2018 New year, new focus and new mission

Choccygirl123

Had a plan! Will use the £22 towards revision books so OD will be £120. Not a lot of help but every £ counts. Need to scrap through to pay day as don't want to be playing catch up paying OD off before rest if bills.

Choccygirl123

Found the extra £3 for books from activity pot! OD will be £117.

Budget saving Pots
Kids Birthdays £40
Kids Clothes £50.22
Kids Activities £0.40
Dog £55.26 (need £50 for groomer tomorrow)
Car £110.00
Family fun £0.00

Despite feeling blurgh and cross that money seems to be out of control this month, I am happy that pots are a success. It's taken the stress of extra bills when things due.

Choccygirl123

Today will be a £50 sorbd on groomer for fog ouch! However, moved it across from dog's pot so all under control.

Hubby filling car up again £30 which will hopefully see us through few more days. Joint account -£87.00 in OD so after fuel it'll be -£117.00

Have shopped and meal planned until Tuesday evening. We will need top up bread, milk and fruit but will keep it at £15 limit. Hoping to keep OD under £175 by 30th so need to be really tight and strict.

Choccygirl123

Have just spent 10minutes going through my July budget and have forgotten that I have another ESA payment £146 due next week, which is great help with OD. I'm hoping to scrap through to pay day with no more than £50 on my OD.

teafor2

Morning CG You and your pots had that overdraft whittled down by about £25 in minutes yesterday :T

I think the dog pot is the best one I have. I can't help but slightly begrudge spending on their grooming although I knew what I was taking on and it's got to be done, but having the money saved up definitely softens the blow. Ours are being done this Monday - I thought it was last week but got the date wrong

Great news about the ESA, those sorts of miscalculations are the best ones to have Have a lovely day. xx

Choccygirl123

Our pooch is have stripped and it's a huge job. I've done it myself in the past, but it took 8hours over a weekend and choccypooch didn't talk to me for days.

The cost has gone up to £55 so moved the extra £5 out the pot....leaving 26p.

You are my pot inspiration and have changed the way i look at money now. I know we'd have 'found' the money for it, but it's have been stuck on the OD! Money prepping is definitely the way forward.

Fuel - Hubby filled up with £30 yesterday as planned.

Shopping - I need bread, garlic clove, lemonade, onions and cheap bag of spaghetti. kids friends now coming over for dinner. Hubby suggested bbq as weather so nice, but reminded him that'll be £20 on meat, bread salad stuff! I know I'm boring, but I'd planned us to have spaghetti carb tonight so sticking to the meal planning and extra spaghetti will help eek it out.

DD2 cookery ingredients- only Garlic & onions as we have everything else. Cheap easy week....for a change! Using other half of garlic as treat in spag carb tonight.

teafor2

Morning CG That sounds a big job. How long did it take the professionals to do it? It costs £32 each for ours but the dog pot has made a huge difference.

Did the spag carb go down well? I agree, BBQ's can be expensive. It's OK if you're just bunging some sausages and burgers on but hubby goes down the route of chicken, kebabs, etc.

Weather is dark and gloomy here today. Wish the sun would peek out for a few days. xx

Choccygirl123

It's a good 2/3 hours work for her to do it so £55 with bath, nails and glands is a good value. We knew stripping best options when we got pooch abd it's worth it not to have any dog hair.

Spag carb was lovely and the kids snagged it all down with loads of veg. We had a trip to cinema which was a bargain thanks to sweet Sundays as all 4 tickets where free. We did spend £4 on drinks, snacks and crisps from coop but saved us from 'needing' anything st cinema.

Money wise feeling really fed up of feeling skint. I think it's just lack is anything spare. Everything paid for and Every penny is accounted for for rest of this month and next to say for a break for us in August. I think it's because we've budgeted properly and know there's no 'we'll just treat ourselves cash' I'm annoyed not out anything back into EF and it still stands at £800.

Apart from slipping into back into OD slightly last week and back out again, we're not adding to our debt. I've still not gone anything about the odd jobs and really don't want the 1k adding to a credit card.Our current CC has just had its min and extra and balance is now £500.

I shouldn't moan but just feeling frustrated I'm sick off work, bored and struggling to do the jobs I want to at home.

I'm seeing my friebd for a coffee tomorrow (and cake) and that'll be out my spends. I think it's cabin fever I've got rather than money blues, but both not helping!

teafor2

Hi CG Sorry to hear you're feeling fed up with things but I bet you'll feel a lot better after meeting your friend for a good chinwag.

I think the only downside to people being on top of their game with money is realising it's generally all accounted for :cool: But the plus side is nothing is going on the CC and you'll be on holiday knowing it's all paid for. :T

I think you're doing brilliantly tbh. The EF might not be where you want it to be but £800 is a good sum of money to have. And your DC's are having some fabulous experiences that they'll always remember so that's worth it's weight in gold. xx

Choccygirl123

Thanks tea,

You're right I think it's because we're finally on top of the budget each £ as a job to do. The DC are lucky they've got loads of great things and trips to look forward and the best but it's not adding to our debt. I keep looking at the £400 we pay in repayments and wish I could clear it sooner to free It up. We could be doing so much with that cash. That's my focus at the minute. I need to do being frustrated, get rid of the debt!