XSpender Speeds it Up - £0 to £60k in 27 months

XSpender

XSpender wrote: »

Plans for this week:

• Get up to date with housework DONE
• Get up to date with ironing DH has done a bit
• Meal plan to minimise food spends for rest of month DONE, both away until Wednesday
• Small food shop at weekend and RM from Iceland DONE, didn't need to go to Iceland
• Energy comparison and change supplier DONE, £22 TCB earned, £220 saved
• Car to be valeted DONE, getting washed tomorrow with a free voucher
• Run 10 miles NOT DONE due to bad chest
• 2 training runs or swim DONE, earlier in the week
• Wash duvets DONE
  

I am really please with what we have achieved today House is looking much cleaner than it has in a while.

I had a chat with DM about a possible trip to CP together next year. We went on hols together last year before DS started school and it worked really well but we had a bit of a fall out a few weeks later:( All is OK now but DM doesn't get to see DS that often as lives quite far from us.

We will either pay 3/4 or all of the cost ourselves as it is quite a lot of money for 4 days in half term.

DH and I are both away with work until late Tues for DH and late Wed for me next week so spends should be minimal.

XSpender

We have bitten the bullet and have cancelled 8ky We will be saving over £60/month. I am planning to increase my OP SO by £40 and increase DS's savings SO by £15 from 1st December when it all goes through.


I have paid the annual phone line up front but if my tracked cash back pays out and I get the cash back the supplier are offering on sign up this will have cost me £68 for the year + £2.50/month.


I also have another £40+ TCB pending which will all go towards my mini OP challenge when it pays out.


I was going to go for a swim tonight but am shattered so will chill out in my hotel room. I am wanting to set some small challenges for November as we have a lot of costs this month and I want to pay off the spending we did on the CC last weekend and catch up with November's OP in December so I will crunch some numbers and come up with a plan to start 1st November.

XSpender

Ahhh just lost my post.:mad:


I've been up an over an hour already and only had one cup of tea :eek: as we need to be up and at 'em this morning.


DH is at work until lunchtime, DS has a swimming lesson and then is at a Halloween event with DFIL which I need to drive them to. We are also having our carpets cleaned but as we only arranged it last night the living room is still full of furniture!


Lots to do today so that we can have fun tomorrow with brunch with friends followed by a walk and a play on the huge play area at our local NT place for the children.


Better do a to do list:

• DS haircut
• Me haircut (I have a feeling they have messed up my appointment time as they did with DH and booked at same time as have had no text reminder)
• DS Swimming
• Drop DS and DFIL off
• Cash out - childcare, DS/DFIL spends for today, carpet man, brunch etc.
• Jeans and toiletries for DH weekend away
• Euros for DH weekend away
• Mop, vac and dust (not much to do as blitzed house last weekend) and change sheets
• Alddee, Mr T and Iceland
• Washing and ironing
• Wash DS bedding and duvet (slight accident after having his first dry at night fortnight )
• Look for vouchers for T0by for brunch
• Purchase gift bag and card for 1 year old
• Long run on Sunday
• Pack for work as I am away all of next week!
• Keep on top of YNAB

Right, 2nd cuppa is now due

smallholdingsister

Hope your lurgy is disappearing?

newgirly

Hi xspender, just wanted to pick your brains about ynab? I was thinking about it as my current system is a big diary I write in or occasionally a spending app, did you find it worth the money and what is the difference between it and a normal spending app?


Hope you don't mind me asking cheeky questions!

Goldiegirl

XSpender wrote: »

We have bitten the bullet and have cancelled 8ky

Well done - we cancelled back in January, and never even missed it
:rotfl:


It's just so expensive these days, and the extra money has been very helpful

XSpender

Much better thank you SHS, I am attempting a run tomorrow, first one in over a week!

I :heart2: YNAB newgirly I used to use an excel spreadsheet to record incomings and outgoings and was never very good at keeping up a spending diary. YNAB helps you budget what your money is going to do every month but if you go over in one category you just move money from another category. I used to get stressed out if say I overspent on what I had budgeted on eating out but now I just choose to spend less in another category. It also helps you budget to put money aside for annual bills.

