Spending Overhaul and much more!

Hollybear

I discovered this site a good few years ago and I’ve learnt so much from it by reading other people diaries. Always being a bit shy about posting but you have no idea how it has motivated me to change my ways.  I had a good wage but was spending everything I earnt and still using the good auld credit card. Saving was very minimal. But I changed things around thanks to MSE. Started saving probably, set up my emergency fund, my little pots and save for everything now including a deposit for a new house. The one going I have never gotten under control though is my everyday spends, I spend way too much money on food; weekly shops, top up shops, snacks, lunches and take aways. I would love to get this sorted as I feel it’s such a waste of money every month and I’m hoping this diary will help me make better everyday choices and make me accountable. I move into our first house this week so I’m very conscious about all the extra bills plus the renovation costs. So cheers to my good intentions...

DrSpendingLittle

Welcome!

This is a great place for picking up tips and tricks for making your money work for you. I've been here three years and its turned my life around! 

Do you do a zero based budget? i.e. give every £ a job on payday and then try to keep spending within those limits? It sounds like you do, given you talk about 'pots' but I wonder if a zero based based would help with your everyday spends? Apps like YNAB are excellent for this (though a little pricey!). I've used YNAB for three years and love it. Others hate it. There are other free apps that can help you do a zero based budget - others will be able to advise - or you could use a plain old spreadsheet. 

Good luck with the house move!  

MatyMoo

Do you menu plan before shopping and batch cook?

This is what saved my food budget!

Hollybear

Thanks so much DrSpendingLittle. I signed up for the free trial with YNAB. Enforce but found it a bit tricky. I just keep to my excel spreadsheet and sometime I use an app called Fudget to track my spending during the month. I do operate a zero based budget but I always run out of money in my everyday spends category before next payday. I refuse to up the amount because it’s very generous already I just need to cut back. 

Hollybear

Okay I’m back, finally  found my diary so I can post again. So we moved into our lovely home last September, I still can’t believe we are in our own house and feel very grateful. We had done quite a bit of work to it before we moved and every month there has been something to pay out for so my savings are looking dire. Do I really would love to reign in my weekly spending and biff them up. My husband is also not working at the moment so it’s been a bit tight with one salary. A positive is that I am overpaying our mortgage every month I can over pay 10% of the monthly mortgage payment so that’s €68 that I prioritise every month. The mortgage is the only debt we have so makes sense. My credit card is still huge every month and I pay it off monthly. Hoping spends calm down now. I need to concentrate on the food shops im a Diet Coke fan too so always seem to be going to the shops for that and before I know it’s 15 - 20 on crap. My waistline will thank me too if I cut that out. Hope everyone else is well and keeping sane at the moment. 

Honeysucklelou2

Well done on managing an overpayment on the mortgage when managing on one income🙂.

Hollybear

Hi everyone, well the new layout has made it easy to find my old diary that I have ignored. I think its a sign to start my money saving thoughts again. Im still spending too much every month when I should be able to save more. 2 weeks after pay day I have to juggle things around so I can pay for groceries. And the mortage OP was a brief idulgence but at least I tried for a while. I get paid again this Friday so Im thinking a clean slate. Weekly amounts for spends and when its gone its gone. I'll be off work for while this month with my little boy so want to have some fun in a frugal fashion. 

 

[Deleted User]

Is your husband back at work now? Maybe a good time to do another SOA? 

https://www.lemonfool.co.uk/financecalculators/soa.php