Too much month at the end of my money...

Magpie100

As the above says - I have too much month at the end of my money, every single month. I always enjoy reading this board and feel like I could do with some accountability and motivation in managing my money. I also feel a bit of a fraud posting here as my current debt is low-ish (£1700 on one card) and I have quite a lot of savings (more on this later) that I could clear it with. BUT. I know what I am like and I really want to try and pay this card off and sort out my finances the hard way. If I just pay it from my savings I won't have to stop and think about why I seem to struggle to get through the month. I do know why, actually, but I think I am in denial about the reasons.

My feeling is that our attitudes to money and saving are really complicated, and until we try and unpack the reasons why we behave as we do we'll be caught in an endless cycle. This credit card has been hanging over me for so long and in some ways it's a security blanket.

I'm off work this week which I am very excited about - we have been lucky enough to go away on a lot of lovely holidays over the last few years but I am so pleased to be having a week at home. I have made a list of things I want to achieve, and I really want to try not to spend too much. WHich will be difficult. I feel as if I don't often have time to do all the things I want, so when I DO have time I tend to do everything in one go and SPEND MONEY.

So, I will go in to more background details in further posts. Today has been spendy but productive. I have sorted the shed and conservatory for winter, and tomorrow when it rains I am going to declutter the house (as much as I can - it's a big house). I have spent £34 in Aldi, £6 in Halfords (screen wash and antifreeze) and £15.50 in Decathlon on trainers and a top (warning: I can justify spending any amount of ££ on exercise gear). I also left my bike in Decathlon for a service (more on this later) which I am told will be £17.But when I collect it tomorrow I'll also need to get some lights for it.

I came home for a lunch of leftovers, though, and even took a bottle of water with me when I went out. Some things I am really disciplined on, others...not so much.

Right. I feel better for having started this. I want to clear this debt, but I also want to understand WHY I spend as I do. Thanks for reading!

Magpie100

Aims for tomorrow:

- collect bike and get lights for it. £40? I'll have a look on the website to see what lights cost. It's going to rain, so I suspect I'll get soaked doing this.
- begin great declutter of house. I really want to know what I HAVE so I don't spend money buying things just because I've forgotten what I own.
- sort out dates for meeting up with people in the autumn (almost impossible these days, since everyone has many children and commitments, but somehow I will make it happen).
- Go to boot camp. It'll still be raining!
- Not spend any money on food or drink during the day. There is no need.

Magpie100

Bad money: window cleaner messaged to say he would be round this morning. £25. This is the kind of cost I bury my head in the sand about, even though I KNOW he will come once a month. Money sent to him, £10 claimed back from OH for his share but...ugh.

Good money: walked to town and picked up my bike. £17 for service and £9.99 for basic lights. So less than I thought and it is AMAZING to be back on my bike! We have lots of brilliant cycle paths so I was able to get most of the way home without going near a road.

Next issue: I need a bike lock. In fact, I have a really good Kyptonite lock and have found the keys for it, but they don't seem to work. Frustrating. However, their website suggests cleaning and lubricating it all and as the lock hasn't been used for about 4 years perhaps that is the issue. So I will try that later today. I really don't want to have to buy another lock. Having resurrected my fitbit at the weekend just by giving it a clean, it's definitely worth a try with this.

Magpie100

So happy! WD-40 WORKED and lock is now up and running. This plus fixing my fitbit earlier this week have saved me £200 in replacements (not that I would have replaced my fitbit at the moment, but I would have done so eventually).

There is NOTHING WD-40 can't fix. Off to look round the house for more things that need some!

Magpie100

So plan for today: spend as little as possible while still enjoying my time off. I get paid mid-month so another two weeks till payday and it is going to be EXTREMELY tight. I really want to not have to dip in to my savings so need to keep focussed.

Going to do more house and garden after coffee number 2. This afternoon I have to go to the orthodontist as have braces on teeth at the moment and part of the wire has come dettached again. That has all been paid for already, though, so no cost. Also have bag of clothes to drop off at charity shop, may have even more later after going through wardrobes.

Charity shops are a danger area for me though so need to keep things under control!

fruitloop04

Hi Magpie! I am in the same boat where my spending is not inline with what I get paid! You sound motivated and finding stuff to sell is a good way to make extra cash and declutter the house! I need to do this. Good luck in your journey

Scott_Weiland_2

Re your bike bits have a look at chain reaction online they are spot on for bike bits. Plus if you have any cashback site memberships they are on quidco and topcashback.co.uk

Magpie100

Thanks Scott and fruitloop! I would have thanked you with the thanks buttons, but can't work out how to do it. Does anyone know? The 'thanks' thing I can see only lets me see how many 'thanks' a person has had. Mission for the day!

