Little by little, and with love

EssexHebridean

Happy new diary! 

The only bits I'd comment on with the SOA are the bits you're already aware of I suspect - internet is higher than it would appear to need to be, but I have a feeling you may be limited on providers to get the right speed? Groceries - but let's not talk about that one eh? You'll get there! And clothing - but again, it's not an outlandish spend that's causing you issues, it's budgeted and under control, and I'm purely mentioning it because on the face of it without context it would appear to be quite high.  On that subject though great rationalising re the boots - had the pricey ones been perfect, then it would have been different! 

I agree with you about the van too - it's something you wanted for a long while, you can afford to keep and run it, and it will continue to give you SO much pleasure. And of course it will save you money on accommodation, too - I genuinely think that it would only be if you were literally not going to use it, or had found that the reality of having it wasn't as good as you thought it would be, that would be a good reason to sell. 

You've reminded me that I probably need to have a further clothing clear-out too. Now is a good time as I have to start getting clothes ready for the Hebrides. 

RosaBernicia

Thanks @EssexHebridean - the broadband is high speed as essential for work and was the best deal at the time.  I think it was 18 months so nothing I can do about it til then anyway.  Clothing is pitched high as I know I need a new pair of walking boots -  it may be possible to keep it down as I get organised, but also I love clothes and I'd rather trim back in other areas.  I've just bought a pair of earrings from 3tsy this month and would rather have those and eat cheese on toast than have a takeaway  

The groceries spend is doing better with a bit more planning.  I think I figured topping up a delivery with local bits and an occasional extra shop was cheaper than a bigger shop, but it ends up not being so because I get distracted and end up with a fridge that's full but of random combinations!  Making a plan and a list and spending a half hour in Mo's, is working out better as I spot things I'd forgotten and the 10% essential worker discount is still going, so that more than covers the petrol. 

Enjoy packing for the Hebrides... sigh... [turns slightly green] though that reminds me, there is a possibility I may be going early next year, must make phone call! 

RB xx

RosaBernicia

Progress report...

Returns all done except one pair of boots, they can go tomorrow or the day after as I will have one more Christmas parcel to go (assuming the last item arrives today!).  No unnecessary spends on the high street either, I managed to only buy gf bread which was actually needed!  Small spend in Dune7m, but useful - 'blackout' bags for potatoes and onions, which should save them turning green and being wasted, and Gorilla double sided tape which I am hoping will hold something up and save drilling (it may not, but worth a go).  And mobile successfully ported to a slightly cheaper monthly SIM I already had as a backup but wasn't using... backup SIM now replaced with a PAYG (which seem to be getting quite rare).  I should probably look at replacing my phone (it is truly ancient, though not as antique as my backup phone), but it does what I need for now so not a priority until I've made headway on other things. 

EssexHebridean

Eek exciting that you may have some trip planning coming up - fingers crossed for you! In fairness there's a good chance I could turn slightly green on the way across bearing in mind the time of year - although we are doing the short hop Uig > Lochmaddy crossing this time rather than last year's 7 hour epic from Oban > Caastlebay then on to Lochboisdale! 

For my money, a plan and a list is the ONLY way of bringing Grocery spending down, or indeed keeping it down. Combining that with remembering to check what I have that needs using, and then actually making sure we DO use it, is even better! 

And yep - absolutely had a feeling that the broadband needed to be what it was, and that the clothing spend was considered and worthwhile. Stuff like that though - it's always worth a discussion if only because newbies coming to the board learn a lot from it.

Good progress too - we have one of the potato bags but I never remember to use it. Which is why we had a bendy potato yesterday. Mind you it tasted the same as the rest roasted, so! 

RosaBernicia

So I have done what new YNAB hates me doing (sometimes I really miss the old one) and shifted my pay transaction to today so that I could see what I will have spare next month.  (I know YNAB is trying to help and in theory I shouldn't allocate money I don't yet have, but as it really is unlikely that I wouldn't be paid as expected.)  While at present I will have most of my 'disposable' income from that paycheque left, I also have to pay for another exam in January    which will take up most of it.  What I had done before is stick it on the 0% card and decide I'd pay it off bit by bit - reasonable when I had house works to pay for in cash - but I think that's what's partly led to the problem.  So I will pay it on the other credit card - no sense losing out on money in my account for the month, and it will get me points - but I'm not going to try and juggle anything else to reduce the debt with this paycheque, just keep the interest bearing card paid as soon as the statement arrives and keep spending low.  Especially as it will effectively be a six week month. 

Christmas presents are almost all bought, I just have one more to order and stamps for cards to buy.  The gifts pot should have a chance to build up before late spring. 

