The hardest challenge yet

whitesatin

eamon wrote: »

Just read all 12 pages. Loads of really useful & helpful ideas.



Your family spends too much on food & alcohol? You need to start a detailed spending diary (spreadsheet) to understand where and what the money is being spent on. Only then will you be able to implement changes that are sustainable. Of course you are also dealing with extended family issues so don't be too harsh on yourself.


Its 2020 tomorrow and everything to look forward to.

Lastly I've done the WHW twice. Still don't like the devils staircase. I was up in Greenock last week and came across this long distance walking route Clyde Coastal Path

http://!!!!!!/2SHlIfi
and futher research tells me that it is part of this

http://!!!!!!/37jUPC2


I only had few hours spare so only managed to explore the Greenock Cut section but you still get a good view of the Clyde (even better on a sunny day).

I'd love to do a spreadsheet for my finances (sounds better than it is, lol) but I don't know where to start. I know about, but can't manage, excel etc. but I wonder is there any way to do a spreadsheet without a computer? At the moment, I use a notebook where I put my income and outgoings but I generally give up each month after a few days as it doesn't really show where my money is going. Old fashioned, I know, but wonder if anyone knows of a type of notebook where a more detailed account could be shown.

Wednesday2000

We have decided that the new plan is definitely for retirement in 2024 which seems so far away now! It just makes a lot more sense to wait an extra year. I'm not going to obsess about it as a lot can go wrong or change in five years.

I need to sort out my NI contributions next week. I thought I would leave it until the new year as I thought the cheque could go missing in the Christmas post.

dreaming wrote: »

There isn't even anyone I fancy watching on Jools' Hootenanny but I rarely go to bed before midnight so will no doubt hear any fireworks going off round here.

Yes, I saw a bit of it and thought it wasn't all that good. I went to bed at 12.15 and listened to the fireworks for about an hour afterwards.

juliejim

whitesatin wrote: »

I'd love to do a spreadsheet for my finances (sounds better than it is, lol) but I don't know where to start. I know about, but can't manage, excel etc. but I wonder is there any way to do a spreadsheet without a computer? At the moment, I use a notebook where I put my income and outgoings but I generally give up each month after a few days as it doesn't really show where my money is going. Old fashioned, I know, but wonder if anyone knows of a type of notebook where a more detailed account could be shown.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=accounts+book&crid=16GX84V2YWCAY&sprefix=accounts+%2Celectronics%2C288&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_9

I assume you want an analysis book - there's a few different ones on Am*zon - search accounts book.

Jue

Octobergirl

:j, I’ve been AWOL for a few years, come back to start again and catch up with everyone’s progress. Yours was one of the first diaries I read, we had similar mortgages / age and pay off plans. Congratulations on becoming mortgage free:T

My plans went slightly awry, separated a few years ago, so not been able to stick to the pay off schedule. Good to find you again, I shall follow you for inspiration:)

Yellow_mango

Hello! I’ve just come across your diary and have read all of it :-)

I’m in a slightly different place to you (just starting on mortgage free journey and have a family) but hope to be where you are in a few years, and recognise many of your challenges, particularly around grocery spending, and getting your husband on board.

FIRE is definitely a goal for us, but we’re probably at least 15 years off even in a best case scenario. The mortgage, and a good deal of work on the house is a more immediate target.

I’ve just added up our December grocery and eating out / takeaway spending and it came to £1,156.18 :eek::eek: That did include entertaining 9 people for 5 days over the Xmas period, but still. Eating out / takeaway amount (£195 of that) was actually significantly lower than it has been. We can and should do a lot better.

I’ll be following along for ideas and inspiration, and cheering you along as best I can!

dreaming

whitesatin wrote: »

I'd love to do a spreadsheet for my finances (sounds better than it is, lol) but I don't know where to start. I know about, but can't manage, excel etc. but I wonder is there any way to do a spreadsheet without a computer? At the moment, I use a notebook where I put my income and outgoings but I generally give up each month after a few days as it doesn't really show where my money is going. Old fashioned, I know, but wonder if anyone knows of a type of notebook where a more detailed account could be shown.

Whitesatin - an excel spreadsheet is only a beefed-up version of writing your income and outgoings down in a notebook, OK it does obviously have additional functions but the basics are exactly the same. I use excel as I have several bank accounts to maximise interest so it does make it easier but I could could do it with pen and paper. The main bit for me is to show income/outgoings on the bank account but I then keep a separate list of what I have spent my money on - e.g. food, clothes, hobbies etc. I do this each month so I can see where things may be starting to creep up (they rarely go down do they?). I have set aside Friday to go through last year's spending and set a new budget for 2020. Having had a quick look and comparing to 2018 I can see I spent a bit more on clothes in 2019 but then shouldn't need to spend so much going forward.

Re Jools' Hootenanny -

Wednesday2000 wrote: »

Yes, I saw a bit of it and thought it wasn't all that good. I went to bed at 12.15 and listened to the fireworks for about an hour afterwards.

- I did end up putting it on although was reading as well. Wasn't overly impressed but took quite a liking to Stormzy. I have no idea of what he was actually singing (oh dear how "old" do I sound?) but love the rhythmic nature of rap (if that's what it's called). Also good to see/hear Melanie after all these years, and thought that Rick Astley had a sound of Tom Jones on one of his songs.

