2020++ - smiling and waving and looking so fine

mark55man

Some thoughts on the above

REALLY need to work on grocery - still balancing the lack of entertainment with some more expensive meals, and 31 days * 3 meals * 6 people is over £1.50 a meal each.  Given breakfast is cheap thats probably £2 a meal each.  Now I'm at home for all of August I will try harder to be tighter on this - also going back to Keto soon- maybe after OH has come back from her FIL when social distancing allows some time this month

Garden is looking good, but its a bit never ending.

Have enjoyed a few days away from work, but I needed the break, so haven't done a lot round the house apart from potter.  Need a bit of get up and go in that department

Have high hopes for staying completely in the black this month, even though I have started a little CC OP campaign.  Key dates are Oct 2020 for CC1 and Apr 2021 for CC2.  CC1 is in the bag as I have been building up a repayment pot which is doubling as an EF until I plan to use it to wipe out. CC2 will benefit from all the other repayments and the end of my car loan in December, but there is still a chunk to go.  Will have to see how we go but I'll leave detailed planning for CC2 until the end of the year. 

I spend my life living day to day or looking 3-5 years ahead and not much in the middle - but that's fine.  I think a lot of people are the same all medium term plans are so up in the air there is not much point doing them.

Anyway, enough rambling hope you are all well and staying safe. 

ohdearhowdidthathappen

Food is such a painful expense, I've been managing to stick to £650-700 for the 7 of us.  Out of the 5 children, 3 eat adult portions.  I find one pot dishes very cost effective; lasagna, shepherd's pie, curry, pasta with pesto etc.... Friday night we make pizza, Sunday always a roast (usually chicken or pork as cheaper) Lunches; omelettes, soup, jacket pots.  I was finding their snacking very expensive, so have been making more cakes and filling the biscuit barrel with smart price biscuits.  Fruit is still an expense, but necessary.  We could cut back on alcohol (not going to happen though)   
Must be nice to be getting a bit of rent though and all your other categories are looking really good

mark55man

wow - you are good to do so much.  we don't throw a lot away although there are some days.  We do go to leedl and Morysons so not overpaying too much just not quite sure where its all going.  So I think that might be a start - better analysis of the details.  maybe a bit more routine - I'll have a think  

mark55man

In unexpected news - I am now mark55man!!

The 5 was chosen as in Thai 5 is pronounced Ha - so 55 is Ha Ha.  88 had to go as it has growing far right connotations (as 88 in numbers is equate to HH in letters) and I am not having that - especially getting called out on it in some of the feistier groups. 

mark55man

A little bit of drama on the CC front, my OH for the first time in a decade dropped her phone and cracked the screen.  she was on a sim only contract at £7 a month, so rather than go back onto a contract we replaced the phone as cheaply as we could but still a few hundred £££.  I think we are covered on contents, but I've never had much luck with phone insurance so not entirely hopeful in seeing that back.  

generally budget is already allocated this month so to fund this so I needed to access a restricted access pot that I have been building up to help clear CC1 in October, and as it is a bit of a hassle making withdrawals I pretty much emptied it and made an early repayment of about half of CC1. I still have just over £2K to go, but reckon that's just about doable if we carry on with lockdown savings.

in other news, have just finished a couple of weeks at home just pottering after a but of a mad July.  Monday will see me back working from home, much refreshed.  

mark55man

trying to get on top of grocery budget
* Week 1 (Sat 1st) - £140 big shops (Sa & Te) + £35 top up shops
* Week 2 (Sat 8th) - £105 (Li) 
So have enough in the fridge and cupboards to see us through to next Saturday about from bread and milk and small things.  Looking like a good start, but equally not really doing a lot different, so worried there will be a sting in the tail somewhere 

savingholmes

Planning and discipline hard at the moment. We are heading in the right direction. That's what counts

mark55man

Happy weekend everybody.  Went to an office I hadn't visited for 6 months for a half day and then on the way back rewarded myself (and family) with a boneless bucket courtesy of the Colonel.  Then had the hour long drive back tummy rumbling as it was all sealed up and I thought it would keep warmer if I didn't tuck in before I got home.  Was very nice if a bit of an extravagance as not half price.  Next time will try and get a meeting Mon-Wed so get it half price as well.

   

mark55man

sorry for being quiet - just spent a week with the FIL at his house, and it was very relaxing so tried to go low key on phone/laptop.  was also quite cheap as he is very generous so not only do I think I will get to the end of the month without Mr OD making an appearance, I might even have be £150 or so in the black.  

I haven't run the numbers yet, but I suspect a lot of that will be reduced shopping, as it feels we have spent less, but I had intended to keep an eye on it - but its been a bit meh!

DS1 new PC was a complete failure and we had to send it back.  Through MSE managed to do that for £10 so didn't argue about fault.  The refund has come through so I have got £500 credit on the CC - I will use that to pay for his next selection - if he wants it back in cash he'll have to wait until payday at the end of the month, then I will erode the credit balance with groceries to rebalance

doingitanyway

Another fan of 'lazy tax' idea