Wendy's "To get it out of my head" Diary
Keeping_Positive
Forumite 4.8K Posts
Hello
Ive been toying with the idea of my own diary for a while to help when I cant stop thinking about something and to track my progress and any blips. I am in overspend on my Budget for allowing some luxeries (sp) just need to make sure not too many! I have had depression on and off for years so I dont want to be too strict on myself but at the same time when I have used that excuse in the past I have gone OTT hense where I am today. LBM has been on and off for years as with many on this board. This time it appears to be a nice low energy one that should last a whole lot longer.
SOA
Income:
Wages £1335
Child Benefit £170 (3 kids)
Tax credit - £25 currently £47 a week but this will reduce alot next year so budgeting less.
OH £100 and possibly another £30 on top for the car repairs (OH on benefits and has own DMP to pay he does contribute to extra groceries and childrens treats etc)
TOTAL £1630
Outgoing:
Rent £430
CTax £131 [strike]£140 [/strike][strike](currently £126 guestimate of increase due [/strike]- intend to stick to 10 months)
Home Insurance £15 (just redone)
Water £28
TV £12
SKY £55 -£43 three month deal till 3rd June, will then cancel movies and a mix saving £7- Complete luxury but OH would be up in arms and its cheaper than a new childminder!
Gas: £25
Electric: £40 - just switched both to EON and expecting £70 from quidco with then change back
Milk £12 cancelled
Barandos and Lifeboats £8 cancelled +£3
Phone and Broadband £30 - aim for £25
Groceries for five £300 - aim £250
Lunches - monthly work spend - £50 - aim to keep this a lot lower
American life Ins (ref cancer a worry of mine) £6
Love Film £4 - to be cancelled cancelled
Brownies/Guides/ School £30 - again would like to be lower B & G fairly new so not 100% sure of costs yet. OH helps out on these as well. £20 so far and another £22 due eek
Catalogue £50
Loan £224
Petrol £30 feb £21
Total £1492
Balance £138 times 12 =£1656
Yearly budgets - This is where I need to start a spending diary alot is guess work
Xmas Savings Club:£500 (also time MOT and service due so aim high with this) £200 so far
Car Tax yearly: £180
MOT & Service yearly: £150
Repairs yearly budget: £300
Birthdays yearly budget:£300
Holidays £1000 including spends £116 paid
Car Insurance £600 guestimate (OH new driver and me bump prone
)
Hairdressers £70 for all £40 spent already:eek:
Clothes £200 £70 spent on kids so far
RAC £100 - hopefully less this year not due till end of year
Total £3400
Shortfall £1744 - to be covered by underspending on budgets, quidco £85 due, pigsback £7.32 & yearly bonus money saving madness £39.83
This is far too long a post so will call it quits for now. Thanks if you have got this far!
Ive been toying with the idea of my own diary for a while to help when I cant stop thinking about something and to track my progress and any blips. I am in overspend on my Budget for allowing some luxeries (sp) just need to make sure not too many! I have had depression on and off for years so I dont want to be too strict on myself but at the same time when I have used that excuse in the past I have gone OTT hense where I am today. LBM has been on and off for years as with many on this board. This time it appears to be a nice low energy one that should last a whole lot longer.
SOA
Income:
Wages £1335
Child Benefit £170 (3 kids)
Tax credit - £25 currently £47 a week but this will reduce alot next year so budgeting less.
OH £100 and possibly another £30 on top for the car repairs (OH on benefits and has own DMP to pay he does contribute to extra groceries and childrens treats etc)
TOTAL £1630
Outgoing:
Rent £430
CTax £131 [strike]£140 [/strike][strike](currently £126 guestimate of increase due [/strike]- intend to stick to 10 months)
Home Insurance £15 (just redone)
Water £28
TV £12
SKY £55 -£43 three month deal till 3rd June, will then cancel movies and a mix saving £7- Complete luxury but OH would be up in arms and its cheaper than a new childminder!
Gas: £25
Electric: £40 - just switched both to EON and expecting £70 from quidco with then change back
Milk £12 cancelled
Barandos and Lifeboats £8 cancelled +£3
Phone and Broadband £30 - aim for £25
Groceries for five £300 - aim £250
Lunches - monthly work spend - £50 - aim to keep this a lot lower
American life Ins (ref cancer a worry of mine) £6
Love Film £4 - to be cancelled cancelled
Brownies/Guides/ School £30 - again would like to be lower B & G fairly new so not 100% sure of costs yet. OH helps out on these as well. £20 so far and another £22 due eek
Catalogue £50
Loan £224
Petrol £30 feb £21
Total £1492
Balance £138 times 12 =£1656
Yearly budgets - This is where I need to start a spending diary alot is guess work
Xmas Savings Club:£500 (also time MOT and service due so aim high with this) £200 so far
Car Tax yearly: £180
MOT & Service yearly: £150
Repairs yearly budget: £300
Birthdays yearly budget:£300
Holidays £1000 including spends £116 paid
Car Insurance £600 guestimate (OH new driver and me bump prone
)Hairdressers £70 for all £40 spent already:eek:
Clothes £200 £70 spent on kids so far
RAC £100 - hopefully less this year not due till end of year
Total £3400
Shortfall £1744 - to be covered by underspending on budgets, quidco £85 due, pigsback £7.32 & yearly bonus money saving madness £39.83
This is far too long a post so will call it quits for now. Thanks if you have got this far!
