Getting back on the MFW Wagon

Needhelpsaving

Weekly shop has been done today. No petrol needed and even with buying some new clothing basics, I came in £8 under budget.

The accounts have been checked and balanced (except CC, as this is from next months budget - xmas presents). I had £86ish sitting in my account that was above what I needed to get to month end. I have moved this £86 to the joint account to go towards plumbing costs. Any further underspends in the grocery/personal/birthday budgets will go to this pot to until the work is done and out of the way.

Still to come through this month are - approx £100 work expenses and £82.80 family allowance. This will be used to balance CC so that we don't go into December with too much money owing.

I have tried to get started with baby money saving by signing up for Emma's Diary and the Boots Parenting Club. I need to do some more research into any other ways I can save/get samples/coupons etc. I have picked up swagbucks again the first aim is to earn enough amazon points for a changing mat.

If anyone has any baby money saving tips, they would be very welcome.

greent

Congratulations! xx

Needhelpsaving

Good Morning!

Just popping in to keep updated. Food shopping was done online yesterday for delivery today - £140 spent this was to cover 2 weeks (except fresh bits for the last week of the month) and included some xmas bits to be put by.

Personal money has been depleted - a leavers meal at work (which was arranged last minute) used up the last of my funds for this category. This is an area I still need to work on.

I also booked an afternoon tea for me and my mum to celebrate her birthday. This will allow us to spend some time together instead of a gift (which I hope she will enjoy more).

The bank account movement needs to be minimal/non existent over the next week to keep us where we need to be.

This week I must put in my work expenses (nearly £100 worth).

Jobs for today include cleaning and ironing to get ready for the week ahead.

Needhelpsaving

Just popping in to report that it has been very quiet on the Bank account front, which is welcome.

The plumber is coming Friday to sort out the issues we have identified. OH is cash flowing this job, not ideal timing, but it will need sorting now to avoid a bigger bill in the future.

Still waiting on the electrician to come back to us, but the main issue has been made safe temporarily.

I must do my expenses!!!!

Needhelpsaving

So the plumber came and done half of the jobs he originally quoted for - bit miffed. Kitchen tap, which had broken and the leak under the sink have been sorted - total cost was £110, for new tap and labour.

Although he decided he didn't want to do the work in the bathroom- it is more fiddly, so I suppose it was too much work for him? OH has spoken to original bathroom fitter to see if he can come and sort it for us - we'll see how that pans out.

Still no word from the electrician- getting a bit of a theme here in the tradesmen wanting the easy, quick cash jobs. Maybe I'm in the wrong job :rotfl:

We shall persevere to find someone to help us get it sorted.

On the money front the weekly top up shop has been done - £60 and included some birthday cards, a gift for my brother for passing his driving test and a box of chocs for my mum who has kindly let us use her tumble drier for the last few weekends.

Expenses are now at £130 - I will have these done tonight ready to be handed in tomorrow morning.

Some more money moves to be made today for xmas presents picked up by in-laws for us. I also need to put together the budget for next month in preparation for payday on Friday.

earthgirl

Just caught up. Huge congratulations x

Needhelpsaving

Good Morning.

Just popping in before work. I am on count down to payday on Friday.

The agreed money moves happened - paid in laws for the xmas presents they had picked up for us and have done the budget for December.

Shamefully, I STILL have not done my expenses. Feel free to shout at me.

On a MS note, my lovely mum came over last night to have LO while I went back to work. She came armed with two new pairs of maternity pj's for me as she had noticed me cutting the elastic waist bands in my normal pj's to accommodate my growing belly

She also bought at 12 pack of xmas crackers that she bought and didn't use - as they are out for dinner this year, they would have been destined for another year in the cupboard

Needhelpsaving

Drumroll please . . . .I submitted my expenses! (Finally!). That's £140ish due to come in next month.

Payday shuffles have been made and £188.80 has been sent to the mortgage as an OP. We now stand at £3506.09/£4000 for the year.

No money to savings this month.

earthgirl

Well done on the expenses!

I doctored leggings and pjs by adding the tummy part of a crop top when pregnant. Worked brilliantly!

Do you have some items of maternity clothes?

Needhelpsaving

Hi earthgirl thanks for stopping by x

I do have some maternity clothes, I think I was caught out by how quickly I have grown this time, I didn't buy any maternity tops until I was around 6.5 months with DD and wore my normal jeans all the way through. This time I have had to buy elasticated waist bands since around 14 weeks.

I was putting the pjs on my Christmas list, so am feeling very spoiled at the moment.