Countdown from £28k...

warby68

Glad you got to the spends/budget when you did @ryan8655 !!
Its a bit of a cautionary tale how quickly it runs away with you.
I think you need a more granular budget personally. You have quite a lot of disposable so its easy to feel 'rich' and not keep track. I spend everything on a rewards credit card and clear it end of month but I also track spends against categories, not as I go as I'm reasonably on auto-pilot these days but always a quick review of the bill to make sure its not drifting far out. If the credit card is looking high mid month then I'd make sure I know why. 
I think you need to allocate to more categories and work to them even if its only by breaking down the cc statement  - food/groceries/booze, social, personal items, one off bills pot, household replacements/upgrades and get your savings away as soon as you're paid so you don't have as much cash in your sights. Having one quite large sum for it all does lead to you disregard the smaller spends as immaterial. The fact you didn't initially blink at £120 for a toilet seat says there might be a bit of work to do on your budgetting, in the sense of what are reasonable amounts for various things. If you household budget is £100 pm that loo seat suddenly looks very expensive whereas it didn't look much out of £1500.
You're forgiven of course for a mad first month but worth getting a grip now.
The bonus issue - I understand it. Same in my large private sector employer though for at least 15y - philosphy is that the better you are at your job the more is expected incrementally every single year to qualify for anything performance related. Eventually people are burnt out and unmotivated and other people switch roles after a year or two to become the 'junior' elsewhere as you can do better being the permanent junior and avoid significant responsibility for quite a while.

alt80

The bonus is ridiculous mate. I do £500 Christmas and staff birthday months no matter the job so admin gets same as senior staff. Performance related bonuses are restricted to fee earning staff and measured with appropriate targets tbh don’t think it quite transfers to your job nor can I imagine the powers that be will listen to another way of doing things from what you say. Try to look after my staff don’t understand managers that don’t tbh get a lot more from them if looked after in my experience.

Could send battery pack back? Hadn’t realised private car sale banned though sorry think it was me suggesting get rid. 

Personally don’t think you’ve done bad first month of locked down freedom ha. You’ve given me a bit of an idea re wants - writing it down and not just pulling the trigger thanks. Like me don’t think you’re ever going to be the sort to skin a turd to save a quid and always going to have a liking for nice things. Good idea to break the budget down a bit more - something I’ve struggled massively with though as it becomes a target to spend £x on that item eg giving myself a booze budget and 100 I’ll spend more on booze haha - main reason I’ve avoided having personal spends that and in my case getting some !!!!!! amount like £250/m or whatever is just !!!!!! depressing might as well not bother ha. Your case will be a better amount not living the poverty life lol.

ryanm8655

efes_shareholder said:

ryanm8655 said:

efes_shareholder said:

ryanm8655 said:

efes_shareholder said:

ryanm8655 said:

efes_shareholder said:

First months freedom always involves inflated spends , if you are anything like me you will throw caution to the mind out of celebration to be free and because you deserve it - particularly after a few glasses of vino 
The good news is you have tracked it and had a word with yourself in the corner ......... batch cook to stop those takeaway whims or throw a few posher pizzas in the freezer for those occasions when hunger strikes and a kebab is inviting 
Personally I would hold off of any new flat purchase for at least a month , just to make sure I prioritise the needs over the wants 
Outing the car will be a great help , you don't need them in London and on the rare occasion you do its cheap enough to hire one 

Yeah, very true. Just thinking about the opportunity cost and how much more enjoyment I could have had for the cash when things are more normal ha. But good I've added it all up and faced it as you say.

Agree re: the batch cooking. Did a chicken tray bake last night to use up all the veg that was going to go off and have enough food for a couple of days now. Another weekend of more normal levels of booze and no takeaways is the plan...

Plan is to cook up a bulk load of bolognese on Friday.

Good shout on flat purchases. My other thought is to use it as a motivator, a month without takeaways and I buy one of the pieces of art or something...or perhaps create a pot for the wants and transfer £50 across each week for every week without a takeaway.

Putting money you would have spent on takeaways to one side is a great way to take care of flat purchases 
As you say takeaways are often disappointing anyhow ....... get the pinch of nom cookbooks lots of great ideas in there and the reduction in calories allows for those in the beer and wine 

Haha, funny you should say that, family sent me pinch of nom as a moving in gift. Have done a few recipes from it already (generally do one a week) and genuinely tastier than takeaway, even when microwaving left overs the next day...I do find they require a lot of prep and a lot of ingredients but definitely worth it! First dish I made was singapore fried rice...and having ordered the same thing from a takeaway recently, the home made version blew it out of the water even with my lack of skill...was loaded with flavour.