Wednesday2000

dreaming wrote: »

Re Jools' Hootenanny -
- I did end up putting it on although was reading as well. Wasn't overly impressed but took quite a liking to Stormzy. I have no idea of what he was actually singing (oh dear how "old" do I sound?) but love the rhythmic nature of rap (if that's what it's called). Also good to see/hear Melanie after all these years, and thought that Rick Astley had a sound of Tom Jones on one of his songs.

Oh, I didn't see that much of it so I missed Rick Astley.

I thought Kelly Jones was good.:)

elantan

whitesatin wrote: »

I'd love to do a spreadsheet for my finances (sounds better than it is, lol) but I don't know where to start. I know about, but can't manage, excel etc. but I wonder is there any way to do a spreadsheet without a computer? At the moment, I use a notebook where I put my income and outgoings but I generally give up each month after a few days as it doesn't really show where my money is going. Old fashioned, I know, but wonder if anyone knows of a type of notebook where a more detailed account could be shown.

ive never mastered how to use excel myself and tend to use a book, i dont however write every item of food shopping etc in the book, i just write food and the amount, I also have a huge thing on the wall that i add every spend to, i have that divided into three, one for food one for takeaway and one for alcohol

Wednesday2000 wrote: »

We have decided that the new plan is definitely for retirement in 2024 which seems so far away now! It just makes a lot more sense to wait an extra year. I'm not going to obsess about it as a lot can go wrong or change in five years.

I need to sort out my NI contributions next week. I thought I would leave it until the new year as I thought the cheque could go missing in the Christmas post.



Yes, I saw a bit of it and thought it wasn't all that good. I went to bed at 12.15 and listened to the fireworks for about an hour afterwards.

ahhh i feel your pain, we may have to delay our retirement as well depending on how OH job pans out, but the good thing is your working towards it so its going in the right direction atleast.. and we can share the journey, we wont retire for another 8 years or so ( hopefully less but thinking maybe more)

juliejim wrote: »

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=accounts+book&crid=16GX84V2YWCAY&sprefix=accounts+%2Celectronics%2C288&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_9

I assume you want an analysis book - there's a few different ones on Am*zon - search accounts book.

Jue

i have an old ledger style one

along the top i have gas and electricity mobile ophone car repairs diesel etc and the subject on the line, it works for me but everyone is different

elantan

Octobergirl wrote: »

:j, I’ve been AWOL for a few years, come back to start again and catch up with everyone’s progress. Yours was one of the first diaries I read, we had similar mortgages / age and pay off plans. Congratulations on becoming mortgage free:T

My plans went slightly awry, separated a few years ago, so not been able to stick to the pay off schedule. Good to find you again, I shall follow you for inspiration:)

God laughs whilst humans make plans, sorry to hear you've had a few bumps in the road, it isnt easy is it? i know when i started the journey ohhh more than 100 months ago i was deff a very different person, i had a different job never expected to be doing the job i am in fact i wouldve argued with you i wouldnt be, i had hope i would be mortgage free but not entirely sure i would make it. Baby steps and we will get there

great to see you back xx

Yellow_mango wrote: »

Hello! I’ve just come across your diary and have read all of it :-)

I’m in a slightly different place to you (just starting on mortgage free journey and have a family) but hope to be where you are in a few years, and recognise many of your challenges, particularly around grocery spending, and getting your husband on board.

FIRE is definitely a goal for us, but we’re probably at least 15 years off even in a best case scenario. The mortgage, and a good deal of work on the house is a more immediate target.

I’ve just added up our December grocery and eating out / takeaway spending and it came to £1,156.18 :eek::eek: That did include entertaining 9 people for 5 days over the Xmas period, but still. Eating out / takeaway amount (£195 of that) was actually significantly lower than it has been. We can and should do a lot better.

I’ll be following along for ideas and inspiration, and cheering you along as best I can!

i feel your pain, where does the money go to, the food budget has been our bugbear for years, weve got on top of nearly everything else, paying off the mortgage was a challenge i loved, but for some reason the food ....

We also have quite a lot of work on the house and hope to get most of it done before we retire, with only a little bit left to do when we do retire, probably the kitchen which is going to cost a fortune

i hope i dont bore you with my stories xx

elantan

I love my husband i really do... but he is driving me nuts.
We both agreed to the budget and both agreed we need to get on top of things and both agreed we need to lose weight ( we are both very overweight).

And last night what did he do? why go and have a chinese takeaway ofcourse, and this was after we had steak with carrots brussels and roast tatties for dinner, ggggrrrrrrrrr.

Today i counted the money in the tub and we have £154 left to do us till 15th, i also have £50 in reserve as i had only lifted £200 of the £250 planned, but ive decided i aint lifting it as no doubt it would be spent on chinese or something.

Hubby will shortly be heading to the shops to buy the ingredients for chicken tikka masala we should have a lot of it here and just need the cream and a few chillies etc,

I also need some lettuce and tomatoes for my lettuce wraps, ive discivered i really enjoy BLOTM, i used to have it in a roll but have been trying to not eat as much bread as i did, so never thought about just having it in a lettuce wrap, but OMG its even better

BLOTM for anyone that doesnt know Bacon Lettuce Onion Tomato, Mayonaise, basically a BLT with onion and mayo, i make my own home made mayo which is tasty, add it plus the bacon, onion and tomato to a large iceberg lettuce leaf and wrap it round, its not really filling or anything, but it does stave off hunger pains if your trying to cut back.