I also have a full tank of petrol for the first time in ages - filled it up just in case we need to go anywhere urgently on the holidays when most services are closed.  I only needed 3/4 of a tank and it cost the same as it used to for a whole one!  Fortunately I'm still WFH for the foreseeable, so that's not a major issue for the budget yet. 

EssexHebridean

We've - not before time - started to see a cautious drop in petrol/diesel prices locally Rosa - and ours tend to be expensive for an urban area. I'm hoping it may continue! 

RosaBernicia

Well I think today is an unexpected NSD, since I didn't make it to the post office after all.  And a refund came through so the balance looks better than yesterday. 

Christmas is paid for apart from one more gift of flowers - I'm dithering between M00npig and going with a local florist and will decide tomorrow.  Feedback on M00npig welcome!  I will also need some more stamps and a few cards but am hoping there will be some from previous years in with the decorations.  And I will probably go for e-cards for some people as it's a more eco option as well as simpler.  I just logged into my Jacqui L@wson account and it turns out I have saved addresses in there for people I no longer have phone numbers for, so that could be a nice touch when it's been a difficult couple of years for everyone... I suppose that's one more thing to pay for but will find something else to adjust to cover it (WAM, in YNAB speak!). 

The van has been valeted which turns out to have been a really good idea because it has really helped it smell nicer!  Cleared out some of the diesel, cooking, etc smells and looks rather better so that's good.  One small spend on another item for it but I think that's all we need til spring as I don't think there is any point looking at awnings yet.  I will fill the tank next time I go anywhere in it which will probably be later this month - that will be expensive but I'd rather get it in one go. 

The utility company seem to have left my direct debit at the old amount this month, which is odd, but I'm not going to do anything about it til I've taken another reading on the 1st January and have a better idea of current winter costs.  It is quite mild here for now and I'm expecting January - February to be worse.  I need to organise rooms better and get my winter duvet down from the loft but decided to try and be sensible and organise all my stuff into cardboard boxes for now, so that I can work out how many and what size of fabric etc boxes I will need longer term - that's another potential job for this weekend.  One more pair of winter PJs wouldn't be a bad idea either and I think I'll add cashmere bed socks to my birthday wish list as they are just beyond what I can justify without an excuse and never seem to go on sale! 

I'm thinking I would like to go back to adding to long term savings each month and wondering if I can manage £25 of PBs.  I will try and get the tax return done in the next week or so as that's about the only thing I can think of that will add to the pot.  I have £35 of cashback theoretically coming from TCB, but the last lot took four months so won't be holding my breath.  Maybe it's something to try and 'find' with income or saving elsewhere as a bit of an extra challenge... we'll see! 

RB xx

peb

I know nothing about Moonpig but for flower delivery for the last couple of years have used mark's and Spencer and the recipients have been pleased.  Can add chocolate for not a lot more.  

RosaBernicia

peb said:

I know nothing about Moonpig but for flower delivery for the last couple of years have used mark's and Spencer and the recipients have been pleased.  Can add chocolate for not a lot more.  

Thanks Peb. 

I've gone with M00npig after all - realised the site I thought was a local florist was actually a national website, and although I did find local shops online their standard options are twice the price of the M00npig letterbox flowers with a card (when using their 20% off voucher which I can confess to on MSE ).  I do sometimes ring up and ask for a specific thing at a particular price when I know someone's favourite flowers, but I am always slightly embarrassed when I know what I'm spending is less than their default options.  Silly really, since probably quite a lot of people who buy flowers don't really pay much attention to what they are or how much of the bouquet is cheap filler and just click the button. 

RosaBernicia

So today I have 'gained' £10, in the form of a John Lewis points voucher I forgot about and finding something to return to Dune7m (should not pick up stuff by their checkout!).  Saved (sort of) £10 by going with the M00npig offer and another £25 by deciding to make a personalised Christmas decoration for my house - I didn't buy anything last year having just moved and wanted something to kind of celebrate, but it will be better and more fun to make it myself.  Spent over budget on the dog by about £10, but it means we are stocked up for January and this is deliberate as I may want to minimise going out.  There is still £135 in the groceries budget, lots in the freezer, and I will probably do another supermarket run tomorrow night, as I have returns to take and the petrol cost is covered by the instore discount anyway. 

The van has been aired and tidied and I'm making a bit of progress on sorting bits and pieces around the house, though not necessarily in any logical order

ETA: found another £5 JL voucher, receipt for another thing I want to return, and have just signed up for some survey sites.  I used to do scanning my shopping, but it got to feel a huge faff for not much return so am not keen to go back to it.