Starting savings again

nikki2002-2008

MovingForwards said:

That's a good price for a subscription. 
Financial plans look promising, don't overstretch as you don't want to get disheartened.
Have a restful evening.

The subscription is a new service they have started to provide, I have bought from them for a long time now and thought it was a brilliant deal.

I use calendar budget and to be honest it's the one thing that's helped me so much. I started using it when debt busting and since paying that off I have spent a lot of money on myself. I can easily afford £430 a month but want to still enjoy life so keeping the extra as a buffer to enjoy. 

Myself and my daughter have a holiday booked for June to Malta and the buffer will go towards that as spending money, last year was our first holiday in 9 years so determined I will go somewhere every year from now on. She is 21 so I'm going to enjoy holidays with her for as long as I can. 

My job I have now is £11,000 more than I was on when paying debt but with the cost of living going up too the realistic pay rise is less. We get a bonus in August from work so that will go into savings and also a pay rise in April. The company I work for are very good with pay increases so I have accounted for that so will have more money to out into savings.

It's going to be a long process as I am 45 now so left buying a house very late and playing catch up.

nikki2002-2008

Will be a NSD for me finally feeling better  thank god just in time for work. Actually had some breakfast this morning after not eating hardly anything for days so that’s good. Start work at 2 so going to try and catch up with some housework and then get ready to go. 

Got a refund for some jeans coming back I returned them in November and the company lost them rang them again this morning and they were found a few weeks ago even though I have kept ringing them and they are refunding me my £22 back. As soon as that comes back I’ll put it in the envelope challenge. 

For dinner tonight I’m having chicken pesto risotto and green beans, my menu went a bit to pot as I’ve been ill so having something that will be easy to swallow. I’m doing really well eating out of my cupboards and freezer at the moment and I have loads to get through so going to keep chipping away at the freezer. 

nikki2002-2008

While I was making a quick coffee I remembered a new category I need to save for this year so I need to add a new envelope. It’s my daughter’s graduation in June and I completely forgot to make a short term envelope for it so I have made that now and I’m going to allocate £40 a month to it. I already have my outfit I just need travel money to get there expenses for the day. She wants to go for a meal too we usually go to the same place and she’s booked a table there that costs about £40 for the meal. She has also asked for money as she’s off travelling as a present so that’s fine. I should have about £200 saved so £100 for her gift, £40 for food and £20 for travel leaves enough left over for anything I might need. 

Right back off to actually clean now and stop procrastinating.

nikki2002-2008

Got to leave work early thank goodness. I've done a meal plan for 4 weeks starting on Monday and sorted out my order ready to be delivered Monday morning. The next 4 days we get 15% off our food shop through my job so I always do the bulk of it on the Monday after payday to get the extra discount. I usually budget £60 for that shop but it has come in at £49.16 as I have a lot of stuff to still use up, £10.84 has gone to the penny saving challenge. I have allocated £10 in to each of my weeks envelopes for anything else I might need. Usually I don't use that much of the envelope money I'm pretty good a judging my food now. This used to be my worst category for over spending but now since envlope budgeting I have cut it down so much. Right off to watch TV and put my feet up. 

nikki2002-2008

Not a NSD for me today I have just bought some throat sweets as I work in the cold my throat was really sore after work last night so thought they would help. I really need to get some decongestant tablets tomorrow too as that’s the only thing making me feel a bit ill still. I have a deviated septum from a broken nose so I hate being bunged up as it really hurts my sinuses on one side so must make a reminder on my phone.

Not much happening for me other than work today. I made enough risotto for today so I’ll heat that later and make fresh green beans for dinner when I get home. I have made lunch ready for work as I am determined not to keep buying food at work like last year. It always came out of my food budget but it’s money I can save this year. 

Right that’s it for today as all my money is put away at the moment. 

nikki2002-2008

Just £10 petrol in the car to report thought I’d put it in on the way back from work. Now to wort out next weeks dinner plan:-

Monday - haddock goujons with jacket potato and peas
Tuesday - crispy beef, crispy seaweed and salt and pepper chips
Wednesday - lasagne and salad
Thursday - same as Wednesday 
Friday - HM pizza with ham sweetcorn and chicken with the last of the salad
Saturday - Chicken roast dinner
Sunday - same as Saturday 

First time at trying to make crispy beef but saw a TikTok the other day with a recipe and it looked so nice. I really fancy a take away so thought that it would give me the feeling of having one without the price tag. I do enjoy cooking so I am going to start trying new recipes this year. 

I’m so tired I think I’ll go to bed now and catch up on some sleep.

Skint_yet_Again

Your food plan sounds lovely 😋 
Look forward to hearing how you get on with the crispy beef. 

nikki2002-2008

Skint_yet_Again said:

Your food plan sounds lovely 😋 
Look forward to hearing how you get on with the crispy beef. 

Thank you I am really looking forward to it. 

nikki2002-2008

Got some decongestant tablets before work hopefully they will get rid of the rest of this bug. I was talking to someone at work about it as he's had it and he said he's still feeling it a month on so that's something to look forward to lol.

My personal spends are taking a bit of a battering this payday but it's fine that's what it's there for. A few people were getting McDonalds at work so thought I would join them. not had a take away for a good while so got a meal and spent £11.71 so £8.21 left in that envelope and really enjoyed it.

Today is my Friday as I always have Tuesday and Wednesday off work so effectively my weekend. Not much planned as I just want to rest and catch up on housework. I am going to get some of my cross stitch done, I started it a while ago but with Christmas etc other things took over. I am determined to finish my craft projects, I have a cardigan and jumper both in progress too I really need to use my time better and get things all finished. 

Tomorrow I am going to treat myself to a Costa and use the card my daughter bought me for Christmas. I am tempted to try the new hot milkshake keep seeing it on TikTok. The Haddock goujons were really nice and made sweet chilli mayo to dip them in. I put stewing steak, carrots, onion, peas and dripping gravy in the slow cooker I am going to freeze it into 4 portions and make shortcrust pastry for some pies this pay period. I tried a bit and it tastes amazing. Waiting for lot to cool to get that sorted before bed. Right off for the day

nikki2002-2008

NSD today didn't even make it to Costa. This bug keeps on giving I started to feel better then today I have slept most of the day and have been exhausted. Honestly I wish it would just go and I could start feeling better it's really starting to get to me now.  

I did make my Crispy beef though and it was so nice defiantly one to have again and I feel much better after some proper food. I'm going to put my whole chicken in the slower cooker tonight and make pesto chicken ready to freeze as I made pesto chicken risotto a few months back and that's defiantly a firm favourite with me but I have ran out of my pre made chicken now. It's so quick and easy to make after work.

I did my Olio collection tonight and a new person asked for food it's so nice to see new people joining the app and being able to share the food out more. I have 3 regulars and then some people will asked if I have certain items but love to see a new name. Tonight I got some yogurt and strawberries so I'm having those for breakfast for the next two days. 

I did a load of washing and caught back up with the washing up and cleaned the bathroom so considering how ill I've felt I think I have done quite well today. Well off for a hot chocolate and to watch Corrie.