Tilly Tidy in 2025

YorksLass

Tilly Tidy for March stands at £28.96, as expected it's not as much as in previous months but not disappointing either.  Any savings are a step in the right direction!

£2.87 - Friday 1p round up of current account balance (to be moved into savings)
£6.09 - Cash saved using Co-op MOCs and membership offers (rolled over into April's cash purse)
£15.00 - March's housekeeping budget supplemented with surplus from February
£5.00 - Loose change (already banked)

Now all the bills have arrived I've updated my annual budget spreadsheet with the figures for the new financial year - it's going to be tough - but I've managed to prune down some areas of spending. 

I'll be raiding my savings in April for a couple of biggies:

• I'm having my living room decorated soon.  Well, DS is doing it for me but obviously I'll need to pay for the materials (since when did paint etc get so expensive?!!)

• I'm arranging a pre-paid funeral plan for myself so that will be quite a chunk going out, even though I'm opting for a direct cremation.  Not a cheery subject I know, but I want my affairs to be in order when I pop off.

Let's see what a new month brings to the table.

2Scratters

Well I have hit the age that many don't get to and am able to collect my state pension.
I had saved some money to get me through to SP as I took early retirement/finished work. I had £1500 left in the pot so I am happy that was more than achieved as I am not to be a rich pensioner for sure. 
The past month has been very nice and have kept myself outdoors as much as possible enjoying doing what ever is for free. As always when logging into my accounts Tilly Tidy still goes out. I have decided to move it to my ISA as what ever small amount of interest I get may as well be not taxed, every little bit helps right?

Food is starting to creep up at some notches for no real apparent reason. We all need to do a little bit of home growing our own
where we can and for those with children can help too. Make your best efforts to try and get some for free to help a little bit more. 

@YorksLass you are absolutely correct about doing store cupboard checks for those dates.
 I don't panic about them but a good way to make money go a bit further and it makes us focus on potential waste. Remember to use our senses visual, smell and taste if it passes all those then get it used up. You could also put a £1 away for each item that is used up and not thrown in the bin. Same rule for stock that lives under the sink or the stairs. Last year I had an extra £90 for shopping that was used for non food products. I am still using up duplicate stock on the same basis which was added too when our parents moved from their home to an apartment where there is physically no room for surplus storage. As my siblings did not want the left overs they became mine and so it continues being used up and the £1 donations adding up. 
 Not sure if I should brag about me not clearing out the freezer as I should. I actually consumed a drink from the bottom drawer that had a date of 2016!! Which I totally enjoyed on a lovely sunny day whilst sat in our garden. 

2 Scratters xx

YorksLass

I haven't been on here for a while and I really need to revisit finances and make some adjustments.  The end of the month is near so it seems an ideal time.  Savings have taken a hit, thanks to the cost of decorating and paying for a pre-paid funeral for myself so they need to be replenished. 

My 12 month fixed saver account will be maturing at the end of July and I've already had a think about that.  I'm going to put the amount saved into another fixed rate account as a lump sum - where and for how long will depend on what's available when the time comes.  The interest it's earned will start off a new savings pot for decorating costs as I won't be doing that again myself - age does have its limitations!   The monthly contribution will be divided up between other dedicated savings pots and increasing the monthly amount that goes into my ISA (Rainy Day money for white goods that will eventually break down and a cushion for any unexpected bills).

The grocery budget could do with being upped a little too.  Using up existing food stocks has helped no end but of course things eventually need to be replaced and it's getting harder to make that money stretch.

I've just renewed my fixed rate contract for gas and electricity with my existing provider to start at the end of June.  It compares favourably to the new price cap.  The DD is more or less the same as I've been paying over the last year but, thanks to a decent credit balance, the first 6 months will be reduced by £20 a month and there will still be some credit left towards the winter months.

I haven't properly calculated the last two months of Tilly Tidy of odds and sods but, from memory, it will be about £15.  I'll move that into my Easy Saver this weekend.  The not-so-great interest on that account drops at the end of July too, so another foray into the world of savings accounts is on the cards. 

After DH passed away at the end of October last year, I applied for Pension Credit but, apart from an auto response email saying the application had been received, have heard nothing as to whether I can get it or not, nor does there seem to be any way of getting an update.  They were obviously going to be overwhelmed once the WFA was withdrawn but, despite employing extra staff to deal with the backlog, it's a painfully slow process.  Whilst it wouldn't be a complete disaster if I didn't get it, even a small amount would make life that bit easier.

@2Scratters - Happy retirement!  Like you, I took early retirement and was fortunate enough to be able to draw down a lump sum from my company pension that kept me going until SP kicked in.  I'm on the "old" SP but, because of receiving a company pension as well, have more income than the frozen personal tax threshold allows which means I pay tax.  And may be the obstacle to getting PC.

Ah well, we can only do what we can do and I'm not one to give in easily - I'm thankful I still have my marbles to cope with life's challenges.  X

YorksLass

Correction - since posting above (a little over 3 hours ago) I've had an email saying the interest rates on my Easy Saver are going down - yet again - from 18th June.    It wasn't that great when I first opened it but now it really is a pants rate!   A search for something better is now no.1 on my To Do list.