Facing reality

SadieO

floorspeed_2 said:

Taking that assumption of pizza, probably not the healthiest idea for the freezer items but it does make you think of how many frozen pizzas you could of got with what the take away pizza costs. I mean even if it was a premium frozen/fresh pizza/s bought in store.
maybe buying premium frozen foods as treats may help you cut back with it also being a reward! This of course comes down too the individual and perspective as well as out side pressures.

anyways thought I would throw a curve ball. 

Just chiming in to agree with this. I read a saving tip once that said "buy whatever you want from the supermarket. It will always be cheaper than getting a takeaway or eating out". I am not sure I quite agree with buying *whatever*  but the sentiment is basically floorspeed's point. A piece of steak, a Chinese ready meal or a fancier pizza for £5 might seem like an extravagance in the supermarket, but if it is going to stop you from spending three times that on a takeaway or going to the pub for your tea then it's worth giving some thought to. Of course, the MSE way is to stock the freezer with a few of these nice things when they are on offer or yellow stickered! Then you always have something easy and treat-like to hand when you've had a rough day and would otherwise be tempted. 

Elisheba

Just popping in to agree with SadieO.  You can get rather nice pizza's from Aldi from about 80p.  Always good to keep a little stock of them in the freezer for those days when you just can't face cooking. Then when you are looking at the pizza menu you can think about them, the fact they will be quicker than delivery, and save you about £19, and you may well decide not to order!

Sarahwithlove

floorspeed_2 said:

 Sarahwithlove said:

Expensive day for me, managed get mine and my friends football tickets. Put them in HSBC card which is still 0% and transferred my share out of my spends account into my pending account whilst wait for it to show in the statement then will settle it. Hopefully have some of the other money from my friends by then as well. Usually they give it to me as cash when see them but I've asked if can be bank transferred this time into my pending account so its ready to pay it off and doesn't get spent on other things which is what usually happens when I get it as cash. Spent £3 in Morrisons on some chocolate, mints and 6 pack of Crisps which remainder is in cupboard for lunches this week. Decided it was better to buy a 6 pack for £1 rather than 1 pack for 85p. I also signed up for a nus apprentice card for my apprenticeship at work so that was £12.50 but will be worth that in discounts I will get throughout the year. Just waiting for it to be delivered and then going to look into the places it can be used.
Off out tomorrow with my nephew, taking him shopping to primark to spend remainder of his Xmas gift card. I'm going to look to see if can get a 2nd pair if thermal leggings for football days, and need some new pyjama bottoms. Giving myself a limit of £25 to spend from my clothes budget. Also hoping to persuade him to go for either subway or Nandos for lunch as I have vouchers for either. Then in evening it's football, meeting my cousin and a friend in spoons beforehand. At least its cheap food and drink. Hoping to keep it under £10 as already need to give her £10 for my ticket. Going to be tight for the rest of the month, especially as I have a massage booked in for Saturday which was unplanned but I've had a tension headache on and off for last two weeks which is usual sign I need one. It's been nearly 6 months since my last one which considering at one stage was having them twice a month is great. Just a shame its all at same time. The DD for RBS min payment came out today so taken that off my total, tesco doesn't come out until start of march so would have been paid again by then. Thank god next month is a council tax free month as its going to be another expensive one for me. 

Well done for being on top of events planned ahead with the budgeting, I hope you stick to them for your own goals. The only thing I can recommend maybe in regards to headaches and potential stress would be a APP I use called Headspace: meditation application which is downloadable on IOS/Apple/App Store I would assume it’s on android too. Might not help but it’s free up too a point and has helped ease my mind during stressful times which bring on headaches for myself.

Thanks I do use it. These headaches are unfortunately a side effect of my job and usually are manageable. Like I said before it's been several months since I had one and as long as I deal it hit when can feel it coming I'm generally ok for a while. But thanks. 

Sarahwithlove

SadieO said:

floorspeed_2 said:

Taking that assumption of pizza, probably not the healthiest idea for the freezer items but it does make you think of how many frozen pizzas you could of got with what the take away pizza costs. I mean even if it was a premium frozen/fresh pizza/s bought in store.
maybe buying premium frozen foods as treats may help you cut back with it also being a reward! This of course comes down too the individual and perspective as well as out side pressures.

anyways thought I would throw a curve ball. 

Just chiming in to agree with this. I read a saving tip once that said "buy whatever you want from the supermarket. It will always be cheaper than getting a takeaway or eating out". I am not sure I quite agree with buying *whatever*  but the sentiment is basically floorspeed's point. A piece of steak, a Chinese ready meal or a fancier pizza for £5 might seem like an extravagance in the supermarket, but if it is going to stop you from spending three times that on a takeaway or going to the pub for your tea then it's worth giving some thought to. Of course, the MSE way is to stock the freezer with a few of these nice things when they are on offer or yellow stickered! Then you always have something easy and treat-like to hand when you've had a rough day and would otherwise be tempted. 

Good, plan with the yellow sticker. I generally do this when I see a free from ready meal on YS as they are so expensive otherwise and due to being lactose intolerance I can't eat a lot of them. I also now have a supply of quorn nuggets and sweet potato fries in the freezer as it's quick and easy meal.  

Sarahwithlove

So yesterday was a busy day, spent £11 in primarni on some cosy leggings and pj bottoms, leggings helped at football but when the rain came and I got soaked through they were made a bit redundant at that point. Met in spoons for dinner, got burger and drink for £7.99 and a second drink for £1.99, and paid my £10 for my ticket. Bad news an unexpected Expense was £10 on a new bag as strap broke on one I had been using. I also was reminded about my hp charm, I used my £20 voucher and paid £15 on top of that but I've been meaning to get it since my birthday as I asked for a voucher and money but the cash I was given just ended up going into the pot. My train was also £3.10 rather than £2.50 as it was peak time but I remembered I had sub vouchers so we had them for lunch so was only £3.99 which I used cash for. I ended up taking £20 cash out to buy a new 10 trip ferry ticket (£16.50) as I have quite a few weeks of twice weekly football games to go to and I wanted to get it now whilst it was quiet rather than being forced to buy a single use ticket as the office isn't open in evenings. 