Google the spicy chilli pasta bake....... its honestly to die for and once you get the basics which are the basics you will only have to buy the mince and veg for a good few bakes ....... its spicy and a man's dish, my boyfriends favorite , I usually cook it for him to have before work and one batch gives him 3 - 4 either lunch or dinner servings
Most of the ingredients are transferable to the chicken fajita pie which is also pinch of nom and my fave dish and his 2nd and again one cook up gives 3-4 servings
I usually go through the book and identify 2-3 dishes with very similar ingredients as there's nothing more frustrating then buying a bottle of say oyster sauce ,for one recipe that you then decide isn't a keeper and your stuck with it forever 

Sounds yummy, will look for that one!

I've been doing that with the ingredients...have enough fish sauce to last a lifetime as bought a 750ml bottle as it was only about 30p more than a 250ml bottle ha! Didn't realise quite how big 750ml was when recipes only need a teaspoon ha...

these are the two I mentioned , never found the chilli bake in any of the books but its good 
https://pinchofnom.com/recipes/chilli-pasta-bake/
the fajita pie is below , its in the orange book but i cant find it o the nom site
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/699395017112176397/

Awesome, will give them a try. Thanks.

ryanm8655

warby68 said:

Glad you got to the spends/budget when you did @ryan8655 !!
Its a bit of a cautionary tale how quickly it runs away with you.
I think you need a more granular budget personally. You have quite a lot of disposable so its easy to feel 'rich' and not keep track. I spend everything on a rewards credit card and clear it end of month but I also track spends against categories, not as I go as I'm reasonably on auto-pilot these days but always a quick review of the bill to make sure its not drifting far out. If the credit card is looking high mid month then I'd make sure I know why. 
I think you need to allocate to more categories and work to them even if its only by breaking down the cc statement  - food/groceries/booze, social, personal items, one off bills pot, household replacements/upgrades and get your savings away as soon as you're paid so you don't have as much cash in your sights. Having one quite large sum for it all does lead to you disregard the smaller spends as immaterial. The fact you didn't initially blink at £120 for a toilet seat says there might be a bit of work to do on your budgetting, in the sense of what are reasonable amounts for various things. If you household budget is £100 pm that loo seat suddenly looks very expensive whereas it didn't look much out of £1500.
You're forgiven of course for a mad first month but worth getting a grip now.
The bonus issue - I understand it. Same in my large private sector employer though for at least 15y - philosphy is that the better you are at your job the more is expected incrementally every single year to qualify for anything performance related. Eventually people are burnt out and unmotivated and other people switch roles after a year or two to become the 'junior' elsewhere as you can do better being the permanent junior and avoid significant responsibility for quite a while.

Yeah, that's it. It's amazing how the smallish spends here and there add up...I'm looking at my credit card bill and have a payment to Argos just before I moved in and can't for the life of me think what it is...I don't remember going to Argos (it was on offline spend). Still racking my brain to think...£44 as well...came out on the 2nd at 00:17 but apparently took a while to clear...still racking my brain...it's not something I recognise. Was in Milton Keynes too but that might just be Argos head office...no receipts in emails so I'm wondering if it's some kind of fraud. I was at my uncles on the 31st and didn't go anywhere until the 2nd when i moved here.

Completely agree on the more granular budget...my one fear is it would expose how horrific my alcohol spends are But generally cutting back, buying cheaper beers and not popping in a little corner shop and buying craft beers at god knows what price would also help! One of the "grocery" was for £26 on 8 small beers where I'd popped into the cornershop nearby and not even questioned...Silly...

Agree on the pots and regularly reviewing credit card spends. Gives me something to do at the weekends as well. Will do a separate pot for booze and food and plan it out more.

I've not really enjoyed any of the takeaways so minded to cut those out entirely...maybe budget for the odd takeaway I pick up myself and get out of the habit of reaching for them when drunk.

Yeah, the toilet seat was a stinger and I did do a lot of research to try and find it cheaper but ultimately I didn't want to waste money on one that didn't fit as was reading you can't take them back once opened...so accepted it as I had the money and it was just one of those freak things.

