Spend Nowt, Buy Nowt, Owe Nowt

XSpender

Not spent any money today. Hurrah! In fact I have had some come in:

• £8.85 claimed from TCB to go to MoJo
• £50 deposit picked up for DH
• Refund of hoover battery and express delivery on it's way as it's out of stock

The hoover battery is a not a refund as such as I ordered it elsewhere (24p cheaper :rotfl:) and now have had an email from the original supplier saying it is on it's way!

Mistimed my dog walk and got soaked. He didn't seem to mind though It's really hoofing it down now.

Did a job search and nothing new advertised. Registered with another agency.

Called MBN@ and completed BT for 18 months with a fee. We already have all the non fee CCs unfortunately. All our debt is on 0% again. There is about £180 added since last statement date on to the card and our glasses will need to go on it. There is £145 payment to come off it and I will try and clear the balance next month before interest is changed. I don't think I will have enough to complete the MoJo next month as I need to start putting some money away for Christmas presents and events.

We have invited my DM and DSD up for the day and because they will be here we will invite my DB and DS and spouses to come up on Boxing Day. We are very organised this year

Our total debt at the end of August was £31,109.18. All but 1 payment still to come out this month but there are the BT fees and glasses to add to the total. Overall there should be a small reduction this month. I am then taking the CC out of my purse and leaving it upstairs in a box in my desk with the others.

Mojo fund now stands at £460 with £40 to find from I don't know where by the end of the month to hit my stretch target. I could use the money in the SMILE fund. Most of this is allocated to the Easter holiday installment but there is another £67 put aside towards spending money this week I could use but would rather not if I can find it somewhere else.

I've done a shopping list for Friday which comes to £42 and includes enough beer on offer for DH until the end of the month. One of the items I stopped using last month is tin foil. I used to line all my oven trays with it, afraid of cross contamination from gluten, but have started just washing them instead

XSpender

Had a chat with the recruiter for 1 of the jobs I applied for this week and she is going to put my CV forward once i have read the job description and confirmed I want to proceed. Will be a challenging role but something to get my teeth into. Also registered with another 2 agencies/sites.

Both parts I ordered were delivered at the same time today, so much for cancelling my order. I’ve now got the hassle of returning one of them :mad: The good news is it took DH minutes to fit it and the hoover is working better than ever.

Spent in Asda this evening on the beer offer for DH and a couple of GF bits and got some bargains from the bashed shelf for items I would have bought anyway. I will still need to nip to Aldi tomorrow for some fruit and packed lunch stuff and to pick up a kettle. I have been using my camping kettle with the broken lid for several months now and they have just the kettle I want for £14.

Checked DS tax rebate letter and he is still within the date to request a bank transfer so will get him to action that this weekend.

Tomorrow I am cleaning my house. I am hoping to get into a routine of cleaning it on a Friday for a couple of hours whilst I am still in this job. I am not expecting it to take all day, its not that dirty :rotfl: I also have a day’s work to do and walk the dog before I pick DS up from school.

XSpender

Blitzed the house from top to bottom, just need to put clean sheets on our bed.

Not proceeding with the job application, some areas are outside my experience. Other one I have applied for appears to have been re-advertised so it appears I wasn’t successful.

DH has had a good, if tough, week at work and DS has had a great first week at school and come home with a Headteacher award and a prize from his teacher :happyhear

Got rid of a pile of the paving slabs and should get rid of a load more over the next week or 2.

Fruit and lunch bits and a new kettle bought in ALdee. DH finally got a beer fridge (he’s been after one for ages). He got a bargain from the arg0s end of line warehouse for 1/3 of the retail price. It’s now been christened Rupert. What’s white and wears checky trousers? Rupert the Fridge :rotfl:

My eye test has been cancelled for tomorrow which is good in a way as I forgot I am getting my hair done at 9am. It would be a rush getting from one to the other. DH eye appointment is still on but will change it to when we can both go together.

Not sure what we will do tomorrow afternoon, DH needs to chill after the week he’s had. DS will have his homework to do as he is training on Sunday morning and we are taking a picnic to eat after a walk with the dog at our favourite NT site in the afternoon. DH suggested the picnic to avoid spending £30 in the cafe. I love NT GF scones I’ve bought some tomato soup and will make cheese bread and some white chocolate and raspberry blondies to make it a bit nicer than the usual sandwich and crisps. That’s what I will be doing tomorrow afternoon, baking (hopefully with DS)!

