Eating a Vegetarian Elephant

Chiglepig

Even better news - DD got the job and has already come up with a budget and savings plan!

Chiglepig

Bit of early morning accounting, money we have saved so far this year just by not auto renewing:

• Sky (full broadband/TV/landline package) £17/month
• Mobile £15/month
• Car insurance £23.5/month
• Dog insurance £42.9/month

Add to that, DD's allowance will be dropping from £50 /week to £13/week from April, and we are saving an extra £246.4/month.

For now the mortgage over payment is going to stay at £444/month.

Is anyone else looking at the lifting of lockdown and thinking "This is going to cost me in petrol, and now I have no excuse not to get my haircut."? (I should add that does not mean I'm not desparate to visit family and friends, look less like a wild woman, and generally travel beyond my council borders!

Bluegreen143

Following your diary!

I think it’s inevitable that lockdown lifting will result in more spends for most people. I’m looking forward to being able to take the kids to leisure activities or cafe lunches with a friend etc and so our fun money will definitely go up. Luckily not hairdressing money for me - I cut everyone’s hair in this house anyway (inc my own) - my husband only since lockdown but he’s happy to continue, and for me/my kids I was already chief hairdresser 😆

Chiglepig

@Bluegreen143, both DH and DD cut their own hair, but I wouldn't let either of them near me! DD in particular has a few dubious fringe trims to get revenge for!

Very quiet financially around here, it's another ten days before the next mortgage payment and over payment and because the stress at work is ramping up for the last three weeks of term, I'm struggling to find the energy to be proactive.

greent

Brilliant savings found by DH there! 🙌

Porridgecat

That's a huge saving on pet insurance, what is it for?

Chiglepig

@greent DH is a real keeper - even after 14 years!

@Porridgecat , it's for a working cocker spaniel (aka accident prone duffus), Pet plan have been brilliant - I never saw the bill for the Friday night emergency vet when he punctured his bladder on barbed wire, aged 18 months - I also have to have quite hefty public liability insurance because he comes to work with me - that's now provided by Dogs Trust. But he's now middle aged and less accident prone, but apparently VERY expensive to insure if you don't shop around. Puss cat is up for renewal in October.

Porridgecat

We don't insure our cats, I have a pot of money that I add to every month and so far we've always had far more than needed. As they're all preloved moggies no one wants to insure them anyway as there's no certainty about their age. Dogs do seem to have bigger vet bills judging from the dog owning people I know. 

Chiglepig

@Porridgecat, I'm considering the 'pot' approach for Puss who came to us from the Blue Cross as a kitten. She is in rude good health at almost 7, but as a four month old, she had an in-growing bowel (who knew such a thing was possible?) and PP covered the entire £1.8k cost, so I've always erred on the side of caution.

I've finally got around to claiming my WFH allowance from HMRC, I'll get DH to do it later.

Today is DD's second lockdown birthday - she's remarkably sanguine about it.

Porridgecat

I'm also heading for my second lockdown birthday on Monday, I'm not very fussed as I don't get very excited about birthdays anyway.  
I hope she had a nice day despite the circumstances.