Must keep in line

Ednoc

Hi

Newbie here.

My situation: no debt (other than the usual mortgage) but have been in serious debt in the past.

About to start new job which is significant pay cut from previous (down about 24 grand net a year - obviously that sounds terrible as some people don't earn 24 grand a year to start with but I work in a very stressful industry so have paid for my high pay with my health). Trade off is a 4 day working week which I need as I need to start looking after my mental and physical wellbeing.

My friends all work in the same industry and have high paying (even higher than mine previously was) jobs so it's hard when we go out for expensive dinners etc (even doing something at someone's house is expensive due to their choices of beverage!).

Add into mix I live with my partner who wants us to go away for lots of long weekends (which I enjoy but which are mega expensive) and the amount we spend on food (both out and in as he eats loads!) and I have a high hurdle to reign in the spending!

Starting this diary to try to keep me on straight and narrow!

So, am going to suggest to B that we have beans and cheese on toast tonight so I don't have to go out or spend anything. I can have some pasta with cheese on it for lunch for same reason.

Am off this week so going to go for a run shortly. Prob only 3-4 miles today.

Oh, that's the other thing: Really need to lose some weight. So going to log my eating and fitness habits on here too! Have a wedding to go to in 2.5 weeks so need to drop a few pounds for that but can't starve self as I also run so need energy for that

BEAT_THE_DEBT

Hello and welcome I wrote on my diary last week that beans on toast is so under rated ,when you have it you wonder why you don't have it more often Enjoy x

Ednoc

So, B went for the beans and cheese on toast idea so we didn't spend anything on Thursday.

Well, unless you count yet another weekend away we booked. I thankfully was able to pay for that from my "holiday" account. I am very fortunate in that my dad bets (only what he can afford and has a set amount he doesn't go over) on the horses and whatever he wins he divides between the 4 of us in my family. So I generally use that money for holidays.

We were on a high having booked another weekend away when B told me that AVIS had debited 170 from his card for damage to a tyre when we went away the other week and hired a car - we honestly do not think this was us, and if we had noticed it we would have been able to hide it from the inspector by simply parking so the damage was at the bottom of the wheel. We are going to challenge it but suspect we will get nowhere.

Yesterday was expensive. Worked out with a trainer - cost 30. I am doing this at present as my glutes are so lazy it's affecting my running so am investing in trying to get those firing for the next 6-8 weeks or so. Then went for a run. Couldn't even manage 3 miles! Think I was exhausted after work out. Then had a massage from a friend which cost 50. Again, because of my running. Then we did our big shop - I had budgeted 50 each and it came in just under and will cover all lunches and dinners next week plus more. We do tend to spend a lot on food.

Then we went out of dinner - 37.50 each.

Reigning in is not going well!!!!

Ednoc

reigning in has been a little bit better so far this week but still not perfect! much improvement needed!

Started my new job on Monday. Not sure about it as already feel like am being put under unfair pressure (basically, I am paid for out of central budget but my work is meant to be for one particular department only. But someone from another department is putting pressure on me to do work for their department. I've said I am happy to try to help but as my boss was away this week I don't know where he wants my focus yet. Plus, I've no experience in the other department so I said that whilst I am happy to collate the information, the problem will be that I just won't know how that impacts and what we need to do as a result). Plus I am only 4 days a week and am doing the work for 2 jurisdictions! Anyway, my boss is back next week so will speak to him and see what he says.

Today I have the day off! Off for a workout with trainer at 915 then have loads of personal admin to do. Got to pop into office to meet head of business services as he is over from one of our other offices but that should only be half hour.

Got to do our big shop when B finishes work, hoping it won't be too much but we need things like washing powder and coffee.

Thought I'd get paid today, just for the week but apparently I won't get paid until 20 june! Though that will be for a full month (as they pay 2 weeks in arrears and 2 in advance) and then since 16th of this month so will be a nice one. Luckily I have cash to cover this month's expenses but I must try to be more frugal!

brizzledfw

Best of luck Ednoc in trying to live more frugally. Agree beans and toast is a fab meal and pretty healthy too..

