Adventures within my budget

Pip_Boy_111

clippy_girl wrote: »

Thanks I didn't know they did that, will check it out

i too, didn't know this! (rushes off to check Prime benefits):j

clippy_girl

Pip_Boy_111 wrote: »

i too, didn't know this! (rushes off to check Prime benefits):j

I've decided not to renew my prime membership when it runs out as I don't make enough use of it. As the music needs renewed 1 month before prime I can still get music for £79 for the year without paying for prime

However looking into it made me look at other options and I have now downloaded google photos and you can upload an unlimited amount for free :money::j I'm in the process of upoading all the pics from icloud to it then i will cancel the icloud subscription. I need to work out how to get all my pics from my laptop onto google pics as it's on its way out. I will see if I can get it to work and if not I'll have to transfer from computer to SD card then plug the SD card into phone and do it that way!

I'm not sure I will get another iphone when this ones needs replaced so i guess its future proofed it as well

clippy_girl

I use a basic excel spreadsheet for my bills and just manually update them each month if the bills are different. As everything is fixed except my food and entertainment I am just using an app for those now. i am going to use my cc as purchases show up in 5 mins as opposed to 3-4 days using my debit card :mad:

So today I have just finished my CV ready to send off to NZ and will do a little bit of cleaning. I did body pump class at the gym yesterday for the first time since xmas and I'm aching a lot now :A

I have tweaked my budget and managed to get my left over up to £115 I knocked £20 off my entertainment budget and £10 off the beauty one. I also checked the pots for the car and annual expenses and there was a bit extra so i have popped that in an empty pot for now. i get paid on thursday and will get a small payrise so the plan is to pop all leftover/extra etc in the savings pot and buy premium bonds each month with whats in there!

i would also like to try and save a little of my entertainment budget for things that need paid for in advance eg i just bought coach tickets for next month and july but had to use this months budget so would be nice to cover this with leftovers

jwil

Well done on all the savings! I forgot about Google photos, I use that too.

clippy_girl

Morning all

Decided to record every spend on here to keep me on track. I am definitely still frittering money away and looking at my bank statement most of it is going to tesco express on mini eggs

I'm getting back into the gym so I'm trying to avoid buying junk food.

Yesterday I resisted free biscuits :A and went to do a body balance class after work I managed to not spend money on food but I did impulsively spend 99p on a kindle book as saw a new one released in the series I like

Have looked at what I have planned for the next month after payday and should be able to stay in budget. I do have a day out in London planned so need to keep under budget on the other weeks. I do so many things that I find it nearly impossible to keep my entertainment under budget I need to organise more cheap or free things and not drink as much alcohol when I'm out to keep the costs down!

Today I am hoping for a NSD. I'm working at home but popping out to meet a colleague to do some inspections. I will walk to meet him. Then off to the gym in the evening. Will get to try out my new wireless headphones I ordered at the weekend. They were £17 and I used the clothes budget to buy them. Hopefully will stop me getting tangled up in them and can wear them when doing stuff lying down. Must remember to charge them!

clippy_girl

Morning all :j

Thought it was time for a round up of my spends!

Monday I spent 99p on kindle book

Tuesday and Wednesday were NSD's :beer:

Thursday I spent £3 on a meal deal as had to go out at lunch and only had soup in. I picked one up for my colleague as well so £6 on my card. I'll use the £3 cash he gave me to give to another colleague who lent me money for a bacon buttie the other week who I've not seen since. Also spent £35 on getting the gutters cleaned. That came out the house budget.

