The Happiness Fund.

Kittikins

I have a spending diary on an excel spreadsheet - it tracks what's coming in and out, my credit card spends and the all-important savings and I also have a sheet on there for presents I buy for people through the year. I'm a real one for seeing something lovely in a shop in February and buying it for whoever I think it will suit for Christmas!

savingwannabe

Well my xmas fund is pretty much non existent so I am going to have to keep my head down and not spend for the next few months! A spending diary will really help I think.

Weather is glorious outside. I might do some work. Then I am going to chill. Back to work v soon am enjoying the last few days.

savingwannabe

Back to work soon, but with days off as I am part time I only have 8 working days till payday! Hurrah.

I don't know how but my dd for the council tax didn't go this month. The money is in my account but it didn't pay. I rang the council and they said I had cancelled it which was news to me. They will be taking it out next month as usual so I appear to have an extra £100 or so in my account. I am not touching it as I know it belongs to the council! Still it makes me feel a bit better.

I will be paying £26 a month for british gas homecare cover for the next year. I have got rid of the electrical cover as I didn't use it. Still it is £5 more than I paid this year.

I am waiting to see what my new wages will be. Scared. I know it's a pay cut of £3.5k.

I spoke to Steve about being broke for the next two weeks and he said I am always broke so it's normal for me. I hate this feeling. I might see if I can just rent the room out if taking in students is so slow to occur. I have been waiting for 4 weeks. I hope it happens soon.

Kittikins

My Christmas fund is non-existent as well, it's just picking things up for cheeeeeeeeep or on offer. I'm the queen of regifting, which is handy as a teacher as I always seem to have a bottle of wine I can take with me to a friend's. I don't drink very often at home, but am partial to prosecco and rose

I've just spent £3.27 on 3 stainless steel folding cups for when the three of us have picnics. On Sunday, we could have done with them rather than swigging squash from a huge bottle, and found some in Lakeland, but at £5 each, I knew I could do better - £1.09 on Amazon I'll aim to keep 2 in the car along with my emergency plastic cutlery (I love an impromptu picnic ya see) and KW can keep his for his daily packups.

It reminds me of when I went to Moscow for a month and you could buy water and occasionally Pepsi from machines on the street, but you either took the risk of using the communal cup, or took your own. No such things as cans of pop there in those days!

savingwannabe

Lol. OMG you went to Moscow when? I went to the airport there on the way to the Middle East and it was surreal.

I had many texts this morning from work friends telling me that I don't go back to work till next week. I am sooooooo glad. I have another week to have fun. Having said that I have been prepping this afternoon and making the most of catch up time. The weather was glorious here.

Susan is coming on Friday I think and we might be visiting the boys at the weekend. I am avoiding spending money by cooking a spag bol. I am undertaking a mission to clear my fridge.

Skint_yet_Again

Hi SW, that's good news that you have another week off work


Well done on using up fridge items, not so long ago you would have thrown it all away :T

savingwannabe

Yep, being broke is teaching me many things, I am genuinely grateful and could kick myself for how much I have wasted in my life!

Weather is glorious despite the bad start. I have descaled kettle, cleared out freezer, tidied kitchen & bathroom. After lunch I moved some furniture round in my spare bedroom (following advice from Steve) and discovered loads of shoes that I don't wear. They are all going to charity.

All this is free to do and is cheering me up and leaving me with a nicer house. Ive managed to swap the freesat boxes in the downstairs lounge and my bedroom so I get more tv channels at night or when I wake and cant sleep. Steve and Andy supervised me over the phone. It's the first time I've ever done anything electrical involving more than one wire. Yay.

No work done today but plenty of housework done so I am happy.

Skint_yet_Again

Well done on parting with shoes to charity SW... and all the housework you have managed today and moving the electricals ! Think how much money you have saved not paying a handyman to do it for you.

savingwannabe

I just put some items on fleabay. Let's see if I make any money.
total spend £4.00 on food from corner shop.

I had a phone call that I might be included in a survey next week and earn £60. Fingers crossed. Weather is lovely - it was supposed to rain - so I am doing the clothes washing I should have done yesterday and hope to line dry them.

Just made the bed with newly washed bedclothes. Yum. I am tidying out my bookcase as there is too much clutter in it. I am going to be ruthless.

One of my work friends came to visit. They are as stressed as me about going back. All of our hours have been cut and we are panicking about making ends meet.

Ive calculated that my utility bills are £319 a month.

savingwannabe

I'm tidying my bookcase downstairs. I have gathered so much stuff it's amazing. I'm being ruthless, I shall be having lots of clutter when work starts so it's out with the old stuff.