The Spreadsheet Diva's MF Diary

SueP19

A very Happy Easter everyone xxx

SueP19

Well back to work this morning, craft fair went well yesterday which considering it had been dire weather was a bonus


Last Thursday DD had a major stress, housing benefit lied to her, they will not be paying all her rent only about 40% of it. She absolutely sobbed, couldn't get anything out of her for about 30 minutes, much to her grandma's annoyance, who was with me when she rang. When DD had stopped falling out with everything I said she pulled her socks up, re did her budget, phoned a couple of people and was sorted, albeit £170 short.

I was so relieved because I thought she was £690 short originally so not too bad. She is now thinking outside the box jobs wise and she has had 6 calls today re job interviews. She is quite business savvy and is calling on those skills as well now, so fingers crossed

Budget ok-ish, spent too much this month and I am struggling to try to keep it neat, I swear it's not just one thing but lots of little things that mess it up.

Plan for April, well holiday spends first, contemplating withdraw cash for food, last time I did that it didn't last long, so not sure what to do.............jury's out on it.

This is what March looks like (budget in red)

Total income 2930.00 2851.62

bills 1300.001289.38
food 450.00528.60 does include meat for next month
fuel 260.00 284.57
e cig/tin 360.00 154.04
health 16.40 16.40
DD 0.00 106.48
clothes 50.0080.26
car repairs 0.00 100.21
misc 20.00 109.55
lottery 36.00 0.00
mortgage op 100.00 20.00
vets 0.00 73.81
Total expense 3042.40 2763.30

Balance 90.12


Least I didn't go negative :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Lexi-lu

Hello Sue,

Pleased the craft fair went well.

Least I didn't go negative

That's brilliant.

Hope your DD gets sorted soon.

LL

SueP19

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: am not sure if I should be proud of not going negative :D

I have to say I am feeling a tad down today............I just feel like I am never going to get in front and it will always be this way..............just making it or just surviving. I suppose 27 years of always trying but never quite getting there says something.

The real honest truth is I am just loose with money :(

Karmacat

Do tell what the £109 "misc" was that may be where the loose bit is :kisses3:

shangaijimmy

Try to think a tad longer before you analyse. Perhaps every 3 months and I bet you'll be pleased with progress made.

A_Frayed_Knot

Exactly right SJ, I would hope you don't have vets/clothes/car repairs etc etc every month

Food spendy is still :shocked:

Eager_Elephant

I think you are doing great Sue - just imagine how much you would have spent if you weren't tracking it.
At least you are taking the bull by the horns and trying to deal with things.


Remember that before you budgeted and started posting on here 'problems' happened all the time and were probably sorted by adding to debt but you didn't think anything of it.


Could you start putting some money aside each month for 'expected but not sure when' outgoings such as car repairs and vet bills. These are rarely emergencies and unexpected - car and animal owners know that at some point within the year the car or an animal will need some sort of money spent on it.
If the cat or the car needs something in month 1 then you will need to rejig the budget slightly but if they don't need anything til month 6 then hopefully you will have enough to cover them?


I put aside money in to separate pots linked to my bank account every month - I save £30 for medical (glasses/dentist), £30 for car repairs and £30 for my car replacement fund which I only started when I replaced my car late last year and had not saved anything towards it.


Ignore me if it makes sense to throw all spare money at the mortgage (I don't have a mortgage so can't really comment)

AlexLK

I presume your daughter has a training contract having done her LPC last year? IIRC she's living and working in London which will make things expensive but her salary should reflect the higher living costs.

SueP19

So sorry I was awhile getting back to you very busy with a set of complex charity accounts :mad:

Karmacat wrote: »

Do tell what the £109 "misc" was that may be where the loose bit is :kisses3:

Misc is made up of £26 eggs from thorntons, £50 excess on phone that went £5.99 safety glasses, £4.20 walking mag, £8 tennis balls for the dog and a book £7.69

shangaijimmy wrote: »

Try to think a tad longer before you analyse. Perhaps every 3 months and I bet you'll be pleased with progress made.

I hope so shangai, I really do

A_Frayed_Knot wrote: »

Exactly right SJ, I would hope you don't have vets/clothes/car repairs etc etc every month

Food spendy is still :shocked:

It always seems to be something and food :eek::eek::eek: :rotfl:
Frayed you did me a long post and it missing, I was going to say Yes I did work out emergency, xmas, pet, holiday, car repairs funds amounts to save every month but as soon as I do that it all goes wrong. Since 1st of Jan cars repairs are £568.88, holiday £558, house repairs £395.88, clothes £511.61 (we were thread bare) and mortgage op £300, so thats £2,334.37