2020: Becoming a Saver, Not a Spender

savingholmes

Fab news with the job and the kitten settling down and the £20. It all helps. I'm frustrated as my DD keeps being given cash by people and then wants me to send it to her bank. We aren't going out really at the moment so it's building up but I can't use it. Annoying. Trying to think of it as savings for later in the year but still irritating.

[Deleted User]

Thanks everyone had a couple of Proseccos last night to celebrate  

I know what you mean about cash and banks SH, I had to pay some into my main bank (Halifax) at the start of lockdown and got practically interrogated and told off for needing to visit, however I did find that Lloyds (despite being the same banking group) have been the complete opposite, friendly and helpful and the do-it-yourself cash deposit machine is right in front as you walk in, and a separate exit so very well thought out. 

[Deleted User]

Morning world

DD gone out of my bank today, YNAB updated accordingly with my morning coffee in bed. Free daily spins done and Qmee poll done to keep my little green piggies. I will have a very small spend of £1.10 today on 2 photo prints, one for me and one as an anniversary gift for OH. If my nan's prescription is ready to collect today I will pick that up for her and see if I can use my Boots points to buy an eyebrow pencil. The one near me has always scanned our cards but the one near my work (where I will be going today) has never asked so not sure why or whether I can pay with points. I can eke out one more day from the tiny bit that I have left if needs be tomorrow morning and walk over to the one near my house.

I will go via Costco to drop my nan's photo/prescription off and fill up my car as it will be quieter then, than when I head home. I also need to get home as early as possible as I forgot to put some kitten food that my fussy cat won't eat out on the doorstep for someone to collect, it was just one of those mornings this morning. I should hopefully also be collecting some key lime pie from my nan to take home, yum yum.

OH is doing AFD today in preparation for his work to re-open tomorrow, so I will have a chilled night but probably make a start on emptying the washing bin and iron the few bits I washed in the week. Thankfully as I did a total clean on Tuesday the house is relatively tidy still. I've been getting in the habit of scooping the litter tray when kitten is having his breakfast, and before I go to bed, too.

I am feeling very positive about this month's budget as it has every payment and every payment date all available to me, so I can look at see what will be coming out in the next few days. Having my spare cash in Monzo and having to move it out of pots to spend also makes me more aware of what I'm spending.

Right, time to crack on with some work x

savingholmes

You are sounding very organised. Key lime pie sounds tasty

[Deleted User]

Thank you, SH. My nan's Key Lime Pie is always top notch  

Had a few small flurries on Qmee and cashed out enough to cover the cost of the photo printing. So, still technically a spendy day but the cost was covered. Although it was £1.10, it's currently showing as £2 on Monzo until I click on it, when it shows £1.10, so I assuming that will right itself at some point over the next few days. £43.43 spent on fuel which will last me two weeks, I will keep the rest in the fuel pot as I won't have as much mid-month from SE wages as I have been getting lately so will keep any extra money as I will probably need it in the second half of the month. 

Didn't go to Boots as my nan's prescription wasn't ready, so I will take a stroll over to the one near home tomorrow where I know I can definitely use my Boots card

[Deleted User]

 Morning all!

Facepalm moment about the Monzo transaction, forgot I’d selected round ups for my EF pot  
Food shop came in under budget as expected! Had a busy day yesterday ploughing through the washing, today I’m just putting the bedding & towels through the wash. Small amount of ironing to do and then we will be ready for the start of a new week.

I am hoping to paint my planters at last and repot things into bigger pots. 

Will pop back on later on the laptop rather than the iPad, have a lovely day all x

[Deleted User]

Back again - I have paid the milkman and updated YNAB, tweaked it as I'd done my sinking funds payments out of the main account but not transferred them to their own accounts on there, that's all fixed now  

Bedding has been washed and dried, towels are drying outside on the line as we speak. I stepped outside and realised just how much the wind has picked up, so hastily repotted my plants but will save the painting for another day, because at least mud/compost washes off easily

Various oven parts are currently soaking in an oven cleaning kit, going to give it until 5pm and then rinse it all off as I wanted to re-attempt making some bread rolls today. I managed to burn them yesterday

Other than that, the only thing really left is the ironing and then I think I may have a chilled out bath for a little while. For now, I'm going to try and get some SE work done and then make myself a coffee

[Deleted User]

Goooooood morning MSE

Almost one week into this months' budget, and no deviation from it whatsoever, which I think means I have finally cracked a decent budget! £20 in this morning from a £1 accumulator I do on my super 6 predictions so that's gone into the hair appointment pot, just waiting on my £50 from Populus to land and then I'm pretty much there with that pot. It's weird to think that when I get my prescription next week it's all going to be "paid" for already from the pot, normally I'm going "Oh cr*p I forgot I was going to need to pay for that"  

It is our anniversary today, 3 years from the day we went on our first date as we don't really have a date we "officially" got together, so that was the easiest day to choose picked up some sirloin steaks and peppercorn sauce with our weekly food shop so we will just have a nice meal indoors. I didn't really fancy trying to go out anywhere just yet.

Slowly creating digital copies of everything important on OneDrive so that I still have everything important to hand if something happens to my filing box. I've also downloaded the manuals for most things we own to save digging through things trying to find them, and saved e-receipts for things like the new iron, so I know that I've got them handy if needed.

I have done 1 or 2 quick Qmee surveys this morning and got around £1.50 so far, so I will keep an eye on that and see if any more good ones pop up. 

Not much else to report, things are just ticking over but I do feel much more in control of my budget and money this month

[Deleted User]

Popping on to kill the last few minutes at work before I can head off. Made between £3.50-£4.00 on Qmee today so that's all gone into my overpayments pot, which will remain untouched until I get my main salary again so I can decide where it would be best assigned.

Confirmed via Argos live chat that the stuff I have scraped together is enough for me to be able to return my iron I got in August last year that just leaks water all of the time, just need to wait for the new Monese card to arrive as that's the account it was bought from it seems. That should be £50.00 coming back to me which will probably sit in Monzo until I either need it due to the SE wages being lower than usual, or popped into my EF or LISA. I will just have to see how the second half of the month fares.

Hoping to get out for a nice, long walk this evening if the weather holds out as we have not gone for a walk in a LONG time, and it'll be something nice and free to do on our anniversary. OH is home first today so hoping he gets the steak and chips on whilst I'm driving home  

PL £50 should drop at some point this week, misread and it is 5-10 working days but should still land in time for my hairdressers appointment. 

I think the best part about knowing I've got a new job to start in September is that when things at my current job really pee me off, I know it's not forever now and I don't have to put up with it for very long at all

savingholmes

Lovely to have a fresh start somewhere else too. Well done on all the MSE things you are doing. I too am trying to be stricter on budgets and I am missing the parcel delivery man already!