Getting shot of the mortgage sooner than 2049!

PearlRose

I also think the TV license is overpriced but I do encourage the kids to watch CBeebies (more educational content) when they are up for it, so we’ll keep for now, that said the BBC or live TV is probably only used a couple of times a week as we almost always watch Netflix or Prime so if times got hard I would stop using and get rid of the license.

You are doing great reviewing your subscriptions

DH and I haven't watched TV for more than ten years, and are quite happy with Youtube videos. We started having our TV licence subscriptions solely for CBeebies. I find the content and length of the programmes are great for children. 

Bluegreen143

@PearlRose I agree with you and if I had my time again I’d not introduce the kids to the more commercial programming and only stick to CBeebies. A lot of what’s available elsewhere is absolute rubbish (IMO). As it is, they love to watch Paw Patrol and Disney classics but mainly CBeebies stuff apart from that. I don’t allow them to use YouTube yet after my DS was introduced to “unboxing” videos on there at age 2 by a relative and briefly became a bit obsessed until we put a stop to it - it’s basically some kid who has a channel purely showing them opening and showcasing all the expensive, plastic, trendy character toys - free advertising for the toy company and teaching children that life is all about getting the newest, latest “stuff” and not to be content with what they have…

Bluegreen143

Ok, gym plan for today went a bit to pot as DH ended up at work late, came in for approx 3 seconds to swap from his van to the car, and left to go pick up our new hens. By the time he gets back (the poultry farm is an hour’s drive away) I’ll have missed the last class but it’s fine. 

Chickens were £66 overall, expensive because they are pure breeds (the two times we’ve bought hybrids they’ve been £15 each) but as pets go, it’s not all that pricey. And we won’t get any more til at least one of our two older ladies die, but they aren’t that old. 

This means I’ve spent £225.04 of my budgeting £188 spending this week 😳 now have £179 each week for the next four weeks to make up for it. I won’t have any more spends til my new budget week starts on Friday. 

Here’s my spending breakdown:

Groceries (Food): £88.03 (veg box also inc) 
Groceries (Non Food): £5.51
Fun: £36.50 (a takeaway) 
Kids (Education/Fun): £29 (Monkey’s football)
Misc: £66 (the hens)

Fairly happy with most of this week’s spends, except the takeaway. While it was nice not to have to cook and wash up the day we came home from holiday, the experience was fairly disappointing, as most takeaways are, and in no way worth £36. Spending £10 on frozen pizza or buying a couple of packs of beige freezer food would have been much more sensible. Red did eat the leftovers for lunch the next day, but still feel it wasn’t worth it. Last time I re-read Your Money or Your Life I calculated our real hourly wage as a very rough £12-13 each and so that’s three hours of my life spent earning that disappointing takeaway 😅

As for the rest of the day - the kids and I had a lovely time meandering about a very nice park for two full hours this morning. Actually I spent a chunk of it sitting on a bench knitting while they played which was great 🙌🏼 I didn’t get much time outdoors as a child so I love to see mine enjoying outdoor play, they are both really outdoorsy 🥰

Bluegreen143

Meet Elsa and Anna 😂 (named by the children). Sooooo cute!

savingholmes

Very pretty chickens

themadvix

 Oh they are gorgeous/hilarious - can they see where they’re going?! 

Bluegreen143

They seem to be able to @themadvix, Monkey did ask the same question 😂

Have been spending a bit of time this morning calculating the gifts budget.

Previously I was putting £150 a month aside for both birthdays/other occasions and Christmas, which is clearly not enough - we overspend on birthdays etc and then always need to prop up the Christmas budget at the end of the year. I recently upped this to £160.

I just added up all the birthdays we buy for:

Each other - £100-150
Kids - £80-100 on presents plus at least £100 per party
Parents - x3, Red spends £50-100 on his mum and I’m at least £30 per parent, plus I spend about £20 on my elderly papa
Siblings - £30 for my sister, around £20 each for 4x siblings for Red
Spouses - 3x sibling’s spouses at £10 each for his brother’s wives but at least £20 for my BIL (we are closer to them and Red is good friends with BIL too)
Nephews - Red still gives his three nephews in their 20s £20 each in a card
Friends - Red buys for his best friend & wife (maybe £10-20 each) and I buy for 5 friends in my best friend group… £10-15 each. Also buy for a couple of friend’s kids
Hallowe’en/Easter - budget to buy seasonal crafts & sweets for the kids eg Easter eggs, Halloween costumes 

Then there’s the odd bottle of wine for friends when you go to their birthday party, kids’ birthday party presents (Monkey attended about ten parties this year), new baby gifts, wedding presents if we have any on etc.

So clearly we need to both cut back, and also be realistic and budget more. Thinking budgeting £100p/m for Christmas and £100p/m for birthdays is much more realistic. Having a think about where we can cut back.

One thing I’m thinking is that one of Red’s SIL’s is queen of budget gifts that look more special than they are - she makes up little gift bags for each occasion (ladies’ bags, men’s bags and kids’ bags) and everyone gets a mix of sweets, maybe bath stuff or whatever, other edibles eg hot choc sachets or whatever, mini booze bottles, kids get stickers and stamps and temporary tattoos etc. Cheap to make up each bag as you’re splitting chocolates between them all, but looks so much more than just buying say a box of chocolates as she makes the bags look really nice. I may do that for some of the people on the list. 

And to think I thought I was doing well because we usually only do hand made cards and nice HM food for Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, valentines and our anniversary!

Though I did spontaneously buy Red some whisky for Father’s Day, not realising there was so little spare budget…

Bluegreen143

Have just texted my friends to ask not to do birthday gifts this year as my birthday is coming up - all but one of whom are moving this year and one is pregnant so hoping they don’t think it’s rude or mean or stingy, but are relieved! And said to each of them it’s most important to just get together to celebrate.

First friend has already replied saying “yes please!” And it’s not just the money but she currently feels overwhelmed/stressed with how many gifts she buys and spends too much time shopping. So hoping the other ladies feel the same. £75 minimum saved as I’d spend at least £15 each but often more.

Going to suggest Red stops giving his adult nephews £20 each, which would save £60 (and a further £60 if he also stopped at Christmas) - but it’s his call. 

Also going to suggest we cut our budgets for each other and the kids a bit which would save £150.

joedenise

We don't do birthday presents in our family and just nominal presents at Christmas with a max of £20 per person although our children are grown up now.  If they were still young like yours are @Bluegreen143 then would spend more but certainly not more than £100 each (we used to spend about £50 each on ours but that was a very long time ago!  our grandchildren are in their 20s now!)

themadvix

I'm pretty sure my parents' budget for our present for birthdays was £50 (exceptions being made for bikes/laptops obviously, but these had other advantages) and still is pretty much (30 years later!)! In my experience of buying for my Nieces, who are the same age as Monkey, £25 goes a very long way (again excepting when present is used to buy something needed - bike/club uniform etc.). 

We stopped buying presents for friends a looong time ago and have avoided getting into it with any new friends - I have one friend who I exchange a Christmas present with but the rule is it's homemade and we're very much on the same page regarding environmentalism, so it's not a gift for a gift's sake. You've made a great saving there by cutting out your friends' presents - time and money. I'm sure they all feel the same as your friend who has replied.