BalanceBy50

Lovely to read your recent posts XS you really seem to have got your mojo and zest for life back and taking any curve balls in your stride.

Please can I ask who is what method you are using to tackle your finances? All the words you use sound very inspirational. Hope you've had the glorious weather for your picnic today! X

XSpender

BalanceBy50 wrote: »

Lovely to read your recent posts XS you really seem to have got your mojo and zest for life back and taking any curve balls in your stride.

Please can I ask who is what method you are using to tackle your finances? All the words you use sound very inspirational. Hope you've had the glorious weather for your picnic today! X

Hi BalanceBy50 we have started following the Barefoot Investor method. He is Australian and not all his steps are relevant to the UK but I like worked out that doing his method would be the quickest way to clear out debt while still allowing us some life. I found out about him from reading Brizzlegirl diary as she is using this method but is further along than us.

It was a beautiful day up north today but we ate at home and just had a drink at the NT site

BalanceBy50

XSpender wrote: »

Hi BalanceBy50 we have started following the Barefoot Investor method. He is Australian and not all his steps are relevant to the UK but I like worked out that doing his method would be the quickest way to clear out debt while still allowing us some life. I found out about him from reading Brizzlegirl diary as she is using this method but is further along than us.

It was a beautiful day up north today but we ate at home and just had a drink at the NT site

Thank you will look him up and also have a look at Brizzlegirls diary.

I think you are further north than us but it's been lovely in Yorkshire xx

Suffolk_lass

I've also got a new kettle but I got mine on Faceache Markt - a stove-top one with a whistle that retails at £83 for £25 - a bit of white vinegar to remove the fur and it is lovely

XSpender

BalanceBy50 wrote: »

Thank you will look him up and also have a look at Brizzlegirls diary.

I think you are further north than us but it's been lovely in Yorkshire xx

I'm a Yorkshire girl relocated to the NE

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

I've also got a new kettle but I got mine on Faceache Markt - a stove-top one with a whistle that retails at £83 for £25 - a bit of white vinegar to remove the fur and it is lovely

Bargain! I love my new kettle It is light and has a lovely pour. Also co-ordinates with my kitchen tiles.


I started writing an update in the hotel last night but was so tired I was in bed for 8 and asleep not long after 9!

Somebody must have hit DH on the head! He has opted to buy himself out of his phone contract (4 months) and go SIM only :eek: This will save us £124 over the next 4 months and almost £60/month compared with him renewing his phone and signing up for another 2 year contract. :T

We bought DH a new winter coat from M&S at the weekend as he doesn't have a warm one. He didn't take it off all weekend :rotfl:
He also went for his free eye test. He has almost perfect eye sight and doesn't need any glasses, not bad for nearly 50. The Optician told him he didn't need any glasses and then tried to sell him contact lenses...err what for? :mad:

My eye test is tomorrow. I do wear reading glasses so want to check my prescription and make sure my eyes are healthy. I had my eyes lazered several years ago and do not think they have deteriorated since then. I won't be buying reading glasses there even if I need them, my current ones are from boots and the last 2 pairs before that were from Asda.

I have been away with work for 2 days, ate rubbish today but have managed 2 NSDs. I will be spending tomorrow as I need 2 birthday cards and a stamp.

I did buy some clothes on Saturday when DH got his coat but I don't need them/love them enough to keep them so they will be returned.

No new jobs posted to apply for.

I have been listening to Choose FI podcasts when driving about this week. Also listened to Mrs Frugalwoods being interviewed on another (none finance) podcast which was really good.

I have looked into getting an M&S CC for our spending to earn vouchers but do not think we are in control of our spending enough to do it yet. I would be worried we would spend more than we could repay in full that month even though it would all be tracked in YNAB.

Mojo is now at £471.28 after adding some interest from a maturing savings account and TCB claimed. It will be a struggle to add any more at the minute. DH still needs to claim his tiny tax rebate and we have child benefit due in but this is allocated to repaying a debt and covering my holiday phone bill, both due at the end of the month.

BI calculates that living expenses should be 60% ours are currently 68% excluding debt repayments based on this month's reductions. It is the size of our mortgage payment that throws this out for us, all our other costs are pretty reasonable. I'm not sure where we could cut a few more hundred pounds to hit 60%.

