Third time's a charm!

twiggy86

Thanks for your kind words @MoonSeer

I had a spendy weekend and haven't yet faced updating my spreadsheet. It was a kind of pre-hen do for a friend of nearly 30 years and was a surprise for her, so totally worth it but I am beating myself up slightly. Especially as it looks like a spilled drink means I am going to need a new phone in the near future! Always something this year!!! 

I am going to shuffle off and update my spreadsheet though rather than bury my head in the sand!  

MoonSeer

I think there is a danger when we start tracking our income and expenditure to have a bit of a wake up over how we spend our money and there is an incredible amount of guilt that gets woven in to that. Especially when we are trying to speed up the repayment of debts. Do you have many more social events coming up? If not, then don’t waste too much time beating yourself up. It sounds like you enjoyed it until you thought about the spending but as long as it’s not happening all the time, mark it off as a form of therapy. Stress has its own costs and while you can learn lessons on managing nights out to stay closer to your budget, I think you have earned some downtime after the last few months. Of course, you may feel differently and I don’t wholly understand your personal needs to be preaching at you but I would really like you to find some respite from the stress this year has put on you and offer you an opportunity to be a little gentler on yourself. 

The situation with the phone totally sucks and I hope it’s not as bad as you currently fear. Keeping everything crossed for you x

twiggy86

You really are so kind @MoonSeer. Thank you.

I think I've been in fight mode but could handle it as I thought we would be back to being a bit more stable by now. That combined with feeling like I haven't made any progress (I have!) I'm getting a mix of "oh !!!!!! it" combined with "how can we get out of this" - and the two don't make a good mix! Plus a few additional challenges which we didn't expect (such as emergency dentist trips!) I'll be ok - but can definitely feel my capacity for stress is much diminished after the last two years (however of course that means I have tendency to beat myself up for struggling!)

However good news - my phone appears to have dried out and be working ok again! So that's a big plus! Another smaller plus is that I found 50p on my dog walk last night! And actually I was walking back from the shop after returning address that was lovely but didn't fit quite right and (more importantly) I don't need! So that's £34 to come back (I told you I was having a "sod it" moment last week!)

Today I have paid £10.50 off the CC (intended to pay £10 but added the 50p that I found!) I still haven't set up DD's as I'm concerned about when they might come out and not having enough to cover it in the bank. Hoping OH will get some money today but as the weather is pants, I'm not sure he will get the job finished today. But it is on my list to get sorted this month - as well as looking into phone offers. I've got sim only and the price has just gone up, although I've had a quick look around and can't see anything cheaper at the moment. I need to have a proper look though to see if I can save anything. Also had the £105 Amaz0n voucher finally verified (from when I changed broadband) so I must remember to use it next time I order anything from there! 

twiggy86

So I'm back after some time off work - I find it a pain to post on here from my phone, hence why I've been awol. However my spending has been very much on track I'm proud to say!!!

I have actually spent very little in the past week, although I did do a fairly big food shop yesterday - unfortunately this has pretty much wiped out the food budget for the month. I knew it wouldn't be enough but was hopping to "top up" the pots with OH's money. However, bank holidays and some other issues means he hasn't given me any money since the first. He keeps saying he will send me "what he's got" but then not, and I can feel I am about to blow my top later as I messaged him again earlier and he said he would, but hasn't yet! I know he's burying his head in the sand and is stressed but he doesn't seem to get that I am trying to plan how to pay bills so I just need to know! 

Wow I didn't think I was coming on here to moan! I thought I was self-congratulatory after the my frugal bank holiday! Shows that I am struggling with the pressure of struggling since before Christmas though. I really want to take money back out my pots (e.g. for car insurance which isn't due until September) but I'm pretty sure the advice would be not to. In the past I would be able to quite confidently say I'll be able to replenish, but we have never had such a bad run of luck so I'm not sure I can say that with confidence. 

Right wish me/OH luck for when I get home if no money has gone in by then!!!

twiggy86

Happier Twigs here today!!! 

Still feeling incredibly stressed and couldn't get to sleep last night as money worries were whizzing around my head (it's common for me to not sleep!) OH is waiting for money to come in from something he sold on eb*y and then said he will transfer me approx £300. We had a good chat the other night and I didn't tear his head off!!! I just re-iterated how tight things are so I need to know what's coming - even if it's a small amount, it's better for me to know so I can plan. 

I did have to say no to some social plans this morning which was horrible but the right decision as the ticket was £50. Will try arrange a cheaper alternative to get together with my friends instead - especially as one is moving back to Aus in earlier July. Have spent very little money this week though which is good! Not sure if I will be able to pay my parents their repayment of £100 this month - thankfully they are incredibly kind and won't mind. 

So I half inherited/ half purchased my grandad's house when he passed away nearly 9 years ago. Yesterday I received a rather strange letter from a bank for him - not sure if that means there was an account we didn't know about or if he's just somehow in their system. I need to call them today to find out what I need to find out if he does - dad half jokingly said I could have anything in an account if there is one. However, of course it's not just my dad's decision but who knows! I'm not sure if there is one as this is the first communication we've had from this particular bank, not any previous statements. However it was very strange! 

