous chippy for our tea. Dad paid! Again, they insisted that we didn't contribute. I really have lovely parents All in all, I paid out £9.50 yesterday.

Got some CSA money in again today so have transferred some of it to various pots. LMG and I have something we call "Golden Meal" once a month. I think I have mentioned it before but it is is a chance for us to go out, just the two of us, for a nice meal together to catch up on the month past and discuss the month ahead and really just spend quality time together. It is based on Golden Time which the kids at the primary school get as their reward for being good all week. Anyway, some of the CSA money will pay for that.

Paid out today:
£145.50 for TV licence renewal
£16.59 for Estas for travelling to the US in June
£_ _ _._ _ which I don't want to admit the amount of, for something else to do with the holiday :cool:
£24 for basic breakdown cover
£10 towards LMG lunches (usually lasts her 1-2 weeks)
£10 towards new toothbrushes for LMG (special ones for her braces - I do expect her to come home with more than £5 change though!!)

It is all covered by the various pots and so the funds (apart from the £20 to LMG) are ready to pay to the cc when the bill comes in early next week.

I have £1.48 in my purse :cool: Refund from petty cash for milk. I had some other change but put it into my sealed pot this morning. I have no plans for spends until Thursday when I am meeting my friend for lunch (hot chocolate), by which time I will have pocket money again.

Messages/shopping/grocery day tomorrow Going to start working on list and meal plan now.

girlatplay

LMG came home with £5 change from the toothbrushes. They were £2.50 each :eek: Thing is though, they are special ones for cleaning round her braces and I don't want to compromise on her dental health. When she was little and started wearing shoes I wanted to make sure she had proper fitting shoes as I know that looking after growing feet is very important. However, since we were so skint at the time, I didn't always take her when I should have and so now her feet are slightly misshapen. Guilt much?

I still have £1.48 in my purse but I can see that heading towards the sealed pot

I promised the sky that if it didn't rain today I would cut the grass out the back when I got in from work. It hasn't rained and now the sun is shining. Me and my big gob! I really can't be bothered. It has really grown since the guy cut it a couple of weeks ago. I want to cut it myself as I don't want to be paying out for a gardener every month and if I leave it any longer it will be unmanageable again.

Meal plan and shopping list almost complete :cool:

in_need_of_direction

Hon, I did the whole must buy the right shoe thing when my two were small. Dd has since messed her feet up with shoes that pinch her feet and require a degree in stilt walking. You do what you can at the time. That's what matters.