Mrs S.....life after debt

MrsSave

I am definitely clinging on to keeping control of my finances this month. Roll on July!! I've spent a lot of time totting up things like dinner money, child care, boys activities, boys clothes, etc. to make sure I'm putting enough away each month. I always seem to be moving money around my ynab categories so thought I needed to massively look at what I'm actually spending.

My food spend is scarily increasing and the top up shops are getting ridiculous. This week I have a £50 budget and a £10 top up budget, but from next week I'm changing that to £45 with an £8 top up. That's still £230 per month, which is still a pretty decent amount for 1 adult, 2 children and Mr S here from time to time.

I have someone from welsh water coming out tomorrow morning. My water bill jumped up around a year ago. I then worked hard for the following 6 months to reduce it and it didn't change. Then during the past 6 months we've been down to 1 adult here and the children having baths at Mr S' parents and just a quick shower here during the week. The latest bill came out a couple of weeks ago, and again it hadn't decreased. I'm wondering if there's either been a leak or (and this is the one I'm hoping for) the person who has been reading the meter (which is out in the street) has been mixing up ours and next doors. If it's neither of those then I'm totally stumped!! I'm really hoping that it means my monthly direct debit will decrease. It's currently just over £60 per month and I owe them over £200. :eek: The direct debit used to be £40 a month, would love it to get back to that.

Ds2 may have just had chicken pox. I'm not sure though!! There's been lots of cases in nursery over the past month, and then I had a call to collect him on Wednesday as he wasn't well. Picked him up, and by Thursday night his temp was up over 40 and he stopped eating. He's been generally totally unwell as well. By Friday morning he had 2 spots on his cheek. That's all he's had. I've read up (good old Dr Google!!) and it is apparently possible for next to no spots but I guess I'll have to wait to see I find he catches it again at some point or not! He's still not right, but has started eating again. Ds1 had chicken pox 2 years ago and he was covered head to toe in spots but he wasn't unwell with it.

Tomorrow's food shop is a click and collect for a couple of reasons. The water person could be here any time from 8-12, and then ds2 generally has a nap until school run time. As he's also not well it's not fair to drag him around the supermarket, and if he has had chicken pox he shouldn't really be around other people (though I don't think he'd still be contageous). It does mean that this week's shop will be in Tesco instead of Aldi, which means spending more.

Honeysucklelou2

My youngest son had a very mild dose of chicken pox and had a couple of spots on his chest and a couple on his face.

Hope the water problem gets sorted.

debtaghh

How are you and Mr S getting on?

MrsSave

debtaghh wrote: »

How are you and Mr S getting on?

Pretty good actually!! We're still living apart, but other than sleeping arrangements it's like we're together. We spent the weekend together with pre planned things and both had a fab time with laughing and no arguing. We're still going to counselling, which I think is helping (though I'm not enjoying paying out each time!!!).

MrsSave

Welsh water have been and it looks like a leak on the property. Typical!! I've phoned a plumber and he's coming tomorrow to have a look around to see if he can spot it. It's only a small leak, but the dial is constantly going around (just extremely slowly, but it's obviously adding up!!). I've used this plumber a couple of time before and I'm impressed with him, so fingers crossed he can work it out. I'm also going to get back to Welsh water at some point as they mentioned a possible allowance if there is a leak. More money to go out now!!!

Scott-Weiland

MrsSave wrote: »

Day off today and I've spent most of it so far in the kitchen. I've almost finished sorting my work lunches for the rest of the week. I bought a 1.8kg pack of chicken breasts from Aldi yesterday, so I've portioned them into little bags and popped them in the freezer. I've done a couple of loads of laundry, probably got another 2 to do (and then some ironing).

I keep jumping back and forward between YNAB and my Christmas/birthday spreadsheet. I'm trying to find the balance between saving enough each month so that we don't have to find any extra money, but not going mad and spending too much, which leaves money tight every month. I think I'm about there. I'm not going to post actual amounts on here as I don't think I'd get a fab reaction, but I've totted up and included (for Christmas):

• Gifts for the boys,
• Gofts for the boys from each other,
• Mr S,
• My parents (2 sets - both divorced and remarried),
• My Grandparents,
• Nieces and nephews,
• Friends children (£5 budget each here),
• 3 x friends (again small budget - box of choccies for example),
• Gifts for work (There are only 3 of us in the office),
• Christmas days out,
• Christmas food shop,
• Christmas alcohol,
• Teacher and nursery staff gifts,
• Decorations
• Random other bits I forget about

Birthdays are for pretty much the same people, but include things like a day out for birthdays.

I've started thinking about Christmas more over the last few days, I do usually start planning and writing lists from this time onwards. Last year we bought less for the boys, but 'nicer' gifts if that makes sense. I'm hoping to do the same this year. I don't want to bulk out gifts with cheap bits they're not going to look at just to make it seem like they have more. I'd rather a couple of good quality bits instead.

A little money saver re chicken breasts I don't know what you paid for the 1.8kg chicken but have you tried your local butchers for chicken breasts. Where I live it an area where they must be quite a lot of bodybuilders as all the local butchers sell the bulk packets of chicken breasts which are 5kg and they cost about 22 quid.

I exercise quite a bit and chicken I go through 2 of the packs a month, buying from supermarkets would cost me a fortunes. Herons is another place which is quite keep too I think about 4 quid a kg.

System

When I hada leak here in the United utilities area , I was able to claim some money back. It was a once only claim but certainly helped me at the time. The leak I had was in the toilet bowl , water dripping inside very slowly cost £50 to sort out.

Not sure if all water companies offer the claim but well worth finding out if you haven't already .

MrsSave

Cumbria_lass wrote: »

When I hada leak here in the United utilities area , I was able to claim some money back. It was a once only claim but certainly helped me at the time. The leak I had was in the toilet bowl , water dripping inside very slowly cost £50 to sort out.

Not sure if all water companies offer the claim but well worth finding out if you haven't already .

This may be a daft question, but am i best contacting them before the plumber comes, after he’s been or does it not really matter? Thanks

MrsSave

Scott-Weiland wrote: »

A little money saver re chicken breasts I don't know what you paid for the 1.8kg chicken but have you tried your local butchers for chicken breasts. Where I live it an area where they must be quite a lot of bodybuilders as all the local butchers sell the bulk packets of chicken breasts which are 5kg and they cost about 22 quid.

I exercise quite a bit and chicken I go through 2 of the packs a month, buying from supermarkets would cost me a fortunes. Herons is another place which is quite keep too I think about 4 quid a kg.

Thanks. It was just over £9 for the chicken. I think I’m really going to have to pull my belt in with the food shop so need to re evaluate this one!

System

I only found out I could claim after the plumber had been . The money is to cover the difference between what you have been paying for water and what you should be paying after the leak is fixed. Maybe just worth contacting them to see if they do it first of all .