Right enough random waffling for now! 

twiggy86

Back from a busy weekend - however I managed to spend very little! Did a small shop on Friday and Saturday (stuck to essentials!) and spent £1.10 at a carboot but that was it! However I did visit a friend and managed to park for free on Saturday and sat on her balcony all afternoon enjoy the sunshine. OH worked and then went to a friends to watch the boxing - we don't have access to it so would have had to pay, although he did buy himself some beers! So I spent a quiet night in with the pooch and finished crocheting a pair of socks! Then yesterday I took my mum to a carboot - spent £1 to get in, bought a brand new dog bowl for 10p and mum bought me a cuppa! I then went to parents house to help them upload the documents to close my grandads account and see if there is any money in there (doubtful!). I then went straight from there to meet my OH and "FIL" (we're not married - although been together 13 years!) at a pub and FIL bought us a lovely roast! 

OH has transferred me £175 as he finally got a bit of money! So I have paid £55 off Vcard and £15 off Bcard (OH's emergency dentist bill in case you're thinking I swear she said she cleared this!). I have also started my budget spreadsheet for May and trying to work out what went wrong in April. Even though it has been a "lean" month - I still seem to be shorter than I should be as I haven't made a couple of payments yet. I've tracked all my spending so I really can't work out what has gone wrong this month - as even with my overspend on my day out a few weeks ago, I should have enough to cover more than I have, Very confusing! 

In the past I would draw out my "personal" spends as cash on a weekly basis - maybe I need to give that a try for May and see if that makes any difference. Trying to think what else I can do to avoid issues in the future and also to try overpay more. Previously when I set my mind to it, I was always finding little ways to overpay - now I can't balance things to even make the minimum (for the TV and parents - CCs are generally covered). I guess I just need to keep trying to tweak things to find out what works best for now! 

twiggy86

It's the day before payday and I have £8 left in my bank! I used to treat £100 as equivalent to £0 so that I always had a buffer - must try and get back to that (although everything is tight at the moment so won't be able to implement yet). 

However, whilst I haven't paid my parent/ made the TV "payment", I also haven't had to turn to the CC this month - which I have done the last couple of months. So maybe that's a positive? I did put £22.89 towards the TV as I realised that even though I couldn't make the whole "payment", there was no reason that meant not to pay anything! (Also it wasn't a round number and annoying me!) 

I think I have finished tweaking the budget for May now. So I can cover all the monthly bills/ food etc on my wage along - however I can't cover all the "pots" without money from OH. So I have tweaked things slightly this month meaning that for the most part OH's money will top up those pots as and when I receive it - rather than me cover them (i.e. transfer on payday) and then be waiting for money to pay the CC. It makes much more sense and don't know why I wasn't doing this before! I have got to pay £140 as the last payment for a hen do this month - which will be painful as I don't know if I can actually go on the hen do! (Long story but fingers crossed!) 

I submitted meter readings last night but waiting for the statement to process so that I can see if we are on track for reducing the debit on our account! Hoping the summer months will help as really can't afford for DD to increase any more as it currently stands at £214 a month! 

Right enough waffle!  

MoonSeer

Anything that’s not gone on credit cards is technically a saving already. Especially because of how tight things have been this year. I think you’ve done an incredible job this month and really hope that the momentum continues. x

twiggy86

Thank you @MoonSeer - you're right that I saved my future self a debt repayment by not adding to it! 

twiggy86

Back from a lovely long weekend as I had Friday off as well as Monday! 

Not sure I mentioned in any of my previous waffle but we had loads of bits, bobs and general rubbish which needed clearing from the garden, and OH had mentioned getting someone to come and clear it. So of course the new MSE me said - well let's see what I can get rid of using my car to take stuff to the tip.

• Friday I took a load of carp to the tip which cleared a fair amount - and bonus that the tip was fairly quiet so I didn't have to queue!
• I was then breaking up some wood out the front of the house on Saturday and some guys working a couple of houses down said to put it on their van and they would get rid of it for me! 
• I then put some bits out the front of the house to see if anyone wanted to take them for free - someone took a hosepipe but the rest is still there.

So my plan is to take the rest of the rubbish and those bits (whatever doesn't get taken) to the tip on Friday when I'm off again. All that remains after all that is some stone which OH is going to put on a selling site to see if we can get anything for it - any money will be used to buy paint for the garden fence! And speaking of clearing out, I'm trying my hand at the challenge where on the first on the month you get rid of 1 thing, on the second 2 things etc - not sure how well I'll get on but I can only try! Might make me get my butt in gear and sort stuff out for a carboot - although they will only count to the tally when they are out the house (not when they get added to the mound in the spare room!!!) 

I have also given my dad "plans" for a new tortoise enclosure as one of ours is getting to too big for their current set up. He may be able to source the wood for free but even if he does buy it, it will be cheaper than buying a new enclosure online! And of course, I will try selling their current one once we have the replacement! 

Right now I've got the "good" out the way... I bought some wool and a takeaway over the weekend! However, old me would have definitely bought multiple takeaways over the course of the weekend so it's still better than previously but was definitely not needed! I did do a bit of a Mr T shop and spent more than I would have liked, however again this would have been a takeaway in the past so not all bad! Other than that, all of my entertainment was free this weekend! Went round a friends for a couple of drinks on Saturday - walked their and back and they supplied a few beers. Then yesterday I met some of my netball team for a bit of practice at the park and then I decided to go for a run. Only intended to a mile as haven't run much this year but was enjoying it so much I kept extending the route and ended up doing 3.6 miles with a short break to stop and look at the harbour! 

Oh I really do waffle on don't I?!