£67,031.92 is a frightening number indeed....

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 39: Day 3

Having an indulgent couple of days - meeting a friend for coffee today and another one tomorrow! Will be a few pounds out of the entertainment kitty, but haven't spent any money like that for weeks so am fairly guilt free. In fact, I think the one tomorrow may end up coming here, so might not even spend money. More guilty about the time away from work, but at least I had a really productive day yesterday.

Have underspent on family kitty and diesel so far this month, so and chucked the spare into the Christmas fund - standing at £100 at the moment, with a few gifts bought. I know there's going to be plenty spent on the CC, but I figure the less it is the better, so trying to keep adding a few pence here and there to that fund.

Clothes budget
I have some online shopping to return today, and my recent flurry of online clothes shopping got me thinking. My clothes shopping has been SO MUCH more manageable and organised since I started setting aside a budget in my business account for it rather than having a random feast/famine on the CC approach pre-LBM (shockingly, that wasn't a huge success ).

I have what feels like a realistic budget (a little bit high really, but as I've mentioned before, my work requires me to look the part. And, crucially, I'm able to stick within it). I am planning purchases in advance and actually thinking through the things I need (e.g. basic tshirts, underwear) in advance as well as more exciting purchases, and making sure it all fits within my budget.

I recently hadn't spent anything on clothes for a couple of months, then had a big shop a week or two back, and it feels finally like I have a wardrobe that more or less functions, and just needs topping up a bit every now and again - my preference for more expensive clothes means I never actually have enough, as I will blow lots of money on one item rather than stocking up on basics. I have decided to experiment with cutting my clothes budget by a couple of percent for a few months to see whether that still feels manageable, and if it does I will cut it a little more. I'm aware I have minor shopaholic tendencies, and trying to slash my clothing budget too far never ends well, but I'm thinking if I can cut a percentage point here and there and knock it down a bit over the next six months without it feeling unmanageable, that will be a little more money in our pocket without me really feeling the difference in my budget in one big swoop.

To do today
1. finish knitting my scarf - only a few rows to go.
2. ironing. MUST do this.
3. make something transportable for dinner (or raid the packed lunch supplies) for DC1 - swimming and cubs tonight and he often has to eat in the car.
4. lots of work bits and bobs.
5. text a friend to ask for some money for something I bought and posted to her - couldn't until I had the postage price, which I now have.
6. check DC3 flu immunisation letter, not sure if I've missed her chance to have it <bad mother>.
7. return an online shopping order.

To do this week
1. declutter and tidy DCs' bedroom.
2. declutter and tidy our bedroom.
3. start to put advent calendar together.
4. make candles.
5. make a start on the Christmas shopping.
6. start Christmas knitting.

To do this month
1. Keep the total spend at the budgeted level - it's high on YNAB this month (£3,842) as it includes the £470 paid off the MBNA card and all our savings pots are actually budgeted.
2. Keep a tight record of Christmas spends so I can ensure it sticks to budget as far as possible.
3. Keep beavering away at my business goals.
4. Make some candles - we've run out! And I know one person really wants another one for Christmas, so will add it to her hyacinth.

Cherryfudge

Your list has inspired me to do some knitting this morning.

I really like the idea of cutting the clothing budget by a small percentage. Sometimes micromanaging really does pay off in terms of making you watch the pennies so the pounds can look after themselves (or watch the pounds so the hundreds look after themselves! ) My work clothing is necessarily casual so the same pressures don't apply to me but I do love a bit of clothes shopping...

Jaydee92

Hi :j I started reading your diary last week and I have just come to the end and subscribed. I was back scrolling through MSE again after my light bulb flickered a few times throughout the last year and then come back on as bright as it could, when I realised our son is going to be 21 (now 13) when we finish paying our debts! I am now on a mission to reduce our DFD and already your diary has given me a few ideas, so many thanks!

JD x

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 39: Day 4

Morning! Feeling nicely on top of things this week. My list today is a little long, but I've been making a real effort to cut down my to do list each day, so I actually have some chance of achieving the things on it. Very good for my mindset to not be looking at 15+ things that still need doing at the end of the day!

Also pleased because I have been aiming for 10% growth each week on the main social media channel I use for my website, and I managed 15% for the first week of this month. Building up the audience for what I do is the first step, so this is great.

Nothing terribly MSE related going on here today. Waiting to hear on the mortgage, which will affect budgets massively, ticking along on the budget, haven't gone over yet. Really need to start thinking about Christmas shopping, not quite sure when that's going to happen.

To do today
1. finish knitting my scarf.
2. finish the ironing - I did the vast majority yesterday.
3. make macaroni cheese.
4. start to work on lists for the DCs' presents.
5. some more decluttering/tidying.
6. pop to the shop for ingredients - need to make soup for my clients on the weekend at some stage - the extra bookings mean I'll need to provide lunch.
7. Ooh, which means I could get ahead and prep some freezer cookies too. Let's add that to the list.

To do this week
1. declutter and tidy DCs' bedroom.
2. declutter and tidy our bedroom.
3. start to put advent calendar together.
5. make a start on the Christmas shopping.
6. start Christmas knitting.

To do this month
1. Keep the total spend at the budgeted level - it's high on YNAB this month (£3,842) as it includes the £470 paid off the MBNA card and all our savings pots are actually budgeted.
2. Keep a tight record of Christmas spends so I can ensure it sticks to budget as far as possible.
3. Keep beavering away at my business goals.
4. Make some candles - we've run out! And I know one person really wants another one for Christmas, so will add it to her hyacinth.

