Spendy Wendy to Saver Savvy

Spendywendywoo

It's been a while so just checking in with a quick progress update;

Financial: going well overall and in budget for all categories but have had to work through and allocate a little here and there from one category to the other (which I knew might happen so had a contingency, still working within budget with savings and investments already accounted for). We have done lots this month and I'm proud of what we have been able to do and still have lots of our budget left for the remaining two weeks until pay day. 

However, (there's always a BUT isn't there...), we have reverted to bad habits of 'nipping' to the shop, which has soon added up this month. Recognised it within a couple of days so action plan has been implemented; inventory taken, meal plan compiled and a small shop of £33.25 has been purchased via click and collect yesterday. I should still be able to bring us in on budget (which is £25 more this month to account for school half term next week). 

We did have an annual subscription sneak up on us that I hadn't considered (it's one I don't use but DH and DS very much do). Thankfully, as I had all 2025 annual expenditure covered for this year, I was able to cover the subscription from one of the other pots and will replenish the monies next month when we are paid.  It's so refreshing transferring money into our spending account from our annual expenditure account, knowing that we've saved that money in advance (maybe not on this occasion directly for this payment but money saved all the while). Previously we would have used money from the spending account and would usually be in our overdraft by now - the difference in just 3 months is phenomenal. 

Health: doing well with my food intake, tracking calories and looking at the food and drink I am consuming in more detail. Weight, over an average, is slightly lower than last week, which I am pleased with - it's not much but as I am not exercising much at the moment due to an injury, this is certainly a win! Will be focusing on stretching and strength this week just to keep my body moving. 

Home: Our home is tidy but lived in, it's fairly easy to keep on top of, considering it's size, but a lot of our clutter is in cupboards and wardrobes - I've made a conscious effort over the past two weeks to start declutter and tidying those hidden areas and so far so good. I've got rid of all the rubbish and recycling that I'd gathered in the garage, donated a large box and a large bag of household items and clothing, and have been slowly making my way through my spring clean list.  I'm really wanting to wash two sets of curtains which are extremely heavy and long but must wait until the weather is nicer to hang them out to dry (that reminds me, I need a new washing line, which I will add to April's budget). 

All in all great progress is being made, and I am ever grateful of my LBM in December

Have a great week all, 
Wendy x

redofromstart

That is huge progress from your early posts, especially picking up a minor slide so quickly before it became a major.

jwil

Great progress!

Spendywendywoo

We had a very quiet weekend and pottered. I'm loving the brighter mornings and it's certainly made me think, and start to do, spring cleaning!

This weekend I have;

* Reviewed budget for this month and started to look ahead at the next two months
* Cleaned the patio doors inside and out 
* Done two lots of washing and drying
* Ironed for one hour
* Deep cleaned the oven and kitchen area
* Cleaned and tidied round the whole house
* Hoovered downstairs
* Meal planned for this week (half term here)
* Made homecooked meals all weekend, not one takeaway even though we have budget left in that category

Work is crazy busy at the minute so trying to keep on top of everything but have little time to 'check in', must make time, though I am still holding myself accountable and things are looking great

Spendywendywoo

Half term madness has set in. DH doesn't need me to be watching him all the time now as he is old enough to entertain himself at home but not old enough to go out by himself so it's a mixture of sports clubs, playing in the garden and watching some TV - he's spent most of the week playing football so nothing new there! Trying to juggle work too but that seems to be going well. 

This week I have;

* decluttered two big cupboards
* hoovered all rooms
* spoken to the finance company re the car to get a better picture of the outstanding amount and options
* reviewed the budget for April (starts on Tuesday)
* switched energy provider, take over should be tomorrow - never been contacted so quickly by BGas - shame they aren't as responsive when you actually need them to be as a customer
* switched relative's energy provider (BGas had mistakenly closed their account earlier this year and despite raising a complaint we got nowhere, we didn't want to reactivate the account given they didn't have a root cause for why or how the account was closed in the first place so forced to find another provider)

Certainly gone way over on the grocery budget this month (monies are available but I was hoping to save as much as possible for the car payment and mortgage O/P, though any additional savings at the end of the month are in addition to the savings and investments we process when we are paid)...DH has spent a lot on additional shops so going to take some time this weekend understanding more around what foods he wants for his work lunches as it's changed a bit this month and as we didn't have the food in it has resulted in shopping more and at more expensive shops too. All comes down to communication. 

For April I am going to do a meal plan for the month, working with DH and DS to devise, taking into account the activities we have on, and I plan to do a big shop next week of all cupboard and non-perishables so it's only fresh food I will need each week. I will do the big shop via online and the top ups at A1di. What does everyone else do in terms of shopping? Any helpful tips to bring costs down?
 
