The Four D's

Naomim

My dd is the same, she loves playing football but not that interested in watching on tv. We did start going to the Chelsea Women's games pre covid as it was local and cheap. She loved that. Not sure how old your dd is but you should see if there's a local "little league". My dd plays there, it's from year 2 of school and is mixed for the first couple of years and costs £35 for the year.

FootyFanDan

Today is my last day off. I have had a little film morning with the little one, so plan of action for rest of day is to have lunch and then get all my stuff ready for work the next few days. I have finally managed to sort out my pots on monzo to align with what I want to try save up over the year. Hopefully new plan of action will help keep these topped up.

Current Pots

Car Tax - £2.50 / £30 - This might not stay as it is only currently £30 per year and that isn't much out of budget but its there for now

Car Breakdown Cover - £13.58/ £95 - I used to pay AA monthly which costs me a fortune and was paying way more than the £95. Plus with this I get the cover I got with AA for less. This is due in July, I will look around at the time but budgeting the £95 for now

Car Maintenance - £41.67 / ??  - I don't really have a particular goal with this as not sure how much is really needed, but first target is to cover service and MOT due in May. The car was last serviced in October so hoping delaying this til May when MOT is due won't be much of issue. Previous owner used to service it every 6 months by looks of paperwork. I hope then from May I will continue to put money away and let it build (hopefully won't need it yet)

Emergency Fund - £50 / £450 - I plan to make sure this is topped up every month and commit to this seriously. It isn't something I have always thought I would need but while our financial position is stable I want to try build this up. My first aim is £450 as this would cover most general things that we are responsible for if it broke. Once I hit this goal I will take a look at it again. 

Christmas 2021 - £31.82 / ?? - The target for this is needing to be looked at, however at that rate if I save that every month that gives us £350. Obviously pressies and xmas stuff isn't even in discussions yet but this should cover a fair bit, will probably re-visit this one in June/July when we start thinking of what to buy people. 

We also plan to start properly saving for the little one's future - this is something we have neglected to think of due to our financial circumstances and growing up my parents didn't really have a chance to save for our futures due to their finance issues so I am looking into getting a savings account properly for the little one - at the minute we will save into a pot whilst looking and also while finding our feet with this.

Talking of future planning - life insurance and contents insurance is something I need to seriously look at. Any tips welcome - also any experts on work pensions wanna drop in and advise I am all ears haha. A few at work seem to think they are a waste of time but I dunno if it cos they are of the older generation that have never really had the scheme where as for me its been in my working life since I was like 21 or so.

FootyFanDan

Naomim said:

My dd is the same, she loves playing football but not that interested in watching on tv. We did start going to the Chelsea Women's games pre covid as it was local and cheap. She loved that. Not sure how old your dd is but you should see if there's a local "little league". My dd plays there, it's from year 2 of school and is mixed for the first couple of years and costs £35 for the year.

Thanks I will take a look, she is 6 and full of antics that is for sure haha! She is into her singing and drama so is missing these at the moment. I am sure there is  like a junior thing that she could do here when everything re-opens but they tend to fall on same times as drama.

alt80

Would def be good for your daughter to joint a team mate she'll love it. My son loves singing too he's in school choir. 

100 organised with pots mate. 

Also re daughter I have a plan for son - he has his 'pocket money' put in an account doesn't know right now but when older he'll get a choice. My plan is to get a unit with him when he's 18. Won't be anywhere near enough for him to buy outright but should cover a 25% deposit on a cheap project for us to do together. I'll secure finance not many if any providers for comm bridge for an 18 year old but will be up to him with my help to work out the numbers / secure trades / learn some skills himself and put the graft in. Any profit he can roll into next. Hoping he'll chose to work in my business tbt would love him to be my succession plan 100 the dream for me. Wouldn't recommend this for someone without the prior experience in property for their child but have a think about something you'd like to give her - maybe a skill that you can pass on as well a s a lump of money maybe idk. 

Will leave the pensions for someone else. 

Contents insurance - are you looking to renew or do you not currently have? If the latter, get it sorted won't cost you a lot mate.

FootyFanDan

Morning All, 

Hope everyone is okay - halfway through the week....yet my work week is just beginning haha. I feel quite good this morning, all my usual morning routine stuff was done last night to see if it helped with the rushing around on a morning and having everything all prepped makes everything much better on a morning (obviously you would think right!) I dunno I always say I am going to prep night before and never do. So this morning I was able to get up and not worrying about making my lunch or ironing my clothes plus I got 30 mins extra in bed so a win all round really, just need to make the routine stick.

I was half expecting to wake up to a covering of snow this morning but that hasn't materialised so I am thankful for that. Its weird as all last week it forecast really heavy snow near me and while we have had the odd flurry its not been too bad. I have had breakfast and now just having a nice brew before I start my day proper. I have really become conscious over last few days that I am not eating anywhere near enough or drinking enough water so this is something I need to work a plan out for. Got my work day planned out and got a few tasks to get out of the way early but hopefully be a steady one today.

