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Glad you enjoyed it Cumbria Lass!
I booked train for me and Kitty to go to London mid November for her to see the art exhibition she wants to see. While technically this is a November outing, train fares are not going to get cheaper nearer the time, so thought I'd better book them now! (Though I have taken this out of a different "pot" from regular monthly outgoings. I'll replace it November so it comes out of the right month's budget). Though actually having a pot where this can come out of is something of a novelty!#Frugal February : NSDs Target =16
Started here on 07 September 2017: Total:[STRIKE] £20,521[/STRIKE] £19847
Barclaycard: [STRIKE]£14659[/STRIKE] £14435 Oct 2017 HSBC Credit Card : [STRIKE]£3112[/STRIKE] £3012 Oct 2017
Overdraft: [STRIKE]350[/STRIKE] £0 Oct2017 MBNA : 2400
A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. I'm on my way!0 -
The gallery trip will also be something to look forward to, I find that's always a good thing x0
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In answer the the question of the other day - yes, it definitely DOES get easier over time as the habits you're forming now (tracking spending, stopping to think before spending, shopping about for bargains etc) become just that - habitual - and require less brainpower to think about ALL the time. However the other problem you encounter as time goes on is that it's easy to lose the focus a bit, and to start thinking "oh just 1 *whatever* won't hurt" - it's exactly like dieting - if you tell yourself that "I'm not eating any chocolate/crisps/cheese" or whatever it is,. until you've reached some sort of specific goal weight - you're almost setting yourself up to fail. If you change your eating habits though, without actually categorically excluding any one thing, you stand a better chance of ongoing success. So yews - you've had a couple of spending blips - but actually compared to past habits - are they really significant blips? You spent "more of your entertainment budget than you planned" - but you HAVE a budget which is an improvement on where you might have been before? And you know that there was an overspend - also good!
Try to take the positives forward and ditch the negatives, where you can. The meal with your friend that had just got hurt - could you really have declined that? If that's a "No" then these things happen, move on. If it would have been viable to say "Ahh sorry guys - I need to get back so I'll skip this one" then take that forward as a lesson for next time.
Can you also think ahead now for any train travel that might need booking for December and get that sorted ASAP? 12 weeks ahead is the point where the best value tickets get released. have you also got a railcard that gives you money off? If not it would be a good idea to look into that as that's a 33% saving each time.
You said it yourself though - the very fact that you *have* the "pots" for spends to come from is a real step forwards - well done!🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
Balance as at 31/08/25 = £ 95,450.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her0 -
Kittychick wrote: »The gallery trip will also be something to look forward to, I find that's always a good thing xEssexHebridean wrote: »In answer the the question of the other day - yes, it definitely DOES get easier over time as the habits you're forming now (tracking spending, stopping to think before spending, shopping about for bargains etc) become just that - habitual - and require less brainpower to think about ALL the time. However the other problem you encounter as time goes on is that it's easy to lose the focus a bit, and to start thinking "oh just 1 *whatever* won't hurt" - it's exactly like dieting - if you tell yourself that "I'm not eating any chocolate/crisps/cheese" or whatever it is,. until you've reached some sort of specific goal weight - you're almost setting yourself up to fail. If you change your eating habits though, without actually categorically excluding any one thing, you stand a better chance of ongoing success. So yews - you've had a couple of spending blips - but actually compared to past habits - are they really significant blips? You spent "more of your entertainment budget than you planned" - but you HAVE a budget which is an improvement on where you might have been before? And you know that there was an overspend - also good!
Try to take the positives forward and ditch the negatives, where you can. The meal with your friend that had just got hurt - could you really have declined that? If that's a "No" then these things happen, move on. If it would have been viable to say "Ahh sorry guys - I need to get back so I'll skip this one" then take that forward as a lesson for next time.
Can you also think ahead now for any train travel that might need booking for December and get that sorted ASAP? 12 weeks ahead is the point where the best value tickets get released. have you also got a railcard that gives you money off? If not it would be a good idea to look into that as that's a 33% saving each time.
You said it yourself though - the very fact that you *have* the "pots" for spends to come from is a real step forwards - well done!
EH - thankyou for this! I'm trying to stay focused on the end task. I like the dieting analogy (though I'm not much of a dieter I understand where you're coming from, and it does make sense). It's a lifestyle change and all that goes with it, taking a holistic approach rather than just trying to change one element.
Yes - I have a budget, and virtual pots of money!! Even a strayed-from budget is better than no budget at all, and it's all down in writing, so I can't stick my head in the sand in denial about it!
