Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend

Makingabobor2

Do you just use a normal notebook and make your own Money book? Or do you have one of those fancy budget books they sell on the Big River site?  I'm pretty sure, knowing you, that you make your own. lol

foxgloves

Hi @Makingabobor2 - I haven't seen the budget books on the big river site as I never use that company. My money book is a big A4 spiral bound lined notebook. I rule the pages up just to make a column on the right for writing in the budget balance after each financial commitment has been entered. 
At the back of my money book, I keep a log of our energy costs & grocery budget. It's quite a simple straightforward system, but it works for us (or rather me, as I am Budgeter-in-Chief). Mr F said to me the other day, "I know since your VR, I'm the one who goes out & earns it, but you'll never know how much it means to me that all our money stuff is taken care of & that we even have savings now". Since our LBM, he is very good at not spending it & does lots of research into prices, etc, when he does buy something, but I emerged as the stronger budgeter & I think as someone who was in debt for every bit as long as me, he genuinely appreciates my efforts to keep us solvent.
Going back to money books......I think a fairly blank book allows you to set it up exactly as you want it for your own budgeting system. I just have my trusty Money Book & 3 excel spreadsheets - nothing complicated there, but it works for me.
F x

Makingabobor2

That sounds like a good way of doing it. I have excel spreadsheet, for what goes in & out, but I think a book for the actual budgets is a great idea. I am old fashioned and love pen & paper and lots of lists.....lol

themadvix

That's so lovely of Mr F to truly recognise all your efforts!

EssexHebridean

MrEH feels roughly the same about the money stuff in our house Foxgloves - he earns a lot more than I do, although when we first started the clearing the debt and then mortgage journey back in 2008 it was the other way around. In real terms though, more of "his money" has gone towards our current financial state of play with no debt and actual savings - but he would be the first to acknowledge that I'm the one who has driven things forward and got us to where we are. there are many ways of being a good team I think, and parity on the financial side isn't an absolute necessity. 

foxgloves

@EssexHebridean - I agree. We were very surprised how little difference it made to us financially when I took VR, despite us both being on the same professional salary scale. I had been part time for the previous year, which I think must have eased us in gently. However, the main factor was my new role as Budgeter-in-Chief, more time to put into growing food, ditto side hustles, batch-cooking, planning & shopping around for gifts (& making them, of course), more time for make-do-and-mend, etc, & generally all the old-style activity which we know saves money. In addition, I've contributed to our incomings the profits from selling my house, the settlement from my VR & more recently, an inheritance. As you rightly say, there is more than one way to contribute. It seems to have worked for us, anyway.
The old adage that "Time is money" definitely comes into play here.
F

Debsnewbudget

@foxgloves  I have just taken the bottom out of some plant pots to plant out my tomatoes in the veg beds.  I got the tip from you as I think it helps when watering and feeding.  Do you do any other veggies in them as I have peppers to plant   out soon.

foxgloves

@Debsnewbudget - I find that the bottomless pots provide a greater planting depth for roots, as tomatoes are quite hungry plants. Also, less run off of food & water too.
I can't recall that I've grown anything else in them, but no reason it wouldn't work for peppers, courgettes, cucumbers, etc.
F

Makingabobor2

Ooh, so just take the bottom out & put it in so the rest of the pot supports the plant? Or have I completely got that wrong?...lol

Blackcats

Your energy costs are really good - ours are about a third higher than yours so I'm inspired to focus on being more careful again.  I think I was so relieved when the heating went off that I've let some old habits creep back.  Like you I'm keen to build up credit for next winter and we are at about £200 at the moment.  I experimented by making cakes in the air fryer tonight rather than turning the oven on.  It was meant to be a sultana and banana loaf but we've got 20 fairy cake sized cakes.  They've turned out well although to paraphrase the words of Bruce Springsteen "they're no beauty but they're alright"..