Young And Dumb

Mx_Emmin

Passed my R01 exam!

Mx_Emmin

Groceries is the worst and makes no sense to me (that sentiment is the cry of budgeters everywhere, I know)

I get paid on the 19th ish, occasionally sooner, and I swear I spend 1/3 to 1/2 of my groceries category between the 19th and the end of the month - but I have a good 20 days left to go before my next paycheck and proportionally less money to spend on it

Do I just eat caviar the first week or something?

I've tried splitting the Groceries fund into Week 1, Week 2, etc and honestly it just got confusing - and I kept moving from one week category into the next anyway

I think I just have a tendancy to wait until my first pay-week of my pay-month to get all the nice food, and save the cheap food until week 4

Mx_Emmin

So I was watching YNAB's latest two videos on end or start of month rituals as I just thought I'd talk briefly on here - ironically, only to say that I don't really have any. Because I get paid on the 19th, I can't do much until then.
I make a few notes on my Excel spreadsheet, because I still track some values on there - for the 1st of the month, I would make a note of how my Net Worth, Age Of Money and balance of my main account compared to last month (this last one is a hangover from when I didn't really know how to track Net Worth: I just like seeing the numbers go up but it doesn't mean much anymore)
My Net Worth increased significantly in August compared to previous months but I think that was due to my Nan's inheritance. Age of Money is a YNAB concept - literally, how old is that money you just spent? How long ago did you get it? They use this grain silo metaphor where you put money in at the top and take money out at the bottom and the idea is to take less money out than goes in so you build up a reserve and your money "ages" and anyway older is better and my A.O.M was 104 days in August. It seems to have plateaued in the ealy 100's
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House hunting is frustrating and upsetting. All my conversation with letting agents are 30 seconds long because they wont talk to me past hearing I have a dog and there just aren't many places online right now. 
I went into town today to buy a new shirt for my family member's wedding and it turned out Primark was having a sale so I ended up buying three, and some shorts, which mild guilt about and I'm a lil stressed about money before the money but it was only £22 total. I got a full price more formal grey shirt in case I feel a little conservative on the day, but I also got two ugly-cute shirts that just scream "disaster Queer". I also bought shorts, as I said, which is kind of big deal for me as I haven't bared my legs since I stopped shaving in October 2018. Admittedly it might a little while before it's shorts weather again... but we might get a hot spell in September!
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On the YNAB app you can put Emojis in the category names and I thought I'd talking about somethign I do with those names. On my budget I have little hearts next to each category - green, yellow, orange and red hearts - which are code for how easy it is to move money from that category. It's not neccesarily how important it is to fund that category, although there is often a lot of overlap.
Green - Go Ahead - Examples: Take Out, Social Spends
Yellow - Cautiously, Within Reason - Examples: Human Groom, Dog Groom
Orange - Someone Better Be Dying - Examples: Medical, FA Diploma
Red  - No - Examples: Rent, Phone Bill
So if I've overspent in one category I take money from green categories first, then yellow. 
A category might not always the colour you would have initally thought, though. For example, Amazon Prime (now cancelled) and HP Instant Ink were/are both red. It's not that I need those to live: it's that I need to take an extra step to cancel them. They're set up to leave my account automatically, so I can't just decide not to pay them this month, I need to actually go and do something about it. If I don't cancel them, and I don't have money in that category, there's a problem.
Meanwhile, Groceries are yellow. I can't take from them indefintely, but if times are bad I can cut back and literally Rice and Beans if I need to. As much as I whine about grocery overspending, if I really really had to, if it was for a good cause, I could.
Only three of my 22 (ish) savings pots are green - the "Holding Category", Next Fitbit, and New Year Whiskey. Those are things that would be pretty easy to give up if need be. 
~*~
Happy September! 

Mx_Emmin

I have been paid and I will update this in a few days but I'm currently languishing in bed suffering from kind of mysterious flu like illness... 👀 👀 ...didnt do anything fancy, just topped up all the categories to full. Over filled New Years Whiskey to get the monthly contribution in future months below £10 then had £28 and change spare so threw that into a new "Next Move" category. Every little helps.

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House hunting in a pandemic is surreal. On the one end of the spectrum I've seen people only wanting to do video tours and only accepting applicants from those who can work from home. On the other end of the spectrum I've had the lady who let slip that she was coming back from Spain the day before our visit, and the guy in a vulnerable category who said I was welcome to come over even if I tested positive. People are wierd.

