Our MFW Adventure!

Needhelpsaving

Hi!
I wrote a whole post this morning and have no idea where it has gone ... perhaps I've clicked preview instead of post? 

Anyhow, I spent this morning updating my money spreadsheet with this weeks spends. The cupboards, fridge and freezer are now all full, so I am hoping that should last us at least 10-14 days with a top up shop for milk, fruit and bread. I used £11 of M&S rewards vouchers towards this weeks food shop and moved the equivalent cash into savings. 

I also had to use some money from sinking funds for other purchases, a card for OH, £10 on new school t-shirts (covered in stains) and a water bottle (Lost) for DD1, £10 on a dry cut for DD1 and I spent £14 on next size clothes for the DD's in the Asda sale. 

I have downgraded my cut and blow dry next week to just a dry cut, as there is at least a £15 saving. I haven't had it cut since October, so it does need doing, but I can also balance that with saving money. 

Currently have £25.78 swept across to savings and have made a 2p OP to the mortgage (I found 2p in the street, so sent the equivalent across to the mortgage ... it all adds up). 

In money making news, I have a few bits listed for sale online, the lower value items have bids on so that means some money in and some decluttering done. I have also sorted through my jewelry box and have some broken/unused jewelry that I'll take to be weighed in next week. It's mainly sterling silver with one white gold/diamond earring. Any money from this will go towards my savings goals.

savingholmes

Great mse actions there. Have a positive week.

Needhelpsaving

Good Afternoon!
I'm writing this while huddled up inside, the weather out there is shocking. I took DD1 and myself to the dentist this morning (DD2 merely spectated) and by the time that was done and we had taken DD1 to school, we were frozen through    Anyway - £22.70 spent from medical sinking fund for my dental care. 

I took the broken jewelry to a precious metals scrap merchant yesterday (I am lucky to live somewhere where this trade is abundant). I had done my research on the best dealer beforehand and took my bits in - £38 made, I rounded it up to £40 and moved that straight over towards my savings goal. I'm now at £65.78/£215.86 (I rolled over the shortfall from last month, but am not sure whether I'm being too harsh on myself ... I can only try I suppose). 

3 Ebay sales last night, so I'll get those ready today and posted first thing tomorrow. OH has been given Friday off as TOIL, so he will spend some 1-1 time with DD2 and I will crack on with some DIY and decorating to keep us on track with home reno goal. Then Sunday has been earmarked for a family day trip.

All in all, lot planned, but we're looking forward to it all.
Stay safe and warm wherever you are xx

Needhelpsaving

   Hangs head in shame ... my budget has run away with me the week before payday. 
It's been a combination of trying to get things done in the house (queue costs) and some life happening. 
Positive bits
- DD's room has been moved along, I have hung wallpaper on the one wall that needed it and a carpenter came in to box in some pipes. Beds due to be delivered this week and put up on Saturday.

Negative bits
- I have gone over budget in multiple area's and have had to pull the £60 ish I had put into savings back to cover the deficit - Food is currently £10.89 over budget, Petrol £9.94 over budget, Misc £9.04 over budget, £30 spent on home improvement related bits. 

It has been covered by the money I had put as extra savings, but it's not what I had planned for the month. I just need to get back on the horse (as it were and get on with things). I may have more Misc spends as we have a relative in hospital and there are parking costs (£3.40 for 1.5 hours!) I will check out nearby roads to see if there is any parking on residential streets that I could use to try to reduce the cost and still be able to visit. 

Oh, and I have OP'd a grand total of 7p to the mortgage!  We're on track to hit £10k savings next payday though, so I'm just trying to keep looking at the bigger picture.

savingholmes

Wow - £10K in savings is immense. Stop being so hard on yourself. You know where the money got spent. You're happy to rein in the budget - you are doing really well.

Needhelpsaving

savingholmes said:

Wow - £10K in savings is immense. Stop being so hard on yourself. You know where the money got spent. You're happy to rein in the budget - you are doing really well.

Thanks SH x I am trying to look at the bigger picture, I was just disappointed that I hadn't hit my monthly saving goal. Anyway, onwards and upwards as they say 

Needhelpsaving

This month has ended badly budget wise, mainly due to additional trips and associated costs with hospital visits, chuck in a couple of takeaways and poor planning because I was tired and I've bust the budget. These things happen, the visits to the hospital are more important and we can recover the overspends next month, so it's just one to chalk up to life. Some things are more important. 

I had an ebay sale yesterday and the money made was sent to cover the overspends and I have taken time to adjust non-essential spends next month to cover the shortfall - I have £4.37 to find to bring us back to £0, which is totally achievable.

Needhelpsaving

Good Morning!

It's bright and early on payday and last night we spent some time discussing our long term goals and whether our current spending was aligned with them. It was basically an overview of how we've started the year. 

So, we have tweaked our original plan temporarily to gain some traction with our mortgage OP's. We're going to top our savings up to £9k (just over 6 months of expenses) and send £900 to the mortgage an an OP  (Where is the jumping up and down emoji when you need one?!). 

The smaller goals that I want to achieve this year (Sinking funds, my PB savings and sending bits and pieces to our emergency fund) will continue to tick along, but we have decided to start focusing on the mortgage more 

Needhelpsaving

Last night we sent money to relevant accounts and updated spreadsheets (what can I say, we're wild!  ).
- £310 sent to savings bringing the emergency pot to just over £9k 
- £925 sent to mortgage as an OP, I will wait until our DD goes out on 1st of March before updating the balances remaining. 

The overspends from last month have been covered from this month's budget, so I need to make sure I am planning more this month to stay on course. 

Today's plan is a drop off at the charity shop, food shop (including a birthday gift needed for the weekend) based on a meal plan and collecting some new clothes for DD's that I have purchased with vouchers earned from survey sites 

savingholmes

some great OPs and savings there.