Yeah, it's just annoying as it's not a standard policy it's just the policy in our team...it's also dumb imo. I do wonder if part of the issue is my boss only gets about £3k more than me a year so if I got decent bonuses I'd earn more. I also think there is a bit of bitterness about getting crap bonuses when they had to slave away. Mates in other teams got £250 just BAU and have had £1-2K when really having to put the hours in (for a quarter). My report did try hard and work hard (there were a few moments I had to give them a bit of a prod when they slackened off) but ultimately I shielded them as they were new and also they couldn't be that productive either, lots of mistakes etc. Just riles me as to me it says their contribution was valued more... I had to slog it out as a grad once too and they din't have bonuses then ha.

alt80 said:

The bonus is ridiculous mate. I do £500 Christmas and staff birthday months no matter the job so admin gets same as senior staff. Performance related bonuses are restricted to fee earning staff and measured with appropriate targets tbh don’t think it quite transfers to your job nor can I imagine the powers that be will listen to another way of doing things from what you say. Try to look after my staff don’t understand managers that don’t tbh get a lot more from them if looked after in my experience.

Could send battery pack back? Hadn’t realised private car sale banned though sorry think it was me suggesting get rid. 

Personally don’t think you’ve done bad first month of locked down freedom ha. You’ve given me a bit of an idea re wants - writing it down and not just pulling the trigger thanks. Like me don’t think you’re ever going to be the sort to skin a turd to save a quid and always going to have a liking for nice things. Good idea to break the budget down a bit more - something I’ve struggled massively with though as it becomes a target to spend £x on that item eg giving myself a booze budget and 100 I’ll spend more on booze haha - main reason I’ve avoided having personal spends that and in my case getting some !!!!!! amount like £250/m or whatever is just !!!!!! depressing might as well not bother ha. Your case will be a better amount not living the poverty life lol.

Yeah, it's absolutely nuts. I need out ha. In the sorts of private sector jobs I would work in the bonuses get incrementally higher as you rise as you are paid more for a reason...another issue with public sector and why anyone good leaves or settles and cruises. Have to agree re: motivating staff...manager just doesn't have that...they are good at putting you under pressure to deliver but not getting you invested in the team etc.

Thought about sending it back but also thinking there is a risk the battery might go a little bit dead again before I sell (though hoping not!). Still might though. Thinking if I do a weekly lidl run in the car that should keep the battery ticking over until I get rid.

Haha. Yeah, it is pretty horrendous but I guess in the circumstances. It was a big reset, lots of freedom...hadn't had a takeaway in about a year I reckon ha (excluding the odd mcdonalds and fish and chips, which I don't count for some reason ha). It has been a bit of a kid in a sweet shop situation with drinking and eating what I like...Yeah I know what you mean re: booze...the other issue I tend to have is if it is in I'll probably drink it This evening I was tempted by a glass of wine while I do some QA but don't have any so couldn't ha. Just need to figure out what I'll drink in a month and budget based on that...with a bit less when stuff is open again...

Booze wise I'd say 8-10 bottles of wine a month if I have guests (3 of use tend to easily get through 3 bottles over afternoon/evening but don't have guests all the time), lets say £7 a bottle average. Then maybe a couple of boxes of bottled beer. That would total about £90. Still a bit embarassing Could also do with some gin for every now and then when the weather is nicer...this is why I didn't want to budget for booze separately

warby68

Just have a groceries spend which includes booze - inbuilt discipline there, drink too much....run out of food
Our household groceries budget has always included day to day booze. 
I would class the extra spends when entertaining under a social category as its more like going out than your regular food/drink spends.
You do need to 'own' it though even if you don't confess here lol. Drinking can be another creep habit and not wanting to be a total killjoy but it does seem to be a bit of an achilles heel for you sometimes.

alt80

@warby68 come on mate let him live a little, he’s a young lad having a bit of fun and likes a drink, nothing wrong with that imo not an alcoholic or something. Don’t even think the booze spends are that excessive tbh FML if I was 10 years younger, single and living in central London having just gone back after a few years crashing with family I dread to !!!!!! think what I’d be doing lockdown or not ha. 100 I wouldn’t be working out if I was living within my means absolute credit due there I think. Quite clear he’s got his head screwed on. 

ryanm8655

warby68 said:

Just have a groceries spend which includes booze - inbuilt discipline there, drink too much....run out of food
Our household groceries budget has always included day to day booze. 
I would class the extra spends when entertaining under a social category as its more like going out than your regular food/drink spends.
You do need to 'own' it though even if you don't confess here lol. Drinking can be another creep habit and not wanting to be a total killjoy but it does seem to be a bit of an achilles heel for you sometimes.

Haha, yeah that was my plan but didn't pay it any attention this month. Wrote it off to an extent as a stocking up month and in fairness do have enough food in the freezer to feed and army and lots in the cupboards as well...

Good shout on entertainment, though I find it can be more expensive at home in some ways as people drink your stash ha.

