Do One, Debt!

GoingToDoIt

Well, I've disappeared again for a while....have not been very well for the last few weeks. Managed to get on top of everything for xmas although I did have a disaster in the few days before. I lost my iPad I actually had a little cry when I realised it was gone from my bag. I'm not sure whether it was lost or stolen, my rucksack was quite open so it's hard to know.
Having decided that a)I can't live without it and b) my Mum who bought it for me would be upset, I rushed out and got a second hand replacement. £230 :lipsrseal this isn't exactly what I had in mind for the rainy day fund but as I had £150 put aside there, then at least I was able to weather the storm.
This year I've got xmas presents which were mainly practical electrical things like new blender, or chocolate. Only one or two "joke" type gifts which is good as I'm trying to keep up my Marie Kondo approach and not have so much stuff!
I hit the sales fairly hard online and was a bit disappointed to see that the trend this year is to offer around 30% discount rather than half off....well played large stores! I picked up a few things but as yet nothing too spectacular.

Orange_Ena

Happy new year Gonna, hope you have a fabulous one!

GoingToDoIt

Off to a flying start this year...what a difference a year makes!

Despite the bump at the end of last year, I've got £30 in the rdf. I also have £40 in the holiday fund, £66 in the clothes fund and I have 3 birthdays this week...no problem as I have £100 in the birthday fund!

I've got £7 in inb0x £s, £21 in pinec0ne, £5 in shaggy and £60 confirmed in tcb.

Even more exciting, I've found a way to reduce my work travel costs to £80 a month!!! The monthly pass is £149. If I travel to or from work the "long" way round (actually only talks 5-10 mins more) it halves the cost of the journey.... I travel in on 4 days per week so to take the "fast" route in and long route home, total cost £5 per day. Obviously I might pay fares on weekends so I will only really save around £40 per month....but still! Am quite pleased with that :j

GoingToDoIt

First three weeks of 2017 and I am on track to have reduced my travel spend by a third! I've had the odd teething problem but overall it's been working ok. I've been making a real effort to take brekkie and lunch to work although I have also done a lot of shopping for food. The freezer is fit to burst! Although for my lunch I can just grab and go...
I have £220 to last the month (15 Feb) which does feel a bit but as my funds are healthy and that only covers food travel and entertainment. Hair clothes and birthdays are all accounted for! My separate funds accounts have around £600 spread between them and although they are all earmarked for different future spends, it also means I'm halfway to having a month's worth of basic spending cushion in case of disaster, which is really reassuring.
£10 swaggy cashed in and £53 from tcb...happy days in the rdf.

GoingToDoIt

I just got around to buying some clothes in the sales, had a good online trawl and ordered allsorts:p
Without doubt a few things will be going back as I can't keep it all:rotfl: since doing the Kondo stuff I pay more attention to my clothes and have a better idea of what I need or want to replace, so my shopping is more focussed. Then I just need to go via tcb and order for click n collect.
I think I may have lost a teeny bit of weight, the sensible brekkies and home made lunches are probably helping there.
I just did something a bit bonkers....in London the minimum spend for home delivery is £40 which is a pain, I didn't need that much stuff but I need toilet roll, I get the big 24 pack and it's too big to carry from the superstore. Anyway I just decided to buy 3 lots to make up the cost, along with some groceries!!!! I may never need buy loo roll again people :rotfl: I'm on the free delivery trial so that's another saving....
Going to a comedy night tonight, free entry thanks to a promotion so cheap night out. :beer:

GoingToDoIt

I was hoping to do some yearly totals in the style of Orange Ena however she's very diligent and I'm just slapdash! So here are some basic totals going back to Oct 15 when I started this diary...
Swaggy £133
Inbox£ £63
P!necone £20
Focus groups £110
Bay of E sales £150
Tree of gum £35
Tcb £167

£678 made in 15 months is not bad! An average of about £45 per month

GoingToDoIt

I got a letter inviting me to join shop and scan, so I signed up. I've been thinking I could do with another income stream :cool: swaggy is very dull of late. Inbox£ has improved a bit. P!necone is good but slow.
I've gathered a few items to put on the bay as and when the mood takes me. I have a few clothes to sell but it will be better to wait until closer to summer to sell. A few other bits and bobs might raise some £s.
I have moved the "budget" for my travel on to a separate bank card, so that I don't actually spend the lot as it was just sitting in my main account. I feel better having it separated even though if I overspend it will just go overdrawn.
A rare NSD for me today, working from home. Also I can't possibly buy anything else:rotfl: going home for the weekend so it's good to know that everything is prepped for next week. The freezer is fit to burst, I need to start eating and stop prepping

GoingToDoIt

I am feeling very hormonal and tearful! There has also been some emotional spending, I might need you to help me to work through it:rotfl:

I spent £44 on a dress and a bra at full price in a shop because they were nice and fitted
I treated myself to a £16 silver ring because I am fed up of cheap £5 flakey metal costume rings
I bought two cardis reduced to £4 and £7 in the sales
I spent £50 on lunch for 3
I spend £70 on a concert ticket for my fave band

:eek::eek::eek::eek:
In my defence I had a lovely lunch ( 3 course set menu too) and it really was my turn to treat the others, so there we are. They enjoyed it. Concert ticket- there is no way I would miss that even if I had to beg/borrow/steal. I've returned all bar one item which I ordered online last week, and may keep just one other (pair of boots) so the "clothes fund" will almost cover the amount spent on clothes.

I hope I'm not kidding myself that I "needed" to spend....but I really was on the lookout for those items. I think I do need to pay the concert ticket "debt" back at £10 per month, concert is in Summer so it works out about right. I do need to be better at weekly budgeting for food shopping, meal planning etc. My shop and scan just arrived so I guess that will help me review what I buy and how much it costs. :A

Orange_Ena

You're so naughty! :rotfl: No seriously, none of those to me are frivolous spends.

You need clothes and £44 isn't a lot. The cardis are bargains.
£16 for a ring is hardly a huge indulgence
Lunch was only £17 per head for 3 courses, and if it was your turn, then you saved money previously when someone else paid
£70 for your favourite band......that's what tickets cost these days and it is your favourite so why not. Who are they?

GoingToDoIt

Thanks Ena, I felt a bit better after writing it down. The ring already had some admiring comments too
I suppose it's the eternal struggle- to stay in budget. I had a bit put by for this stuff, but not quite enough and as ever, I'm overspent. On the one hand it was mostly needed/discounted etc on the other hand...budget!!!
I think also I've underinvested in myself for so long...I saw an old work colleague the other day and felt so bad, I was still wearing a dress that was past it's best when we worked together 2 years ago
I think I'll have a "sort stuff out Saturday" and re-do budgets etc. I need to swap electric supplier, I might swap bank account, I have a pile if stuff to put on the bay of e. I also have a pay rise from April
Ena I'm going to BST at Hyde Park to see the Killers...it's possibly the 10th concert of theirs I've been to!!!!!