Feeling nicely autumnal this morning but sun is shining. Yesterday was pretty successful although overall am feeling the pinch already with ££ vs days of the month.

So yesterday I spent just under five pounds (should have kept the receipt!) in Aldi. Two packs of mozzarella (one for HM pizza for dinner and one for the freezer), a bottle of fizzy water (should have taken the one I had in the fridge but I forgot it - at least this one was only 19p), a packet of chocolate buttons (completely unnecessary, but delicious and only 33p!), 40 bin liners and some face cream (£1.69?). Not bad, and I am more pleased with the stuff I DIDN'T buy. I very nearly bought an abwheel (we use one at boot camp, and I thought I could get one for home and it was reduced to £2.79) but then I came to my senses and realised I already have kettlebells in the garage I haven't used at home, so until I get in the habit of using them I am not buying MORE exercise equipment. Oh - I also spent £1.60 on car parking but that came out of my small change which is saved for that purpose. I also went to 5 or 6 charity shops for a browse and had a look in the FatFace sale. I was very tempted by a beautiful swimming costume in FF in the sale for £10 and in my size. But I didn't buy it. I had done a clothes audit earlier in the day and I already have about 6 swimsuits, so although I would have loved it I did not buy it. :A

So on to today. I had my bottom brace tightened and now my teeth hurt which makes eating difficult, so feel a bit sorry for myself. Spending danger lurks ahead. I have a locksmith coming this afternoon to give us a quote for a lock for our side gate and shed. We really need to get this done as house is not secure otherwise and our lawnmower is now in the shed so it really needs a lock. Will wait for the quote before deciding when it will be done. But I am tempted to get it done today if I can as back at work next week.

Also I must go to the tip (at least that is free) and then get my car cleaned. This is probably an indulgence but I try not to get it done more than about once every 3 months and after months of boot camp there is always plenty of mud inside it. It's a nice car and I want to keep it nice. It will be £10 plus £2 tip. And the cat is running low on tinned food. I need to do a zooplus order but can't afford that till payday so may have to go to Pets at Home for a week's worth of meat. He is very spoilt but I can't compromise on his food (it is all protein and no filler, unlike cheaper cat food). And finally metafit this evening is £4. But I may be able to rustle that up from small change. Hmm. Let's see which of these I can make cost neutral or cheaper today...

Magpie100

Update:

Second lot of washing now on the line. I HATE using the tumble drier and love to line dry things, so this time of year is bittersweet as already there are fewer hour of sun to dry things in! Nevertheless, one load is now dry and the sheets have just gone out. Hopefully a couple of hours of sun this afternoon will dry them nicely.

Tip run: Done. At least the tip is free. Can't believe I am saying this.

Lunch: There was nothing in the house so I went to Tesco on the way back from the tip. From RFQS lunch for £1.56 and £2.78, reduced from £3.70 and £2.60. Not terrible but not brilliant as a jacket potato would have been cheaper, but timings didn't work out.

Car wash: I had £10 plus tip in my purse for this and now done. Car is lovely and clean. Won't do again now until deep in to winter.

Cat: Grrr. Not the cat, who I love dearly, but the food. 20 tins for the price of 16 so £17.44 and a saving of £4.36. Again, could be better, could be worse, and I really need to budget better for things like this, because it's not like he's going to stop eating.

Now I need to sit in the sun for ten minutes, tidy up and wait for the locksmith to come and quote.

savetosave

Hi


What about dropping some of your old clothes into H&M? They will give you a £5 off voucher (off a £30 spend I think). Even if you don't shop there yourself, you might be able to use it at Xmas.

Magpie100

Morning!

Yesterday was ok on the spending front. I went to metafit and paid for it with small change (£4). At some point I'll do a post about the £££ I spend on exercise at the moment! There are various things to be considered. I also cycled there and back - it is only about 6 minutes on my bike so no excuse to get the car out. I might occasionally in winter but my aim is to cycle there and to boot camp as often as I can.

OH was meant to bring dinner back from town but then went for a few after work drinks. I was ravenous - harldy any food in the house and had done metafit - and also marginally annoyed with him. So when he arrived home we went and got chips and kebabs, which he paid for. Not the healthiest but we don't do it very often.

Today we're off to Kent for a night away. Accomodation is paid for which is a relief. Will try and keep all other costs low. Have half a tank of fuel so that should be ok - my car is efficient.

savetosave - thanks for the info! I usually take old clothes to the charity shop or deliver them to a friend who will take them to Romania, but it's good to know and I can always split out the donations. We have given away loads recently which suggests we're buying too much. I do struggle with buying clothes so need to think about that. Very happy to donate unwanted ones, but I don't want to waste money, either.

Right. Off to shower and rouse the troops.