Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

Hi everyone.

I'm hoping I can legitimately post a diary here as I'm in the blessed position at the moment of my only actual debt being my mortgage, but I've had a huge change in my circumstances recently and how I manage it will have a big impact on our finances.

I need to talk things through, if only with myself, and motivate myself with small money savings and accountability. For the last few years I've not kept an eye on money but I work and DH's pay has gone up so we've had enough and a bit to spare and I've got lazy with some and wasn't mentally able to face other aspects. Now that I'm in a much better place mentally, I want to take the reins and be deliberate about what I spend. I need to start facing up to this right now because we are covering costs for my Mum's estate until probate is settled. I know this isn't legally necessary but we can pay ourselves back from the estate once the paperwork goes through and I don't like the estate to be building up debt (which oddly is possible).

A bit late tonight to launch into details about the estate so I will give a brief explanation of other financial stuff. DH and I have a couple of joint accounts and a mortgage. We have an aging car which needs to be replaced soon and is essential (DH's work and transport for a disabled relative). We are also going to a family wedding abroad in July, and have paid accommodation and air fares but there will also be car hire, food, sundries and some of the clothes still to buy. DH's income is the larger and pays all the utilities, holidays, fuel and etceteras. Mine goes into the other joint account and pays the mortgage and food, which gives me a lot of pride . I also pay for contact lenses, some donations which I don't want to stop, my phone contract and, temporarily, costs incurred trying to sort Mum's estate.

The breakdown of where my money goes (pcm):
Mortgage: 282.24
Donations: 120.00
Contact lenses: 22.00
Phone 8.40
Amazon Prime: 7.99
Food for 4 adults 80.00 (pw) (approx. 347 pm)

Income:
Roughly 1,000 pcm (variable due to overtime)
Bank £3 (if I get my wages transferred regularly)

This month and possibly next I have lots of extra fairly hefty outgoings in terms of travel, paying a cleaner, insurance etc. that are all to do with Mum's estate. I will, as I said, get these back from my eventual inheritance but meanwhile I want to tread carefully and of course it will decrease what I inherit. Duh.

To encourage myself I'm keeping this diary and would love to hear from others as I do so. I can't always see things clearly till others give input.

Action I can see I need to take:
Get my wages paid directly into this account so I always get that £3! Done in time for May 2017
Cancel Amazon Prime - cancelled 7/3/17

Little MS things I've managed today:
Started this diary
Taken lunch to work - overnight oats
Mended a favourite cardigan so I can wear it in daylight
Put myself down for 3 extra shifts. 2 of these particular type of shifts pay for a journey to work on Mum's house.

Uh-ohs
Forgot DH had an evening meeting so went for the quick-cook supermarket pizza which isn't best use of food money when I could have been using stuff up.
Far too tired after a late night and an early shift, to go for a run. I know that's nothing to do with money but for lent and my waistline I'm doing C25K.

Macey1510

Good luck with your financial journey!

angelpye

Hi, just popping in to wish you good luck! Exercise is great for helping stress so I think its very money saving and if you are running outdoors its free so double win!

Cherryfudge

Thank you Macey1510 and angelpye . It's lovely to feel I have feedback.

Here is my financial must-do list which I will update as I think of more:

cancel Amazon Prime
change BACS so wages go to other account
set up DD for insurance on house
research changing utilities for our house
research changing utilities for Mum's house
have discussion with DH about overpayment on mortgage
prep cauliflower cheese for work meals so as not to buy ready meals

Guess where I'm going to start?

Starlighthappiness

Cherryfudge wrote: »

Thank you Macey1510 and angelpye . It's lovely to feel I have feedback.

Here is my financial must-do list which I will update as I think of more:

cancel Amazon Prime
change BACS so wages go to other account
set up DD for insurance on house
research changing utilities for our house
research changing utilities for Mum's house
have discussion with DH about overpayment on mortgage
prep cauliflower cheese for work meals so as not to buy ready meals

Guess where I'm going to start?

Please tell me it to cauliflower cheese!

Cherryfudge

Starlighthappiness wrote: »

Please tell me it to cauliflower cheese!

Of course

Cherryfudge

NSD today - more by accident than design.

