A Ditherer's Diary (again)

astrocytic_kitten

I find myself staring at the spreadsheet for ages (or tinkering with it, or colour coding it), as if that means it will all sort itself out too. You’re doing great Naomim, and having the pots saved is fantastic. 

Also, as someone currently selling stuff that helped build up the debt - it doesn’t feel great to realise you’ve barely (or never) used something, you didn’t really need or love it in the first place, you’re still paying for it, and you’re getting a fraction of what you originally spent back. Not needing the self validation buying the stuff gives you in the first place is incredibly valuable (still a work in progress for me!). 

You’re doing really brilliantly, it’s just a slog at times.

One-step-at-a-time

@astrocytic_kitten oh that's made me chuckle, I re-colour coded my spreadsheet last week because I couldn't fiddle the numbers any further

Naomim

Thanks @astrocytic_kitten I really need to get my bum in gear re: selling. I have a load of kids dvd's and books. May offer for free tbh just to get rid and a bag of (mainly) childrens clothes. Shame not all one size as I could offer them as a job lot.

My new radiator is in! Downstairs is lovely and toasty but I can imagine my gas bill is going to shoot up now we are wfh full time. I'm happy to put on extra layers to warm up but there's only so much cold you can bear. I must apply for that small tax rebate but it's no way near going to cover the bills! 

Was talking to my brother yesterday. My internet has been shocking recently (Virgin superfast apparently! 😕) so he's going to see if he has an old router I can use and some boosters. If not he'll let me know which ones to get. I explained I'm not using credit at the moment and don't have much spare - (he's in IT and likes top end spec) but did say if he finds something I will pay back in installments over 2-3 months.  It's Prime day tomorrow so I think he'll have a look for me.

Not much else to report, meal planning fell apart this week as I came down with a shocking cold on Thursday afternoon and really wasn't well enough to cook Friday & Saturday. MrM did make a prawn stir fry yesterday that was way too spicy for me so I only had half but Friday and Saturday became takeaways 😒. At least the meals not eaten from my plan will carry over into this week.  We're having seabass tonight, lamb one-pot tomorrow and the planned chicken on Wednesday.   I can't see this weeks shopping being too low though as need quite a few store cupboard bits, toilet rolls and cereals.

Prolific has been very slow this month too so not much extra going to be paid off the credit cards at the end of the month. Although now I have downloaded the YOLT app, at least I have all my balances in one place so can see at a glance how they are doing.

It's now pouring with rain and Boris has just announced his 3 tier system in the House of Commons. All I could look at was the raft of hair or dandruff on his suit and think someone should have got the Mr Sticky out on him 😂

Hope everyone is coping, saying safe and well.

Naomim

Naomim

Morning all,

Well had a bit of a spend on Prime day deals. I bought a new Microwave. It was desperately needed and had £30 off so I was happy to buy it.   Also bought my 15yo some David Beckham aftershave for Christmas at £8.46 reduced from £35.   I was on the waiting list for a fire stick but missed the notification so missed out there.  I'll wait for Black Friday and see if it's price dropped again.  

My credit cards are almost in the £28k bracket. Now there's no interest I like seeing it come down the brackets. I pay about £630 a month to the cards so it's moving fairly quickly now.

The BBC have just announced London to move into Tier 2. MrM and I trying to work out what it means for us. We are officially in Surrey and live on the London/Surrey border.  MrM's parents are 3 miles away but in a London borough.  Trying to work out whether we are allowed to go to their house. It says no households mixing but not sure if it means support bubbles as we are in a bubble. Our 10yo's school is near their house so she walks to their house everyday and we collect her from there.  Her school is literally on the county line, the road divides London and Surrey.  

Oh well..... i'm sure we'll work out what to do.

Hope everyone is keeping safe and well.

Naomim

Naomim

Morning All,

I had the hairdressers yesterday, it cost £45 for what was effectively a trim! Now I remember why I used to get it all cut off then leave it to grow for a couple of years! The trouble is I really like the hairdressers, they are a local independent and I do want to support them. and keep my hair at this length. I think I need to revisit my budget and see what I can squeeze in.

In money saving news, I switched my  mortgage product yesterday with my current provider.  We were on a base rate tracker so the current interest rate was 2.1% but we have changed to a 5 year fix for 1.69%. I think it will be about a £50 month saving.  We have a number of mortgage products due to needing to extend our credit when we were shafted by the builders. So two are still on a fixed rate but think they expire next year in the summer.  Once we are within 6 months of the fixed rate finishing we can switch so I will look at doing that with those two also.

My brother is coming tonight to sort out a new router and boosters for the internet as he is going into Tier 2 tomorrow and won't be able to visit.  

As I said, I think i really need to revisit my budget. I had to put petrol in my car but had no money left in the pot, not enough in the hairdressers pot and I need dog food and although there's a bit left in the pot, might not be enough to see me through to the end of the month.  

My work have said I was too late to claim MrM's BUPA excess for it to hit this month's wages so it will be in November.  I'm so pleased they agreed to pay it. I have sent off the forms to re-add him to my scheme, I must check they've actually done something with it this time.   

