YNAB robber needs help to execute the plan

PennysIntoPounds

Oh that is beautiful 

Seconding @Blackcats that your gifts are not pathetic and to not worry, Christmas is supposed to be about breathing out and being grateful for what you have got and those around you, that goes for you but especially your family what with all the love and help you give.

Brilliant savings pot!

Wanna_Bee_Free

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend.

Christmas Eve was spendy as I bought a £30 gift card for little sis, some groceries for my father (milk, bread and bananas) some eye wash in the pharmacy and two glasses of wine at crazy hotel prices.

Christmas Day, Boxing Day, yesterday and today have all been no spend days. In fact I got a refund of £8.25 for a medical item I bought for little sis in a crisis last month so that is a good result.

I've decided to join the No-spend days challenge next year to help me keep count as I always lose track before I get to 10.

My Christmas was definitely on the lower end of the bell curve this year. It was a great lunch though, cooked by OH. We didn't manage to put aside all the usual emotiional angst and rubbish even for one day. I didn't add to the drama so at least I don't feel too responsible. My father was decidedly indifferent about his new polo shirt but he grinned very happily and said thank you when I reminded him about the beer and books I bought this year so I think he is pleased with that anyway. I guess at 91 you don't want much but I have this thing about not wanting him to wear clothes with rips in, which is why I bought the new one. I'm a perfectionist but in this case I am right. I am so glad to have got back to my own bed again yesterday! Home sweet home and no more thoughts of Christmas until after next summer - fantastic. Back for another family day tomorrow to cook them Sunday lunch and then taking a week off until the following Sunday. The trains aren't running and I can't drive at the moment with vertigo. OH could drive me but I want him to enjoy his week off work and not spend it putting up with my relatives.

The highlights of Christmas were:

• A visit by a green woodpecker pecking in their garden
• A glass of wine by the fire in the hotel bar before bed just with OH after surviving the day
• OH's happy face when he opened both his presents from me - no unwanted gifts for him anyway!
• pigs in blankets and stuffing
• watching the Only Connect Christmas specials on iplayer when we got home last night.

Have a lovely Twixtmas to all and to all a good night.

Rhyddid2026

I'm with you on the pulling out of all the positives you can, and on being glad of it being done for another year. 
There was a robin in my duck run on Christmas morning, waiting patiently for the chickens to finish breakfast so he could have some. It was lovely to watch. 

Wanna_Bee_Free

That robin sounds lovely to watch Rhyddid, thanks for sharing the image!

Wanna_Bee_Free

Spend today £25.15. A lovely Elizabeth Blackadder tile (cat & strylizia) from my Shropshire holiday in 2024 broke so I have bought a replacement. It reminds me of my Mum every day as she loved burmese cats and strylizia. In my twenties I was crazy enough to try to grow strylizia from seed (in London, no greenhouse). There was a seedling when I left home. My Mum played a joke on me when she came to check on the house. She planted a single cut flower into the pot so I'd think my little seedling flowered. The tile is next to my bed and I use it daily to put my water glass or tea mug on. It cracked in two when nobody was there. No pets to blame either. 

I have tracked every penny of my spending in YNAB this year since the start of Feb. No giving up when the picture looked grim. Quite an achievement for me to stick at something. 

I am really pleased I took the time to add an emoji at the start of every category line. My little Christmas tree, guitar, scissors etc really speak to me and make my budget more fun. I have just been relaxing in bed scrolling through my year to date and being happy with the great value some of my spending in March was. I often (but not always) make a note about exactly what I bought and I am going to double down on that next year as it is really helpful now I'm scrolling back. Reviewing things doesn't come at all naturally to me so this is a breakthrough in itself. 

I have renamed, merged and refined my categories as the year went on. For example I used to have travel broken down into subcategories to cover parking permit, service, MOT, tyres etc but now my father has his car back I just have one line for travel. I have certain lines that are small but make me happy (YNAB £7 take a bow).

I am mulling over whether to split out Ent subs further but that category is decreasing anyway. Stopped Netflix so it is mainly zoo, British Museum and art pass. BM has finished now. I often used to meet a friend who isn't very well there but we are both taking a break from the cost of annual membership at the moment. He loves the members room there. I need to get lots of visits to the zoo and art pass places and then will probably stop those when they come up for renewal in 2026. Maybe not the zoo. I love the zoo and should go more often. 

My spending money category year to date is £3727.86 so c£340 a month and not the £10 in my August budget!! That includes all the grocery top up spending so I might start tracking that separately next year. Actually the answer is to use our groceries credit card for that. Thanks for helping me work that out by blithering on to all of you about money. 

Off to family caring day. OH is cooking roast lunch while I try to be supportive to my father and little sis. Then a week off until next Sunday. Hoping for no further spends today. 

Have a lovely Sunday!

Wanna_Bee_Free

Forgot to add I discovered £100 in medical that was a big weekend away cost so I am slightly relieved it is now correct. I spend a fortune on painkillers, hygienist and dentist but £100 is now in it's proper category. 

PennysIntoPounds

Great budgeting and great achievements 🍻

Wanna_Bee_Free

Thanks PennysIntoPounds!

Yesterday I planned our meals for the next week and updated the shopping order. I tried to get some easier things I can do as OH has been carrying me while I have been feeling ill but I can tell he is tired and grumpy with it. That should help us avoid takeaway temptations.

Today is a NSD so far but we are going out to Panto later and OH bought the tickets so it might be down to me to get a round of drinks in. Which is fine as it's really his money anyway and I don't want to be churlish.

I had a really good day today getting the house cleared. Cleaned the bathroom and mopped the floor. I also restitched the seam of a T Shirt that was coming apart. OH loves his T shirt so I got definite brownie points there. Probably about 12cm to fix. It only took me half an hour but today is the first day in 7 weeks I've felt well enough to attempt it. I did take care of half the ironing pile too. 3 things, just 3 left looking at me with those scary eyes. I think I've done enough for today though.

I hope everyone is having a good day out in diaryland.

Wanna_Bee_Free

Hello everyone,

Only travel spent last night (by me), 2 x £2.90 tube fares. The others bought drinks and our friend ended up needing Uber/taxi as he was unwell so an expensive one as a group overall. He admitted he is getting depressed with all his hospital visits and cancelling everything as he feels poorly so often. I am glad we dragged him out but this getting older stuff is tough. 

Wanna_Bee_Free

A low spend day yesterday+ £2.21 on proper baked beans for new years day and a tomato for a full english brekky tomorrow. OU likes cheap beans snd so if I am having any (rarely) I need to buy them in specially. 

Out to a small party tonight. We plan to take booze and so the only cost will be tube/night tube back.