MS stuff done:
made cauliflower cheese for a couple of work meals.
Forgot to buy bread.

Went for a run before work and am aching now but it will be worth it when I weigh myself tomorrow and have lost half a stone... or if not, it will still be worth it because I gave myself a healthy day.

Am off to have a doodle round the web site and see if I can work out what to do about these 'ere utilities what need swapping.

Bobarella

Well done on getting out for your run!

Cherryfudge

I don't actually have an entertainment budget (shows how spoilt I have been: we just justify extra spends on feeding people as well, extra spends on feeding people).

I happen to have a birthday, so DH spent extra on croissants, juice and fresh fruit salad for breakfast, DFiL treated me to coffee out as well as a present, and DD and I have been shopping for food for a hygge tea-on-our-knees-and-silly-family-games evening. As I say, I'm spoilt but I really do appreciate it.

I adore cooking and I've never made tiramisu so I've treated myself to the ingredients including Marsala wine which according to my research will last long enough to make it into a few recipes (I'm not a wine drinker) so isn't really as expensive as it looks... is it?

Spends so far:
1.49 - sturdy little mini tubs for taking small quantities of edibles when working on Mum's house. The village shop is extortionate and it's cheaper just to put a spoonful or so of marmalade in a tub than to buy single portions. I don't keep the fridge running between visits so I need small quantities.
1.00 - 2 plastic mixing bowls as we've just created a hygiene hazard by melting the side of one of ours and Wilkos is considerately discounting all things pancake-y.
1.00 - bottled lemon juice and icing sugar - see Wilkos above.
50p - cleaning wipes
10.00 marsala (a one-off, honest)
22.02 oodles of salad, southern fried chicken and oven chips to feed everyone tonight. Nothing cheaper in this town, nearest Lidl/Aldi are miles away and I don't drive.
3.00 donation

It's a slight cheat not to put any of this on the food budget when DD and I will be feeding ourselves from the leftovers for days but I'm counting that as a birthday perk. Besides Maths is not my strong point, half a cabbage equals 1 portion of veg at some point in the future, not 25.78p or whatever.

Total spends:£39.01

And now I'm going to put another load in the washing machine and go out for a first run with DH who usually goes by himself or starts out with one of out fleet-footed offspring and drops out as they go on to a further 5K.

Cherryfudge

It's been a fab day (well, I suppose it's yesterday now). Good run with DH.

I remembered another outgoing so I'll add to my previous post.

DD made us a meal and we had a hilarious evening with all the offspring generation and silly games. I really have the funniest family.

MS things today.:
southern fried chicken instead of salmon steaks,
no Saturday takeaway,
mini pots bought to save on buying too much when sorting Mum's house,
gift vouchers for the 2 books I want, lots of toiletries, plenty of plants and still some left over
plenty of salad in the fridge for DD and I to make work lunches for at least 2 or 3 days,
Asked DD to make her signature dish to feed the multitudes tomorrow - should cost favourably compared to a roast but there are 8 of us to dinner so it won't be cheap.
Loads of washing dried on the line not in the dryer / draped round the house (healthier and cheaper, roll on spring).

Real financial progress made? None. Spends £39.02 plus the Direct Debits that went out yesterday and which I haven't checked yet.

Cherryfudge

NSD today and an extra half hour at work so that won't hurt the bank balance.

DH is spending his free time trying to sort out Mum's estate... jumping through hoops, it's a big thing to get your head round. Urgh. Yet this is mostly what's behind this diary: I have to keep my finances on track this month and goodness knows how far into the future in order to make the best decisions about the estate. Thank goodness she got her affairs in good order while she could.

I had a look at the bank account and various DDs have gone out but there's more to go so I won't go into details yet. I'm working again tonight but two day off to come so I'm hoping to make some progress then.

No run yesterday due to falling asleep but that was planned: I could have had a tough night at work but as it happens I didn't. I am very impressed with myself for running today after an early shift! That makes all of five runs so far.

I saw another thread talking about using store cupboard stuff towards reducing outgoings, so I'd like a look there. I'm creative with leftovers but sadly had to throw a couple of bits out the other day so Must Try Harder.

MS stuff: £4 worth of extra time at work, and DH is hopefully steering a safe course past the Inheritance Tax Monster.