Saving for..?

JennyJukes

I love scented everything savingswannabe! I also use scented iron water!!

I had a great weekend bestlifenow - boyfriend and I cooked some honey & soy stirfry at the weekend then went for some ribs before going to the cinema. We picked some sweets and chocolate up from the store to avoid the extortionate cinema prices. Back home now and it's so cold without my boyfriend - he is very, very warm so saves me on heating bills!! (Also helps me clean up so saves me time!!)

Now time to catch up on my bank and the damage done. Boyfriend & I took turns in paying but he kept paying all the expensive bills - I really wish he would let me treat him!! Especially as he's a student. I have suggested we get a joint account where we put in 50/50 money so we can spend and not feel guilty. He said he will think about it. Whilst I do struggle with money and being able to save a substantial amount, I did enjoy being able to spend my money on treating myself/us instead of just paying bills and saving money.

Groceries: £25.03/£25
Petrol: £20/£55
Entertainment: £15.18/£60

Well I'm over the groceries slightly and would have been even more but boyfriend paid for some and paid for lunch. I'll probably need to up my groceries to £30-£35 now to include him. Next week I don't really need much as I have quite a bit of meals to last me so just bits and bobs. Nothing into savings this week!

savingwannabe

I am so glad you enjoyed yourself. You are perfectly entitled to not save when there is a special occasion. lol.

JennyJukes

Hello all

It's getting so cold!!

I have had a super busy day today, meetings, clients, meeting with my new boss to sort out some paperwork etc. He told me I would be getting an induction and training so I'm feeling a bit better now knowing that I will get some training.

I'm having some issues with my boiler. I noticed yesterday the kitchen and bathroom radiator were on even when the heating wasn't?!?!! Then I couldn't get the heating to go on this morning at all and have to keep resetting the thermostat. Ugh. The heating is on but I feel like the thermostat is incorrect because the temperature isn't going up even with the heating on?? I'm out of my depth with this. My landlord is arranging for someone to come out to do appliance checks so I'm going to ask him about it.

I also contacted my energy company re my smart meter not showing my usage and them sending me estimated readings. They said they would arrange for someone to come out and replace the meter at no extra cost then I said okay cool then he said okay bye so uh... is that going to happen? How? When? Ugh!!

Anyway... managed to get a big payment from one study on prolific. £3.97 plus a £4.20 bonus! Have cashed out £13.26 and added to my savings. My breakdown cover and road tax renewed this month too though so I'm a bit more out of pocket than I thought!

Travelling to bfs this weekend so on one hand petrol and bus fare but on the other I get to use his heating for free because it's included in his rent :rotfl: We don't have much planned. Was hoping my vouchers would be here by now so we could spend them - I did miss a signed parcel post today so will pick up tomorrow but don't think it's them as they said they would send it tracked and keep me updated. Annoying. Anyway:

Groceries: £6.37/£25
Petrol: £20/£55
Entertainment: £15.18/£60

JennyJukes

Oof! What an expensive day!

£6.60 to send recorded delivery Edinburgh to London!!! I guess it would be cheaper if it wasn't this "next day delivery guaranteed" but he didn't give me all my options, just the most expensive one I guess! Plus I bought milk for the office which said 79p on the label but checking my receipt they charged £2.79!! Bloody Post Office is ridiculous.

I did receive my SuperDry vouchers though!!!!!! :j:j The £200 came in full on one card though instead of two £100 vouchers and I told my colleague I would give her half - looks like I need to spend £100 of it then give her the card. So I will spend my £100 this weekend, hopefully there's a sale on so I can get multiple items. Will get bf a shirt as he bought a new one and it ripped first day!!

I also need to get lunch today as I don't have so more money. I don't mind the spending when needed and as a treat but I do mind getting ripped off and scammed :mad:

Almost the weekend, almost the weekend..

savingwannabe

Im so glad that your vouchers have come. They took ages. Don't forget to treat yourself as well from them.

Well done on meeting your new boss and finding out about training and paperwork.

Oh dear about the boiler - the temperature has taken a tumble and having it all tickety boo is so important. I hope it is sorted v soon.

One day left for a lovely weekend I hope.

