OK I'm going to do this!

darrannah

Hi Purplesocks, thanks for the tip, I don’t do it YET, but have seen it before and I’m going to give it a go, hopefully it will stop the kids jumbling it all up, I’ll let you know how I get on
After yesterday’s unexpected spend on the flat tyre,:mad: I’m hoping for a NSD (fingers crossed) I’m working today anyway so that will stop me going out although I still need to post the logbook, I did get as far as putting it in an envelope and writing an address on it:j
I have come to the conclusion that my whole grocery/food habits are where most of my money goes, those blasted “top-up” shops are ridiculous and I must stop. Also food wastage is top of my list to be sorted, I’ve started this morning by using up 1/2 tin of beans, on toast for breakfast that would normally have gone in the bin
I have some baskets so I am going to organise the fridge and hope that this stops the “getting shoved to the back and forgotten about” foods :rotfl:
Anyway I’m off for a coffee and to start work
Enjoy your day
Suzy xx

darrannah

Good morning, there isn’t much to write about really as not really done anything, but if I don’t keep this diary up I will fail:rotfl:
Log book posted and trousers sent back and while out I did a little top up shop which came in under £10 which is a massive achievement for me as it’s half what I would usually spend. I found myself going round saying “will it get used” “do I REALLY need it” and to be honest the answers were mostly NO! I do have to go back today though as I forgot salad bits for lunches :mad: DD2 is helping out at school until 7 this evening at the new yr6 induction evening so dinner is going to be late tonight, and as it’s her choice she helps make it.
Child tax has gone in this morning and rather than going out to spend it on unnecessary things I have transferred £50 to add to the £100 that I’d put aside for next week and I’m going to leave £10 for today and tomorrow.
Tomorrow is when the eldest 2 transfer their board (£20 each) so I just need to decide what I’m going to do with that, probably the emergency fund for now.
Organisation is going well and the morning routine is going great, it leaves more time in the day for work or decluttering a little more

Jobs to do today
1) go to the allotment (still have onions to plant) and pick the last of the beans, get some kale for dinner, and check on the butternut squash and brussels, might even pick a cabbage to make coleslaw to go with salads for lunch.
2) make a list of different meals for the rabble to pick from as we’re close to have having (?) all 50.

OOOO almost forgot the other biggy from yesterday...wait for it....I made it to the gym :T:T I dragged DD2 with me for support and we really enjoyed it, can’t wait to go again and really crack on with this weight loss

Enjoy your day
Suzy xx

darrannah

Good morning, what a mixed few day, I’ll start on the positives, the bank statement is in and I have been comparing it to the last 6 months, and on average we have been spending between 800 and 1000 :eek:during the month, this includes petrol, groceries, entertainment EVERYTHING. When I looked at the transactions for the last month they have come in at £368:T I am so happy and now know we can do it, this has just been by cutting down mainly on groceries and and takeaways (we don’t have too many tbf but we’ve had even less this month)
We went out and did a bit of Xmas shopping yesterday as hubby wants it out the way early this year (I was ordering off amazon on Xmas eve last year :eek:)
It’s DD2’s birthday next month aswell, she’s going into the dreaded teenage years but if she is half as good as the other 2 I won’t have any problems she just discovered the Harry Potter books so this year should be easy to buy for :T
It’s Blackpool tomorrow for a few days (it’s been booked for months) but with the difference being that I’ve actually put money aside for it and that’s all we are allowed to spend, there will be no using the cc like we usually would have done so feeling good about that.
Now the negatives, DH’s phone has stopped working, it just keeps searching for a signal so that is going to need to be replaced, he is using my work phone at the minute but I just know we are going to lose one of the sims with swapping them over ;/
And the washer is now going to need replacing :mad: it failed to empty an spin the other day so I looked up the code that was flashing at me and it was the pump, I unplugged it and emptied it from the filter at the bottom (flooding the kitchen in the process) to find that it was blocked, but then I tried to open the door and the door clip snapped trapping my sons clothes in that he was going to wear out to dinner :rotfl: so a few hammers and screwdrivers later we’ve managed to get them out. I put a wash in to try it and it seems to work properly I just have to use a screwdriver to open and close the door due to it now having no handle. I can cope on it for now I suppose.
Anyway I’m off to pack for the next week,
Enjoy your day,
Suzy xx

darrannah

Oh I forgot to mention, I had to phone Tesco again for the missing clubcard points and was told that they will be sent out separately in November and not added to the merged accounts like I was originally advised. But they are there phew, so that should help towards the Xmas shop

darrannah

It’s a week to the big payday where I should be able to pay a fair chunk off of the debt :j After reading a lot of diaries on her I’ve made a decision that when the debts are gone I am going to introduce “pots” for the different things like Xmas, holidays, gifts, entertainment etc.
I have also had a look at a few of the challenges, I already do the virtual sealed pot (or skimming as I call it) and anything skimmed goes into the EF, but I think I’m going to get a sealed pot for change. We don’t really deal in cash but I might start cos I think, if I can see it physically disappearing I will be more conscious about spending it, well I hope so!

DD2 had a tube of millions sweets last week and the tube fits 20p’s perfectly so I’ve pinched that off her and roughly estimated it will hold about £25 I’m upto £1.20 already :T

The morning routine is almost like a habit now, up, packed lunches, iron uniforms, wash in, feed animals, wipe bathrooms, hoover and mop are all done now before 8am. I’ll then hang the washing in the DRI BUDDY as it’s still not cold enough to put the heating on.

Today I need to make a quiche for the eldest 2’s tea, with leftovers for DS packed lunch tomorrow. I’ve also cooked some chicken breast so that they can just chop them up and put them in a curry or something, DD2 is usually pretty good with cooking but DS, well if it’s not ready in 30seconds flat he ain’t cooking it :rotfl:

I’m going to take my “lists” book with me and while I don’t have the distraction of work I’m going to write a proper, to the penny budget while I’m away

Enjoy your day,
Suzy xx

darrannah

Just a quick question, are there any bank accounts where you can create the “pots” or is it a case of setting up various savings accounts?

[Deleted User]

Have a lovely day xx

[Deleted User]

darrannah wrote: »

Just a quick question, are there any bank accounts where you can create the “pots” or is it a case of setting up various savings accounts?

I have one through Principality Building Society but not sure if they are still available.

darrannah

Deleted_User wrote: »

I have one through Principality Building Society but not sure if they are still available.

Thanks I’ll take a look

darrannah

I’m back from my few days away at Blackpool , I went over my budget slightly, but the circus ‘WAS’ amazing We went over by about £75 :eek: but not too bad compared to what we would have spent in the past!
This means now that I’m going to have to be extra careful with the budget this month :mad:
Its 3 days to payday where I have £1200 to divvy up so will write that down later today.
I have signed up to QMEE for more surveys, what other sites are there to sign upto?? I need to earn more :rotfl:
The Tesco points have now been added to my card.
3x 20ps added to the tube so now up to £1.80 And 55p added to my 5p’s (I’ve been saving those all year so will count them and let you know how much there is.) DD2 collects all the ‘unusual’ 50ps i.e Beatrix Potter/Paddington and has about £15 but I don’t count that (even though 50% has come from me and the other 50% from her brother and sister :rotfl::rotfl:)
I’m going to try Ziffit and musicmagpie again, they didn’t offer me too much last time so thought it was better to just save them (especially as they only offered for 1 out of a set and thought it better to keep a set together )
Anyway, Off to do the last weeks washing now and write the budget out :T also need to tidy DD’s bedroom cos she has a friend stopping tonight :eek:

Enjoy your day,
Suzy xxx