I'm having a nightmare with my professional course. The provider isn't offering any units this year, but it's been paid for in full by my company, so now I have to try and arrange to get a partial refund.  This will be major effort 😕.

Hope all are staying safe and well.

Naomim 

Naomim

My Tesco shop came in at £70.21 today.  So much better than last week but I didn't need any cleaning products or toilet rolls etc this week.  I may even come in under budget.

This weeks meal plan is:
Shepherds Pie
Burger & Chips
Spanish Omelette
Pie & Veg
Gammon with bubble & squeek
Toad in the Hole - didn't get to make it the other week
Pork joint roast.

I've also decided I'd quite like to bake some cakes with DD over winter. I'm not a baker and don't particularly enjoy it, but it's something that may keep her occupied during the long winter weekends.

The OD has gone right up this month but I had £500 to pay out more than normal with the doggo and MrM's excess. It will be coming back to me.  Also Doggo had a haircut yesterday and that was £45.  I didn't have a pot for this so I've set up new pots for his groomers which is usually about every 3 months and haircuts. I did lump haircuts under clothing and haircuts before but there was barely enough to cover clothes.  Usually it's not clothes the money is spent on but shoes.  My family seem to go through trainers like wildfire! 

DD's birthday is in a weeks time. All birthday presents bought. I've said she can take some friends to a trampoline park. We're in Tier 1 so these things are still open. There's enough money in the birthday present pot to pay for this.  

I was trying to work on give every penny a job like the YNAB but had an amount left in the joint account which was meant to knock down the overdraft but still just seems to get used up on crap.  I've been budgeting again for a year and although making great strides in getting the credit card debt down and saving for lots of future purchases such as insurances, car repairs etc, we're still frittering on far too much.  I think another pot is needed so all is left in the joint account is money for the bills with a small buffer - like £50 then at the end of the month I transfer back the money from the "spare" pot and put it back in the joint account.   I'll be playing with my spreadsheet later and adding pots to my Monzo account.

Hope you are all staying safe and well.

Naomim

Naomim

Today I spent a bit of time working out the new pots and amounts needed and updating the my Monzo account. I now have 17 pots! 😂 I already had a standing order set up for the beginning of the month and have now set up a 2nd as MrM and I don't get paid on the same day so it helps to spread them out a little.

Credit cards are now down to £28,944.18 so it's all moving in the right direction. 👍

Naomim

WinterWarrior

I have 5 pots...sadly they are all empty! Maybe I should create another 12 and see if I can actually keep anything in 1 of them 😂

Naomim

Suzanne54321B said:

I have 5 pots...sadly they are all empty! Maybe I should create another 12 and see if I can actually keep anything in 1 of them 😂

At the beginning I didn't think I could do it. Some of them are emptied every month because that is what they are allocated for, petrol, dog food, groceries. It helps me manage it. Others are long term savings - car repairs, car insurance, house insurance. I managed to pay them in full at the beginning of the year and then what I would have paid in DD's gets put into the pot instead. I love looking at my Monzo account and seeing the balance building up.   It's the frittering during the month and the realisation that there's other costs or not enough in the pots that's made me decide to have more.  I'm pretty good that once it's in a saving pot, I don't touch it.  Kind of "out of sight out of mind"

Naomim

Naomim

Half term has started. I have two weeks of the kids being at home!  😮  I'm off work Tues - Thurs this week. Doggo is going to the Supervets for his MRI tomorrow, Weds' is DD's birthday and we're off to Legoland for the afternoon and Thursday I'm taking her and three friends to a trampoline park. We're lucky we're in Tier 1 so these things are still open.

Yesterday we, were supposed to enjoy our extra hour in bed when at 7.20am there was a massive bang and a bright light outside, rushed to the window to see if I could see anything, then it started pouring. It appears it was a large clap of thunder almost overhead.  It woke both the kids up and MrM was already up. Our local FB pages were full of people asking what it was.  I can honestly say I have never heard thunder quite so loud.  

Christmas is also on it's way in this house and I've started getting bits in.  I ordered DD a sweatshirt from Chessington World of Adventures and have had an email from them saying they are refunding me so I've had to get in touch and find out why.   At the weekend DD and I went into our local town centre. It was the first time in ages! I spent £2.50 in Wilko's and bought some more handbag sized hand sanitser in Superdrugs.  Sad to see some more shops had shut down including Game & Smiggle.  I got some good ideas for some Christmas presents in The Works.  I went onto Topcashback and ordered the bits from The Works online.  DD and I also went to IKEA and again.. I spent nothing!!!  We went to look for some room ideas for her bedroom as it's a small space and storage needs to be at a premium.  I wanted to get some ideas and work out what I would need to save to be able to do the work that's needed.  I did want to pick up some candles and she wanted some pens she'd seen but I didn't fancy queuing for so long for such a small amount.  

Nothing more to report on the financials, just waiting for MrM's salary to drop and the standing orders for the pots to go out.  One goes tomorrow and one on the 1st of the month.

Hope everyone managed to have a good weekend.

Naomim