2017 - my frugal year

SkintTeacher

StartingAfresh wrote: »

Well done for the weight loss - amazing! And I was also shocked to learn it is now nearly March - where has this year gone?
You sound super motivated for the next month!

Thanks for your support! :j

SkintTeacher

Well! Day 1 of March and an NSD. Went in to Internet banking to check what's gone out already. No shocks as I'm much more aware of when stuff goes out now.

I've transferred my budgets for meals out/ sport etc to a separate account and some across to 'shallow' savings. I'll see how much of this I need to spend before the end of the month.

This month I'm not going to buy any clothes (really, really) as I have my lovely charity shop hauls from the previous two months. I also have very little I still need to spend on wedding -related things. I think just the crackers for the cheese wedding cake this month. April will be a different story (make-up artist final £80, £250 DJ, transport, drinks) so I'm going to have to look carefully at my budgets that month and possibly save a bit less into my ISA and my son's savings. I'll still max my 5% savings account (£300 pm currently going in there).

Little man has a severe bout of gastroenteritis so I'm tied to home tonight, haven't gone to training but asked my personal trainer to do Saturday morning instead. So that will be am hour training and an hour yoga on Saturday... Eep.

Hope everyone is having a good week.. :cool:

SkintTeacher

2 NSDs achieved this week. Would have been more except I had to get stuff for the little man as gastroenteritis saga continues - I basically bought any food that I thought might tempt him to eat something.

So, money wise only small spends and nothing selfish. The week-end looms, I have a yoga session (doesn't affect an NSD) and a run (free!) planned. Nothing apart from that as I have no idea if little one will be better or not.

Wishing all a great weekend of money saving-ness. Ooh and as a side note - this evening my 4 year old looked at the adverts on TV and said ' why are you showing us sofas!? We don't want to spend our money on sofas! They're too expensive! Stupid advert! ' - train 'em young!!! :rotfl:

SkintTeacher

Aaaand just when you have all your budgets set, the shower breaks! I phoned the people who installed it and they said it should be under warranty. Won't be fixed until end of next week, so I'd better do a very deep clean of the bath as it's seen unspeakable things this week due to gastroenteritis -4 year old too weak to sit on the toilet so the potty came into use...

SkintTeacher

A good weekend - yesterday managed to keep spends to petrol + yoga so I'm calling that an NSD. Today we went to the soft play place we have an annual pass for (payed monthly by DD) but we had an extra adult and also got coffees. I've tried taking my own drink but it's not technically allowed and OH is too embarrassed.
I tried talking to oh about money when I had him captive in the car... he isn't very interested in it all (despite being very good with money in the 12 years we've been together). He seemed happy with my saving plans. I explained that I have boosting my pension and overpaying on the mortgage in mind. These things won't be able to happen till he is back at work but I'm so glad I started my good financial habits before then as I think it is all too easy to say ' when my pay increases I'll...' I should know as that's what I've done for 6 years previously.
This month is a tight one but I've done the figures and if we have weekends like this one it is totally doable. I'm glad that at this point in my debt free journey the money I'm not spending each month really is going into savings and not paying some past thing off on the cc.
On the plus side, I had forgotten child benefit payment and if I can carry on being good then there's no reason I can't stash it away for next month and the wedding! Absolutely crazy how quickly that has come round!

SkintTeacher

Positives this week:
A cheap weekend
Payday came and went without the urge to splurge
'Enveloping' seems to work - putting money in envelopes for certain things (eg. Yoga)
Son a lot better today
2 runs, 1 swim and yoga done (no personal training this week as son very ill and OH overwhelmed)
Nearly at my target weight (67kg - currently 68.1kg - tantalisingly close!)

VelvetFreak

Great positives! And so close to goal weight :T
Have an awesome week!!

SkintTeacher

VelvetFreak wrote: »

Great positives! And so close to goal weight :T
Have an awesome week!!

Thanks you! You too

SkintTeacher

OnePoll surveys to date : £9.10 - when I get paid a out at £40 I think I'm going to get some new trainers.
Did some online banking and had a look at budgets:

£20/ £20 left in restaurant budget
£14/20 in cafe budget
£160/ £200 in wedding budget
£10/ £10 in presents budget (mothers day)
£20/ £20 in 'fun days out with the boys' budget
Sports spends are on track
Not much budgeting for anything else- so no other spending allowed


Bunkering down for a 5 NSD week - could even make 6 in a few if OH buys supper for our guests on Saturday...
Sunday is Hen do #1 - a relaxed Sunday lunch out that I'm really looking forward to with my 'baby buddies'

SkintTeacher

up to 7 NSDs in March
Have managed training, a swim and have 2 runs and yoga planned before the week is out.
Weight loss has stopped but I'm assuming that, as I'm eating really healthily and exercising lots this may be due to fat converting to muscle.
Enjoying my 3rd frugal month of 2017 and especially the way this diary has helped me think about money in the run up to my wedding. Afterwards, it'll be so much easier to save as I can see I still have money spare each month even with a hefty budget for the wedding.
Things to consider :
No summer holiday booked yet - we want to 'glamp' and I'll have to book it after the wedding
Savings funds are going well but the car needs a new fan belt - save specifically? Or use savings already built up?