Settling in for the long haul

FootyFanDan

Home bargains is a place that you never know you needed it until you see it on the shelve 😂. These places are impossible to go in and only leave with what is on your list.

DancingInTheRain

Oh my goodness the power of Home B's and B&M - it's not what you go in to buy it's what falls into your basket while you're there that does the damage. I try not to go too often 😂

Dakota_Rose

Thanks both - I’ve definitely had my fill of HB’s for the time being and have been restrained since I promise 😂.

Eldest starts college tomorrow and has his first audition on Saturday for a seasonal acting job so it’s a big couple of days for him. Both important experiences, which I hope go well for him. The audition of course is not expected to end in a job but is a huge step forward into his life of adulthood.

Today has been mostly about preparing for returning to school and work. We’ve packed the pencil cases which was met with high excitement from youngest, mild enthusiasm from Little Miss and indifference from eldest. I think stationery was my first love, and will likely be my last too. This would’ve been my idea of heaven at their age!

We had a ‘loose lasagne’ tonight, which basically uses the standard lasagne ingredients but the pasta sheets are roughly scrunched up within the sauces rather than careful layering. Mr D had seen it on a social media reel and liked the look of it. I named it myself - I’m sure there was a fancy title given. Verdict: tastes the same, looks almost the same and gives a negligible time saving. Follow me for more high-drama recipes 😂. Tomorrow’s dinner will be all-day breakfast. I shall have to think of giving it a twist to make it social media worthy 🤣. We’d promised the kids a family movie night with some treats, so we set up an ice cream bar (an end-of-the-line one with random scoops of whatever was left in the various tubs), along with some bags of sharing chocolate treats and some popcorn. The treats went down well, sitting 5 to a 3-seater sofa less so.

Tomorrow I’ll be putting in a day’s work. I really shouldn’t have left it so late and I know I won’t have time to do everything on my list. But mine is a job that has an eternal to-do list and I have got much better at prioritising tasks over the past few years. 20 years of experience counts for something I suppose! I have prioritised my holidays and wellbeing but now it’s time to earn my pay again. The hyper focus is ready to kick in: work bag is packed ready in my car, lunch items laid out to pack in the morning and the alarm is set. I shall leave shortly after eldest gets his bus - if for whatever reason it doesn’t come as planned, I can run him into college. Can’t have the first day be a complete fail.

Wishing everyone a happy Friday - it’s almost the weekend again 😊.

Dakota_Rose

Well diary land, I have actually worked today - 6 and a half solid hours put in and I now remember what I do for a living 😂.

Eldest loved his first day at college so that was good.

No spends to report today so that’s also good.

Dakota_Rose

Not a rock and roll Friday night by any means. I was tucked up asleep for 9.30. I think my day of work took its toll.

We are to be up and out fairly early today for eldest’s audition. We’ll be dropping him off at the place and then taking the chance to drive on to a nice little town for a cuppa and browse until it’s time to pick him back up. It was Mr D’s suggestion to do something for the 2-hour wait together, as I’d been prepared to take my thermos and book and hang out in the car. The coffee shop stop is to be Mr D’s treat so I won’t say no to that.

After that, eldest will be dropped home and allowed to return to bedroom goblin status - he really needs to decompress after non-routine things so goodness knows how he’ll be feeling later on. We will have our 4-daily shopping stop to do. Still going well, and we’re still weirdly enjoying it. Who would’ve thought cracking a way to stay in budget for groceries would be the thrill of the summer holiday 😂.

Personal aims for the day: read and get steps in.

Dakota_Rose

It is the last day of the long summer holiday and we have a pretty relaxed day planned. It’s been a brilliant break and has given my body and mind the reset it pretty desperately needed. End of summer brain dump ahead - ignore if you want to see any of your Sunday 😂 …

I have read lots, walked lots, relaxed lots. Most importantly, I’ve spent quality time with my lovely bunch and helped prepare the children for some big life transitions with lots of new starts on the horizon. The holiday started very spendily and I worried that I’d seriously misjudged my sinking fund target (or lost my financial discipline entirely), but I’ve since worked really hard on side hustling and made enough back to balance the earlier overspends meaning I can go back to work guilt free.

We’ve also spent less on groceries than we have in a long time, and that’s because we’ve finally found a shopping routine that works for us. We’ve divided our monthly budget into a daily budget and allocated that in 4 day blocks to cut our top-up shops and this has worked out great. Yesterday’s shop was slightly above budget (£8) as we bought a few extra supplies for returning to work and school.

I have a pay increase to come at the end of November (what I count as December’s pay) and I calculated what the difference would be to my monthly pay. This will be £120 or £200 more a month, depending on whether I also progress onto the next pay point, which I’m (fairly) confident I will do. There will be a small chunk of backpay too, so lots to consider before the time comes. Things I want to use the money for:

• Increase my AVC amount (I’m only starting small this month with £50 per month pre-tax) for future us
• Save into our little dreams pot - we’re never going to grow savings for ‘future us’ unless we actually start putting in larger, regular amounts. Currently £2050 in savings including the £1k EF.
• Build up the home improvements sinking fund. The house still needs lots spent on it in terms of renovations/modernisation.
• Over pay the car loan. Currently £15850, due to end May 2030
• Over pay the mortgage. Currently £205k, due to end Aug 2049

I know from experience that I’m better if I can focus on one target, as it gives me the motivation to really go for it. However, these are my priorities/wants in life and they’re all important. Where do you even begin with £120 extra a month? 🤔

Perhaps the back payment can go as a small lump sum towards one of these, such as our ‘little dreams’ pot, and then I park that target for the time being? More money, however small, is a nice problem to ponder I suppose.

My monthly budget is provisionally planned for Sept-Dec. The birthday pot is going to be stretched over the next few months (Nov is our big birthday month) and I’m allocating a larger than usual amount to the Christmas pot as we overspend here every year. We only really get spendy in the summer and at Christmas each year so I’d rather prepare than lose the magic of those times. Every other month sees us being reasonably frugal.

I imagine energy costs will need more than I’ve budgeted for but we are carrying forward a decent surplus from summer despite requesting a refund from the account on more than one occasion. Personal spends are still fairly low at £75 a month. The petrol pot will likely need more allocating to it, as my hybrid struggles to retain battery in the cold, therefore using more petrol. Summer has been great and my pot has been lowered to £50 a month.

Right, that’s a longer brain dump than I expected 😂. Isn’t it fascinating how many thoughts we can have running through our heads at any one time? Today will be about the food and preparing for the new work year ahead. Eldest’s college timetable is through, and he gets Wednesdays off. Lucky devil - what I wouldn’t give!

Sun_Addict

As you can’t decide which pot to focus on, why not pick a different pot each month. That way you have a focus that changes every month.

You’ve just reminded me I have a backdated pay rise coming at the end of this month hopefully.

Dakota_Rose

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82127294#Comment_82127294

Now that’s an interesting suggestion. I will ponder it 😊

ohdearhowdidthathappen

The boring answer is to put it towards debt, so the car loan 🥴

Alternatively, you could set up a separate pot and save into that, then everytime it gets to a good amount (£500-1000) you could decide whether to put a lump sum into the car loan or do a house reno project etc? If you end up with the £200pm it could build up fast.

I wouldn’t personally put it into your pension or the mortgage, they seem like ideas for once your debts are gone etc 😁

Blackcats

I would probably chose 1 high impact home improvement project, price it up and then focus on saving up for it. That makes it sound like I would really have done that back in the day and I probably wouldn't have done 10 years ago but I possibly would now.
i didn't end up in debt accidentally or by following my own good advice 🥴