Ednoc

Been MIA for a while and budget when to pot!

Budget back on track now but only cos I did from start of this month to 20th when get first pay packet. Going to start new budget on 20th for a whole month and that will be the real test.

B is not really on board with budgeting. He believes we should be able to spend what we want on food. He gets expensive cereal and bags of nuts (at £5 per pop and he gets more than 1!) so I end up paying for half of those. Not quite sure what to do as don't want to deprive him.

Anyway, tonight I am off to a friends for a girlie night. She is making fajitas and B having something out of freezer for his tea. I am taking 2 big bars of chocolate with me - £2 from the good old pound shop (and it's good stuff too - the new magnum stuff!). She has bought wine but I am declining. B and I have had 2 massive weekends recently and I find it affects my sleep and ability to do anything for days. Plus it makes me depressed. So am avoiding it. Cheap night and fed by someone else.

Tomorrow is my last day of the week at work as I now only work 4 days - whoopee! B will make me a sandwich to take in - saves money and I will take a snack bar from home too. Tomorrow night is parsnip and pancetta pasta from stores, B making as I cooked Tues and Mon.

Fri I work out with a trainer - £30 a session so not cheap but feel its only way I'll go. Then we will do a big shop friday lunchtime. I am going to make a list and try to force B to stick to it!!!

Need to extend my leasehold on the flat I own but rent out. Looking at the online calcs and cos it has run down to 61 years, it could cost me up to 45k. Really don't want to do it as it's dead money and practically all my savings but unless I'm going to sell the property (which would be hard given short lease as would restrict the buyers) it's dead money but then again, the longer I leave it the more expensive it will get. So am going to bite the bullet and do it. In fact, does anyone know any cheap solicitors in South of England?

Ednoc

Budgeting going ok so far. Cancelled trainer this morning as unfortunately have had a flare up of my nerve pain so don't really feel like it - saves £30.

Had to book a flight and hotel for a trip later this year which wasn't expecting but as would have to be booked anyway doesn't really make much difference.

Have done a meal plan for next week and will try to make B stick to that when we do our big shop at lunchtime. He wants to make some walnut bread which is good as we have loads of walnuts we bought for a dish ages ago but never used which were expensive and last weekend we bought some walnut bread which was £2.45 for a small loaf! We are having fairly cheap stuff for dinner next week.

Tonight we are at B's work do - £12.50 each but that includes entire night and food so not too bad.

Tomorrow we are booking a final hotel for our trip in september. I can use what I had budgeted for this month to pay for that as I did it only until my first pay packet. We are going to go for a massive walk tomorrow and reward ourselves with a cake at a nice hotel - but that shouldn't be more than a fiver each with a coffee.

Staying in tomorrow night and making a butternut squash risotto which is cheap and very very yummy. We can then freeze some for lunches next week.

Going to try really even harder from monday when my new budget kicks in as have taken a big pay cut (though not really if you add in their package of pension, private health, life assurance, dental, sickness cover and bonus then pro-rata what I was previously earning to a 4 day week) so need to save.

Fitness goals not going too well. Went for a walk with B last night but can't seem to force self to run.

LondonGirl252

Heya!

Have subscribed to help keep you on track! sounds like you're doing well, it is hard when you have another person than just yourself to worry about. I would be much better at keeping on track (food and money wise) if it were just myself but I wouldn't change him

How about online shopping? I find we spend about half online compared to if we went into the shop!

Leaseholds are so frustrating for that reason! Ours isn't quite as bad as your but we were advised not to let it go below 80 years so once we've lived there 2 years Next September we will have to start the ball rolling. Are there any plans to sell at all? Another option would be to start the process and let the buyer take over but reduce the sale price a bit? Guess it depends on the difference it would improve the price by if you were to extend it before you sell... food for thought.

Do you have any more races booked? A friend and I are doing the Windsor 10km in September so I am working my way through a couch to 10km app at the moment on week 4... I am already fit enough to run farther but my shin splints and PF keep flaring up so I decided to take it right back to basics and seems to be working so far! Touch wood!

