The Road to Financial Security

edinburgher

My payday comes on the 15th and OHs on the 28th, but because the mortgage comes out on the 1st, my wage still leaves us in negative numbers for the month!

We have a similar situation amycool, unless your salaries change from month to month, can't you just set up a spreadsheet to show your budget as it is when you will both have been paid? We do this and because there's always more than enough money in the current account to settle DDs etc., we don't have the depressing red number cells at the start of the month

The money gets spent just the same, it just makes me feel better.

amycool

edinburgher wrote: »

We have a similar situation amycool, unless your salaries change from month to month, can't you just set up a spreadsheet to show your budget as it is when you will both have been paid? We do this and because there's always more than enough money in the current account to settle DDs etc., we don't have the depressing red number cells at the start of the month

The money gets spent just the same, it just makes me feel better.

The plus side to the negative number is that I can use it to prevent OH from buying things.

I sometimes put our wages in early to see how much I can overpay but I'm a bit stuck in my ways with my spreadsheet and like it to match the bank balance. I put the credit card spends on straight away too.

Pushkin

My DH and I also have different pay days, mine is 25th of the month and his is last working day- took a bit of getting my head round but I love it now. Even though it isn't it kind of feels like extra money as there are 2 injections of cash into the current account. - Small pleasures lol

I think its normal to feel a lack of excitement regarding financial matters, once you settle in the swing of things all the big changes have been made - finding cheaper insurance/energy deals etc and it all becomes a bit monotonous with none of the early adrenalin of finding a new way to cut costs. I guess thats the reality of it being a marathon not a sprint.

It's a bit early to be so profound huh!

So on the note of monotony today brings a list of domestic chores - no spending though!

Pushkin

Not sure what's happened to summer, ended up with heating on today & had to use tumble dryer to dry the washing. Not fiscally responsible behaviour for May!

Ended up going out for dinner last night as sick of just doing jobs and not much else each weekend, really do need to step up our social activities. Trouble is the whole money saving lark is addictive and I find myself ruling things out due to not wanting to spend any money. Not helped by thinking the restaurant was somewhat over priced - £67 for a 2 course meal for the 3 of us (with 2 soft drinks each).

Just done a few surveys but still not listed any items of ebay - not sure what my block is there other than can'tbebothereditis!

Anyone else finding this new layout tough to get used to? It looks very pretty but I think I'm now at an age where I don't like change - and I can't find any of the emoticons any more so no more witty little pictures in my updates!

Pushkin

Funny week so far and it's only Wednesday. Have taken another job at work (in same business unit, new manager but still working with a lot of the same people) so am in a transition period with that and still doubting if I made the correct decision.

Announcement from the company this morning leading me to think it more likely they will sell it off at some point later this year. Don't understand economics particularly well and there have been so many rumours swirling around for ages I'm actually shocked by how shocked I am regarding the big org change. I think it's all fear of the unknown.

Doing horrifically on the healthy eating/losing weight front so am pretty glad the weather is so appalling. Am on leave next week so need to try and get myself organised and into a better food/exercise routine - hmm that phrase sounds familiar I think I've heard it before - LOL

I think I will get paid Friday as Monday is a bank holiday - this is earlier than I had forecasted on my spreadsheet so happy days....

amycool

Hi Pushkin,

I'm in the public sector but also facing the prospect of my workplace being closed next year. It's the not knowing that makes it more difficult (plus the sadness for our customers who rely on us).

Somehow I seem to still have the old website! I wasn't keen on the new layout so clicked something to go back and I'm still there.

Our living room was 13 degrees at some points this week but I made myself go for a walk or bring the duvet down as I simply can't put the heating on in May unless we have guests! Hoovering helps, although using electricity! I've somehow managed to dry the washing in the gaps between the rain.

I think better food/exercise only works if you're in the right mindset. Maybe spend a bit of time just relaxing and thinking about what you'd like to achieve and exactly how you want to achieve it. I have a 30 minute walk to work now so even when I'm lazy I HAVE to exercise twice a day. Could you park away from work and walk in?

Pushkin

Hey amycool - don't think anywhere is safe these days is it? No such thing as a job for life any more. Agree it is the not knowing that is hard, one of our VPs said last year on a town hall meeting that that change and being outside our comfort zones is they new culture at our company. An astonishingly appalling statement in my opinion but their way of defending redundancy cycles every year and the constant changing of business strategies because they don't work and are then replaced with something else.

I try to have the mantra that it's pointless worrying about things I can't control - some days it works better than others!

Pushkin

The good news is the electrician finally finished yesterday so no more power downs! We should get the certificate through in a few weeks (apparently it gets ratified by the council). So relieved it's done. Garden work won't start until w/c 1 June now but I can live with that.

Did get paid yesterday thanks to the bank holiday weekend so managed to have a surplus at end of the month which I spilt between slush fund and cash isa.

DH has increased his % pension contribution which should kick in when he gets paid next week so may need to reevaluate savings etc once the reality of that kicks in - we'll also need to run his estimates through some pension calculators as we may need to increase further. Will be tricky to strike the right balance.

Off to C0stco today then need to do a pick up from Heathrow, then a cheesy evening at Eurovision!

Pushkin

Phew weekend has flown by, day out in London yesterday (Natural History & V&A Museums) so today spent catching up on long overdue house jobs. Managed to remove all the ivy above the kitchen roof which is lovely to have finally done after months of saying we will. Washing machine is on it's 4th load, have cleaned main bedroom and DH is currently doing the bathroom and also trying to sort out a bit of an issue we have with the lino floor that seems to have developed lumps. Worst that can happen I think is we need a new floor but hopefully he can fix it.

Today is deadline day for booking our holiday - in our discussions we have toyed with Ireland, France, Italy, Austria and are now back to France. Well travelled huh (in our minds anyway!) :T Shocked by how many villas are already booked and annoyed we have dithered and left it so late.

Am off work this week so will be a lot more expensive than normal - DS needs some clothes and is also going to L£goland and I have an appointment for a deep clean at the hygienist tomorrow - yuk and I get the pleasure of paying for it.:eek:

Very glad I have finally found the emoticons on the upgraded forum :beer:

Pushkin

Well holiday still not booked. I didn't mention it and neither did DH -don't know if he had forgotten or was just tired and couldn't be bothered. I know I am playing with fire really but it's kind of an experiment and is proving that if I don't do all the research it doesn't get done or booked. I want to go to Ireland which he has vetoed and this is why I'm not too enthused but I don't think it unreasonable for him to do the leg work for once (well keyboard work really!) If I'm honest I'm not really that bothered about going away in the summer and would be just as happy with a city break in October half term. That would be cheaper and give me the lovely decision of what to do with the surplus money.