The Frugal Fry-Up February NSD Challenge!

Gem-gem

Today is a spendy day - two prescriptions and £18.40 later.

(Mind you I shouldn't complain because the hospital gave me a prescription for a 3 month supply of both tablets and when I have bought one of the tablets over the counter it cost me £12 for a weeks supply of tablets).

mrshubbard

Had a spendy day today but I knew we would. Me & the hubby get one Friday in 3 off together so after joining them for little uns swimming lesson we got lunch out - £12.80 for 2 meals & 2 drinks each If I'd known manky kippers were on offer I'd def have made a trip to Igor's cafe instead *searches for vomit smily

To offset it we then had a bank appointment & got different home insurance saving £15 a month, made an appointment in 3 weeks to switch to a better mortgage deal, set hubby up with life insurance & paid in my cheque to clear my credit card :j

slowlyfading

NSD 5 for me today not going anywhere in this weather!

Nargleblast

Hissing down with rain in the Land of Nargle so I won't be going anywhere either. Still managed to invest in having the cars polished and my hair highlighted though, so not a NSD. However, tomorrow looks promising....Igor, unleash the Narglehounds, I am after that NSD!

mrshubbard

Another spendy day, went to town just to pick up a couple of photo calendars already ordered & paid for to be told all Boots photo printers in the country aren't working?!? Said could they just ring me when it's fixed & there to be told all orders are automatically cancelled after a week, said I'd reorder it in a week & they said best not to bother & they'd refund me & I should use a different company- very bizarre.

Also gave into temptation & bought lunch out which we justified by thinking we've saved on switching energy today - down from £74 to £49 a month. Very silly - no point in saving just to spend it again. Plus a book for the little un which is fine with me as we get money for him each month anyway.

Ah well, you've got to treat yourself now & again & tomorrow is def a NSD - dog walking then lunch at the inlaws

Nargleblast

Mrshubbard - when you get paid, why not draw out in cash a sum designated for your monthly petty cash/treats budget and put it in a jar? The day you draw it out is a spend day (and you can do food shopping and top up with fuel the same day, so all your spending is done at once).

When you take cash out of the jar you don't count it as a spend because it has already been allocated. When the cash is gone, that's it, no more treat spending. If you have any left over at the end of your financial month, put it into a savings tin for emergencies, or pay it into a savings account.

You have to be sneaky with this NSD lark, you know!

mrshubbard

That's a good idea thanks Nargle I think because I get paid weekly I don't really budget properly for a full month which sometimes scuppers me at the end of it.

Drawing it out in cash is a good idea too - you def notice what you're spending more when you see it physically disappear.

Nargleblast

This is how I do it.....I get paid towards the end of the month. I have an accounts book and I enter my salary in. I work out when OH is due his money (he gets a works pension, same amount every month, at the end of the month and has just qualified for the four weekly State pension payment. I enter those into the book. I then enter in all the standing orders and direct debits due to come out before my next payday. The TV/landline/internet payment and the mobile phones package vary every month so I just put estimated figures in for them which get corrected when we know the actual figures.

The figure left after all that - food, fuel for cars, a monthly amount for annual and quarterly bills, and petty cash, which covers all other spending for the month. Savings are already taken care of by standing orders, I have a Projects savings account (for things like decorating jobs, new stuff for the house etc), an ISA to build up a small savings fund and a Rainy Day savings account in case anything untoward happens (eg when your routine car service ends up costing more than budgeted, or the dishwasher dies on you). I have run this system since becoming Debtfree last year, and so far it works.

Some folks use computer spreadsheet systems to do the same thing, me, I prefer a good old fashioned accounts book. I get great pleasure in checking off our bank statement every month against the entries in the book - sad, I know, but it keeps me off the streets!

mrshubbard

I do like lists and nice neat columns and ticked boxes so imagine I'd quite enjoy an accounts book

Gem-gem

I also prefer a good old fashion account book. My father (retired 20 years ago) was a bank manager and when I bought my first house he showed me how to keep an account book. At the top I have income listed. Underneath I have out goings and then whatever is left is mine to have fun with. I always paid myself (savings) first. I have a second account for car expenses, clothes, presents etc just like Nargle.
Regarding NSD when I get paid I pay my bills, transfer money to various savings accounts and then to our joint account (which includes a food budget) I do this on the same day and then I only count what comes out of my personal account or when I spend on my credit card. Even though I allocate money for clothing, presents, hair and car, I still count them as a spendy day if I buy any of them.

Had an unexpected NSD today. Friend cancelled lunch. NSD no 5