Put away your purse & become debt-averse

Sun_Addict

Yesterday I found out that my school cookery teacher had sadly passed away at Christmas. She was also a proper old style cookery teacher. However she wouldn’t let me take cookery for O level unless I cut my very long nails. I opted to do art instead, no short nails required 😆

Also hope your tooth is better soon, nothing worse than toothache 😩

Tescodealqueen

Our plans for finance have been dictated by unexpectedly having to have a new roof in November so that used all the money we had saved by not having holidays for a couple of years so I really want to replace that. It was annoying but I guess since the house was built in 1900 and the roof was original then not really surprising. Luckily the freezers are full so planning on using what we have in there and that should get the year off to a good start

foxgloves

It's been interesting reading about what is driving people's 2022 savings plans. I do think this is going to be a year of rising prices, especially energy bills. When the price cap is lifted again in a couple of months time, it looks as though energy prices (esp gas) are going to skyrocket. Food prices are rising too, we've all noticed that, so I think a general year of careful budgeting, shopping from home & an 'every little helps' attitude to saving is going to be a pretty essential foundation.
Ooh, forgot to say 'Hello'! Afternoon diary readers, tooth not quite as raging as yesterday & I did have a better night's sleep & slightly less codeine, so I am wondering if it's a one-off, or if the troublesome nerve is thinking about calming down. Too early to say, as yet.
There has been a lot of frugal ham activity goin on here this week. We spent £25 on a huge ham which we intended roasting to feed friends on New Year's Day, then serving cold as buffet centrepiece for a family visit the next day. That visit was cancelled due to covid (my nephew tested positive, followed by my sister who had a positive LFT this morning) so we had heaps of ham to use up. With meal planning, divvying up, batch cooking & freezing, I can report that I stretched that ham into 26 portions, so less than £1 a serving. Just glad it wasn't wasted as we'd never have bought such a big one if we had known our get-together on the 2nd would be cancelled.
Well m'dears, it's ☔ ☔ ☔ here now. The snow shower didn't last long at all.
Ah now, time for a cup of coffee & some piano practice.
Stay cosy (& my heartfelt sympathies to those with broken heating systems atm)
F x

foxgloves

@Sun_Addict - We were allowed to do school cookery classes with long nails but not with nail polish. That had to be removed before the lesson or there'd be a stern telling off.
F

Four_Seasons

Hi Foxgloves, glad you have had a better night, not being able to sleep is awful.  I have taken a tip from you (again) and paid myself a monthly allowance, transferred to another account on its own - looking back on 2021 I could see periods when I spent unnecessarily - having the money separate has made me very aware that if I spend it its gone - no more until February!! certainly has changed my mind set!!  We bought Christmas forward to 22/12 in case of lockdowns so had a lovely day - we were so very lucky my daughter tested positive Christmas Eve and has been very poorly with it everyone else seemes to have dodged it hopefully.  Hope your sister and nephew get better soon.
Lets hope your your nerve is calming down and you get a good night tonight x

foxgloves

Thanks @Four_Seasons. Yes, having monthly Personal Spends allowance was a bit of a turning point to be honest. I budget £100 for each of us each month with any unspent money rolling forward to the next month. We augment it with survey earnings etc too if we want a bit extra. This doesn't include clothes, basic joint household type toiletries such as soap & bubble bath but includes all other toiletries, coffees when we are out & about, edible treats & anything we wish to buy ourselves. As I've said before, the only rules are that this money can be spent on whatever we want, but when it's gone, it's gone - no top-up until the next month's budget rolls out.
You're right that it does make you think about what you actually do want to buy. 6 trips to the coffee shop is lovely but if they tot up to £30, that might be money we'd have liked to spend elsewhere.
Having Personal Spends has also really helped Mr F prioritise his purchases & I know he really likes this system.
F x

crazy_cat_lady

I am definitely going to have a personal spends budget - Mam's Pocket Money. I'm just waiting for January to shake itself out with my spends so I can see if the budget is workable.
Hope your tooth is feeling better soon, and that you continue to be able to sleep. 
Lots of love.

foxgloves

Thanks for those kind wishes @crazy_cat_lady. I think you should find that a Personal Spends allowance makes a difference. It really creates an awareness of where one's little oddments of spending are going. You sound determined to knock your finances into better shape this year & I'm sure you will feel a lot better for being properly back in control. 
F x

foxgloves

Hello Rainy Readers. ☔ ☔ ☔ 
Oh my life.... a bad night with the evil tooth. I honestly thought it was starting to settle as only needed ordinary bog standard paracetamol yesterday, didn't require a dose at all before bed & managed a few hours of sleep lying down properly. But then it woke me at about 3a.m banging like a b*st*rd & I got up to administer codiene & orajel. Haven't needed painkillers since but unless there is a miracle this weekend, I think I am kidding myself the problem nerve is going to settle & will be phoning the dentist on Monday.
Non-teeth news: Not a lot but have been making progress with joining my Lockdown bedspread squares. I have a strip of 12 joined & when I sew them on this afternoon, I will be exactly halfway through the sewing-up process.
On money saving stuff.... we are still eating up home baked leftovers which did not come out of the freezer for our new year family buffet due to coviddy reasons. We are thus spending virtually nothing on lunches, snacks, etc.
Still on mse stuff.... we did not spend our Co-op dividend points this Christmas. We have decided to leave them on our card & build them to use as part of December's grocery budget. We know we are hosting Christmas this year so the extra will be useful. Popped into our local Co-op this morning for some coffee & noticed from our receipt that we already have almost £46 on that card, so a good start.
Right m'dears, I'm going to enjoy this nice hot coffee & mince pie Mr F has just brought me, then crack on with sewing-up.
Love F x 

Alchemilla

Hello Foxgloves. I don't think we've met but over Christmas I read your story.
I found it inspirational and your house sounds so cosy.