Did a small Asda shop today which came to £9.91 and also signed up for a free trial of YNAB which I think could be really helpful for me but it's also shown me that this month I'm not likely to have much leftover for repayments due to my forward planning. But that's ok because I have to remind myself that settling my sofa finance was the start of this month so actually it's been a good month and I have had a lot of unexpected expenses which I Would have usually just put on credit card but I have budgeted them. But it's made me really think about March budget and where funds are going to come from for all I have on planned the next few months. It's going to be tight and I think any overpayments will have to come from me selling items. 

To budget in March 
Bingo £20+£5 for drinks 
hen weekend (£40 deposit paid) just need £20 for dinner and drinks. 
Hair cut £27
6 football games, so travel which ferry ticket will cover and then £2.50-3.10 for train each time. £26 for one ticket not yet paid for, but it's what my cousin has decided she wants to do on her birthday. 
Hotel for night of wedding £47.50 and then drinks at wedding £20 
also need to buy my ticket for game at Wembley in April and my coach ticket to get there, gonna be expensive, but how often do we get to say our team has gone to Wembley? Not very often so even if it means putting my debt fighting off a month I am gonna go. My plan is to cover all of this using my spends allowance, council tax payment and and excess would have used on cc payments. Need to sit and juggle my budget for March on YNAB 

Sarahwithlove

Really liking YNAB so far, makes it much easier then my epic spreadsheets did. Will see how get on during this trial period with it. 
Spends today were £5.98 from cash for a few bits in L shop. Needed more milk, low cal spray and squash. Got about £30 left in my budget to last until the end of the month. It's doable as still have a few meals in freezer it will be lunches for next week and no doubt more bread and milk. Going to try use this weekend to Declutter a bit more. I need to go into bank about my refund from food delivery app as they are saying they have sent it. Will try going to C shop to trade in some electronics/phone as they seem to be best place around for it. That will hopefully give me a bit more towards the funds for the next few months. April isn't looking that much quieter and I need to at some point fit in a visit to Germany to visit by brother and his family. Luckily I still have loads euros left over so won't need much spending money and be good if he can get my free or cheap accommodation. Then it's just flights which are less then £100. Only good thing is that once we get to May things will quieten down in terms of spends as no football or birthdays until August. Phew. 

Sarahwithlove

Quiet weekend for me, had my massage today which has helped so much, hadn't realised how bad i had let it get. Rebooked again for April and adjusted my budget to include one about every 8 weeks. Did a mini shop on my way home as needed bread, eggs and fruit and veg, so £13 spent in Tesco. Did some financial sorting out today, chased my takeaway refund, they are going to send it again for me so hopefully be in my account in next few days. Phoned my mobile company about my contract and they have reduced it down for me, waiting for confirmation of exact amount but they given me a discount until sept when my contract ends and then I will go onto sim only. Did a small payment on rbs credit card to bring it to a round £1900. Almost at £5 on prolific so waiting for another survey to come up on that. Went out for dinner tonight to Nando's where used my orange reward so only paid for sides and drink all from my spends. Have about £4 left so no pub for me before football on Tuesday but that's probably a good thing as had a lot of eating out this week. Should still have about £60 left at end of month to pay towards credit card. Fingers crossed. Next months budget is set along with all the activities I have planned socially. Just have to stick to it. 🙈

Sarahwithlove

Sat down and worked out how much I have paid off this month, it's £716.71, £326.34 was from excess balance transfer but £390.37 has been from me making cut backs. Hopefully can increase that at the end of the month. Not bad for my first month 👍

Sarahwithlove

Where has this week gone? Monday was a no spend day for me. Yesterday was football so train fare and one drink in the bar, which came from cash I had. Need to get petrol today but I still have more than enough in the funds for that so not too worried. I also got a few bits of shopping to tide me over to the weekend when it's payday and my new budget starts again. Yay. I decided in the end to cancel one of my away games for football, so saved £30 on a ticket, £20 on petrol and then probably another £10 I would have spent on the day. It also means I have a free weekend in march to get myself sorted before my brothers wedding. I'm moving into theirs for a week at end of march to babysit my nephew whilst they are on honeymoon so that should be a relatively cheap week as they will provide food for the week and no social stuff in evenings for me that week. March budget is looking a bit tight though. Only good thing is some of it I have paid for already so came out of febs budget. I really need to do a proper food shop, but making do with what i have until payday on Friday. Then on Saturday me and my housemate will to shopping so at least we will split the cost on the big shop for the month. Then will do little ones in between for fresh stuff. I need to try rework my budget so that my housemates rent is going towards CC payments. That way when she moves out later in the year I know I will be able to manage on just my wage but it means that CC payments would slow down. I don't think I want to go down the route of another housemate. But I may not get much choice in the matter. Have to wait and see. I did wonder about a 2nd evening job instead. 

Sarahwithlove

£30 in petrol today and £3 on a meal deal from cash in my purse. Can't think of anything I will need to buy tomorrow but this is me. Need to sort my packed lunch for work tomorrow so I'm not tempted to buy lunch on the go. Friday can't come soon enough for me. Its payday hooray but also have football and start of the weekend. Feeling so tired at the moment, it makes motivation for anything hard let alone being good and frugal 🙈