Treadingonplaymobil

Quick round up of today's lists...

To do today
1. finish knitting my scarf. Limping through the last bit! Making time for this every day, but taking longer than expected.
2. finish the ironing - I did the vast majority yesterday. Done! Hurrah!
3. make macaroni cheese. Done.
4. start to work on lists for the DCs' presents. Not done.
5. some more decluttering/tidying. Not done.
6. pop to the shop for ingredients - need to make soup for my clients on the weekend at some stage - the extra bookings mean I'll need to provide lunch. Not done, wrote a list though :T
7. Ooh, which means I could get ahead and prep some freezer cookies too. Let's add that to the list. Not done, having not bought ingredients.

To do this week
1. declutter and tidy DCs' bedroom.
2. declutter and tidy our bedroom.
3. start to put advent calendar together.
5. make a start on the Christmas shopping.
6. start Christmas knitting.

To do this month
1. Keep the total spend at the budgeted level - it's high on YNAB this month (£3,842) as it includes the £470 paid off the MBNA card and all our savings pots are actually budgeted.
2. Keep a tight record of Christmas spends so I can ensure it sticks to budget as far as possible.
3. Keep beavering away at my business goals.
4. Make some candles - we've run out! And I know one person really wants another one for Christmas, so will add it to her hyacinth.

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 39: Day 5

Last day of childcare of the week - I always spend today madly trying to catch up on anything I failed to do earlier in the week, and today is no exception. Lots and lots of bitty work things to get done, and some house/life admin. Have managed to keep my list down to a moderately sensible 33 things. :eek:

Giving the DCs all the same thing for breakfast has made life noticeably easier (unsurprisingly). It's also meaning I have the time to sit down and eat breakfast with them rather than rushing around to make the next DC's breakfast. They seem to quite enjoy the variety too - we agreed a breakfast menu plan together then taped it to the wall so they can see what's coming up the next day. It's worked well for two weeks now. Every little helps!

To do today
1. finish knitting my scarf (surely it has to happen one day soon!).
2. pop to supermarket for soup/biscuit ingredients for my clients
3. post office - need to post an order for smaller business and do another online shopping return.
4. start to work on lists for the DCs' presents.
5. some more decluttering/tidying.
6. schedule some social media posts so it doesn't dry up over the weekend when I'm working with clients rather than doing admin.
7. make apple strudel.
8. make kedgeree.

To do this week
1. declutter and tidy DCs' bedroom.
2. declutter and tidy our bedroom.
3. start to put advent calendar together.
5. make a start on the Christmas shopping.
6. start Christmas knitting.

To do this month
1. Keep the total spend at the budgeted level - it's high on YNAB this month (£3,842) as it includes the £470 paid off the MBNA card and all our savings pots are actually budgeted.
2. Keep a tight record of Christmas spends so I can ensure it sticks to budget as far as possible.
3. Keep beavering away at my business goals.
4. Make some candles - we've run out! And I know one person really wants another one for Christmas, so will add it to her hyacinth.

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 39: Day 6

Oooh, it's very quiet round these parts at the moment. Not that I have anything remotely interesting to say at the moment, so I shall forgive you all :cool: .

Things are just ticking along so far this month, no great dramas. The budget has not been blown, I have yet to start Christmas shopping. I suspect the two are related.

Annoyingly, the narcissi I planted along with the hyacinths (luckily not in the same bowls) have started flowering, despite supposedly taking 12 weeks+ to flower. Oh well. I have lovely narcissi in my kitchen! But it does mean I will have to come up with one or two more presents than expected.

Lots of cooking and cleaning going on here today, as I have three clients tomorrow, so will be giving them lunch.

To do today
1. finish knitting my scarf (surely it has to happen one day soon!).
2. make butternut squash soup.
3. make cookies.
4. start to work on lists for the DCs' presents.
5. menu plan and shopping list for next week.

To do this week
1. declutter and tidy DCs' bedroom.
2. declutter and tidy our bedroom.
3. start to put advent calendar together.
5. make a start on the Christmas shopping.
6. start Christmas knitting.

To do this month
1. Keep the total spend at the budgeted level - it's high on YNAB this month (£3,842) as it includes the £470 paid off the MBNA card and all our savings pots are actually budgeted.
2. Keep a tight record of Christmas spends so I can ensure it sticks to budget as far as possible.
3. Keep beavering away at my business goals.
4. Make some candles - we've run out! And I know one person really wants another one for Christmas, so will add it to her hyacinth.

Suffolk_lass

We're still here - 14 thanked you for yesterday's post TOPM! - I'm off on another 100 mile round trip to my dentist today. Such is my lack of trust in the Profession that I would rather the commute than change!

I think, like many of us, I am struggling to keep up at the moment. I have nearly 400 email to go through later today and a couple of short papers to produce.

Any news re the re-mortgage yet?

Verbatim

One of the 14 here too. Shame about the narcissi Topm. I think there's a thread elsewhere on mse with gift ideas for Christmas, in the unlikely event of your needing such help!

DawnW

Well, in a way it is a shame about the narcissi, but you can enjoy them, and they are an inexpensive treat. Beautiful scented bulbs always lift my mood

And you (or the children) can plant them in the garden when they have finished flowering so that they can flower again next year.