Giving every £ a job

savingholmes

I think most MSErs that are able to relax their standards at xmas. It's a feast - so enjoy it as such!

Glad you are enjoying the reverse life work balance. Will you want to continue when this project ends or are you looking forward to being finished entirely?

Blackcats

Thanks for the advice about standing up calories SA - I've heard that calories also don't count if the food is eaten from someone else's plate, especially effective with chips.
SH - I might do another couple of months on my 2 day week - if the department's budget can stretch.  I'm enjoying the work I'm doing - it feels like it's useful but minus the pressure of the last few years.

I've finished November with £43 left in my grocery budget and I'll put that towards my Christmas entertaining budget.  I'm eating from the freezer to create space and I've been really lucky with olio.  OH got a fab fruit and veg box from Lidl today which helps me quell my need to go shopping to stock up on fresh food.  Cutting out a couple of bottles of wine this month has definitely boosted the underspend 😇

savingholmes

I don't know how people do grocery spends - I keep falling short in that area but do okay in others.

lucielle

That’s a good saving in the groceries. 

L

Blackcats

Thank you Lucielle.
@savingholmes it's really only in the last 3 or 4 months that I've started to get a better grip on grocery spends.  Doing the grocery challenge has helped as I'm recording all my spends from that budget.  In the past I enjoyed mooching round the supermarket which resulted in lots of treats and temptingly packaged items hopping into my trolley.  I'd treat myself to a bunch of flowers before I'd even got into the first aisle and then I would buy lots of fruit and vegetables and end up wasting them.
my best tips (I'm still very much a novice) is meal planning, cook once, eat twice and having at least one cheap and cheerful meal a week such as jacket potato or something on toast.  We do this on a Thursday evening after we've visited my dad and we now really look forward to our quick and easy tea on a tray watching tv.

although my budgets are all updated, I still don't feel that I'm properly working with my changed income.  I think maybe it's because I get money into my account on different days in the month so my account fluctuates wildly and that makes me uncomfortable if the balance looks too low.  Also December spending is thankfully not typical so I think I'm going to go with the flow in December and start again in January.

Sarahwithlove

I think I need to have a look at the grocery challenge. Money certainly isn't going as far anymore at supermarket 

savingholmes

Could you use different accounts for different income and then allocate spends to that £ accordingly? Would that help or is that too complicated?

I do better when I meal plan. I've over-spent on groceries recently partly due to family coming over and wanting to be a good host - but I still majorly over-buy in such situations. Ah well the food will mostly keep.

Blackcats

@Sarahwithlove - I recommend the grocery challenge - it's fairly low maintenance as I only update when I've spent.  I would say it's made the biggest difference to my food shopping habits.
@savingholmes that's a helpful idea.  I think I'm going to keep a float in the current account and put all the income into a sub account until the start of the budgeting month when I can move the right amount to cover bills back into the current account.  It sort of make sense to me 🤔

I've felt poorly all week, a really sore throat.  Just swallowing was so painful but it's fading now and I'm getting some energy back.

we collected our Christmas meats yesterday from our local butcher.  We had pigs in blankets for lunch with scrambled eggs - well you've got to get into the Christmas mood haven't you?

savingholmes

Hope you feel better soon. Hopefully being ill now will mean you are clear by Christmas.

Blackcats

Feeling much better now - still coughing a bit but the sore throat has thankfully gone.

I've finished work now until 3rd January and I'm so excited.  We are going to watch 10 Christmas films between now and Christmas Eve - sometimes it will be an afternoon treat. Just because we can this year as I'm not stuck at my desk or even worse stuck on a train struggling home from a work trip.  .  Today's choice is The Grinch.  Tomorrow is Die Hard which is MrBC's choice.

have delivered all our cards but I still need to do my dad's neighbours for him.  We did post a few cards as despite the cost of stamps and the strikes there are a few people that we wanted to send to.  During lockdown I made an effort to send letters, cards and little gifts and it's a nice habit that I enjoy doing.