The end is in sight

ShirePiskie

As mentioned yesterday I saved £5 by splitting my big monthly shop between Lidl and Tesco. What I didn't explain was I sat with my MySupermarket Tesco list and my Lidl receipt at home and noted all the price differences. Also claimed 72p cashback for buying Shredded Wheat, which made me happy.

Do I need help?

Just checked my bank balance and only sideways glanced at the screen. Horrible stomach lurching moment. Hideously over my overdraft limit. Has my account been hacked? Fraud? What's going on? All in a millisecond.

But no. Brain had just ignored the decimal point.

ShirePiskie

Living room full of friends just departed. We get together for each of our birthdays and generally go out for a meal.

Tonight was a £5 charity shop find murder mystery game, so cost £4 for my fancy dress, £10 for my share of the takeaway and £6 on a bottle of wine. There may be hidden costs as it's quite possible I ruptured something g laughing so much.

Is great to do something a little bit different, that requires a bit more effort than chucking on some slap and a sparkly top. And, of course, the money saving bonus of it being half the cost of a meal and drinks 'out'.

Divingmad

Hi there Shire,
Just been reading your diary, great progress happing there. I am trying to put together a spreadsheet of wonder....but at the moment it makes me wonder where my money goes

If its ok, I'm subscribing to your diary so I can keep up with your journey

DM

ShirePiskie

Thanks Divingmad, a fellow west countryer (new word I just made up).

The spreadsheet is really simple

Column A - the date a transaction takes place/ is due
Column B - description
Column C - amount
Column D - running total (you put in you opening balance at the top)
I have a column ze which adds the total to my overdraft limit which gives me a 'funds available' total
Column E - completed (which gets ticked once something has been spent).

I have every planned income/ expenditure for each month already put in, up to the end of next year eg wages, rent, bills, debt payment, grocery allowance, spending money allowance, mobile, overdraft interest.

I've got extra in Oct-Dec for Christmas. Next year I'm setting up a 'present' account which will be paid into each month to cover birthdays and go towards Christmas which will mean 2015 will the first year with no massive cost all at once at the end if the year.

I've including saving for the 'bed fund', for husband's big (one ending in 0) birthday present and, like this month put extra on the spending money allowance for things I know are coming up, so as not to be surprised by spending more than expected.

ShirePiskie

What I actually logged in to report was, family birthday party in Devon was amazing. A village hall had been spectacularly decked out and as they had a mobile bar, very reasonable prices and came home with £15 in my purse out of my £30 allowance. MUST put it aside for next weekend when I'm off to a wedding (another trip over the border to Devon) and not fritter it away on nothing this week.

I know it's a weak area for me, but if I've got a few quid in my purse I get very lazy about making lunch for work and just buy sandwiches. Is EVEN worse because my lunch requires no effort, I usually take oatcakes and spready cheese to see me though a week.

ShirePiskie

Ok. Am setting myself a No Spend May Day challenge. 12 days is my target, although feel like I'm cheating a little as today is already my second. Hurrah.

A small spend was planned for today, to go and watch the local football but events have put me in the foulest of moods so am eating left over prawn crackers, slightly out of date chilli sauce and half flat prosecco - all of which were in the house.

There's a chicken roasting which will make two pies for the freezer, tonight's Thai curry and possibly enough for salads tomorrow, so at minimum 3 main meals for two of us. Best of all, while stripping the meat off it, I get to eat the crispy skin. Guilty pleasure.

ShirePiskie

Whoop! Two more items sold on eBay last night. Only 99p each but that's £1.98 I didn't have before!

Today is a planned 'spend' day. I have to post the eBay items and get some salad as making lunch for two tomorrow. A friend at work only comes in two days a week and we were discussing how dull packed lunched can be, so today she has made us both lunch and I do it in return tomorrow. Both of us make a bit more effort as it's for someone else and the days when it's made for us, well, everything tastes better if you haven't put the work in!

ShirePiskie

Um.... The £30 in my Paypal account from eBaying was magically whisked away last night along with £12 from my bank account and a lovely Phase Eight dress is on its way to me. Oops.

This is for the wedding I'm off to on Friday so either I will REALLY love it and get lots and lots of wears for it so 'pounds per wear' it becomes a bargain, or I will be indifferent and re-eBay it after the event.

I've done this a few times and usually made my money back, or only a loss of a few (single digits) pounds, which I consider to be 'dress hire'. For example, I bought my wedding dress for £42.50 in the Monsoon sale and sold it for £30 so £12.50 was a BARGAIN!!!

ShirePiskie

Yay. Another NSD.

Tomorrow is Flora Day, so my town goes bonkers (you should google it) with lots of stalls and eateries and the fairground.

I still have £10 in my purse from last weekend so I won't be taking any money from the hole in the wall and will be even happier if the tenner is still in tact by this time tomorrow.

ShirePiskie

Morning Debt Free Wannabeeeeees!

The church bells have been ringing since 630am and the town band and first lot of dancers are just about to come past.

Nothing to do with money saving, but Happy Flora Day from Helston!