It enables you to track the pay down of any debt and the build up of savings, everything is recorded in one place.

I never look at the bank account anymore as I don't need to, the spreadsheet tells me what I have to spend. You can enter a spend on your phone using the app and it updates your spreadsheet at home instantly so you don't need two places to record it. For example if I budget £400 for food when I get paid, £50 for booze and £50 for clothes for my son so if I go to Mr T and spend £50 of which £30 was food, £10 was wine and £10 was some clothes for my DS I can either enter the spend, easily splitting it into the categories, on my phone there and then or enter it on the main spreadsheet when I get home. It deducts what I have spent in each category and tells me what I have left to spend.

YNAB offer a free 30 day trial so you can have a go and if you like it and buy it you don't lose what you have inputted. They have a lot of tutorials on their site and there is a forum if you have questions. You can also take part in their seminars where you can often win a free copy. The YNAB forum has referral codes on too so you get it cheaper and someone earns a few dollars for the referral.

It is a US company and you pay for it in dollars. You choose the currency you want to run it in.

If you mess it all up or lose track (which I have done several times) you can 'start over' without losing absolutely everything. I am on my 3rd edition They say this happens to everyone :rotfl:

Oooh I sound evangelical, I'm not on commission honest!:rotfl:

I hope that helps, let me know if I can help further.

XSpender

XSpender wrote: »

Better do a to do list:

• [STRIKE]DS haircut [/STRIKE] Done
• [STRIKE]Me haircut (I have a feeling they have messed up my appointment time as they did with DH and booked at same time as have had no text reminder)[/STRIKE] Done
• [STRIKE]DS Swimming[/STRIKE] Done
• [STRIKE]Drop DS and DFIL off[/STRIKE] Done
• [STRIKE]Cash out - childcare, DS/DFIL spends for today, carpet man, brunch etc.[/STRIKE] Done
• [STRIKE]Jeans and toiletries for DH weekend away[/STRIKE] Done
• [STRIKE]Euros for DH weekend away[/STRIKE] Done
• Mop, vac and dust (not much to do as blitzed house last weekend) and change sheets
• [STRIKE]Alddee, Mr T [/STRIKE]and Iceland
• Washing and ironing
• Wash DS bedding and [STRIKE]duvet[/STRIKE] (slight accident after having his first dry at night fortnight )
• Look for vouchers for T0by for brunch
• [STRIKE]Purchase gift bag and card for 1 year old[/STRIKE] Done
• Long run on Sunday
• Pack for work as I am away all of next week!
• Keep on top of YNAB

We got quite a bit done today including buying one of DS Christmas gifts, one of mine and a new Christmas tree. A bit early for a tree but they had 20% off the one we wanted ending this weekend. I also used some of my personal spends to buy some nail polish as my gel manicures are just not lasting so I might as well paint them myself. Returned a coat we bought for DS too so £40 back in the account.

DS had a lovely day out with DFIL at a Halloween event apart from unintentionally frightening a little girl with his zombie outfit/mask who was inconsolable:( He has done trick a treat at 2 neighbours doors but was more interested in handing sweeties out to our callers.

The carpet cleaner was here for hours and we look like we have a new carpet

I am going to attempt at least a 5 mile run tomorrow morning first thing and then we are meeting friends for brunch and a walk which I am really looking forward too. Our friends have just bought a new house and I cant wait to hear all about it:D

Must go and update YNAB.

XSpender

XSpender wrote: »

• [STRIKE]DS haircut[/STRIKE] Done
• [STRIKE]Me haircut (I have a feeling they have messed up my appointment time as they did with DH and booked at same time as have had no text reminder)
  [/STRIKE]Done
• [STRIKE]DS Swimming[/STRIKE]Done
• [STRIKE]Drop DS and DFIL off[/STRIKE] Done
• [STRIKE]Cash out - childcare, DS/DFIL spends for today, carpet man, brunch etc.[/STRIKE] Done
• [STRIKE]Jeans and toiletries for DH weekend away[/STRIKE] Done
• [STRIKE]Euros for DH weekend away[/STRIKE] Done
• Mop, vac and dust (not much to do as blitzed house last weekend) and change sheets - almost done, will finish tomorrow as WFH
  
