Building savings to bubblewrap my new life.

Irenadler

Hey DIA! Thank you for the details - I hadn't seen that term 'zero budget' before so also looked it up. It's what I am trying to do (with the help and advice of the lovely people here), but, now I can see the basis of it and what it means it's a great reminder to get myself more organised.

atrixa

The face pack Friday sounds perfect! I'm glad people have looked into the zero based budget - I tried using cash at one point and an app with my bank but good old Excel came through for me.

doingitanyway

Thanks for the welcome @riotlady and steal away!
Thanks @MovingForwards I have indeed been using a notebook to help me budget but more in the discovering where my money is going at this stage.

I am going to highlight an overspending area each day and find a saving! I find the best way for me to save is through awareness/mindfulness and then changing my habits/behaviour.

I now know I am overspending on travel costs. I don't drive so use public transport. Some of the spending is travel to the new area and this will decrease as now I am very clear on what is worth travelling to see and what isn't. I go weekly or fortnightly but I will now aim for monthly or once every three weeks.  This will save £20 a month I did buy a rail card to decrease the cost but going less frequently is possible. The other travel is trains to the osteopath (essential so no action) and trains to my neighbouring area for coffee, shops etc.  This needs reducing in frequency so will only do this once a week from now on. I travel to help care for an ill relative (essential so no action) I can easily save £10 a week from the travel budget/£40 a month.
Total saving on travel =£60 a month

I'm off to start soup making.

Have a good day everyone

MovingForwards

Travel costs is the one area I would leave, it's not a long-term expense and will naturally reduce when you've found a new home.

It's good you're recognising where overspending is, don't rush cutting things down / out. Look at it as being a financial diet, if you rush (crash diet) then you're at risk of falling back into old ways, do it slowly and the new ways will become part of everyday life.

doingitanyway

Thanks @MovingForwards. I feel happier when I'm working to change behaviours moving from one category to another. It worked really well when I was doing debt reduction and I managed to clear £24,000 in a 2 years that way. There were people who (sensibly) reduced gradually but my personality isn't that way.  I need to focus and then tackle things head on, making adjustments. I ingrain new habits to get where I want to be. This way may look odd but it has worked for me in the past.  

Irenadler

Stunning achievement - clearing 24k! I understand the struggle with gradual change, I am so impatient, but it can trip me up too!  I think I read somewhere a book about changing habits 'Power of habit' by Charles Duhigg ? I am curious about that one myself, so, trying to order from library, which might be just what you are doing already. HTH

doingitanyway

Ooh, I will look for that book @Irenadler Thanks for the heads-up. I will also try to get it from my library.

Today the area I would have taken a train to (£4.80 return) I cycled to instead. Good exercise and in line with my aim to reduce travel costs

However, I still had quite a spendy day. I bought a teapot in the charity shop. It is Poole china and pale grey with a pale blue lid. 1960's. A joy to use and beautiful  It was a bargain at £6.50. I didn't have any more cash so I left the little milk jug (£2.50) behind but will go back for it on Tuesday.

A family birthday so £100 to a relative to treat themselves.

I bought some new underwear as I could hear my mother saying 'what would you do if you were knocked down and needed an ambulance' because of course pain, injury and possible death come second to shabby undies. 

Thinking of my travel costs across the next week all journeys have been thought about and are necessary.

I am having a NSD tomorrow!

MovingForwards

The teapot sounds very pretty.
Well done for cycling, that saved money pays for the little treats.
There's a flashback with the what if...., although I doubt that would be our first thought if we were bundled away to hospital 😁
Window shopping and thinking are good ways to plan what's needed.

longway2go

Clearing 24k so fast is a massive achievement, any tips?
Well done on the cycling

Irenadler

Ha! That sounds so like my mum! She would have the horrors if she knew I was wearing my droopy drawers when walking the dog. The elastic has seen better days.... Well, the dog doesn't care, as long as I take her out....

Well impressed with the cycling. Every bit helps....