The end is in sight

ShirePiskie

t2rry wrote: »

So here's my next question...how do you build up a month in hand?!

I may well go check out the tutorials when I get home (if I remember!)

I think of the 'buffer' (not bu**er as I just typed, was obvs still thinking about the ex! :rotfl:) as bit like an emergency fund, so any 'spare' cash goes into that. For me, saving the buffer is my current priority, but I'm fortunate enough to have the one credit card left to pay and it's interest free, so making just above minimums for a few months).

Would REALLY recommend the tutorials, they explain it much better than I can - the have graphs and EVERYTHING!

ShirePiskie

Oooh, happy :money:news.

Received £30 visa pre paid card back as cashback from part of husband's birthday present - only sent off the scanned receipts last week, so very impressed by (finding difficult to read font colour as he's sat next to me) Nikon.

giblet1979

Great about the £30 and glad I didn't offend. I did tone it down considerably
Re: change of heart, how convenient hey. What a t!t like you couldn't have predicted that

*whispers "good for hubby" *

Hope you're having a nice evening x

ShirePiskie

Long time no see my wonderful DFWs. How are you all getting on?

I've had a fairly blissful two weeks off work and tried to avoid screen time as much as possible.

Had a lovely 5 days camping on the Lizard, complete with nearby beer festival - all budgeted for. Took the £££ out in cash before we went and returned with £8 in my purse! Only one evening of rain, otherwise blue skies and factor 50+!

Finally made it to a car boot the Wednesday after we got back and took just over £80 so split that between us which paid back our holiday spending money.

Husband has received just under £400 from MBNA for PPI (they contacted him) and has just delivered a coaching course, so is very excited about finishing a month well in to the black.

I am still astounded, the first full month after my PPI cheques, to be in credit and not at all worried about going up to the midlands this weekend (petrol and a little spending money only) and a wedding in a couple of weeks time (hotel, petrol and drinks)... because the money is sat there in its YNAB pockets waiting and not disappearing in to other categories.

I had gone against the YNAB system of only budgeting the money you have RIGHT NOW, not what you expect to come in next week/ month/ year, and had set up a year's worth of budgets so I could track where savings would be... I've gone and deleted all future budgets and just left memo notes against dates of what I need to be saving and when.

Really quite scary not to be looking a year or two into the future and 'knowing' that's where I'll be when all those wages have come in and all those outgoings have gone, well, out. Except, penny dropping, that was never he case. That was my basic projection if my wages stayed the same, all my bills stayed the same and I always stuck to the spending money and grocery budget. Which NEVER happened exactly. So a new, free, living in the financial moment me is here. Yikes.

I DID get an interview for the job that I used to do with the new title and increased salary.... but didn't get it, so was a bit grumpy, but ok now.

PLUS I've just been told about the P87 form from HMRC. We get paid 40p a mile mileage but apparently we get taxed as if paid 45p per mile, so putting in a claim for the last few years and by my rubbish maths, I think I should be due about £50 back. Happy days!

t2rry

Well done you on budget holiday spends....we're off next week (staycation) so trying to think of as many free things as possible to do so it actually feels like a bit of a holiday/treat!

Following your glowing reviews, I also spent many hours watching YNAB tutorials....like it....want it....just can't get my head around paying for it when I also still like Mr Spreadsheet!!

ShirePiskie

t2rry wrote: »

Well done you on budget holiday spends....we're off next week (staycation) so trying to think of as many free things as possible to do so it actually feels like a bit of a holiday/treat!

Following your glowing reviews, I also spent many hours watching YNAB tutorials....like it....want it....just can't get my head around paying for it when I also still like Mr Spreadsheet!!

Have a lovely week, hope lots of free/ frugal fun is being had!

ShirePiskie

Whoop, First Direct have already paid me the £125 'switching incentive' so that's a boost towards my YNAB buffer.

Back from a fabulous weekend in the midlands seeing my family. Not too spendy. Pizzas and wine at siblings' houses plus fuel split with the husband plus birthday presents for sister and nephew. All budgeted for!

Still getting my head around having nearly £400 still in the bank account when tomorrow we will be in the twenties of the month. Is just so different and refreshing. Part of that is for a wedding next Friday and part of it is in the 'building up a buffer envelope' plus some still in the spending money and groceries budgets. I'm like a kid with a new toy, marveling at it all!

ShirePiskie

YNAB has given me a non-money related epiphany!

I was walking to the bus stop yesterday, whilst looking at my phone and trying to put something in my bag, getting in a jumble and quite cross and it hit me (the tree I nearly walked into).

In YNAB you give every penny a job and just ONE job. I should do the same with my time. Give every minute a job but just ONE job.

So, I put my phone away, stopped, put the stuff in my bag then JUST walked and got to see a squirrel jumping between trees.

So, I'm going to try and stop 'media stacking' (watching tv, texting, playing a game on my phone), if I'm walking somewhere just walk and have a look around, if I'm cooking turn the tellybox off.

Feeling very zen-like.

t2rry

ShirePiskie wrote: »

YNAB has given me a non-money related epiphany!

I was walking to the bus stop yesterday, whilst looking at my phone and trying to put something in my bag, getting in a jumble and quite cross and it hit me (the tree I nearly walked into).

In YNAB you give every penny a job and just ONE job. I should do the same with my time. Give every minute a job but just ONE job.

So, I put my phone away, stopped, put the stuff in my bag then JUST walked and got to see a squirrel jumping between trees.

So, I'm going to try and stop 'media stacking' (watching tv, texting, playing a game on my phone), if I'm walking somewhere just walk and have a look around, if I'm cooking turn the tellybox off.

Feeling very zen-like.

Gosh that sounds relaxing!

giblet1979

Great epiphany SP, and very 'mindful' of you. We miss so much by being on automatic pilot, multi-tasking or dwelling on the past / worrying about the future. Hope you find things much more relaxing by doing one thing at a time x