A Ditherer's Diary (again)

Naomim

armchairexpert wrote: »

Gyms are notorious for harsh cancellation policies (many of them will say cancellations have to be in writing and then not allow email) and taking the P. I'm sorry it happened to Mr N. At least you're on top of it now and I assume it's formally cancelled now? Make him go there every day for the next three months so you get your money's worth - even if it's just to use their hot water and shower!

I love this idea! I may get him to do that. It has swimming pool and steam room which he loves so I might ship him off there as much as possible.

GeorgianaCavendish wrote: »

Hi Naomi, so sorry to hear about the gym troubles. I think it is worth writing to head office to express how disappointed you are, see if they can do anything as a goodwill gesture even if that is just knocking a month off the notice period.

Can you switch your direct debits to after payday? I've done this for two credit cards recently, just got to make sure I've made the min payment on one of them manually because DD doesn't start until August. I've got reminders everywhere!

I think I'm going to write a letter for MrM to send. It may help.

Positive news today. It's payday and I got a "little" payrise. :T It's £40 extra in my wages per month but it's lovely and unexpected. Last year they sent round an email saying no more cost of inflation pay rises. So I am a happy bunny. :j

Naomi x

Naomim

Hi All,

Not much to post about the past week. I've been really good with my spending and logging every penny onto my spreadsheet. I know what's coming out and when.

I'm hoping to knock around £100 off the overdraft. It's not too much but I'm aware I have to top up school uniforms and get both kids new shoes. DS needs new shirts, socks, school shoes and PE trainers. DD needs new polo shirts and shoes so hopefully it wont be too expensive. I've tried before going down the route of buying very cheap shoes for them both but they just fall apart and you have to replace them so often you may as well spend on the expensive ones that are likely to last.

I hope everyone is doing well too. Off to read some other diaries for inspiration.

Naomi

Naomim

Morning, just a little thing to post but it's the small things that make you happy I guess.

DS dropped his phone (again). It's already been replaced once on the insurance. I kept a very old phone which he can use but we needed to get the SIM adapted to the right size. We had to go into the town centre and normally I wouldn't think twice about driving. I decided we should get the bus. We weren't in a rush, kids travel for free and I have a travelcard for my work commute so it cost nothing.

We'd also planned to go to the cinema later with friends so I cashed in some
clubcard vouchers and my friend drove & collected us. So apart from some sweets & drinks from Wilko's it was a cheap day.

Naomi.

Naomim

I was just catching up on the MSE diary of GeorgianaCavendish. She mentioned about her childhood and how her parents never spoke about money. I suspect this was the same.e for many of us. Certainly me.

My dad worked two jobs and when I started school my mum worked 1.5 days a week in M&S. We lived in a council flat, had no car or luxuries. I can remember walking home 4miles with my mum and our food shop as she couldn't afford the bus fare. We had two holidays. One in Ryde when I was around 5 and one in Bournemouth when I was about 11. Days out were museums or trips to the park mainly and my brother and I had a council run youth club on our doorstep. 5p to get in. These days holiday club at school is £20 for a full day.

Once a month my mum would shut herself away in tbe bedroom and "do the accounts". But it was never spoken about.

By comparison I have spoilt my children, keeping up with the Jones'es and now its all crashed around us.

I have explained to the 12 year old that we have no money for luxuries but I'm not sure how well he grasps it.

How do you teach your kids about budgeting? Should I sit down with a list of everything we pay out for? How do you start?

Naomi

ritten on the wrun

quintwins

Naomim wrote: »

I was just catching up on the MSE diary of GeorgianaCavendish. She mentioned about her childhood and how her parents never spoke about money. I suspect this was the same.e for many of us. Certainly me.

My dad worked two jobs and when I started school my mum worked 1.5 days a week in M&S. We lived in a council flat, had no car or luxuries. I can remember walking home 4miles with my mum and our food shop as she couldn't afford the bus fare. We had two holidays. One in Ryde when I was around 5 and one in Bournemouth when I was about 11. Days out were museums or trips to the park mainly and my brother and I had a council run youth club on our doorstep. 5p to get in. These days holiday club at school is £20 for a full day.

Once a month my mum would shut herself away in tbe bedroom and "do the accounts". But it was never spoken about.

By comparison I have spoilt my children, keeping up with the Jones'es and now its all crashed around us.

I have explained to the 12 year old that we have no money for luxuries but I'm not sure how well he grasps it.

How do you teach your kids about budgeting? Should I sit down with a list of everything we pay out for? How do you start?

