Target December 2026

thepurplepixie

.I don't have debts so that is a good start.  I have added up commitments for the coming 20 months and this includes presents (basically my 4 kids, their partners and the GC, all 8 of them, for Christmas and birthdays.)  On top of that I have some commitments I've made, some of this is some expenses for grandchildren that I've committed to help with and some is a medical issue for one of them.  I have included annual things like car insurance and MOT but regular monthly things like council tax isn't included.  My total is £17,000 or £850 a month which is a challenge.  I have a state pension, works pension, some interest on savings and then try to make a bit of surveys, ebay etc.   I I will also be trying to find some savings on presents so the budget per person is the same but if I can find something for £50 instead of £75 they will still be getting the budget value of their present but £25 will go towards my target.  Hope that makes sense.

I'm starting next week on 1st May and I hope this diary will help motivate me and keep me on track.
There will be things that come up like maybe having a weekend away so some months will be a bit short.

Target £17,000      Saved 0   Paid 0

thepurplepixie

No surveys for me at the moment but I have found £14.33 in my paypal account so I might move that on 1st May to start me off for the month.

vampirotoothus

Morning, that looks like a big target. Is it possible to maybe reduce adult gifts at Christmas, now you have grand-children to consider? Good luck V x

thepurplepixie

Hi vampirotoothus, I will be trying to reduce the adult gifts if I can.  Normally it isn't an issue  but I have these other things going on this year and next year which is putting the pressure on.  Maybe I could look at reducing the present spending a bit for the families I have the other commitments with e.g. if I'm finding 3 or 4 thousand for a health issue maybe that person could have cheaper presents, well at least if they are adults as I wouldn't want a grandchild to be losing out on their Christmas present because they need help that their siblings/cousins don't have.

My big hope is if I can keep an eye out for some special offers they can still have say a £100 present but it hasn't cost me that much.

Going through my budget I've just realised my SRP is paid every 4 weeks but I budget on a calendar month so once a year I get an extra pension payment so over the two years that will be a nice boost.

Spendless

Hi - Good luck. Last summer we paid off debt that was around £17k that we started paying off at the beg of Jan 23 so a similar timespan to what you have and were paying similar £850 a month to achieve this.

Having a diary on here whilst you achieve your savings goals is a fab idea

Don't know if you're aware but  there's also a Christmas board on the forum and a couple of Christmas threads run all year round where the. posters talk about what bargains they've picked up or ways they've used to reduce present costs if you're interested in taking  a look there too. 

thepurplepixie

Spendless I was looking at your diary while you were posting on mine!  I will see if I can find the Christmas threads, bargains are definitely something I need.  While I was having  4 kids I didn't think about life when they grew up, had partners and children.  Sixteen of them now and it does add up.  I had some of the GC here for the Easter holidays, took three of them down to a funfair next to our local beach.  I spent £50 in minutes, rides were a minimum of £3 and some £5 so only 3 rides each plus a candyfloss and that's £50 gone.  Good job I didn't have all 8 with me.

Spendless

Oh yes the costs when they grow up. Now we've been paying Uni costs continuously  since 2018 and still ongoing I do wonder why I ever thought the cost of nappies or school trips expensive! Goodness knows what 8 adults plus 8 Grandkids looks like from a financial pov -lol 

This is the thread I post on, but there's a couple on there. Whatever you think most suits you. 
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6590469/frosty-the-snowman-its-the-2025-christmas-thread/p1

thepurplepixie

Thanks for the link.  I remember the uni days but it does seem even harder now.  GS is in his first year, chose the cheapest halls but his loan goes nowhere near paying for his halls let alone other living costs.  I don't know how kids are supposed to live.

thepurplepixie

My target was to start on 1st May but I figure that a bit of a headstart won't hurt.  I've rounded up some cashback, nectar points, surveys and I've got just over £100 ready to start things early.  On the downside I've realised I need to do a tax return and I will have nearly £800 to pay which is a bit of a backstep.  Feeling a bit demotivated this morning and it hasn't started yet.  I think I'm going to have to go back through my figures and see if I can cut the £17k back a bit, well it is £17.8k now with the tax bill.  Maybe the first thing is to get my tax return done and find out what the figure actually is.

Not a brilliant start.

vampirotoothus

Morning That's frustrating, but these things do happen. I agree, get it done and then you will know exactly what you're dealing with. For presents, maybe consider buying joint presents for each family or at least the parents in each case. And I would stop monetising it - surely a gift is a gift. Do they all spend £100 on you?
Also do a statement of affairs and if you publish it we may be able to help with ideas on how to save money on your regular outgoings.
Have a good day V x

thepurplepixie

Thank you vampirotoothus.  I worry about being accused of favouring one over a other so aim for the same amount for each of them.  A joint or family present is a good idea.

No they don't all spend £100 on me and some are more generous than others.  Thinking about it I do get a family present from them so giving a family present is probably reasonable.