Agree re: the drinking. Luckily I am relatively self aware about it. I did get carried away with the freedom initially and also a bit of it was that desperation to party like I'm free but the disappointment of not being able to do it. Last weekend was far more normal even if most on here would still see it as excessive ha. But drinking heavily Thursday to Sunday in a lockdown on your own isn't a good look ha. That was a one off. I know I probably will have a heavy weekend like that when life is finally normal but as long as it's not routine...and I'll be booking time off work for weekends like that ha.

alt80 said:

@warby68 come on mate let him live a little, he’s a young lad having a bit of fun and likes a drink, nothing wrong with that imo not an alcoholic or something. Don’t even think the booze spends are that excessive tbh FML if I was 10 years younger, single and living in central London having just gone back after a few years crashing with family I dread to !!!!!! think what I’d be doing lockdown or not ha. 100 I wouldn’t be working out if I was living within my means absolute credit due there I think. Quite clear he’s got his head screwed on. 

Haha! Completely, though there were one or two weekends where it wasn't good ha! Got a bit too carried away. Fair enough on a night out, in the circumstances it was a bit of a waste and excessive ha.

Have had a few of my party animal mates wanting to come over etc. and have avoided them to be fair, always make an excuse. Some of them are probably my version of your joint venture mate ha. Definitely don't want to be doing all nighters on a Tuesday just because, ever again ha.

But yeah, have gone a bit mad with the drinking at times but have also shown capacity to show restraint (generally don't drink in the week, if I do not much). Last weekend helped as I knew I had to be on form and up early on Saturday to entertain my bubble friends so not too worried. Once I have proper plans on weekends/get on the dating again then I'll need to be more on form.

The mate (and his missus) who came over last week spent a grand on groceries in a month and they were meant to be doing dry jan (though gave up) ha. It makes the entertaining expensive when you're entertaining people like that ha. They did bring all the food though at least ha.

alt80

You’ll calm it mate just getting some freedom I imagine and not even being able to get out out. I wouldn’t worry about it just stay self aware about it and if you feel it’s really starting to slip rein it in.

Hear you re no more all-nighters on a Tuesday ha. Can be difficult with mates like that, you’ve got the right idea just keep making excuses. I feel bad saying I’m going to do that already tbh feel like a !!!!!! mate for it but I can’t go down the road I was going either.

£1k easily done when your nearest place is F&M mate lol. We love food but not really massive eaters tbh and don’t buy snacks. Not even buying booze 26 days off for feb is my plan, 4 days in not touched a drop. Probably have a bottle of champagne for valentines not sure when I’ll have my other day. Got old and boring might happen to you one day too so don’t laugh too hard. 

warby68

alt80 said:

@warby68 come on mate let him live a little, he’s a young lad having a bit of fun and likes a drink, nothing wrong with that imo not an alcoholic or something. Don’t even think the booze spends are that excessive tbh FML if I was 10 years younger, single and living in central London having just gone back after a few years crashing with family I dread to !!!!!! think what I’d be doing lockdown or not ha. 100 I wouldn’t be working out if I was living within my means absolute credit due there I think. Quite clear he’s got his head screwed on. 

Absolutely, I know you think I'm a killjoy but I'm old lol, been there done that but for @ryanm8655, I remember him being worried about it himself on his diary long before you joined up. 
He's not that young either, he's been around the block a bit already - I can remember my first piece of advice to him was to double his new entertainment budget because there wasn't a prayer he could stick to the hair shirt amount he was planning. @alt80 note that's double, not halve
He knows he has my admiration 100% for what he's achieved - I just want to protect that. Plus I have truly young adult sons, still teens just about, so do get a bit motherly on the advice front. Just for transparency, there are currently 27 bottles of gin in this house - did a quick count the other day when rearranging the gin bar section of the kitchen. 

ryanm8655

alt80 said:

You’ll calm it mate just getting some freedom I imagine and not even being able to get out out. I wouldn’t worry about it just stay self aware about it and if you feel it’s really starting to slip rein it in.

Hear you re no more all-nighters on a Tuesday ha. Can be difficult with mates like that, you’ve got the right idea just keep making excuses. I feel bad saying I’m going to do that already tbh feel like a !!!!!! mate for it but I can’t go down the road I was going either.

£1k easily done when your nearest place is F&M mate lol. We love food but not really massive eaters tbh and don’t buy snacks. Not even buying booze 26 days off for feb is my plan, 4 days in not touched a drop. Probably have a bottle of champagne for valentines not sure when I’ll have my other day. Got old and boring might happen to you one day too so don’t laugh too hard. 

