Improving all the time

mark55man

I'm a late convert to sedate driving. I do a lot in all sorts, but pre LBM a tank got me 450 miles post LBM it gets me 520+ (although I do fill right up now).

Fuel prices are odd for me - locally its mainly 130p/litre, but one office I goto has a supermarket nearby with fuel at 121p/litre so an additional £5 saving every top up

and I do notice the lack of stress, and its a few minutes slower but not many even on a 70 mile drive

FloraandFauna

Me too, Mark88man - ever since I finally purchased an old banger that was up to date enough to have a mph display. I do love the theory 'if you don't measure it how do you know you can't beat it'.

I'm amazed that since I started this diary I have been able to 'find' even more money, considering I thought I lived a fairly frugal life already. But really watching where every penny is going, and seizing random opportunities to pick up more pennies, has hugely paid off.

My SOA just about balances out over the year, leaving enough each month for the fixed OP and then about £60 'spare' for savings. But I have still managed to conjure up an additional £350 OPs in the last 30 days, as well as adding another £200 to savings. Which looks impossible on paper, but savings in fuel, groceries, grabbing offers, claiming compensation, doing surveys - it really does all add up! It won't be this good every month, I know, but still.

I've had a really encouraging email from Scotrail today as well, making noises about compensation, so hopefully something will materialise from them. Plus I've just realised my house insurance is over 10 months, so will have an extra £20 from there to OP this month and next. This wonderful site has encouraged me to save annual expenses in advance, so I already have next year's covered (although it will reduce the 'savings' a bit). I'll pay that in one go and then OP what I would have paid every month so I don't lose it in the monthly budget.

<contented sigh>

FloraandFauna

Yawwwwn, tiring week with early starts this week. WFH tomorrow so looking forward to less hectic, more thinking, more considered drafting and analysis.

TT 82p today
Another mountain of paperwork (T&C) through the door from FirstDirect.
Cashed out about £8 from testable minds (can't $ convert off top of head) and completed a lovely £8.75 prolific survey so waiting for that
NSD yesterday
Very pleased have not been to supermarket for a fortnight now - living out of fridge/freezer and garden salady stuff. Need eggs though. And cream. And creme fraiche. Perhaps buy cow. And chicken.

Bonus points: had shopping urges (new mattress, dining table etc) to beautify house. Firmly shut down webpages before willpower crumbled. NOT necessary spends. Have put a big fat red line through my 5-year savings budget very clearly showing that need at least £3000 saved before can even think of looking for suitable.

Clearly too tired for full sentences. Bed time.

savingholmes

Well done on resisting shopping urges. Good luck with testing the travelling journey... by different means of transport. I am so grateful my total commute is about 20-25 mins each way - but that is planned - and I sacrifice higher pay to get that.

I do have a true emergency fund as well as a slush fund...

FloraandFauna

Ta, Holmes - it seems to come in waves, this desire to give my house what it deserves*, so hopefully no more willpower needed for a while.

* it's a beautiful, graceful, early Victorian, and I feel I am letting it down badly with my make-do plastic sofa from Freecycle, and bashed pine drawers. I'm longing to get some furniture in that makes it feel real and whole. The first six months after moving in I did get some perfect, quality bits (very old chest, armchair, some china, rugs) that make me smile every time I walk past, but having blown all my savings on the deposit and these things, REALLY can't justify spending any more until I'm a bit more financially secure.

For a few years, my commute was 10 mins door to door. I'm not sure I could honestly claim I put all that time to better use, although occasionally it was nice being able to flounce out of work and sulk at home for half an hour over lunchtime.

FloraandFauna

OPs today of £11.26 (an odd gift from Barclays allegedly about interest shouldn't have paid about ten years ago on something not specified). Also £6.84 from interest earned on TSB current a/c, plus some TTs.

FD online banking finally up and running, so have opened Reg Saver linked to the current a/c today. Won't be available for a few days, so transferred £300 to current a/c so it's ready as soon as they take the first standing order out.

Must remember to check that switching bonus gets paid.

Am now in disarray with my beloved spreadsheets. Just running the one current a/c so far (as it had the best interest rate at 3% for my small amount of savings), so really easy to balance bills, savings, DDs etc as all in one place. Now I have two, need to rearrange spreadsheets to reflect savings elsewhere, or it will all get double-counted, or overlooked, or something. Bah. On plus side, £300 now earning 5% not 3%.

FloraandFauna

Aldi really is a revelation to me. People always said it was cheaper shopping there, but I'd assumed it was 3p cheaper on a banana, or 5p on a kilo of leeks. i.e. not worth it for the additional petrol spent going the extra mile.

I've just done my big supermarket shop, and it's £24.11! That's fish, meat, a bucket full of veg, yoghurt, cream, more veg, creme fraiche, more veg, rice, crisps, wine, more veg, avocados... enough for at least 10 days if I'm good and inventive with it (I do have a plan). Admittedly not much meat/fish since I'm picky about the welfare of the animal I'm eating, but still.

I knew it would be good, since I've done a basic shop there a couple of times in the last 30 days - ie bought ingredients for specific meals for a specific number of days. But I didn't expect to go in there with an open minded list and come out with so much, for so much less.

For full disclosure, I will say I then went round the corner to see if there was any YS stuff at Tosca's, and spend another £6. : )

I've just worked out the cats combined weigh 17% of me. Their food bill combined is 46% of mine. And I'm the one getting plump. <annoyed face> Time to reassess the sort of food I'm eating (clearly the crisps and wine do not help, but absolutely no-one is welcome to point this out).

savingholmes

It's lovely when you get unexpected money.

As to giving the house what it deserves - stop worrying about it. if you ever got stuck for money for the mortgage you wouldn't be saying I really should have spent it on posh furniture instead...

VelvetFreak

The furniture thing is a tough one. I am obsessed with home decor and love spending money on house stuff. A pretty living space makes me feel really happy. At the same time, I am a big believer in making do with what you have, being grateful, and taking care of your things. When I feel down about the way my house looks, doing a big clean and declutter makes me like it more as it feels so much fresher and looks better. Re-arranging furniture also gives the same effect.

shangaijimmy

FloraandFauna wrote: »

Hmmm, I'm having a dither about my season ticket.

It's currently an eye-watering £3,584 a year, from a station just 5 minutes drive from my house.

If I renew it for a station that's a 25 minute drive from my house, it drops to £2,532 a year. But with the additional petrol costs for driving, it's really about £2,980.

So would be a saving of about £600 a year, or £50 a month. Not to be sneezed at.

But to earn that £50 a month I would have to drive up to an extra hour a day, 4 days a week (usually work from home 1 day a week), with the additional morning stress of potentially getting stuck behind something (rural road) causing me to miss the train. And there isn't another for another 2 hours.

An additional 16 hours (32 trips) minimum driving per month to gain £50 = means each drive equates to about £1.50 saved v. increased morning stress.

I can't decide. Do people think it's a no-brainer and just what everyone does? Or would continue paying the extra £50 a month for a stress-free commute?

I think i would stick with the 5min drive and consider it a purchase of your time. With our busy household we consider time the best commodity to buy. Not sure if framing it this way helps or not?