Choccy's last debt diary! Tme to stop messing and focus.

Sarahwithlove

Yes mine is too but your effectively just rounding up your food shopping and spending money so that's how I do it on my YNAB. 

beanielou

You are doing so well 

Choccygirl123

Sarahwithlove said:

Yes mine is too but your effectively just rounding up your food shopping and spending money so that's how I do it on my YNAB. 

That's true Sarah, never thought about it that way. As long as every penny a prisoner, i don't think it matters which method you use.

beanielou said:

You are doing so well 

Thanks Beanielou - we're slowly getting there. I do think posting my waffle here every day is helping. Having something to focus on is helping me too within this lockdown. Looks like i won't be working anytime soon, so i need to keep motivated and make use of my time at home.

Today was supposed to be a NSD, but we've decided the teenagers need a treat toady. Nothing major, just a choccy bag or bar. They've both been working their bums off online and haven't complained once. Hubby and i will nip to village shop and see what's on offer - budgeted £3.

My new mop is due to be delivered any minute and i can barely contain my excitment lol. Strange the things you look forward to in these funny times. Another bit of good news is that hubby's professional fees dropped from £17.36 to £12.36 this month due to lockdown. That's an extra £5 which i've put into the misc spending budget which is now £52.95.

Nothing else to update on the cash front. I have listed another £30 item on ebay today. I really need to get more bits photographed and listed. My house is so tidy, the washing basket has 2 loads to do, but i have no ironing basket! Hoping to keep on top of everything and start thinking about deep clearning the conservatory and possibly start painting the shoddier rooms.

Hope everyone keeping safe and sane.

Choccygirl123

Had a couple of fails on the spending front! Made the mistake of hunt nipping to get the treat for the girls £7.28 later. He grabbed himself done beer and a bar for me too. 

He's definitely a bad influence on me and suggested a curry! The girls jumped at idea, but I was sensible and said money too tight. Settled on Tesco's ready meals £6 for 3 curries and £3 for starters. I picked up a meal deal £10 - had half a lasagne (froze other 1/2) got 4 beers for hubby, 2 tart puddings which h we shared with icecream and some creamy spuds for tomorrow. Found a lovely yellow sticker of salmon which was £5 instead of £21! Rebadged them and have thrown them in the freezer. 2 meals for us all for £5 was a bargain. Not forgetting a 10p cucumber. 

Total spend today was £24.60, definitely not planned. However, I think it was a better option than a takeaway which would have been £30+ There's also the added bonus of some beautiful salmon for two evening meals.

Tomorrow will definitely be a non spend! This leaves a balance of £137.61 in our account.  

Choccygirl123

Finally the sun is shining and it feels like spring is on the way! Hubby thinks this is the calm before the storm, but i hope he's wrong! Would love to get the garden dried out and start tidying it.

Determined today will definitely be a non-spend day. We've had a spendy few days with extra unplanned food, choc and beer treats and a new mop.Need to reign it in for the remaing 9 days to pay day. Have one food shop to do, but won't need any meat as will use up what's in the freezer.

I've just updated my ebay account and not sure if i like the new non pay-pal route. I thought it's be great, but they've increased the fees. Need to have a proper look and see what it means for lower priced items.

Sarahwithlove

Great yellow sticker finds and deffo cheaper then a takeaway sometimes we have to find a good compromise when working with family to keep to budget and seems like you did that. 

Choccygirl123

Sarahwithlove said:

Great yellow sticker finds and deffo cheaper then a takeaway sometimes we have to find a good compromise when working with family to keep to budget and seems like you did that. 

It's that old problem the heart ruling the head. I absolutely love food I've not had to think about, plan, but and make. Any excuse and I'll happily have a take away. Not that we used to have them every night but 5/6times a month wasn't uncommon. Hubby definitely more onboard than he's ever been, which is definitely helping

Nothing to report on the cash front. Today on target for another NSD. Check bank accounts and all ok. 8 days to pay day. I did check my credit account abd it's shot up 22 this month which is random, but at least it right direction.

Still waiting for my tax refund to arrive so can ping it over to my loan as an overpayment. Should get few extra pounds on 31st from my temp second job. Won't be much, but it's destined to loan too. I've got just under 4hours claim in Jan, which should arrive end of Feb from same job. Not as much as I'd have hoped, but lucky to earn that with covid.

Choccygirl123

Had a productive day pottering in the house and sorting out a few emails. I find I'm really good at procrastinating. I'm not sure when I'll be back to work, so I need to get rid of my to do list. Biggest achievement of lockdown is that My washing basket is finally empty! I'll polish off the last of the ironing in the morning. May even celebrate with a coffee from our pod machine. Haven't had one all year,  as pods expensive and with us all being at home a pack of 12 can be gone in a day. 

looking at my outgoings and we've been paying hubby's car tax by monthly direct debit. I'm going to cancel the DD and pay the full 12months. It doesn't save us much, but it's one less DD going out every month. Will make sure I continue the DD cash into the car pot. 

Choccygirl123

Yesterday should have been a NSD, but hubby broke at 8:30 and took a trip to the village shop - £9.17 for chocolate and junk later. I don't blame him the house was empty of nibbling stuff. I've been shopping today and made sure i've bought some. We seem to pop slip and then it's expensive.

I had hoped it'd be a smallish shop compared to normal, but tin stocks were low and our baking cupboard empty. We've got a my daughter's birthday next month, so I stocked up in Aldi. The girls both bake a lot, so it'll get used. It's good to them keep praticing as both taken home economics for gcses.

Spent a total of £87.88 - which meant we are over our food budget by £24.75. Bit annoyed couldn't stick to it, but approx £30 of today's shopping was bought today but will help ease spending next month. The food & misc cash is in the same account, so it just means we have less misc left, but the great news is that we still have cash left. A whopping £25.20, with no further plans to spend anything until pay day is 6 days. It's not a huge amount, but will ping it across to my halifax loan on the 26th. I'm hoping even a smallish amounts will help chip away at it.

Have a few receipts to scan now and am getting pretty close to a £20 withdraw on Shoppix. Surverys hit/miss this week. Not sold anything on Ebay on FB, but I did find 10p roadkill in the car park at tesco. Added it to my cash pot in the house, updated my xmas2021 income spreadsheet and the total stands at £83.63! Really chuffed, my target is £100 a month and i've nearly hit it without too much effort. I still need to get the junk listed, but find homeschooling and everything else means I have less time than when I'm working...or so it seems.

Hope you're all staying safe and keeping well.

Choccygirl123

Nothing to report on the cash front, not even a survey! I did log my receipts yesterday and I think i'm due a £10 voucher from the snap my eats. Will have to wait until I get another receipt to be able to cash it out - as i can't get the screen on the app without one! 5 days to pay day and counting.

The lockdown routine is definately starting to hit, as I've been cleaning things I didn't know i had!  Rest of the family are busy working and schooling and I'm avoiding box set binging. Still need to start thinking about decorating. I do have the things to prep, but will need to buy paint. It's about 14miles to our nearest DIY shop. It's non-urgent, so i'm thinking of doing it online. I can get all the prep work done in utility, but procrasting is my middle name.