Naomi

ritten on the wrun

My childhood was full of talks about money, overhearing fights and being told no. I think this is where my issues with money come from, I want to give my kids the childhood I never had when infact they already have it. We aren't hiding when the door knocks. We don't have to put £1 in the tv to make it work, and regularly don't have that pound. I remember having to go to the electric board with my mum to pay for her stuff on finance. I remember my granny having to feed us. My kids are younger than yours but they do understand that sometimes I have no money but they will only remember it that day, they don't seem to gasp that it's an ongoing thing.

jvr

Hi


Although I have been a bit daft in recent years with money when I was a kid I was awesome. My dad was a dentist but I didn't realise that meant he earnt a lot as we lived very simply. When I was 11 my parents gave me an allowance it was £40 a month and I bought everything from phone credit to new clothes to cinema trips, the only thing I didn't have to pay for was school things. If I ran out of money I ran out.... I remember saving for months for a pair of top shop jeans as they were so expensive, somehow I lost that lesson but i'm trying to get it back. I really think allowances are a good way of showing how money is limited and we have to make choices. I still wish I had more of my mums scrimping ways, I remember Weetabix being this huge treat on a sunday!

Naomim

I never gave the kids pocket money, it was as and when but then I thought I should budget it and got them "GoHenry" cards which are like a pre loaded debit card for kids. It automatically updates with their pocket money weekly and you can top up. I've since cancelled it for DS. He's lost two and they cost £3.50 to replace. He also finds if he's in a smaller shop like the newsagents, they charge an extra 50p to use the card if he's spending under £5. So now I'm giving DS a weekly budget of £5 and it has to last. With DD it's much easier as I look after the card and she saves up to spend in smiggle.

As a child, eating out was a luxury bit my two have been used to takeaways and eating out at least twice a month. £50-£60 a time. That's most of my weekly shopping budget!

Naomi

Naomim

Afternoon all,

MrM is paid tomorrow and we have £133 in the bank account which will knock down the huge overdraft. I felt with a bit more planning this month I've been in more control and not quite as stressed. Although we still have this massive debt, it feels like an achievement knowing it will be ever so slightly less next month. The credit card debt is snowballed and will be reducing too.

As it's school holidays I have a bit of money budgeted for some days out. Yesterday I got DS a load of new school shirts in MrT's and a pair of trousers for the 7yo to try on. I find MrT sizes odd on my kids. Very large waists - the trousers not my kids!:rotfl:

Let's hope I feel this way at the end of next month :cool:

Naomi x

Naomim

Two new things to report on the ongoing budgeting and finance saga.

Firstly we are switching to Virgin from Sky. We were paying £105 a month for SKY including phone & broadband. We have two boxes, one upstairs and one downstairs. MrM usually watches all the sport and films upstairs and I watch boxsets downstairs. The kids are gaming or streaming. I found it annoying SKY were charging us for line rental when we don't have a landline phone anymore and the broadband was very slow. We can get the same package with Virgin for £20 a month cheaper. I'm also cancelling the sky protect insurance so that's another £11 a month. Saving £30 a month for hopefully a better service. As we're still in contract with SKY and there's exit fees, Virgin have agreed to pay these for us :T

I also emptied my £2 pot. I had £314 in there :eek: I've kept about 10 back that were very shiny with different designs that I'm going to try and sell on ebay. It's worth a try. If I make more than £2 each it's worth it.

School holidays are bobbing along. A couple of free days out so far. MrM took 7yo to a PYO farm yesterday for strawberries and having a great time.

Not much else happening, DD's all going out of the account and spreadsheet up to date.

Naomi x

Naomim

I feel like I'm trudging my way to pay day. I get paid on the 15th so it's not far away but it's a slog to get there. I have one more food shop to do until payday and I know this will take me over my food budget. :mad: I've done two shops in Tesco this month and one included school shirts for 12yo so that's why I'm higher than usual. Petrol is a bit lower as MrM and I using one car in stead of two in the week now that my hours have changed.

The merlin passes have now officially run out. I seriously think I'm going to miss it and will have to be inventive with days out. I've downloaded the KidsPass app. Using a link from MSE you can get a 60 day free trial! :T I've saved on cinema tickets and hoping to take kids trampolining next week as I can get 25% off.

Bought DD's school shoes in Clarks. £44 but hopefully they will last the majority of the year like her last Clarks pair did. Thankfully that's it for uniform for now.

Checking out to eat my packed lunch now.

Naomi x