Mx_Emmin

So! A bit of a quiet update this month, in a calm-before-the-storm sort of way. My E-Fund is now at £1976, so, so close to £2K but I'll move and use some of it before I get there. My current E-Fund goal is £3K but I set that when I first started budgeting and I realise now thats not a true 3 months fund - but it's a nice round number to start with. 

Everything else is ticking along as is. Other than pay some extra into my New Years Whiskey Fund to bring down the monthly payments (nearly halved them) I didnt do anything fancy. As I said, I had a little left over so I put it into my new "Next Move" category. 

That category will stay there after this move because there's always a Next Move, at least whilst I'm renting (and I dont see that changing for the foreseeable). I've already put one charge through it - a single months upgrade at a house share hunting website. After I finish my E-Fund I intend to top that category up to £1K as well.

It will be sad to see my E-Fund go.

House viewings have been temporarily paused whilst waiting on the results of my test. The Roni might have got me. My samples been sent off, so just waiting for the result to be emailed to me. And if you haven't watched the news lately, our testing system is, ah... not great... right now. Still, hopefully I get a result tomorrow. 

[Deleted User]

Just read the first 3 pages of your diary and I am saving it so I can read more tomorrow!

Keep the spirits up! 😊

Mx_Emmin

1992saving said:

Just read the first 3 pages of your diary and I am saving it so I can read more tomorrow!

Keep the spirits up! 😊

Thanks Hope you enjoy the rest! 

Mx_Emmin

So I forgot to update this and tell you guys I tested negative haha

I'm going to try going back to work tomorrow, but frankly I'm still coughing as if I'm fresh from the mines. Customers will not be pleased, hopefully I can just catch up on some admin round the back.

I've made (another) temporary group when I realised I don't have enough money in this month's clothing budget for a plain black binder. This is different to the Shapeshifter binder - the Shapeshifter binder is a pretty one I want to wear in it's own right, the black binder is just an undershirt. Even a plain binder will be about £45 with P&P though. Guess I'll work up to it.

Mx_Emmin

Watching the Martin Lewis Money Show tonight and reflecting on his savings accounts advice
 
The thing is, on a good day, perhaps the day after payday, my net worth is 6k. Right now just shy of 2k is kept in a minimal interest rate instant access savings account. 3.4K is in my current account, which does pay interest. The rest is in a H2B ISA and a few pounds in a second current account, less than £20 I just havent bothered moving it back.
 
I could definitely get better % on all these accounts. Martin would have you put £200pm here and £250pm there to maximize interest. But that's a lot of faff, and with rates where they are, and with the amount of £ I have, I'd be gaining maybe £5 per year
 
 Doesn't seem worth it
 
If I could lock away all 6k, maybe, but I need a chunk of that to be easy access for living and emergencies

Mx_Emmin

I've found the place I'm moving into, will move around the 18th or so. Kinda wish I could fast forward three weeks and have it all be done already. 
But still, whilst I'm still stressed, this is a more manageable stress than "oh my GOD where am I going to LIVE I'm going to be HOMELESS"
I'm trying to remind myself frequently that is the first move I've ever made that doesn't involve me trying to finance it through credit cards and overdrafts. I'm grumpy about using my E-Fund, but that's all I am. It's a nice change of pace.
I'm moving into another house share, this time with two people. They've met my dog, he's already picked a favourite housemate
Its about £50 cheaper per month, but I'm just going to funnel that straight into building up a "Next Move" fund, parallel to my E-Fund.
I did look into Studio Flats but I would need an extra £200-£250 per month, so basically no saving for the future.
I hate capitalism. The minimum wage was introduced so one person (one man) could support a family and have a home by working full time. I work full time, I dont have a family, but I cant really support myself. 
This flippin FA Diploma better make me rich.
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Speaking of the Diploma, I havent been studying whilst trying to sort moving house. My January goal was 1, maybe 2 modules this year.
Well I've done one, and 2020 hasnt exactly gone according to plan, so I'm happy.
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The students have descended on my city. If I were a betting person... I'd say by the time I move, we'll will be in local lockdown... simply because Freshers Flu is a thing. Covid cases don't necessarily have to increase, but if enough coughs, cold, and seasonal flus increase then we'll be locked down. Because they wont have enough tests to distinguish. I want to try avoid contributing to the general demonising of students that's going on nationwide.... But also I dont exactly see any of these guys wearing masks    
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I was listening to a podcast (Millenial Money) as I jogged and they said something interesting. They said to think of improving your finances like improving your health. One healthy meal or one workout by itself wont do much. You have to consistently practice and keep making good decisions, and over time you improve.