LG xx

Ednoc

Hey, thanks LG for your post and subscription.

Where we live, we can't get online shopping so that's out! Would try to persuade B to go to a cheaper place but they don't have all we need and we tend to do shopping at lunchtime on a friday and he has to get back to work. Suppose I could go by myself to cheaper place earlier and then get him to go to our usual place afterwards for anything not been able to get in cheap place.

Don't know whether to sell or not. Have a good tenant who pays rent on time and never complains but have to do lease now as it becomes an even bigger problem if below 60 and of course, the more it runs down, the more expensive it is to extend so best bite the bullet. It may even be more than 45k (just waiting on surveyors report) which would wipe me out but sadly got to be done. I am tempted to sell and buy a place outright in north west and get my dad to manage it - might well do that although where it's based (tooting) is only likely to keep going up and up.

No more races, not been running in ages and flare up of nerve pain has put paid to any exercise! Glad you're getting back into it LG.

So, my new budget started on mon and so far, not spent a single penny out of it! I had about £6 in my purse anyway from last month and y'day bought 3x the eye make up remover I use every day as it was on half price so technically have spent but telling self haven't.

That will change today when we do our shop and tonight I have to go out as an old friend is visiting and i can't cancel as I cancelled when she was last here at xmas as wasn't well. However, avoiding meeting for the expensive drinks beforehand by meeting them at restaurant and may just go home after meal so hoping not too pricey.

Tomorrow B and I shall probably go out for a walk and a cake so that will be cheap, then we are staying in tomorrow night and eating from stores for rest of week.

Need to watch the pennies even more now after Brexit and particularly if I have to use everything I have to extend this lease.

Ednoc

shop was £109.10 (eekkk!) and that was pretty much sticking to the list and not even buying an awful lot of meat as we already have some in the freezer. It is just so expensive. I think I'm going to trial going to a cheaper place first next week or take this week's receipt to the cheaper place and see how much cheaper it might have been in there.

Haven't achieved much today on my day off as am in agony with my pain so tried to go to bed for a bit but couldn't sleep. B came home a short while ago with his best mate and is in garden drinking beers. They are off out into town soon and I have to get into shower to get ready for my night out even though I really wish I could cancel. Suspect tonight could be anywhere between £30 - £50 but at least have missed the expensive drinks first and hope to slope off after before they head to the expensive and pretentious bar most people go to!

Not heard from surveyor yet though he did contact me again today to ask a few questions. Have to say the whole thing is playing on my mind and worrying me. I don't really want to be without savings - I know it's not wasted as would get it back on sale of property but I won't instantly see the benefit.

I am really quite stressed about money after brexit. I'd go back to 5 days a week if I could but don't think my firm has the budget.

Ednoc

so, apart from the shop, managed to keep the weekend relatively cheap. friday night with the girls was £40 which wasn't too bad considering what we had and at least I showed my face so can skip the next thing if I like.

We then spent another £15.80 saturday as B went to shop and bought wine, beer, vienetta and crisps! It was more expensive as local shop but better than going out! Then had to transfer him £15 for his mum's birthday present (it's her birthday weds) and then had £9.80 to income tax. So not too bad. Spent nothing yesterday.

Today meant to be going for lunch with some friends but am just having coffee instead and taking my lunch to save pennies! Tonight I'm starting a complete marathon programme from scratch. Ran the LM end of April but have only run 3 times since and am struggling which then de-motivates me. So have decided just to be nice to myself and start again from scratch. Dinner from stores tonight - lemon and lavender chicken with new pots and green beans.

Got the quote from surveyor to extend leasehold - start at £32,300 but poss it could go to a fair bit more. Waiting now for a call back from the solicitors for a quote to serve the notice on the freeholder. Really galls as will hate not having a safety net of savings but it has to be done as will only get worse. May then consider putting the flat on the market though with the whole Brexit, not convinced it's best time to sell!