Aligning the Stars

Starmummy

I seem to have been AWOL the past few weeks.

There isn't really any money news- I feel like I've run out of quick wins and I'm just enduring the next 7 months or so until i've got the liquid savings to pay off the loan.

We had a wonderful week in Slovenia- I need to pay myself back from the joint account which has become a bit of a sticking point. Mr Star thinks what we both pay into the joint account is enough- and it is, but he keeps booking trips. We said this month was a low spend month so I could repay ourselves for holiday spending in Paris and Slovenia. Last week he used the joint account to pay for flights to Portugal next year. The Joint account owes me over a grand which I'd really like to put in my savings account. Not sure when I'm going to be able to pay myself back as over the next 4 months we have SC's 10th birthday, a holiday in Portugal, 4 niece/nephew birthdays. Both my parents birthdays, my Grandad's 80th and Christmas.

Think it requires a proper sit down chat but he seems so stressed and down at the moment I really don't want to add to his load.

SC's dad still not even close to catching up on child maintenance which is expected but still really bl00dy annoying.

I just want to be debt free so I can save for the future. I'm getting so impatient.

Starmummy

On another note- I've not even given the recruiters any attention. There are a couple of job leads I should chase up but haven't.

I just seem a bit busy atm. Work has picked up, Mr Star is not himself, SC back to school, Training for a charity half marathon distance event, trying to start re-studying for my final exam....

Baby steps...

I need to write a list!

Suffolk_lass

You do - I love a list - we have them for all sorts of things. In fact, I have a book of bullets now (not a decorated journal, just lots of things for us to do!)

Starmummy

@Suffolk
I have 3 notebooks on my desk this am.
1- personal to do's
2- work to do's
3- study notes

only the personal notebook gets some decorative attention with coloured pens and highlighters :rotfl:

Suffolk_lass

So you obviously need a section for financial to do's too! In fact, one for you personally and one for you jointly!

Starmummy

I have decided to really knuckle down on spending between now and the end of the year. 15 weeks exactly left of 2019! How did that happen?

Is it just me or does the year 2020 sound like something from a futuristic Sci-Fi film?

I'm on a mission to do a super frugal Christmas ( I know, I know- way to early for the C word) I've bought 2 things. SC's advent calendar and a present for my sister.
We have to buy for:
My parents
My Grandparents
MrS Dad and wife
MrS Mum
Niece 11Yo
Niece 6YO
Nephew 6yo
Niece 4yo
Nephew 2yo
Nephew 2yo
SC 10yo
and a token something for each other.
WILL NOT GO OVERBOARD ON THE FOOD SHOP- I will keep reminding myself it is just a roast dinner- think i'll just make a crumble for pudding- no one eats christmas pudding apart from me anyway.

In other news my brain is fried. This week is just crazy- The car broke down at the weekend so I have to be extra organised to make it to all our commitments. I've been asked to head up a major project at work. We have some kind of club/sport every night after work/school this week and this weekend I'm running the white cliffs ragnar relay with some work mates (180 mile overnight race- that isn't a typo- I'm tired and hungry just thinking about it)

Money news. I ordered new glasses today. £344!!! I could probably get cheaper if I went to a high street retailer but I wear them everyday in front of a screen and these are super light weight and bespoke made frames. My current pair are 4 years old- so I calculate that at 24 pence per day to be able to see- total bargain.

I need to return some impulse spends from the weekend- some lovely clothes were purchased but I definitely don't love them as much as I'm going to love being debt free- so back they go.
really need to reign in the amount of times I pop to the shops too. I need to get back to bringing lunch in and eating less snacks.
I'm going to give myself a grocery challenge of £200 for October.

SC's dad is now 3 months behind on maintenance and our joint account still owes me £1024. So my current account and savings aren't as full as they should be.

Starmummy

made the first return this morning- £45 should be winging it's way back to my account shortly.
The other returns require a trip to the town centre- department store starting with D- it doesn't open until 9.30 and closes at 5pm meaning it has to be done at a weekend. This weekend is out but I really wanted to get the return done this week as it was made on my credit card ( I know naughty- but I had the glasses cost coming up and I'm still waiting on maintenance and need to repay myself from the joint account.

Starmummy

Hello lovely lot.

I need your tips on a frugal christmas. Any links to articles or MSE posts welcome.:xmassign:

[Deleted User]

I think the best tip is to ask yourself which parts of Christmas you can't live without, and which parts you've maybe just done in the past out of habit.

For example, in our house, we don't have Xmas eve boxes (I still don't get them!) or new PJs every Christmas.

You seem to already do presents for parents and nieces and nephews from your list above - that helps a lot for us as well.

I think just using deals/cashback/offers for anything you do get really does add up. Saving £5 per present if you have to get 20 presents is a saving of £100 so it really does make a difference.

We get our xmas dinner veg in Aldi the day before or so, they always do the xmas essentials for 19p each.

Wrapping paper etc from Home Bargains - they usually have huge rolls of like 10m for 99p.

Evaluate if you need/want to go to Pantos/other xmas events (we don't). Xmas films and board games for entertainment during that time of year do the job just fine for us!

Just be conscious about every purchase and the savings soon add up.

redofromstart

I agree with all of Mogulines points (especially boxes and pj's why?!)

I used to deep clean the boys rooms every November. This made me see quite how much stuff they already had, and sometimes the things that they hadn't even opened from the previous years! This helped me to keep my purchases under control, and sometimes meant I could re-wrap things they had forgotten. For us the big spend has always been on the boys.

Otherwise its just a Sunday lunch really. Nobody ever eats the pudding here either.

The other fun one is set a budget (£10/£5) that you both have to stick to to buy each other little things to open. Charity shop/£ shop/cheap dvds/etc.