XSpender

A job has come up today I may apply for. It’s an application form. I feel like I am at school writing as essay to get a job, application forms seem so old fashioned. Essay writing is not a skill required once in post :cool:

Work may have won some more contracts so hopefully if mine ends there could possibly be another role. Unfortunately they can offer me any ‘suitable’ role and I will have to take it. They will do everything they can to avoid paying redundancy but I do need a job rather than a few grand in redundancy money.

Spoke to my mobile provider to have my phone unlocked so I can use my cheapy SIM. Already have the PAC code to transfer my number. DH will sort his out at the weekend.

I had my eyes tested and need a stronger reading prescription but will buy some ready readers again when this pair break. Also took 2 items back to M&S and picked up some YS GF bread loaves and got an extra £1 off with my sparks card. £2.09 spent on birthday cards for my Mum which must be posted tomorrow!

There’s not much left in the food budget and we do need some stuff this weekend after a low spend last week. DH had the pinch of nom bolognaise I had converted into chilli tonight on a jacket and he said it was gorgeous. It certainly smelt good but I don’t eat beef so had cheese on mine instead of veggie chilli as I wasn’t that hungry. I will have to have a good rummage in the freezer to find the makings of some meals for the weekend/next week to keep my spending down.

DH forgot to leave me the label he printed off to return the duplicate hoover part this morning so I couldn’t send it today to get the refund. They have refunded the ‘express delivery’ charge as requested. I will have about £300 on the credit card that will need clearing next month or I will start getting charged interest.

I was reading on another thread about people’s plans for their kids Christmas gifts and I haven’t a clue what to get DS. He will ask for a gaming laptop or a black lab puppy and he’s getting neither of those :rotfl: Mind, the puppy is on my list too

XSpender

Transferred over to SIM only this afternoon saving £26/month

I have been going through our SOA looking for what else we can cut but can't see anything. There is our mahoosive mortgage but there is nothing we can do about that apart from shop around for a better deal in a year and a bit.

We have a life insurance policy we took out with our old house and have left it running as I get no death in service benefits and it would provide DH/DS with a lump sum (or me and DS) so will leave it as it is. One area to focus on is achieving our food and alcohol budget. DH does like a beer or 5......

I'm not convinced that the budget I set for food is realistic. I include dog food, toiletries, cleaning and laundry, booze, food and the odd chippy tea but not eating out for 2 adults and a 9 year old with a large appetite. I now cover all DS meals and I am coeliac but don't buy a lot of 'products' and I don't eat much meat. I'm aiming for £320 when we spent an average of £505 per month for the first 6 months of the year. I haven't tracked it as well over the last few months although I know I have spent more than £320!

The one big area to reduce, and the only way to save more (big EF, retirement savings) and have more money for the things we want to spend on (holidays - nothing flash, a couple of family meals out a month, replace our knackered sofa and living room carpet), is to reduce what we pay out on debt repayments by paying it off. Simple really, isn't it?

The only other option is increase our income I suppose. We are not prepared to live on rice and beans and have none of the things we enjoy to get there quicker. I probably would go further on the frugality but DH won't. He has moved his thinking a fair bit this year after having his epiphany about the security of being mortgage free but we have to be debt free first.

I managed to clean the house again this Friday while doing a fair bit of work work and washed and then dried 4 loads of washing on the line. There is now a pile of ironing for DH to do and about 4 piles of stuff and a pile of underwear to put away from his last stint.

We have had to have the heating on for a couple of hours on Tuesday as it was 17 degrees indoors. I had already got the fleeces out and layers on but it was uncomfortably cold.

Posted my return and will keep an eye out to check that the refund hits the CC.

DH is at work until about 2pm tomorrow so I am planning to get some more jobs done like cleaning the utility and downstairs loo, DS homework, a meal plan and shopping list and walk the dog.

We are going to the last summer evening at our local NT site tomorrow night. Live music, food including an outside pizza oven, and GF beer at £3/pint. I am intending to feed us before we go but will have a beer or 2 as DH will drive. There is enough in the splurge pot to cover this and possibly enough for a main course and a drink each at our favourite pub on Sunday to celebrate our wedding anniversary. I have the apples to make a crumble so will have this when we get home to avoid buying 3 deserts.

Sorry, that turned into a mammoth post full of random musings.