I do see this as an overall positive step, though stupid over-self-criticalness gets in the way sometimes.
I do have a railcard! We had a family and friends railcard until Kitty got too old to qualify for it, so now we have the 2 together card as most of our rail journeys are together (though she has just got herself a 16-25 one also, for visiting her friends who have gone away to uni!) We will be travelling down to Norfolk at some point over the christmas break, I just need to confirm the dates!#Frugal February : NSDs Target =16
Started here on 07 September 2017: Total:[STRIKE] £20,521[/STRIKE] £19847
Barclaycard: [STRIKE]£14659[/STRIKE] £14435 Oct 2017 HSBC Credit Card : [STRIKE]£3112[/STRIKE] £3012 Oct 2017
Overdraft: [STRIKE]350[/STRIKE] £0 Oct2017 MBNA : 2400
A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. I'm on my way!0 -
Ahh the Two Together railcard was exactly what I was going to suggest - great work! we've got one too - and definitely get our moneys worth from it - although even more so as we pay for ours using Tesco Clubcard vouchers as a rule! :T
Your "virtual pots of money" comment made me laugh - "virtually" is the only way I'll EVER have "pots of money" I fear! :rotfl::rotfl:🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
Balance as at 31/08/25 = £ 95,450.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her0 -
Glad you have sorted the train tickets now , as you say they get dearer nearer the day. I also have at least 5 virtual pots and I love the novelty of having the. Having different pots has been the making of my journey so far along with the EF.
I am going to look at the 2 together card as I do travel by train during the year and seldom alone .This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com0 -
EH, you made me giggle at the mental image I got of being surrounded by pots of money! Helps me think of it that way, then it's been assigned and it isn't just available for frittering away!
Cumbria Lass, I think we pretty much made back the cost of the 2 together railcard on one trip! They're so worth having!#Frugal February : NSDs Target =16
Started here on 07 September 2017: Total:[STRIKE] £20,521[/STRIKE] £19847
Barclaycard: [STRIKE]£14659[/STRIKE] £14435 Oct 2017 HSBC Credit Card : [STRIKE]£3112[/STRIKE] £3012 Oct 2017
Overdraft: [STRIKE]350[/STRIKE] £0 Oct2017 MBNA : 2400
A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. I'm on my way!0 -
Off to a medical appointment shortly, so I've had a work-from-home morning today. In addition to getting work done, I've also managed a couple of loads of washing, and made tuscan bean stew (which pretty much cooks itself), so there's food already made, I'll just have to heat it up when I get back!
£4.30 for an all day bus ticket takes care of transport and means not worrying about parking spaces/charges
Tumble dryer has broken (drum no longer turning) so I'm debating how much I really need it (probably more so in winter than in summer months). I don't know whether it's worth trying to get it fixed or getting a new one. I'm reluctant to have to pay to have someone look at it and then say it's irreparable. Might have to see what Mr. Google has to say on the matter! Perhaps it's fixable without an expert!#Frugal February : NSDs Target =16
Started here on 07 September 2017: Total:[STRIKE] £20,521[/STRIKE] £19847
Barclaycard: [STRIKE]£14659[/STRIKE] £14435 Oct 2017 HSBC Credit Card : [STRIKE]£3112[/STRIKE] £3012 Oct 2017
Overdraft: [STRIKE]350[/STRIKE] £0 Oct2017 MBNA : 2400
A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. I'm on my way!0 -
How does the virtual pots work?
I've got actual pits with not much in them xSeptember 2017 Debt = £25330
Starting afresh.
You can do anything if you put your mind to it. x0 -
Hey NicNak!
Virtual pots is kind of like so: I have a bank account set up to be there for savings and emergency fund.
Money is automatically put in there when I've been paid.
Bank says : £150
My spreadsheet and written logs say:
Car maintenance £50
House stuff £50
Emergency fund £50
Those aren't the actual numbers, but that's the idea of it, so that when it comes to MOT time or something goes wrong, I have something in a pot to deal with it. (Which is miles better than previous approach of "oh I'll bung it on a card and pay it off later" ...."later" ... lack of discipline has meant that later never came).#Frugal February : NSDs Target =16
Started here on 07 September 2017: Total:[STRIKE] £20,521[/STRIKE] £19847
Barclaycard: [STRIKE]£14659[/STRIKE] £14435 Oct 2017 HSBC Credit Card : [STRIKE]£3112[/STRIKE] £3012 Oct 2017
Overdraft: [STRIKE]350[/STRIKE] £0 Oct2017 MBNA : 2400
A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. I'm on my way!0
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