Giving every £ a job

Blackcats

@Sun_Addict - it's a very strange feeling - of course it's nice to see the money arrive each month as if it's payday but it definitely feels odd.  I'm not complaining just adjusting I suppose.

PennysIntoPounds

Ooh great news about your pension increase. Will that be Brucie Bonus treat money or going into pots you want to top up?
Lovely you and Mr BC could do nice and helpful bits for your Dad. Omelette and chips, tea and cake, snooker, add in a bottle of wine and I'm next to him on the sofa for a grand evening 😁
Well done on the swim, glad Manager Jim is keeping well

savingholmes

Glad you've had an increase on your pension. 

Good that you are able to help your Dad out like that.

Love that the cat went into the manager's office. Made me smile.

Blackcats

Ha ha @PennysIntoPounds - his tv is very, very loud (but of course he isn't deaf!) so you might want to bring some cotton wool to dull the noise, especially the barage of adverts.

@savingholmes - Jim the gym cat was there again this morning I suspect the heating at his home has been switched off and he needs to find alternative options for keeping warm.  today he went upstairs towards the gym - rather him than me.

Had my monthly statement from Octopus and we are £400 in credit which I'm really pleased about.  that includes 2 x £50 credits for referrals.  I assumed that April would be the month when the cold months were over, but it is still very chilly and we are still having the heating on for a while most days.  Still I feel that we managed to get through the winter months ok - not being wasteful with heating but also not being too worried to put the heating on.  I know we are fortunate.

we used our co-op money off vouchers to buy bananas and milk today.  also got some reduced price mushrooms which meant that dinner was sorted - mushroom penne pasta using one of our simply cook spice kits.  pasta was free from lidls and we added in some bacon bits that needed using up.  really tasty dinner.

lucielle

Dinner sounds lovely. I’ve only recently discovered the coop coupons. It’s the only ‘big’ shop we have up here. I tend to use the click and collect from Morrisons which comes from Inverness
L

peb

We havent had a coop for some time but one is being built within walking distance.  I shall have to rekindle my membership 

savingholmes

I'm looking forward to when I need the heating less too. 

Blackcats

@lucielle - our little local coop is quite pricey but I reckon that only going in for a bunch of bananas and using a 50p off voucher is better than going to a big supermarket where I know I would end up buying a lot more than the bunch of bananas I actually needed.
hello @peb - the money off vouchers are not for big amounts but they are general enough to be useful eg 50p off fresh veg.  They can be used on reduced items too so the mushrooms reduced to 69p ended up costing 19p.
@savingholmes - cold here again today.  Heating is on because I just couldn't get warm.  My dd's assure me that the warm weather is coming next week.

I'm doing ok with PA surveys - aiming for £10 a week and seem to be hitting that target.  Will cash out at £40 and add to the Christmas pot which is below its target.  

I did my May budget today and juggled money around.  I'm relieved that this is the last month of our reduced income and increased spending.  The various savings pots have had tiny top ups which psychologically make me feel better.  The overall buffer fund has just about coped and we haven't noticed any great hardship to our day to day living.  I've made an effort with grocery spends as this is definitely an area that we have some control over.  Hoping for a small surplus at the end of the month but it's Lidls tomorrow so we shall see.

PennysIntoPounds

Ooh I love using a money-off voucher on a discounted item, makes me feel like the Wolf of Wall Street 😁

Glad your budget will be improving from next week, that's what you've worked for so enjoy it (though don't go mad, your MSE pals will be checking!) (And definitely don't give/loan any to that part of the family)

savingholmes

Well done for getting through this leaner patch and adding to rather than depleting your savings. Enjoy the sun when it finally comes. Has your new furnishings / organisation stuff arrived yet?