The Great Big Budget Challenge 2016

Tjh1412

Pay day today, no more spends so far this month so have paid £389.24 off my CC; wages are only £580 a month so feel I'm doing alright so far; need to try and do as well next month now

lexbubbles

Tjh1412 wrote: »

Pay day today, no more spends so far this month so have paid £389.24 off my CC; wages are only £580 a month so feel I'm doing alright so far; need to try and do as well next month now

Great job paying down the CC!

Have you considered joining us over in the "make £10 a day" threads? We're a supportive bunch who just aim to make a little extra money taking surveys, using apps like receipthog to get points, selling things on ebay/amazon, working overtime, getting cashback etc.

Tjh1412

Thanks I will join as soon as the February thread goes up

counting_stars

Checking in after the first month. There have been some positives, and some absolute fails!! Without the house Misc I would have spent £100 less for the month then last year so I am slightly better, but I know there were times I did not show restraint at all. In terms of my budget this month, it was well and truly blown:

My categories are based on an aim to spend less then last year -- £1155.44 (2016)/ £8356 spent 2015 / £7100 (goal for 2016)

Goal mortgage overpayment -- £0 / £1000
Goal repay family -- £0 / £2500
Emergency fund -- £750 / £2000

- £578.49 (2016)/ £1299pa (2015) Misc: Skip, new wardrobe, wheelbarrow for skip, hallway storage unit. All necessary but pushed my spending up!! Not sure all my house plans are going to fit in my budget this year, I still want to put down laminate, fix the walls from removing the built in wardrobe, paint, re-pave part of the garden, change the front door and do up the kitchen.
- £47 / £100pm (2016) -- /£1309pa / 109pm (2015) Food/household shopping.
- £57 / £240pa (2016) -- £768pa / 64pm (2015) Eating out/coffees/emergency lunches.
- £9 / £200pa (2016) --- £536pa (2015) Gifts.
- £3.50 / £100pa (2016) / £1124pa (2015)Travel.
- £55.20 (2016) -- £546pa/ £45pm (2015)Stuff for me. Hair cut £35, books £12, £8.20 prescription.
- £4.98 / £100pa (2016) -- £549pa/ £45.75pm (2015) Clothes.
- £201 (2016) -- £1130pa (2015) Holidays. This may be the only holiday this year, and certainly is until the summer so happy with this spending.
- £147 (2016) -- £695pa (2015) Garden and Allotment.
- £50 (2016) -- £400pa / £33pm (2015) Entertainment. £50 of art books.

Also sold £45 worth of my junk. This is now holiday spending money. I have a few more bits on gumtree. Have cleared four large bin bags of bits for charity shop so home is feeling more clear by the day - love kondoing!

Saved £93.72 for the year by reducing my phone contract to £5pm.

Also was given £30 worth of freebies I otherwise would have bought myself (suitcase) and returned £30 of clothes I bought.

:A Here's to a more frugal February for all! :A

counting_stars

Tjh1412 wrote: »

Pay day today, no more spends so far this month so have paid £389.24 off my CC; wages are only £580 a month so feel I'm doing alright so far; need to try and do as well next month now

Well done, that's real dedication! Gosh you make me realise I could really reign myself in more. Here's to February!

lexbubbles

Stars great job on reducing your phone contract! Selling stuff is great as well, and we all love freebies!

And hey, we don't fail here, we just... over shoot our target and land in a tree :rotfl:

Final round-up for Jan:
Clothes £8/20

Cosmetics/toiletries £56.55 / £15 :eek: now can't spend anything until April to get myself back on track. But with any luck I shan't need to.

Tea/hot choc £30.12 / £40

Video games £4/10

Books £21.78 / 50

Total £120.45 / 135


BUDGETS FOR FEB

Clothes: £32 (rolled over)
Cosmetics: £0
Games: £16 (rolled over)
Tea/choc: £49.88 (rolled over)
Books: £78.22 (rolled over)

Dipped into my clothing budget this morning to get new PJs (been wearing the same ones for a decade) and replace my leopard print ankle boots which have fallen apart. Total spend on that £20.98.

So have £11.02 left this month for clothes.

lexbubbles

Went to Covent Garden Tea House yesterday. Had £49.88 in my budget this month and spent £44.69 on 10 new blends, then got a £2.99 box of rose milk tea in Chinatown

Tea: £47.68 / 49.88

lexbubbles

No spends in any categories to report for last week! Hope everyone is well

Clothes: £20.98 / 32
Cosmetics: £0 / 0
Games: £0 / 16
Tea/choc: £47.68 / 49.88
Books: £0 / 78.22

Total £68.66 / 176.10

lexbubbles

Cashed out a £15 amazon voucher from Valued Opinions, and put it towards my next Egyptology book. Book was £16.56 so only £1.56 used of my own money, but as before counting all of it in budget.

Also, regrettably, had to get new blades for my razor which set my back £6 in my non-existent toiletries budget. I didn't realise the one I had on there was dead and I had no more spares.

Books: £16.56 / 78.22
Clothes: £20.98 / 32
Cosmetics: £6 / 0
Games: £0 / 16
Tea/choc: £47.68 / 49.88

Total £91.22 / 176.10

Tjh1412

Checking in for this month, been a bit more spendy as had to buy a suit for job interviews, so just over my monthly extras target there but came in on food for the month at £84.22 and have paid another 289.67 to the CC so getting there slowly. Hoping for a bigger payment next month, had a couple insurance renewals etc to do last week so that's knocked my total down a bit