Still feeling incredibly organised and in a great place compared to where we would have been had it not been for the LBM, though I am constantly thinking about paying off our mortgage (not feasible for at least another 10/15 years so we are in this for the long haul - currently a 28 year mortgage) and the car (7 monthly payments and a balloon payment away) but I'm reluctant to pay the car off as it's still in warranty and I feel I am better protected if it is still in an agreement, plus I'm saving as much as possible before the payment is due and some will likely need to go on a 0% CC.

Patience doesn't come easily but I will have to work on that, slow and steady for the win!

Hope everyone is having a great week x 

Spendywendywoo

I've been crunching the numbers and by October we will have circa £3,000 (£4,000 stretch target) to use to help pay towards the car balloon payment. We have savings which are invested but unsure if we should use that or a 0% credit card to pay off the remaining balance (circa £9,000 over 20 months = £450 which is just slightly more than we are paying for our monthly car payment now).  I want the payment gone so will aim to push as much money into it as possible and get it paid off soonest. Big life lesson - do not buy a car on PCP / loan, especially not a new one. We won't be doing that again. 

Once paid off I will be putting the £450 into a 'pot' until I've raised £15,000 (34 months) for a used car but will only buy a car once this one starts to have serious issues. I'll be putting the money in a high interest account and will not touch it for as long as possible. 

Just started listening to 'Get your s*** together' by Sarah Knight... I'm hopeful that this will help guide me with my mental declutter and stop me worrying so much. 

Other than it's been a busy but productive week so far, having completed tasks which I've been putting off for weeks, and in some cases months! Quiet weekend this weekend just pottering before the weather is meant to turn on Sunday  

Does anyone else feel like the weeks are flying by? 

Suffolk_lass

Shopping Insights
After years of over spending, and a tendency to still do so, I have got my grocery budget insights (I don't always succeed but have hit our £3000 annual budget for three years running). I must say, I grow some of what we eat, but mostly premium things that are expensive, or at least were when I planted them (asparagus, eg).

First thing is that I plan to buy the branded non-perishable stuff (that I choose not to live without, like shower gloop and deodorant) only when it is on offer, and buy six when they are on offer (that number covers the normal interval between offers for this household's level of consumption). I recorded these for a year to understand how much we use and notate when the offers were, then I buy one or two extra to try not to run out. I also then compare these with a big river subscription for them, and some were better so I swapped to them (my Teabags; Twining's Everyday, and Douwe Egbert's coffee are examples) - but you do need to recheck periodically.

Having a second stores budget helps. I do have a tendency to stockpile though so date and quantity monitoring is helpful too. I consolidated the date intervals so that I might miss one or two big river months by delaying, advancing or skipping the item. I also added a couple of small things to make sure the 15% was applied - a single pack of sanitary product works here.

I abandoned buying the same thing each time I shop. I do have regular things (cat litter) that often drive our shopping necessities, but I can pretty much shop once a month now, with one or two veg and bowl fruit top ups, occasional milk. I was buying four packets of ginger nuts and three of cream crackers a month, along with ice cream but not with DH's fat free needs. No butter, cheese or cream, felled that tree at the end of Feb! Much more Fruit and Veg, and some low and no fat for him.

I get my milk delivered. Yes, it is much more expensive but it keeps me away from shops and treat temptation. I account for subscriptions and DD (for milk) in my GC.

Spendywendywoo

Thanks @Suffolk_lass, this is a really helpful insight. I’m definitely going to adopt some of these ways of working to see if they are right for us too, I don’t see any reason they wouldn’t be. 

Certainly need to claw back the spends next month again, particularly around groceries. 

Spendywendywoo

A weekend of pottering after an incredibly busy week. I started some spring cleaning last night, focused on skirtings and doors downstairs. 

Going to focus on upstairs this morning and then a kitchen reset. Off to see friends this afternoon. 

I’ve been thinking about quitting alcohol so will drive there. I’m a social drinker, as opposed to drinking at home with meals, but I don’t like how it makes me feel and certainly isn’t helping with my weight goals.

Anyway, time for coffee and my book for an hour before I get started for the day. 

Have a great day all, 
Wendy x 

Spendywendywoo

Feel like I’m on my own on this journey and it’s making it harder. I’m trying to best to stay in budgets and save money to help us in the future but the efforts almost feel like they are being wasted at times as I’m just expected to direct and dictate and that’s not right nor fair. 

I’m going to control what I can and continue to save money where I can but I can’t keep doing 90% of the work. 

Time for a break from here as I cant post if I’m not in the right frame of mind. Will return when I can, and hopefully with a positive update but until then take care x