Small steps with a small budget!

niftythrifty33

I'm starting a new diary as I hadn't kept up with my old one and just wanted to start again on a fresh page...

We are in our early 40's with 3 older teenage children.

I'm terrible for forgetting to meal plan and not putting money aside for the big stuff. We also spend too much on treats at the weekends. We are quite careful with money most of the time and I LOVE a spreadsheet but I'm hoping that doing a new diary will keep me on track and motivate me to do that little bit extra to save the penny's and increase the mortgage overpayments

Walkerdazy

Nice Steps!

niftythrifty33

Spreadsheet filled in and made an OP of £137.56 as I make OP's using the Tillytidy method (I love a round number )

I have a few things to sell so will get them listed on the local FB page.
Will go and do a meal plan as the fridge/freezer & cupboards are so full, they could do with a clear out! and avoid any more waste.

Need to cancel an old life Ins policy. What are your thoughts on life Ins. is it worth having? The current one doesn't even cover our mortgage so was just thinking of getting enough to do this?

Need to chase up my TCB account as they still haven't paid me from something I bought in 2014!!

Ahhh loving the feeling of this new diary...let's hope it works this time

niftythrifty33

All going well so far. Been doing lots of paperwork today, making phone calls, chasing things up etc. There's always something that needs sorting!! The admin part of running a home and having a family is a job in itself!

Renewed car insurance, £180, I shopped around but couldn't find anything cheaper. I still haven't been paid cashback from car insurance I got using TCB last year so it's put me off doing this again. Been chasing it up ever since.

Still haven't done a meal plan but had a good sort out of cupboards/fridge and have lots to use up.

Nothing much money saving to report apart from that I've had 2 NSD's

niftythrifty33

Have spent quite a bit recently as all of our lights in lounge had broken so bought new ones in sale (v. heavily reduced) but had to spend on a sparky too. The lights look lovely but this morning all the electric on that circuit had blown so there's a problem and will need to get the sparky back, so more money!

Week before last I managed to get lots of overtime and worked 43 hours but last week and this week I haven't got any. I'm conscious that we have a very expensive few months so will be doing as much OT as I can. DH also worked OT on Saturday and should be able to get more over the next few weeks. Must make sure we get a good balance though otherwise we won't see each other.

DS1 has had a review of his student load and is getting more in grants that first thought which is fab

I had a voucher for £2.50 off a £10 spend on freezer food from T3sco, plus I'd already got loads of bargains so it's well stocked up. I'll try and do a meal plan again (hopefully it will happen this week!)

Will be back on later for an update. Happy Monday everyone

Pearla*Merle

Lovely to see you back, niftythrifty

Mortgage #2 is teeny - are you blasting that one first?

Not sure on the life insurance as I don't have much experience of it - though sounds like a good idea to make sure you're adeqautely covered? xx

niftythrifty33

Thanks for the welcome back Pearla. I'm wondering now whether I should have carried on with my last diary for others to read incase they're bored! I don't even know how to do a link.

I make OP's by doing a tilly tidy once a month. I round up each mortgage so they're both going down. The small mortgage has a lower interest rate so it doesn't make sense to pay it off first. But it is tiny and possibly lower than some people's car loan? Infact I've just realised our savings could pay this off and still have a bit left but they include the kids savings. I wonder whether we should do this and then pay more into the savings to get them back up? Hmmm food for thought.

As I work in a supermarket I get lots of bargains and currently have a well stocked freezer and fridge but still haven't managed to do a meal plan :mad:

I get very frustrated at not being able to pay more off the mortgage faster. I'm sure you all feel the same?

We had a flood in the bathroom a few days ago and I have the insurance people coming out tomorrow. I think DH could fix it all for a lower cost than the excess (£350 :eek:) but I will see what he says. Something we could really do without and such a mess!!

Apart from the flood it's been a frugal week

niftythrifty33

Claimed £8 from TCB today. Still chasing up £60 they owe me from 1 year ago. I've spent so much time chasing this up it's unbelievable! I've threatened that I will go to watchdog if they don't pay.

Insurance man calling this morning to assess the flood. Still undecided whether to claim. For future reference when you're buying buildings/contents insurance don't have such a big excess, ours is £350 and feel it's hardly worth having except for major things like fire.

Bought another load of reduced stuff from work yesterday. My fridge/freezer are fit to bursting now so really can't buy any more. We have got the kind of meat that we'd never normally afford so not sure if we're actually saving much, but we'll be eating like kings

Missing DS1 soooo much. It's great that he's loving uni but I can't wait to have him home again soon

niftythrifty33

Well the insurance man called and took 3 hours :eek: to assess the damage from the bathroom leak. He's worried that the flooring in bathroom and ceiling in dining room may have asbestos in so today we have to move out and stay in a holiday home nearby. It's all a bit of a shock!! I'm full of cold and sore throat and don't want to go. It's only the bathroom that we can't use and we have another toilet but the kids are excited so we'll treat it as a little break. It will take until next Thursday to get the results.

After my very strong message to TCB they made the payment of £60 that I've been chasing for 1 year. I'd already claimed an £8 cashback yesterday so will be able to withdraw the £60 today. Think I may just pay it straight into the mortgage acct.

I was sooooo tempted to buy a takeout last night after all the hassle but I resisted and cooked tea it will all help in the long run towards paying off the mortgage early.

niftythrifty33

Well we had to move out of the house last Saturday due to possible asbestos. We stayed in a lovely holiday cottage. I LOVED having a log burner and a big bedroom. It wasn't available after today so we've moved home (well I moved us all home while everyone was at work/school). Another assessor called today and said we needn't have moved out after all and could have just covered the floor in the bathroom :mad: ...Asbestos tester called and said it's more than likely asbestos so the floor will have to come up then we'll be left with no bathroom or floor, so will have to hope the builders can come on the same day?

This diary is becoming more than just a motivational tool to save money, it's also a life diary for me to look back on. We've had our worst year this year in 21 years due to several big and not so big events. It has taken it's toll on me and us as a family. But I'm hoping that after this leak/asbestos things will settle down. I need to start running again and get some sort of a life.

DH thinks my obsession with wanting to pay off the mortgage early is stopping us from having any fun. He's right of course. I wish I didn't manage our finances as I'm a right bore when it comes to spending money. We don't have much spare at all, so it's not as if we can do both. It's either save or spend, and I'm too worried to spend.

Another essay again!

Monkeychops16

niftythrifty33 wrote: »

DH thinks my obsession with wanting to pay off the mortgage early is stopping us from having any fun. He's right of course. I wish I didn't manage our finances as I'm a right bore when it comes to spending money. We don't have much spare at all, so it's not as if we can do both. It's either save or spend, and I'm too worried to!

This is how I feel-think many of us are the same. xx