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Jessy103

Feeling quite anxious today, I keep looking at my bills spreadsheet wondering where I can cut down and it seems that food is the only place at the moment. I've changed my Netflix subscription to the lower standard definition one at £5.99 instead of the HD one at £8.99, I haven't told BF, I'm hoping he won't notice! 😂 My phone is a high spend at £29.60 a month,  the contract is due to end in 4 months, so I have decided to keep the phone and just change the contract to something cheaper.

EF is currently £5852.75 and I have £187 when all the DDs have gone out but the food shops will still need to come out of this amount, so I won't meet my target of £6K by the end of the month, this upsets me! On top of that the tv license is due at the end of May and that's £154.50 which will come out of the EF. The only thing I watch from the BBC is Gardeners World and the odd drama!! Dog 1 also needs his booster so that's another expense to come out of the EF.

I've spent more in lockdown than I should of and feeling unworthy of being an MSEr at the moment

themadvix

Oh Jessy, don’t feel down! The fact you have an emergency fund is the key thing here - and being upset you won’t make it up to your goal of £6k by the end of the month makes you a total, proper MSEr!! Other people couldn’t care less about such things! 

How much do you think you’ll need to spend on food or is it a bit of an unknown quantity at the moment with boyo there? Is BF/his mum contributing extra to the budget as you’re having to feed him? I know 12(?) year old boys are bottomless pits. The only thing more MSE than being upset about a missed financial target is a mini challenge - can you see how far you can stretch the food  budget? Make it fun?

 Remember you’ve put yourself in a much better position than so many people - even if it is hard to see at times like this. You can do it! 

Jessy103

Thanks, vix, your support is much appreciated!

It's a bit  unknown with boyo here but I feel we need to get a better handle on it anyway. I do meal plan but I still end up buying more than we need and lots of extra treats. Even more so the past few weeks with the mindset of, 'if I don't buy it now, it might not be there next time' and 'we deserve treats, we're being good in lockdown!' BF will contribute more if needed, but I don't like to ask (silly I know but I feel like I need to prove myself to him, boyo and their family). I like your idea though vix, my challenge this month will be to spend as little as possible on food! Thank you! X

greent

Ah, Jessy, don't be disheartened! You have an EF, which is better than a lot of people - and if Covid-19 doesn't count as a good use for EF, I'm not sure what is. x

We're also spending heaps in lockdown..... mainly on food... 

Jessy103

Thanks greent, it's a relief to know I'm not the only one x

I think my problem is that I got paid 80% but haven't thought about adjusting my spending accordingly and so haven't got as much left over as I would want. Rookie error really!

South_coast

I feel your pain on the TV licence, I haven't been able to tune into any of the BBC channels for at least a year (no loss, as I never watched them anyway) and I NEVER listen to the radio, so why must I pay it 😦??? The only use I get from it is Have I Got News For You at BF's place and he pays the licence fee there 😯!

newgirly

That’s great news you have boyfriend’s ds there, hopefully he will enjoy the change of scene from his mum too 😉 I have to say I wasn’t excepting him to be that young when you said she needed a break from him! 

You are doing so well, it’s crazy thinking you are not doing as well as you want, the fact you even have an emergency fund makes you streets ahead of most ( including me 😆) also I would like to point out that what could be more of an “ emergency”  than a global pandemic! Good luck with cutting back the costs, I know Martin was saying on tv yesterday now is the time to switch utilities, obviously unless tied in. As for paying for extra food, I would also hope that boyfriend would help out but be reluctant to ask for money, can you full him up between meals with toast?  mine had a toast obsession through their teenage years 😁

Jessy103

South_coast said:

I feel your pain on the TV licence, I haven't been able to tune into any of the BBC channels for at least a year (no loss, as I never watched them anyway) and I NEVER listen to the radio, so why must I pay it 😦??? The only use I get from it is Have I Got News For You at BF's place and he pays the licence fee there 😯!

We don't have an aerial at the moment so don't get any channels and everything is watched through the firestick. You should definitely look into not having to pay for it, I'm sure Martin has said about it before but I can't remember the details!

newgirly said:

That’s great news you have boyfriend’s ds there, hopefully he will enjoy the change of scene from his mum too 😉 I have to say I wasn’t excepting him to be that young when you said she needed a break from him! 

You are doing so well, it’s crazy thinking you are not doing as well as you want, the fact you even have an emergency fund makes you streets ahead of most ( including me 😆) also I would like to point out that what could be more of an “ emergency”  than a global pandemic! Good luck with cutting back the costs, I know Martin was saying on tv yesterday now is the time to switch utilities, obviously unless tied in. As for paying for extra food, I would also hope that boyfriend would help out but be reluctant to ask for money, can you full him up between meals with toast?  mine had a toast obsession through their teenage years 😁

Thanks NG, I appreciate the kind words. Unfortunately, I'm tied into a contract with the electric until next year and I just went with the same provider for when we get the gas boiler installed, just for ease. Once the new boiler has been installed and the horrid electric one has gone I will look more into the utilities. Boyo has been very good so far and has only eaten at mealtimes with us, we do have another loaf of bread in the freezer, so I will make him toast if he gets peckish!

Jessy103

A no spend day! 

Cereal for breakfast, tomato soup for lunch and pasta bake and garlic bread for tea, with a yoghurt for pudding.

There are two birthdays coming up at the weekend but not ones we buy presents for, so we used two cards out of the multipack I bought last month and posted them off today while out on our walk, luckily I had some stamps in my address book. My mum's and BF's mum's birthdays both fall in July, a day between them, so I have picked two birthday cross stitch patterns for their cards and will make a start on them shortly. 

Boyo has been assigned the task of making a boat for a school project by the end of the week. It has to be made out of recycled stuff, has to have a control centre thing, can't be painted and obviously has to float! So far we have the plastic box the mushrooms came in and a cereal box, I'm not sure where we go from there but it should be a laugh! I'm sure whatever we come up with, we would earn a Blue Peter badge! 😂 I will keep you posted! 

Have a lovely evening x

Jessy103

Another NSD here

Cereal for breakfast, boyo had toast. Soup for lunch. Veggie sausages, mash and veg in a giant Yorkshire pudding for tea! Yummy!

Sent off meter readings for the water and electric. Not really using much more of either with us being at home, which is good. We've still not had our phone calls from work, that we were told we would be getting this week about when we are going back and with it being a four day week, there's only tomorrow left! They're not always the most forthcoming with information so I don't know why I'm surprised, it's just the living in limbo which isn't nice!

We had a lovely afternoon walk with the dogs, and on our route round the outskirts of the village we were able to drop off my nephew's card and birthday present for tomorrow. 

Take care and stay safe x