• [STRIKE]Alddee, Mr T and Iceland[/STRIKE]Done
• Washing and ironing - Made a start:o
• Wash DS bedding and [STRIKE]duvet [/STRIKE](slight accident after having his first dry at night fortnight ) Done
• [STRIKE]Look for vouchers for T0by for brunch[/STRIKE] couldn't find any
• [STRIKE]Purchase gift bag and card for 1 year old[/STRIKE]Done
• Long run on Sunday
• Pack for work as I am away all of next week!
• [STRIKE]Keep on top of YNAB[/STRIKE]Done
  

QUOTE]

Made good progress on the list this weekend with a bit of washing and tidying upstairs still to do.

Our planned meet up with friends didn't happen although we didn't find out until about half an hour before we were due to meet up! Made the most of been up and ready and went to our favourite NT place and had a late lunch. Beautiful autumn day

XSpender

I need a bit of focus this month as we have an awful lot of expenses to cover in November. We slipped a bit money wise last month and I need to get it back under control as I am determined that our mortgage balance will be under £117k by the end of the year.

I also have my first ever off road race and longest run in 6 years to do next month and with being a bit chesty this has gone up the rails a bit too.

I have a week off in November so will be posting a to do list as well as the goals below:

Saving

1) [STRIKE]Pay enough off to get CC back under £3000 [/STRIKE]- Change of plan
2) [STRIKE]Make some kind of payments towards £351 OP target - cashback, sell phone, TT [/STRIKE]Done
3) [STRIKE]Stay in budget so savings are not touched and nothing is spent on CC[/STRIKE] Used savings to finish Christmas shopping in Nov and buy furniture bits for house sale, over half to be replaced in December

Spending

1) [STRIKE]£466 in the Christmas savings pot to cover as many Christmas presents [/STRIKE][STRIKE](and a new tree) [/STRIKE]as possible. [STRIKE]Use £40 Mr T vouchers to double up for gifts. DS (most), DFIL,[/STRIKE] [STRIKE]DMIL[/STRIKE], [STRIKE]DN[/STRIKE], [STRIKE]DF[/STRIKE] [STRIKE]& 2 DDs [/STRIKE][STRIKE]and me.[/STRIKE] Done
2) [STRIKE]Food budget £400 - meal plan, use up stores, [STRIKE][STRIKE]have something in that can be made quickly when I am back late, batch cook SW RM for DH (chilli, curry etc.)[/STRIKE] Came in under budget
3) [STRIKE]Buy DS some long sleeved tops and his winter wardrobe is complete - [/STRIKE]also needs wellies and [STRIKE]gloves[/STRIKE] 1top and gloves bought, haven't found any wellies
4) Update YNAB every day 30/30 Done

Health and Exercise

1) Run 10 miles x 3 - Ran out of time 7 miles done, 9 miles done and then 6 (today and Friday)
2) Run 1 x 5 miles 1/4 and 1 x 40 minute speed session each week 0/4 - 2 rubbish runs so far so not counting them
3) Swim x 1 30 minutes each week 2/4
4) At least 3 runs to be off road 0/3
5) Eat clean 70/30 - 0/20 days
6) Lose 2 lbs -me - 1lb so far
7) Lose 7lb - DH - 3lb
8) Log everything into my fitness pal 4/30 Struggle with this when eating at hotels/restaurants with work

Family

1) [STRIKE]All meals to be eaten at the table [/STRIKE]- About 90%
2) [STRIKE]Make memories with DH and DS every weekend without spending much[/STRIKE] - had some great times
3) [STRIKE]DS to be put to bed in own bed every night [/STRIKE]- Cracked it
4) Improve DS bedtime routine - getting better, still needs work

Home

1) Paint kitchen (ceiling was re-plastered months ago!) - Not done
2) [STRIKE]Decide if we are going to paint living room/stairs/landing this year [/STRIKE] Done, and it's a yes
3) [STRIKE]Sort DS clothing out ready for new wardrobe in December[/STRIKE] Done and wardrobe bought
4) [STRIKE]List pantry and freezer contents[/STRIKE] Done
5) Declutter 1 item everyday 23/30