Making savings before it's too late

[Deleted User]

I do hope that you stressed ones manage to get some time sitting in the sun and let the world go by for a short time

I paid my last big bill for this march, did it this morning. I wonder why I hop from months end to months end, it makes no sense to me these days, no monthly salary, ingrained I suppose. Quite a good deal of satisfaction this month, all bills paid and I have achieved my monthly bills savings target, which already gives me a bills safety net. I was just appreciating that if I can do this month on month, then next year I can save that amount in a real savings account because I will have achieved my 12 month bills safety net and will not need to add to it

Cash purse is emptying, I have £110 in there, two full tanks of petrol. I will need to get more cash beginning of april, I like to have double that amount in there for cash spends. Target on cash withdrawals has been exceeded, I drew out far less this month and will be less again next month

Easter eggs for grandchildren, I spent far less this year. They will be more than happy with a lindt bunny, rather than an egg big enough for the family.

lessonlearned

Kittie......I still buy my kids Easter eggs...both in their 30s, I know, I know. But this year I have scaled right back......a pack of Lindt bunnies and a small pack of good Belgian chocolate mini eggs. Better chocolate just less of it. They are all being careful with healthy eating so just a little bit of good quality chocolate as a special treat. And of course cheaper than the big eggs.

Had an expected spendy weekend. Went out for lunch with DIL and I treated myself to some make up. Oh well, it was nice to get out and I shall enjoy playing with my new makeup.

Blackcatsreturns

Lessons learned I think that some treats (like new make up) are good for us.
Kittie - would you mind explaining how your cash spend budgeting works? Do you do all your monthly spends in cash or just certain categories?
Caron - your grocery spends are amazing. How do you manage to achieve such low spends?

[Deleted User]

I only ever use a cc online as it is safer, apart from weekly organic boxes which are debit card. I put cash into my cash wallet and if going out, like yesterday to BnQ and for petrol, I dip into my cash wallet, transfer what I might need to my purse. I always have a my cc and debit cards in my purse but only for an emergency, or a massive spend like new specs or an item of furniture, when again I use my cc, for the insurance. If I were going to sainsburys then I would just take cash and that stops impulse buying anyway.Using cash like this is, for me, like that hidden layer between me and reckless spending when out

caronc

Blackcatsreturns wrote: »

Caron - your grocery spends are amazing. How do you manage to achieve such low spends?

I'm not sure they are tbh, many folk do it for much less per person per week. I could but I'm glad I don't have too:). There is just me to cater for so I can mix up cheaper options with more expensive meals. I still bulk buy where it saves money and during the summer grow a reasonable amount of veg. I mainly cook from scratch which saves loads. I also no longer work so have loads of time to cook from scratch and noodle about the internet for best buys/discount codes:). Another thing I find that really saves money is that although I eat meat frequently I don't eat big portions of it. I don't compromise on my food spends though, I'd increase my budget if I needed to and trim other spends.

pigpen

My daughter had a speedy delivery of a little boy on Monday.. so I have had her 2 since then.. they have jst been deposited at home so I can get on with my flinging. We have £50 for necessities/food for 10 people until OH gets paid on the 6th.. I have a huge bag of potatoes but very little else.. so I need to get creative with meals.

4 ebeast parcels sent today and one more to go which sold within minutes of getting back from the PO.. typical! My paypal cash is for a new bed for DD3 and DD4.. nearly halfway there! I've had a couple of crazies the last few days.. neither has even bought anything they are just making unreasonable demands.. ones wants me to use an alternative, untrackable postal method and the other got p1$$y because I corrected the details on a listing with errors.. see, crazy.

Hoping to get my decorating back on track now DD1 has spawned and the grandbeasts have gone home.. starting with my bathroom gloss which I haven't touched since the first coat was put on.. I sanded it smooth and now need to do the seoncd coat.

Trying to sort my utility tariff.. BG are being muppets.. I had strips off one guy yesterday who was rather rude.. demanding to know when I would pay the bill.. they are massively overcharging me and I asked why. I do not take kindly to being spoken to in such a manner and I despise being interrupted while speaking which he did several times.. he passed my call on super fast when I lost my cool .. haha.

working on paying off the second account.. I need to rejiggle budget but I am sure I can fit everything in this week. I have £148 goes out weekly.. on necessary standing orders.. but need to put £50 into the Electric this week and the rest to be saved for DD's coming out on the 1st.. £117 worth!

Blackcatsreturns

Congratulations on the new grandson Pigpen

tori.k

That's fantastic news Pigpen congratulations, give all of our best wishes to mum and baby
Very happy today as i'm temporarily rich I have moved all the house money in my account ready to exchange& complete on Tuesday.
Then the hard work can begin.

[Deleted User]

ohh, lovely news pigpen, congratulations

I saved myself about £60 yesterday, a 2 way light switch didn`t work, the switch went floppy. I replaced it for £7. I was also a good example to dgd, teaching her to spin in the morning and showing her that a granny female could safely do an electrical repair. Also impressed dgs btw, who already thinks I am supergran. I told him about rainbows and how they are caused yesterday. He knows why I am not a suitable candidate for grannyland bungalows he won, for the first time, an arm wrestle with me yesterday, soon big enough to help me move furniture. I will keep feeding him with protein

Financially, I am holding tight, my state pension went in yesterday, so taking away the pinch point. I feel as though april is another clean start but already bought three small things on amazon, including 2 books for £7, called sapiens and recommended by ds. That plus a table tennis set, no-one had thought to use a dining table for home table tennis, doh, it was such a pleasure when I was a youngster. Cost about £5. I have over half a tank of fuel, an empty purse though and still need to add to cash wallet, probably next weekend

Tori, I will be thinking tof you, what a terrific stress relief that will be. Physical stress coming up but better than mental stress

Siebrie

I had an hourlong meeting with my new boss yesterday (finally! First one since she started in November), which was supposed to be about last years accomplishments and this years objectives, but only was about our communication. We agreed on certain things and worked out a way forward, and all seemed good. Then, this morning, she did two things she had promised to stop doing to let me be in charge (as I always had been until she barged in). This job is not sparking joy anymore

Now I need to make some tough decisions... there are plenty new jobs out there and I have good qualifications and experience. On the other hand: the company is likely to move abroad end of 2019, and they will have to lay me off and pay me out (about 1 annual salary!). Do I stick it out that long? Do I want to have a new similar job? Do I want to go back to school? I have parental leave 1 day/wk now, and if I change company, I will have to be there for a year before I qualify again. We want to move to a more conveniently laid-out house and I need to be employed for the new mortgage.