Help to keep me honest

glass_half_full

Hi diary and all!
This has been a difficult month, I won't lie. Somehow lots of unbudgetted expenses,several to do with supporting DS with gigs that he got at the last minute. It's important for him to do these partly for the experience but also because he builds his reputation as a reliable go to musician. It all costs though with petrol etc but luckily the in-laws have stepped in on a few occasions. Anyway, we scraped through to the end of the month with the debt reduced by 1% although nothing left for savings. Some months are like this, and debt reduction is a grind. But I read the start of someone else's diary on here this month which started with a set of goals and that reminded me that I need to stay focused on why I am doing this. I have decided that I want to:
1. Pay off the debt in max 2 years from today (July 2019)
2. From then on, save towards retirement, aiming to be able to stop full time work when I am 60 (at least have the option to work part time).
Towards Goal 2 I am paying into the work pension scheme, and when the mortgage comes up for renewal in July 2018 I am going to go for a mortgage term that pays off when I am 60. When I get rid of this debt I will go across to the Mortgage Free Wannabe thread, can't wait for that day!
I should get a payment in July for a piece of freelance work, so I am planning to use this to reduce the debt also.
Anyway, good luck to you all in your many and various struggles, keep posting I get so much from reading all your diaries.
Happy Friday and have a great weekend:beer:

glass_half_full

Hi Diary and all,
So I have looked at the budget for June and reconciled what we spent as a household versus budget and the mystery is solved, I have taken my eye off the ball in a big way. The main areas of overspend:

• Mobile phones - budget £80 actual £120 (caught out using phone on trip to Dublin messed up with roaming charges)
• Groceries Budget £520 actual £659 (I know, how is it even possible to spend this much? We experimented with recipe boxes, but too expensive)
• Eating out budget £50 actual £160 (travelling away to DS gigs ended up eating out more than normal)
• Clothing budget £100 actual £259 (neither of us have spent much on clothes for ages, we both bought clothes for holiday)
• Fuel budget £235 actual £383 travelling to gigs
• Cash budget £200 actual £300 no real reason
• Incidental (I have a category for the uncategorised spends) budget £0 actual £90 (not even sure what this is)

So net effect is overspend of £776 ish. This is effectively money not saved that could have been.
I aim in July hoping to record here my discretionary spends, at least this way I will feel more accountable. We have a holiday coming up in July, paid for from some extra work last year, but still need to get the spending money.
Goals for today

• Mow the lawns
• Go for a walk

Spends from yesterday

• Cinema – tickets free had vouchers
• Meal in Nando’s £22.35
• Clothes OH – Shoes £10 she had money from In Laws
• Clothes me – £20 out of £50 budget

Things to be grateful for
At the moment we have our health. I’m so aware from things happening to those close to us that the most important thing is to be healthy, money and finances come second to that.

glass_half_full

Hi Diary and all,

Busy week with a bit of travel ahead. Aiming to keep a daily log of spending this month to keep things under control.

Goals for today
- No discretionary spend day
- Bring in lunch
- Don't buy any coffee on the way to work

Spends from yesterday
- OH £20 on Next bill
- Groceries £90 at Sains

glass_half_full

Morning Diary and all,
Just a quick update, off to a meeting today so have to get the train.

Goals for today
Try for another NSD. Attending a meeting in another city, lunch is provided

Spends from yesterday
NSD!

Have a great day everyone!

chevalier

hi there
i have to ask why do you do your grocery shopping in Sainsbury? Virtually any other supermarket would be cheaper to go to than them. I mean let's face it kellogs cornflakes are the same in any shop eg so why pay more for the branding of the shop?
good luck
chev

glass_half_full

chevalier wrote: »

hi there
i have to ask why do you do your grocery shopping in Sainsbury? Virtually any other supermarket would be cheaper to go to than them. I mean let's face it kellogs cornflakes are the same in any shop eg so why pay more for the branding of the shop?
good luck
chev

Hi Chevalier,
Good challenge, thanks! I have done a few comparisons and not found a lot of difference with say Morrisons which is our other big local. Aldi and Lidl would be cheaper but are not nearby. But to be honest it is partly about convenience, habit and we will sometimes buy on line. You have got me thinking, though, I will do the next shop at one of the discounters and see how we get on.

glass_half_full

Hi diary and all,
On the train on the way to a 2 day conference, hopefully no way or at least no need to spend any money. Its a lovely sunny day.

Spends yesterday
Failed with the NSD. Set off and forgot to take any water so had to buy bottled water. Funny how hard it is not to spend anything.
Water £1

Goals for today
NSD - remembered to bring water!
Managed to resist temptation to buy a coffee at the station - hard habit to break.

Hope you all have a great day !

glass_half_full

Hi Diary and all,
Day 2 of the conference. Met some lovely people who really care about what they do and others. Reassuring, because if you believe what the media say everything has gone to **** and all anyone cares about is themselves. This forum is an example of people supporting each other for no reward, anonymously. That's a good puzzle for the economists.

Yesterday was a NSD and hopefully today will be too.

Goals for today
Hoping my presentation goes well...
DS has an important music exam today. He has practiced for months. Fingers crossed for him.

Hope you all have a great day!

glass_half_full

Morning diary and all,
Working from home today.

One more week to go and then off for a week holiday away and a week holiday at home.

Debt creeping down after some payments yesterday.

Goals
Just get organised for the weekend and next week

Spends from yesterday
It was a NSD

Have a great day.

glass_half_full

Morning diary and all,
It's a lovely day out there, looking forward to a long walk later.

This week we are shopping to a meal plan and using up as much as possible what we already have in the freezer and cupboards. Went through the freezer and organised it, and then decided to defrost it as it needed it. Discovered 7 bags of roast potatoes! Thanks to the prompt above from Chevalier, I made a manual shopping list and then entered on mysupermarket.com. Sainsbury was the cheapest (compared with Tesco, Morrisons etc) at £47 by a few pounds, mainly because of special offers I had chosen. Aldi and Lidl did not give a result because too many items are missing. I'm sure that Aldi and Lidl would be cheaper in fact, so one week coming up I plan to go to one of them and do the shop. But getting down to £47 is good, although not really representative since we are in using up mode so at least 3 meals will be made out of ingredients we already have. So to the spends:

* Groceries £47
* Piano lesson £8 (this is a hobby for me)
* Driving lesson for DS £32 (1 1/2 hour lesson) as he approaches the test

Goals for today
* Piano practice
* Go for a long walk

Hope you all have a great day!