JennyJukes

I got the boiler and thermostat fixed thanks to the internet. I'm young but I find myself finding all the new technology harder and harder tbh. Got myself some chicken tandoori and pitta for lunch and it filled me right up so just some scrambled eggs on toast for tea later.

Groceries: £10.37/£25
Petrol: £20/£55
Entertainment: £15.18/£60

Barely needed groceries this week. I have lunch and tea for tomorrow, will just need to pick up some bits for Saturday with bf. BF goes to get his own bank account next week and he wants me to help him budget and give him money saving tips

savingwannabe

It'll be great if you can get boyfriend on the MSE wagon. Twice the fun and an accountability partner which will be really encouraging.

JennyJukes

Well Sunday and time to count the pennies after another weekend with BF.

He went to the cinema Friday which was paid for by friends then we met up later and chilled. Saturday we went to spend some of the SuperDry vouchers I won. I got a very fluffy warm hoody and jeans and bought bf some jogger bottoms. Very good quality clothing but nothing I could ever justify paying for!!
We then went for lunch, my turn to pay and it was £14.95 - we had a sharing plate of a mixture from Tony Macaroni's. Wasn't the best tbh. Just got tap water to wash it down with for free. Then went to Sainsburys for some groceries £8.05 for a few bits! I'm glad I don't live in the city as that would buy me several meals!! We made some chicken pasta with pesto back home and it was lovely!!
I was also naughty and bought some coffee and cake before I met bf on the Friday for £2.25
Also got some petrol before I left too @ £20.01

I did request £3 from topcashback and have £8 odd pending in prolific. I got a £7 study whilst bf was doing his coursework studying so I was being productive too!

Now let's see..

Groceries: £20.67/£25
Petrol: £40.01/£55
Entertainment: £30.13/£60

Still within budgets with 2 weeks to go until payday so well chuffed. I do sometimes feel a little bad spending money but as long as I stay in budget I should allow myself a little.

Have added the £4.33 leftover grocery budget into savings.
Unsure if BF and I have plans for next weekend but for now I got the washing on, the heating on (it was 14.5 when I got back - bfs accommodation is SO warm!), eating chips and catching up on the soaps! :T

JennyJukes

Gonna be a boring week for tea time meals! All I have bought in is mince and chicken, the chicken I can be versatile with but mince I will probably just make more spag bol as that went pretty good. I need to get some veg for that.

Spent £2.72 in Morrisons getting discounted rolls and salad, as well as ham. Then free teabags curtousy of a voucher BF gave me, he knows me well
Then £11.22 in Aldi.

Do still need to get quite a bit foodwise espec if BF and I are cooking this weekend.

Groceries: £13.94/£25
Petrol: £40.01/£55
Entertainment: £30.13/£60

After all the hard work I've done trying to save I really don't want to service my car. It will help knowing my car is safer to drive and keep me going until my next MOT where I'll be in a better position to buy a new second hand car but... I don't like garages. Might bite the bullet and put it in somewhere next week when I have done all my handovers at work and just doing paperwork in the office.

JennyJukes

Boring, boring, boring. Well, not really. Had a hectic week telling clients I'm leaving and getting treated like I'm abandoning them. Hate how I'm treated all the time I hope my next job isn't like that. I don't know I'm feeling so weird about a lot of things in my life I'm fed up I feel like I'm always waiting for my life to start but I know also it already has and I need to be taking life by the .. balls ..

BF coming this weekend but he has to study a lot so will be sat at home most the time. Bought some black pudding for him to try, haggis next time

Add £6.24 groceries so probably going to go above my budget this week as we are cooking again but at least as we are staying in the entertainment budget will balance that out, might just have a cafe lunch or something but will be well under budget. BF signed up for a bank account he's just waiting for his bank card but I don't think we'll be able to have a joint account anyway as he's an immigrant and atm can only get a student one. So we'll need to figure out how our money is going to work cause currently we kinda just fight each other to pay and I would rather something a little more balanced. Anyhoo

Groceries: £20.18/£25
Petrol: £40.01/£55
Entertainment: £30.13/£60

Busy week this week and next not sure I'll get under my petrol budget either. For my new job I need to travel a few days the first week for my induction but I think I'm going to get a train as don't want to drive that far with the state my car is in so that's going to be a bit of an expense. Still not quite sure what to expect from my new job, at least I won't be able to complain about being bored lol.