Onwards and Upwards - Next Steps!

vampirotoothus

Hi IS Coventry have changed the way that you logon now and it is all done via passwords and your phone (longwinded in my opinion). I am not sure that I needed the grid in order to set this up, so may be worth checking. Good luck on your journey

ImpulseSpender

Thank you so much @vampirotoothus you were completely right! I was able to log in without the grid so have now moved £1100 over to the LISA. Feel much more organised now everything is in one place.

ImpulseSpender

Work was manic today, just one of those days jumping from meetings from 7am until 6pm, hate days like that as I get no actual work done. 

In between jumping from meeting to meeting, I've been thinking about how I can reduce spends when I go back to London while still having the occasional treat. I was thinking about getting my nails done when I go back but each time I go I pay roughly £30-£35 and thats every 3 weeks. Thinking back now, its an ridiculous amount to spend so I've been looking at buying my own gel nail kit lamp etc included. I've found a few online for £50-£60 and that includes the lamp, wipes, polish etc. If I do that then in the long run I've saved so much money. After thinking about this I was thinking of other ways I could cut back and another thing I was thinking was about coffees. I was thinking I could get a dolce gusto machine or similar with the pods and make my own 'nice' coffees at home. I need to do some more research into that to make sure the pods etc are cost effective but I'm proud that I'm starting to think this way and hopefully changing habits in the long run.

[Deleted User]

Hi @ImpulseSpender how lucky were you with that bonus? Amazing! I'm glad you're taking advantage of the LISA. I plan to open one to save for retirement once the debt is gone. We cashed in our help to buy ISA in January. We only had £2000 in it but it was better than nothing. Wish I'd started paying in sooner so we had a better bonus. You're doing an amazing job with the savings. They're growing quickly. Have you thought about just paying the £190 left so that it's gone? I'd be itching to get rid of it. 

ImpulseSpender

mumtopinkdinosaurs said:

Hi @ImpulseSpender how lucky were you with that bonus? Amazing! I'm glad you're taking advantage of the LISA. I plan to open one to save for retirement once the debt is gone. We cashed in our help to buy ISA in January. We only had £2000 in it but it was better than nothing. Wish I'd started paying in sooner so we had a better bonus. You're doing an amazing job with the savings. They're growing quickly. Have you thought about just paying the £190 left so that it's gone? I'd be itching to get rid of it. 

I know I was so so lucky and I remind myself that constantly! A LISA for retirement sounds like a great idea, might aswell take advantage of the government's free money  Yes I really have thought about just paying off the £190 to get rid and I've gone backwards and forwards. As its on 0% its not incurring any further damage and I am so motivated on building up my savings at the moment. I think when it gets to £100 I'll just get rid completely as at the moment I pay £60 each month off it. 

ImpulseSpender

I've completed cocked my budgets up for this month  I've fallen into the not budgeting enough trap and probably putting more away into savings that I should of. I realised last night that I had a huge hole in my jeans in a place that I really shouldn't have a hole   and so needed to order some new ones. So I ordered two pairs from ASOS (I'll send one back) which cost me £41.38. This then left me with £1.76 in my bank account until I get paid on Tuesday. Luckily all my DD have come out and I'm at my parents so I don't have a huge amount of outgoings but I did have plans to meet a friend for a coffee on Saturday. 

The Gods must of been in my favour because I remembered I have £60 in my purse in cash which I'll pay in on Saturday and I also earnt $50/£38.54 from usertesting which has come into Paypal this week. I was planning to put the £38.54 in my house pot fund but I might keep it in my account until Monday night. 

I was lucky this time but this shows I need to make sure I'm budgeting for unexpected costs more!!

joedenise

I actually have a "pot" on YNAB for "Things I have forgotten".  I only put a bit in it each month but it builds up nicely until something unexpected crops up!  Hasn't got much in it at the moment as needed a new part on our motorhome when it went in for service & MOT and there wasn't quite enough in the MH pot so took it from "the forgotten" pot!  I'm so glad I set that "pot" up when I did a fresh start on YNAB recently.

ImpulseSpender

@joedenise you're completely right about having the "Things I've Forgotten" pot. I normally do and put £50 budgeted aside for that but this month its clear I've forgotten well and above that! I forgot about YNAB subscription so that was £60 taken from there and then the jeans on top of that. Hopefully next month I won't be so forgetful.

ImpulseSpender

Weekend round up time 
I was supposed to meet a friend on Saturday for a coffee but she wasn't well so that was cancelled meaning I just chilled at home. I ended up buying a game to play on my laptop that I've wanted for ages but was finally 50% off reduced to £17.49.

Sunday I went into town with my Sister as a final get together before I go back to London as she normally works weekends. Because none of the banks are open at the weekend and I assumed there would be a pay in self service hole in the wall outside (there wasn't) I couldn't pay in the £60 cash which was annoying as most places are also not accepting cash either now. We went out for lunch which I offered to pay for so that came to £39.80 for both of us. It was nice to be out but still a bit strange eating out, although walking around town nobody was really following any sort of distancing. I then bought a bag I'd wanted since before lockdown which was £40 but reduced to £20 (wooo) now from Oliver Bonas. So that added to the spendyness of the day. 

My dad then needed £20 cash so I gave him that out of the £60 I had and he transferred me £20 which works out better for me. 

So that rounds up the spending of the weekend, I actually had a few really nice surprises. One of which being that my nan and grandad heard me talking about me trying to reduce spends when I go back to London and one of which being coffee and they've bought me my own Dolce Gusto machine and pods to make coffee! How sweet of them, I can't believe it. Then on Sunday, my other grandad gave me £100 cash completely out of the blue! I tried to give it back but he insisted. I am so so lucky to still have 3/4 of my grandparents in my life who I adore and then they spoil me like that. So I said I'd pay that £100 cash into the house fund when I eventually get to a bank!

Tomorrow is pay day which means its my favorite day of the month because I get to do my budgets (so sad) for the next month. I need to make sure I am budgeting enough with me going back to London on Friday and make sure I top up the forgetful fund this month based on last months performance in that category! 

ImpulseSpender

Pay day was yesterday so budgets for the end of July and August have been done. Think I've covered everything with going back to London, I've tried to think of every eventual spend I'll have in the next month. 

Money also moved over to the pots. Thought I'd do a round up of them today Vs my last round up on the 12th July. 

12th July                                                              22nd July
House Fund: £2015.21                                   House Fund/LISA: £2,371.26

Rainy Day/EF: £964.84                                  Rainy Day/EF: £1147.29 - woo, finally hit £1K on this one

Holiday: £327.31                                            Holiday: £379.90

Sod It/Treat Fund: £12.06                              Sod It/Treat Fund: £17.46

So glad the EF is up to £1K and there if I need it. Wish I'd started one sooner rather than just relying on Credit Cards.
Paid another £60 off the MBNA debt too so that is down to £130.96. I think I will just pay off the balance with August's pay and then I'll be officially debt free!

Did another usertest today which was good as I'd not really had many I'd been accepted for recently so that will be paid next week. Going out for dinner with the family tonight to one of my fave restaurants so cannot wait for that. Think mum and dad are treating us too so shouldn't be any spends there.