Friday I spent £22.80 of the entertainment budget on drinks and an Indian

Saturday I went shopping in the morning in the city as needed a few bits and then lunch out at the pub.
£1.98 on car shampoo and cloth to wash it myself instead of paying the hand wash place
£25.59 Superdrug on toiletries (clothes/beauty budget)
£2.65 Wilco on toiletries
£27.50 on new work bag at m&s (clothes/beauty budget)
£17.15 on lunch and drink in pub
£7.95 in Tesco express

Sunday I had a bbq and spent £16.52 in Tesco express on supplies. Stupidly forgot supermarkets shut

Today I am out yet again the entertainment budget is getting hammered. Going to weatherspoons to sit in the beer garden all afternoon so will get cheap meal. Not going to drink all day though! Followed by cinema tonight which is now only £5 before I go out I need to clean up after the bbq and go to Asda to get stuff for lunches and to batch cook tomorrow and Friday as I'm working from home. I need to be more organised and stop nipping to Tesco express!

I'm hoping for a NSD the, wed and Thursday and maybe even Friday :beer:

clippy_girl

In money news I got paid on Thursday I send £100 extra to the house budget to cover gutters and a few things I need to get like curtain pole and blackout lining and wash basket. I have £200 to buy more premium bonds as well :A I set up the buying them by bank transfer option so just did £25 to start to check it works then will send over the extra.

I had a small pay rise so I've now got about £150 to save each month. I am also getting my £133 refund from old energy supplier so with the little left in my account I got it up to the £300 above.

Now to convince myself that I DO NOT NEED A DYSON HAIRDRYER!!!

canaryfeather

I can definitely relate to this as a female mid-20's homeowner who is currently trying to decrease credit card debt that has crept up on me as well as begin to create an emergency fund in case my boiler breaks (again!)

Interested to see how you get on. Best of luck and congrats on the small pay rise!

clippy_girl

Hello all

So managed to resist buying the hairdryer so far :rotfl:

I have been continuing to track all my spends and it's definitely making me think more about spending eg normally I just pay £5 to park at work when I can't bring my car in but I made myself go and try the free road about 15 mins walk away first (got the last space :T)

I have £64.01 left in the entertainment budget and £37.63 in food budget. Don't think I'll spend all of food. Entertainment will be tight but might just do it! As it's reduced £20 this month I'm not going to be too upset if it's slightly over as it will be the first month ever I've actually stuck to the original limit I overspent the Easter weekend as didn't be think too much about spends as I had a nice full budget so that's left it tighter.

In moneysaving news I have ordered my glucosamine vitamins online rather than buying from boots so they were half the price. I also audited my skincare as I'm out of moisturiser and discovered that's the only thing I'm out on and have a couple of spare serums, nightcream etc. I use the protect and perfect range and often buy the sets but I use more day cream than anything else so it runs out first. I looked at cheaper ones but I'm happy this one suits my skin so I'm going tonight buy 3 pots of day cream on 3for2 and that's should be all skincare for the year sorted except spot stuff. I've also got enough mascara for the year as I like Clinique and buy the triple pack in duty free so it works out good value. Once I get my hair cut Tuesday I will revise the beauty budget to check the amounts.

I was using Netflix as some airbnbguests left themselves logged into my smart tv but they must have finally changed their password as I couldn't access it anymore. I am doing the free trial which runs out in a few days. I'm not going to pay for now as I'm going to find stuff to watch on amazon while I stil have that. Sky was finished 3 weeks ago so I need to look for stuff on itv player as well. I'm going to cancel my tv licence once line of duty finishes as I never watch bbc stuff on player and now don't have live tv. Should get a refund as they make you pay 6 months in advance on direct debit.

Checked broadband and in contract til feb 19 so that will have to wait. Will call later in the month to reduce my mobile. I want to pay £10 per month Sim only without signing a 12 month contract so will see if they will or if not I'll go on giffgaff.

Today I'm working at home and going to pop out to pick up the curtain liner from Dunelm (£16) and the face cream at boots if I can park outside the charity shop. Have some heavy bags to drop off. If not I'll walk to boots tomorrow. I got the curtain track for £12 last week so will try and fit it all tomorrow. Think the pole from that room should for downstairs so saves me buying one for here