The end is in sight

ShirePiskie

Nsd.

Ta-da!!

nellis10

ShirePiskie wrote: »

Nsd.

Ta-da!!

:j Woohoo! :j NSD for me too! :T

ShirePiskie

Grrrrrrrr.

Was uncharacteristically organised buying best friend's birthday present last week. It arrived today, ready for me to wrap and post on. But I've ordered the wrong bleddy thing!!! So I've just had to pay out for the right series of Merlin on DVD so it gets there in time (being sent direct now) and sorting out a refund for the wrong (series 5) DVD. Pah! This was my first Quidco purchase too, so that wont go through. Although did re-order via Quidco and as series 1 isn't available on blu-ray, I've saved £8. When I sort out my return and get my refund back that is.

Also ordered a Primarni gift voucher for #2 nephew to be sent to him.

Cards and stamps to buy at lunchtime but then no more birthdays until August. I don't even want to THINK about October. Let's just say, January must be a VERY boring/ fertile month in my family.

ShirePiskie

Ugh. In bed with joints like fire and a throat full of daggers. Cue self-pity.

On the plus side, because I went running (in the loosest sense of the word) straight from work last night, my handbag and purse are locked in my office, so even it I were to haul my sorry self to the shop for emergency chicken soup and lucozade I couldn't pay for it. NSD by default, am calling it even before 10am.

Divingmad

Awww Shire,

Hope you feel better soon

DM

ShirePiskie

Thanks DM. Daggers are on the OTHER side of my throat and in my ear today so off again, but HAVE to go back tomorrow as is a silly, crazy time of year at work. I will be quite grumpy and threaten to lick anyone who doesn't bring me coffee/ cake.

Well, that will teach me to be so confident, but just as well I didn't update my sig. Yesterday was NOT a NSD. Husband came home from work and had picked my bag up, so I sent him out for sausage and chips as wanted comfort food. Purely for medicinal purposes, you understand!

ShirePiskie

With this time off I've been having a think.

Mission: Meal Plan has been running for over 6 months now with a very good success rate. BUT I think I can cut our grocery shop further by doing two 'big' shops a month instead on one.

What? I hear you cry (or could just be my crackly ears)!

At the moment I do a mahooosive shop buying 90% of ingredients for the meal plan on payday. What I'm finding is when I have to pop in for fresh items, especially in the second half of the month, I then get distracted and over spend.

This is madness. I NEVER deviate from the shopping list at the start of the month, so I need to stop this.

For June, then, my plan is to meal plan as usual, for the whole month but only buy what I need for the frst two weeks' meals (unless it's things that are part of a combi offer eg 3 packs of meat for £10 and these can go in the freezer). Then do the same for the second week. In theory (oh, those magical words) this should stop the need to 'pop in' and save £££. Both visits have a real purpose in my mind, which seems to be a motivating factor for me in sticking to the plan. I love it when a plan comes together.

Have to wait and see how it works out, but I think playing little 'mind games' with yourself to work to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses, makes sense.

t2rry

Wow I am just catching up with your diary and it is awe inspiring!

I too have a wonderful spreadsheet I dip into daily to make sure I keep on track but it is nowhere near your spreadsheet of wonder...taking you into 2015 - how do you do this?!

I also too have issues with overspending in the supermarket. June will be my first month trying to budget this properly, taking £200 out in cash for food (for 2 of us) - I'm hoping £200 is realistic but I have never meal-planned in my life and wouldn't know where to start.

You are amazing! Keep going & I'll be following

quidsy

I too was in wonder of the spreadsheet & well jel of her cleverness then I found this place which has done all the clever bits for you.

http://www.vertex42.com/ExcelTemplates/personal-budget-spreadsheet.html?ref=xlsx

I played around with it till it met my needs but adding tabs for debt repayment & spending is a great way to keep in budget & on track. it basically tells you if you over spend this month how much you need to make up in future months. Like magic

ShirePiskie

Aw shucks, you guys. *gets big head*

Will definitely be looking at that link though. If it has tabs that update each other and link I might explode from spreadsheet excitedness (this is actually true).

T2rry, just to say I have done a food and household (washing up liquid, bleach, loo roll etc) month for less than £100 for two of us and husband's daughter who has tea with us at least 4/7 times a week. If I'm a bit less organised, as I seem to be this month, total spend is about £150, including milk, bread and 'fresh' top ups. As with all things, organisation is the key!

February was a £60 month. I know its a couple of days shorter, but I had so many meals in the freezer from batch cooking and was fully stocked for household and toiletries. If you can get a couple of those in a year, it can be a real help.

Also, yesterday WAS a NSD!