Giving every £ a job

Blackcats

No money spent today.  I imagine that's the case for many households currently.  At the moment I feel ok about food supplies at home - plenty in the cupboard and freezer.  I've got enough wool to start a new project and a current project to work on and plenty of books to read.  Ironically my work is busier than usual but it's tasks that are helping with the current virus situation so it feels good to be busy.

Blackcats

No money spent again today.  I went for a nice walk for my daily exercise. Lots of people walking on the common but plenty of space for us all.  

£150 added to the £1000 savings target grid.  It seems to be growing slowly but I've also diverted money to a couple of savings pots so progress is steady and slow.  

foxgloves

It might be growing slowly, Blackcats, but it's still growing. The important thing is that it keeps going in an upwards trajectory & not being able to go out will probably help with that.
F x

Franalamadingdong

Hey, any growing is still growing

Blackcats

Thanks foxgloves and Fran.  You are both right of course.  The money I've saved into my grid savings is money that would previously have disappeared into the tills of shops and restaurants on "things" and dinners.  I'm on the home run to achieving £1000 now.
I've made the last £300 monthly payment into my regular saver account which will mature in mid April.  Because the money for the regular saver account goes out via direct debit it doesn't feel to me like I'm making the effort to save, so the slower more deliberate saving up for my £1000 target gives me much more satisfaction.  Daft but it's motivational.  

savingholmes

Well done on your progress with savings grid by grid. They say you are best to automate savings. 

Blackcats

Been a bit busy with real life for a few days.  However, finally my work expenses have been paid - 2 months worth which means ...... drum roll .... I've reached my £1000 savings target.  So happy.  Now thinking about what motivational colouring in design I can come up with for the next £1000.  Any suggestions?

savingholmes

A rainbow is topical at the moment - why choose LOL

foxgloves

Great news on the Emergency Fund, Blackcats. Like you, I never bothered with one in the past.... I had far too much stuff to buy..... but once you have that money there, it feels like a small game changer. Firstly, I found it had a knock-on effect on my wider money management because I found myself really wanting to preserve that £1000 emergency money, so it made me re-assess what actually constitutes an emergency. Some of the things I always treated as huge unfair emergencies really fell more into the category of needing better planning - for example needing a new washing machine. Obviously these sort of items have a limited life so it shouldn't really catch people by surprise when they eventually conk out. That's why one of the additional savings pots I set up at the end of last year was 'Appliance Replacement'. It just felt that such foreseeable expenditure could potentially gobble up too much precious emergency fund.
Talking of washers, mine's beeping so I'd better go & assess whether it's worth pegging out today.
But a big yay to that Emergency Fund! Brilliant news. I reckon it was all down to your colouring in!
F x

Blackcats

Thanks saving Holmes - I've made a sweetie jar design with 100 circles in it to colour - very nice it is too! 

Thanks Foxgloves.  I never had an emergency fund because i had numerous credit cards that I was adept at juggling and not proud to get credit limit increases on.  Emergencies were obviously not real emergencies - it was a weekend away or that unexpected car tax reminder that should not have been a surprise. 

I used leftovers for dinner today - this strange time we live in has concentrated my mind on making the most of available food.  I will do a meal plan tomorrow to maximise the food I have in stock.  

I've mislaid the dongle thingymabob that I need to log into online banking.  This makes me slightly nervous but I know everything is set up to be paid by direct debit and there is money in the bank.  It just means that I can't move money into my savings pots until I can log in again,  
would it be cheating to celebrate no spending on eating out for 10 days 😇