Juicygirl's 'Will I ever learn?' diary

juicygirl

On track today with expected spends.

£0.74 on posting EBay parcel
£12 waxing
£10 withdrawn for meeting friend tonight. I will return with change!!!

As well as posting parcel I have also listed my barely used coffee maker on Gumtree ( originally a gift) - husband wanted to try for £30 but I reckon that's optimistic but we'll see!

Dinner is a homemade chicken curry which should make enough for another meal. Just transferred 2 dinners worth of spag bol to the freezer from big batch made yesterday with one pack mince, loads of veg and bulked out with lentils. Not only does it make food stretch further but it makes for an easy dinner another night :j

In other news, midwife appontment went well, baby no 2 is cooking nicely and DS loved hearing the heartbeat


If anyone is reading then please say hi or free free to comment/advise/critique what I'm doing so far. I'd love to hear it!

Harryspotter

Good to hear all is well with no 2
Well done on eBay, gumtree etc. I have had a few things on gumtree which haven't sold so I really must try eBay to widen my net but have been put off by negative experiences previously. Maybe I should try again. In fact, I will look out my password tonight :T

X

Skintandscared

Hiya Juicygirl, loved reading your diary - Like others have said, it really hit a chord! - Will be following the diary and good luck on your journey! Xx

Trixxibell

Hiya JG,

Your doing really well! However looking at your SOA, I think you could do with using this one http://www.stoozing.com/calculator/soa.php it makes you account for everything. You have nothing down for presents, Christmas, ongoing car costs. Once done post on the debt free wannabe board as a one off post a lot more people will read and give advice on it.

I have tried to give advice on what you've posted:
Your critical illness cover is really high, can this be negotiated down? Also try and reduce cable and mobile phone if possible, just by phoning and asking if there is anything they can do. This can save a few pounds here and there which soon adds up.

Hope that helps good luck on your journey. Xxx

juicygirl

First NSD of week and a small payment of £0.76 to RBS card to round off current account.

Also have a buyer for coffee machine - less than 24 hrs since posted! Got a reply to my ad, originally offering the full £30 then negotiating to £20. Was discussing this in work when I got an offer for the full £30! Brilliant! This will be used to cover weekend expenses - we are away for the day which, although we are planning to take a picnic to, might incur some costs. I also have a hen night on Saturday which I plan on driving to but will still have to buy some soft drinks. Hopefully should have some change from the £30 though! Will allocate this once I see what's left.

Thanks for your comments Harryspotter and skintandscared

Trixxibell - thanks for your comments, will def do that SOA, probably at weekend when I have a bit more time. Will look at the critical illness - pretty sure this was based on my full time income and I've been part time for 2 years!

Packed lunches prepared for tomorrow, now going to look for surveys and read some diaries now x

juicygirl

Got my £30 for coffee machine 😀, but promptly lost £10 to a workmates I sponsored 😒, all for a good cause though. Will just have to make the remaining amount go even further at the weekend!

Was aiming for a NSD and was on track until I got an EBay reminder to say I'd won an auction. So £36 gone - this is for DS bday present and this is my total spend so I'm ok with that.

Def a NSD tomorrow. Roll on payday!! 2 weeks to go!!

juicygirl

Almost an NSD until the bump NEEDED a chocolate bar at lunchtime - 70p total for the day.

Off out for a family day to a steam railway with a kids day on. Taking a picnic rather than lunch in the cafe but the forecast for tomorrow is horrendous so that could be a wash out! Hen night tomorrow night. £23 in my purse and that's do do both with hopefully change left over!

Over the weekend I plan to get some more EBay stuff listed and make a plan for the weeks spending.

Off to do some Onepoll surveys if I don't get screened out!

Happy weekend everyone xxx

juicygirl

Busy day today but really happy that I managed to keep the spends low! Had a great day at the family day we went to, even though it was freezing! Enjoyed our picnic and spent £5.50 in total - on coffee and donuts! Was a bit annoyed about this afterwards ( although thoroughly enjoyed it at the time) but made up for it at the hen night where I spent....... £0.00!!! The meal itself was paid for months ago, I took car and stuck to water only for drinking. Delighted! So still approximately £18 in purse of which I think I'll put £10 into my sealed holiday pot fund.

Also had an unexpected payment into my account today so put £10 into emergency fund and made a small overpayment to the RBS card.

Aiming for a NSD tomorrow! X

juicygirl

Yet another rotten day weather wise! Struggling to get motivated at all.


Technically not a NSD, I put a £5 donation in the Christian Aid Nepal appeal at church ( somethings are bigger than our own plans). But we are home now with no plans to go out again so that is definitely it!

Dinner is planned from the cupboards and I'm about to plan meals and complete my online shop for the week - aiming to keep this below £50. Should be doable as we are away next weekend. If I can get off this couch I'm aiming to list a few things on EBay and tackle some ironing.......but I may just have a wee nap first since DS is doing the same!

juicygirl

A bit of a spendy day today.

Home shop came in just over budget at £52.93 ( forgot I needed washing powder). I also ended up paying a visit to a home shop and bought some plants for my garden pots ( not essential but I love doing this every year), a lampshade, a bedside light and door hanger for DS new bedroom. Total spend of £25.48. Reasonable for what I got bit could have waited till payday. No credit card used though.

Stats with 10 days till payday- £120 in current account, £150 in reserve account ( saved for this weekend away) and approx £150 in emergency fund. I'm doing ok but think this weekend with cost more than the £150 I have saved, £105 of that is for accommodation alone . Really looking forward to it though and will keep it as low as possible.

Otherwise I have:

- filled out applications for maternity pay at work
- prepared packed lunch for hubby tomorrow
- kept remaining money from coffee machine sale to pay for DS haircut this week ( remainder will go to sealed pot for holidays)
- looked for surveys
- made homemade chocolate cake with DS - perfect sweet treat
- dinners from meal plan

It's not been the best month to start this challenge but it's really helped me focus on keeping spends low. Next month I can hopefully spend less time on getting through the month without using a CC and more time on making overpayments. Either way I feel more in control .