Haha, yeah. I've realised they're only interested in someone to get wasted with/an excuse to get wasted and I just can't be arsed. They suggested meeting on Sunday for superbowl, I put a 9am meeting in on Monday so I have an excuse not to ha. I don't even feel bad tbh, especially as it is technically illegal. It's also how I know I don't have a problem with the drinking otherwise I'd be all over it like a tramp on chips ha.

Haha, yeah, M&S is their nearest supermarket and the also shop a lot at fancy butchers etc. My mate doesn't earn much more than I do but they have the benefit of two of them earning and a mortgage between them cheaper than my rent ha. I swear they'll end up with gout though, eating steak and lamb so often ha. Good shout on the no booze as much as possible. Think my issue is when I do drink I tend to binge, rather than frequency ha. If I open a bottle of wine then 9/10 times I'm finishing it ha.

warby68 said:

alt80 said:

@warby68 come on mate let him live a little, he’s a young lad having a bit of fun and likes a drink, nothing wrong with that imo not an alcoholic or something. Don’t even think the booze spends are that excessive tbh FML if I was 10 years younger, single and living in central London having just gone back after a few years crashing with family I dread to !!!!!! think what I’d be doing lockdown or not ha. 100 I wouldn’t be working out if I was living within my means absolute credit due there I think. Quite clear he’s got his head screwed on. 

Absolutely, I know you think I'm a killjoy but I'm old lol, been there done that but for @ryanm8655, I remember him being worried about it himself on his diary long before you joined up. 
He's not that young either, he's been around the block a bit already - I can remember my first piece of advice to him was to double his new entertainment budget because there wasn't a prayer he could stick to the hair shirt amount he was planning. @alt80 note that's double, not halve
He knows he has my admiration 100% for what he's achieved - I just want to protect that. Plus I have truly young adult sons, still teens just about, so do get a bit motherly on the advice front. Just for transparency, there are currently 27 bottles of gin in this house - did a quick count the other day when rearranging the gin bar section of the kitchen. 

Haha! Not liking this wishing my life away Been around the block But yeah, I guess I am a grown up now as much as I might not want to be ha.

I took the comments the right way, I know what you mean ha. I haven't fallen into that trap/cycle, which is good. The accountability on here helps too. It's pretty much therapy ha. Apart from excessive boozing being bad for you, it's also the monumental waste of money and the opportunity cost of it, when I could stash the money away and really enjoy it when this is finally over and we can go out again...If I don't save money then there is a risk I want to enjoy it but potentially end up financially stretched. Won't happen but is something I have in the back of my mind.

I've got a lot better but I do need a bit of motherly guidance every now and then and it goes down much better on here rather than from a family member

Haha! I am jealous of the gin collection...

Did an Amazon Morrisons shop last night, arrived today, no substitute items, cracking service. Only criticism is that they don't have the full range (but a lot) and also don't seem to do any of the multibuy offers that morrisons do. Still cheaper than branded though and the speed is a real plus. Stocked up on a few food bits plus some kitchen bits (new sponges, bleach etc.) and also replenished the booze. Bought some cheap beers (budweiser bottles, a single cheapish IPA to give it a try and 4 cheap ales) plus 5 bottles of wine (entertaining again tonight). Hopeful the booze will last longer and more importantly I won't need to pop to the expensive corner shop...small steps ha.

Total grocery spend Feb: £73.17

I will need some more bread plus likely a couple more fresh items, like peppers but that will only cost a few quid. I think £300 a month on groceries is realistic with the booze. Less is achievable but as a realistic target...based on unit cost I've knocked more than £30 off the beer bill alone...that's mad...went for half decent wines too, I like Italian wine rather than french, which helps as it's cheaper ha. Just find it much better value.

Water meter also fitted so will be charged base on usage going forward. Worked late last night so went to bed at 1am, set alarm for 9.30 as didn't have meetings until 10.30. Forgot thames water were coming so was awoken by the buzzer at 8am. Was in the middle of the best sleep I've had in ages too...Still a solid 7 hours...Also meant I got up and made a proper breakfast (poached eggs on toast) and also managed to get a big bit of work done before my 10.30 meeting. Feels like my sleep pattersn are getting there even though I am tired...

As the takeaway is the other sin I thiink I'll track that too...let's see if it can stay this way by Monday:

Feb Takeaway total: £0

I have got to drive down south on Monday for an appointment, so will be visiting the drive thru fish and chip shop before I head back to London but other than that...takeaway free for the next 7 days would be nice.