Journey to happy skinflintedness

saraih

Many thanks, jodles16! it feels like desperately paddling under the water but I'm sure it'll calm down soon. Just need to keep throwing the credit offers in the bin :rotfl:

saraih

It's too wet to garden. Shame because there are things I need to do before it starts looking shabby again.

This morning was spent sewing buttons and hems. Not my cup of tea but I'm not throwing shirts out because a button came off. It was a fairly big pile because I don't like doing it, my own fault entirely

With this weather at least there's time to tidy up a few things around the house. There's a veggie roast in the oven and any leftover apples from last week will be going into a crumble later.

Stops me from window shopping on ebay at least. If I really bought all the things I want we'd be drowning in antique hand embroidery and onyx side tables lately, an interior designers delight I'm sure :rotfl:

Well at least no money is harmed when I'm fantasy decorating, just good taste

saraih

Another slow news day, but that's a good thing.

One of the River Island t-shirts was too short for the son & heir so I popped it to the Post Office. It was the more expensive one so when the refund comes in he can probably get a couple of nice tops for the money.

The college enrollment pack came through today and I hadn't even considered the enrollment fee. It's only small, £20, but two days before payday :eek: good job I still have some photos left from applying for the citizen card or that'd be another fiver. I really should have thought about this.

The bank is skimming along in pennies at the moment. When I said this month would be by the seat of my pants the money gods must have been taking me very seriously.

The thought of bouncing a direct debit is worrying because this is how it spirals for me and it's always so fast. I can split some of OH's travel money for work into that account to make me feel better but the reality of spendable money is still pennies.

On the bright side it is pennies plus £120 in case of dire emergency, which I've never had before.

When I worked out the SoA it said we had £500 a month excess. Now I'm sure I missed something obvious so let's say £450 to be safe. Looking at expenses coming up for next month, most of that is already spoken for plus extra packed lunches because of college and a hospital appointment that is £40 on the travel budget.

It's a struggle to see any light at the end of this because I've used up any potential surprise money this month and there won't be any extra unless I make it. By then it will be time for winter and the heating will eat up a lot, as will christmas and two birthdays that I haven't got anything saved for.

The best financial shape I've been in for years still isn't brilliant but I really am thankful for it. There are two vouchers on Amazon now and nearly thirty on a nectar card if I'm desperate. Also Pets at Home delivered and the cat won't starve for a very long time judging by the size of the sack. These are things to fall back on and I really do appreciate it. Plus nobody is ringing for money

There have been a couple of lowish bids on ebay but I'm not going to count on it until it's all cleared and received by the buyers.

Oh and there's nearly a fiver in the penny jar. I might take some of the 5p coins out and buy some chocolate, just call me Marie Antoinette :rotfl:

At least it's nice enough to garden now. My sad little collection of container plants will think I love them again :j

ruby_eskimo

It sounds like slowly yet surely you are moving in the right direction. I always forget at least one direct debit and think I have more money left in the account than I really do!

What kind of things are you growing in your garden? We don't have a garden but there is a tiny enclosed area at the front of our flat that I'm thinking about putting some containers in and growing some veg and herbs.

saraih

Thanks! yes it's all moving the right way, just a lot slower than I'd been hoping for. But still the right way :beer:

At the moment I have a medium sized potato patch that is doing very well, and about five plants that just never died :rotfl:

One is a fuschia type thing, one was a pound shop 'fire' plant, one is a rob roy daisy plant, another isn't really a plant, just the small white flowers from the hanging baskets that didn't die so I repotted it and now it's HUGE and the other I'm not sure of.

I love to garden just because it all looks neater and I love to be outside, I'm not very good at it though. Last year I had pound shop hanging baskets with pound shop seeds and they were so beautiful and lush looking for ages. This year I didn't have the cash but I'm planning to do it again next year.

I really want to do herbs as well. Slugs are a huge issue but I was thinking of having a box up on a wall somewhere? or even the kitchen windowsill. I want to do the basics, like onions and tomato plants. Oof, I could spend a lot in the pound shops right now

worriedpenguin_2

Just wanted to say well done for building up an account for your son and teaching him about money. Like a lot of others at this forum, I imagine, I left home and got into debt almost straight away because I didn't have a clue how to manage money properly.

Threads like yours inspire me to get in a position where I can start saving for any future children of my own

saraih

Thanks! I was in the same boat exactly, useless with money straight out of the gate. We have to learn eventually don't we :rotfl:

I love your username :beer:

saraih

Looked into a couple of Ring & Ride and community schemes this morning to see if it was possible to reduce the travel budget - no go, the hospital OH attends is too far away.

They will be good for the local hospital that he attends though, £2.50 instead of £14 return in a taxi. The city hospital will have to stay at £40 return but he doesn't go there often unless something goes wrong.

Also arranged to borrow a push wheelchair from the British Red Cross for weekend shopping and days out. I don't want to buy one outright in case OH hates it and the NHS don't do them if you only need them for trips. Red Cross want a £20 refundable deposit and a donation and said if I gave them thirty and didn't take the refund back that'd be okay for eight weeks. It isn't that cheap considering a suitable one on ebay is £140 brand new, but I don't have £140 and have no idea if OH will throw a strop and refuse to use it.

Now I just need to pick up five hours of cleaning to pay for it. Crossing fingers.

The garden got a thorough weeding yesterday so it's looking tidy. The potato patch should be edible soon too.

Good - No money needed or spent since the shopping. This is highly unusual but OH doesn't like going out in the heat and the son & heir is happy on the xbox with his friends.

Good - No surprises in the bank accounts and I've added everything to a calendar now to predict things better. Organised all the DD/standing orders and deleted all the old ones so I KNOW exactly what is going out and when.

Blah - The regular bills are creeping up again - now we pre-pay for prescriptions, contents insurance, squirrel a small amount on a standing order to the credit union, etc. It's added about £27 a month to outgoings when I'd cut back as far as possible. It's worth it in the long run though. I need to see what we can do about specs as that will be a huge expense next year, unusual lenses and limited frame choice because of them. Next year I will definitely try to pay for insurance outright, I hate regular outgoings

Blah - £12 this month on phone calls. It was £10 last month but absolutely nothing the three months before that so it isn't worth the £10 a month package for free calls. They were essential calls but £12 is ridiculous.

Good - The iron only needed a new plug and I had one in a drawer so that was free.

Good - Hot quiche and cold salad for lunch on a lovely day for hanging out the washing. Not too shabby :cool:

ruby_eskimo

Do the hospitals not run a patient transport service for appointments? The previous 2 acute Trust's I've worked for have all had patient transport ambulances to take people to and from outpatient appointments. Obviously there had to be a need for it e.g patient can't use public transport or on oxygen etc.

saraih

Oh I never thought about checking the actual hospital website! I don't know if the distance will hurt us because it's far away but there's no harm in trying. Great idea, thanks!