On the been grateful thing I saw a video yesterday about maybe taking some time out of the day especially in these times where everything is a bit meh to reflect on what good you do have so this is something I may look at 

Today I am grateful there is no snow! I am also grateful that I have a job to be going to in these awful times when I know not everyone is so lucky.

Stay Safe 

FootyFanDan

alt80 said:

Would def be good for your daughter to joint a team mate she'll love it. My son loves singing too he's in school choir. 

100 organised with pots mate. 

Also re daughter I have a plan for son - he has his 'pocket money' put in an account doesn't know right now but when older he'll get a choice. My plan is to get a unit with him when he's 18. Won't be anywhere near enough for him to buy outright but should cover a 25% deposit on a cheap project for us to do together. I'll secure finance not many if any providers for comm bridge for an 18 year old but will be up to him with my help to work out the numbers / secure trades / learn some skills himself and put the graft in. Any profit he can roll into next. Hoping he'll chose to work in my business tbt would love him to be my succession plan 100 the dream for me. Wouldn't recommend this for someone without the prior experience in property for their child but have a think about something you'd like to give her - maybe a skill that you can pass on as well a s a lump of money maybe idk. 

Will leave the pensions for someone else. 

Contents insurance - are you looking to renew or do you not currently have? If the latter, get it sorted won't cost you a lot mate.

Thanks mate - The pots are something that may float around or needs change as and when if we need to be flexible but right now those are the key goals - there is going to be an holiday/days out fund when Boris lets us out again hehe. At the moment we have one holiday booked for this year but its not paid for as Mum always gives us her caravan on coast for a week so hopefully by time that is due (mid june) we can go.

Contents insurance I just don't have, weirdly its something I have never ever considered as a need I dunno why. I am just not really clued up re insurances other than car lol.

The savings for daughter is something we have been doing then stopped due to crappy finances but now I am more focussed than ever to ensure we put a little away for her. Its a tough one really as I know if someone handed me 5k at 18 years old I would have wasted it, where as my Partner would have been wise with it! So hoping the little one takes after her in that regards. Even if it just helps her get a bit towards an home or driving lessons or helps her through uni or college. I dropped out of college and gave up my dream because I couldn't afford to be at college I was getting no loans or anything due to parents income weirdly. I don't want that for the little one.

FootyFanDan

Morning All,

Hope everyone is well. Not really much happening kinda feels like just gliding along which is unusual, so just checking in to keep diary active. 

I have been speaking to a few people re the work place pension and it is something I am going to keep for now, I can't see any valid reason at present to stop it. The money that is been deducted from my wage isn't something I budget anyways so I am not really using it so may as well be for something useful.  I do need to get a bit more clued up about it though so maybe a bit of research needed.

9 days until payday and everything budget wise is on track. Nothing really added to any pots at present but it is looking like I will be able to add a little more to the emergency fund - anything I have left in the account just before payday will transfer to EF, based on current figures that should be £100 provided I stick to my budget properly. We have one more incoming payment due just before payday and we have pretty much everything we need, there is £70 left in the food budget which should easily cover the next weekly shop as we have plenty in at the moment. 

I am currently working on like a meal plan / shopping list sheet to try simplify things, the reality is we generally eat a lot of the same meals that we all like as a family so shopping shouldn't be as expensive and as complicated as it currently is. I think this has just come down to lazyiness on my part as when we properly meal planned we did manage to cut down the waste of food and the cost. 

Hope everyone is keeping safe

Naomim

I think gliding is a good sign you're on top of things.

I also don't know much about pensions. I have a work place pension and like you, as the money is deducted at source I don't notice it. I occasionally google how much you should expect to have saved by retirement but until my debts are cleared I'm leaving it as it is.

alt80

Good to hear from you mate. Def sort your contents insurance - it'll probably only be about £60-70/a going by what my single let tenants pay.

Do think if you go down the route of savings for your daughter you should consider a plan for it. I won't be giving my son money to spaff up the wall mate - he wants to do that he can damn well earn it. 

Re food - do you or your Mrs cook or both? Worth compiling a list. I've been getting the wife to do one initially it was a bit of a coke fuelled brainwave tbt ha but we're compiling a massive list of meals can then work out the plan from there. Also re shops - worth ordering online rather than going to the shop? I don't mind the supermarkets but 100 will come back with stuff I didn't intend to buy in the first place lol

Agree with @Naomim gliding being a good sign. 

FootyFanDan

Naomim said:

I think gliding is a good sign you're on top of things.

I also don't know much about pensions. I have a work place pension and like you, as the money is deducted at source I don't notice it. I occasionally google how much you should expect to have saved by retirement but until my debts are cleared I'm leaving it as it is.

Yeah I guess you are right, I do feel like I am constantly tweaking things to try save money. I think I need to maybe settle into a pattern of building savings for a bit and roll with that.