Giving every £ a job

Blackcats

Hi Fran - the one month fund is my "pot" where I put £100 a month and will do until my early retirement date. Because my pension will be reduced for each month that I take it, I came up with a plan to save one month's expenses and delay claiming pension by one month (minimum). It won't make a massive difference but it helps motivates me to save regularly.
In my bad budgeting confession yesterday, I forgot to say that I've also got my £ a day pot contribution for February - am going to change the notes into coins again.:T
Saving Holmes - you sound like the queen of spreadsheets. It's probably as incongruous to you that I would buy Xmas presents and forget about them by not having a spreadsheet as it is to me that there are organised people who have spreadsheets. Just out of interest what's in your age 49 - 67 spreadsheets?

Blackcats

I was feeling a bit despondent about the expected and unexpected spends that will impact on my savings plan for this month but as a cockney friend of mine would say "you can't put the sh*t back in the donkey" - how crude!!!!
The positives - I didn't buy shower gel or fancy tea bags or wine in January. I did buy a candle but it was heavily discounted and used up the remainder of a gift voucher. Meal planning has reduced my food bill and used up food from the freezer. I've already bought presents and cards for February birthdays, including using a card that's been in my stash for a long time. I've made my version of "minimum payments" to my savings pots. In February I don't need to buy any clothes (including socks no matter how much I think I want more socks) candles , tea bags and vitamins. I will need to buy some wool for a craft project but I will also sort through what I've got to see how best to use up some of the odds and ends.
My kettle expired last night - it was probably exhausted given how much tea I drink. :rotfl: I found my travel kettle which I'm using but a new kettle will be an unplanned purchase.
I still haven't received the work expenses I submitted in December and when they are eventually paid that will be £200 that can go straight into savings.
So all in all, some good stuff, some bad stuff (the phone bill) but I'm doing ok :T

Franalamadingdong

Sounds like you're doing more than ok! You're one month fund sounds like a great idea too. Anything that motivates saving!

Blackcats

A nice day today. Very much based on entertainment and fun. Trip to the theatre, dinner out - lovely. Train travel covered by an ancient Oyster card which previously I wouldn't even have bothered to look for. Theatre tickets were a gift so although some money was spent it was quite cheap for such a lovely day. Back to work tomorrow .... quite an easy week ahead.

Franalamadingdong

That sounds like a really lovely day! Lucky you! Have a good week.

Blackcats

I've been using our local greengrocers for a few months now and trying to buy seasonal fruit and veg. In the past I've bought melons, pineapples, strawberries etc all year round regardless of cost and lack of flavour (and food miles). Pineapples in particular often formed a beautiful decoration in my fruit bowl until they went mushy and were thrown away. Interestingly in Georgian times pineapples were a sign of status and were hired out to be displayed at dinner parties to impress your guests. Perhaps I was re-living a former Georgian life when I was a showy offy hostess.
I also was one of the consumers who paid extra for "perfectly ripe" products. It's obvious now that a few days in the fruit bowl will ripen fruit without the need to pay extra. I have always had a bit of a prejudice against conference pears - not pretty like the perfectly ripe perfect looking specimens and because as a child we had to eat the entire crop of the bloomin things from a relative's tree. Anyway the summary of all this rambling is that I bought some conference pears, ripened them at home, peeled them and ate them and they were delicious.
It's cheaper and better to buy more simply. Little steps .....

Franalamadingdong

Oh I love conference pears! The skins can be a drawback sometimes though.

delta13

Blackcats wrote: »

Hi Fran - the one month fund is my "pot" where I put £100 a month and will do until my early retirement date. Because my pension will be reduced for each month that I take it, I came up with a plan to save one month's expenses and delay claiming pension by one month (minimum). It won't make a massive difference but it helps motivates me to save regularly.

Just found and subscribed to your thread Blackcats.
I really love this idea and I'm going to start the same, probably a smaller amount to start off with (as I'm currently trying to save for a house deposit and that's my main priority) but starting early will help

Blackcats

Hi Fran - I shopped from home from my selection of 4 !!! peelers and found one that worked and peeled the pear - quite leathery skin but inside yummy, yummy - who knew?
Hello Delta - welcome. I'm chuffed that any of my ideas are useful. It's the starting early and letting it grow steadily that works I think. Saving a house deposit is very worthwhile - tough but what a great goal to buy your own home. Good luck and please feel welcome to pop in here.

Blackcats

Did a shop at Lid*s today to stock up on store cupboard essentials. It is definitely so much cheaper than sainsbobs where I used to shop. Tomorrow is my financial month end so I can have a look at the figures. The cost of car service and MOT was slightly less than I anticipated (I can't say less than planned as I hadn't budgeted separately for it). I do have the figures from last year on how much I spent on the car so I will start a savings pot for that to spread it out over the year. Luckily MOT and service is February and car insurance is August so a good gap in between. Also good that it's zero road tax.