:j
May 2013 new beginnings:j
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Replies
Income:
Wages £1335
Child Benefit £170 (3 kids)
Tax credit - £25 currently £47 a week but this will reduce alot next year so budgeting less.
OH £100 and possibly another £30 on top for the car repairs (OH on benefits and has own DMP to pay he does contribute to extra groceries and childrens treats etc)
TOTAL £1630
Outgoing:
Rent £430
CTax £140 (currently £126 guestimate of increase due - intend to stick to 10 months)
Home Insurance £15 (just redone)
Water £28
TV £12
SKY £55 - Complete luxery (sorry really cant spell this word) but OH would be up in arms and its cheaper than a new childminder!If uour OH is really serious about helping you pay off these debts, this is a huge change he could make to help you save-at £600 a year, it would make a big impact on your shortfall. Freeview has a lot of the same stuff
Gas: £25
Electric: £40 - just switched both to EON and expecting £70 from quidco with then change back
Milk £12 If this is from a milkman, can you cancel while you get yourself sorted out and buy this with the rest of your shopping?
Barandos and Lifeboats £8+£3 Cancel these until you are back on feet
Phone and Broadband £30 - aim for £25 That sounds realistic
Groceries for five £300 - aim £250 When you get the hang of OS, I bet you reset your target to £200
Lunches - monthly work spend - £50 - aim to keep this a lot lower Good-take sandwiches, cup a soup, pasta salads, leftovers etc
American life Ins (ref cancer a worry of mine) £6 Fair enough
Love Film £4 - to be cancelled Good
Brownies/Guides/ School £30 - again would like to be lower B & G fairly new so not 100% sure of costs yet. OH helps out on these as well.
Catalogue £50
Loan £224
Petrol £30
Total £1492
Balance £138 times 12 =£1656
Yearly budgets - This is where I need to start a spending diary alot is guess work
Xmas Savings Club:£500 (also time MOT and service due so aim high with this)
Car Tax yearly: £180
MOT & Service yearly: £150
Repairs yearly budget: £300
Birthdays yearly budget:£300
Holidays £1000 including spends
Car Insurance £600 guestimate (OH new driver and me bump prone
Hairdressers £70 for all
Clothes £200
RAC £100 - hopefully less this year not due till end of year
Total £3400
Shortfall £1744 - to be covered by underspending on budgets, quidco, pigsback & yearly bonus
Pigsback, quidco, tightening up your budget etc are good ways of meeting this shortfall-if you make the cutbacks suggested above, you will be able to start clearing your debt much faster. A spending diary would be a good idea too. Good luck! x
I agree Sky is an ideal place to cut and I have threatened it some many times. My OH stays at home with kids and this is his only entertainment, He doesnt go out or drink and is a sports nut he really does get use from the channels. A long story really but a the mo I will perserve with Sky but if things do start looking tight I will cut or get him to stretch his budget to compensate.
Will think about Milk because we now have a local so shouldnt be as much hassle to go to the shop which was Tescos and cost a fortune in extras
Sky is a luxury bearing in mind that you have no money as are lunches at work! Just thing what a huge difference you could both make if you cut those! Do you have to have a car or could you do without - its a big expense and if you could manage without would leave you much better off? Dont know if that helps?
Congruatuations o your new diary - I find mine helps with ramblings & to focus the mind when I'm off on one!!
Agree with everyone else. The only other thing I noticed was that your holiday budget is quite high at £1000.00 py. Could you next these in the head for a year or 2 and maybe have a cheap weekend away instead? It would cover a lot of your yearly shortfall x x
There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.
I am lucky to have a company car (all expences paid except personal petrol)that he should be able to drive by mid may. The other car my Mum paid for so if sold any monies would go back to her. I can here it now if I say sell it. He will huff and sulk and I dont know what to do. I will be taking away his independance. Leaving him with no car and three kids to look after (I drive alot for work so will have it during the week) etc etc. Pretty much what I get when I mention Sky.
£382 for caravan/pitch (two breaks booked) and £500-600 spending planned but will cut this back if budget not going to plan.
Sorry dont mean to sound negative at any of your suggestions, I do appreciate them and they are all valid points that I have been thinking about. Which is why I needed to get it all down on paper. Aim is to think ahead but mainly to stick to a monthly budget and keep it below where possible.
There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.
Cancelled Barnados, will cancel Milk and Lovefilm tomorrow which will save £288 a year. If I can cut monthly lunch spend by £20, groceries by £50 and phone by £5 then that will save a further £900 a year.
£1744-1188 = £556 still to go. Bonus wil help should be circa at least £500 but not really sure as they have changed it this year.
Still room for manover in holiday spend (my wish for two hols not his) and have shares as back up for for any real emergencies. Dont want to rely on these in yearly budget or they will be wasted and only a short supply.
£10 deposit for bowling friday and then a meal on top. May see if I can cancel the bowling bit and just do meal. Rubbish anyway dont want another wooden spoon
£10 on second hand clothes that wont fit for at least a year but I guess Ill class it as a long term investment.
Also wasted petrol by leaving (work) phone at home. Need to start walking in when in the office or work from home more. This should save a bit of petrol.
Spent £12 all on kids yesterday. £10 for my baby boy, its not often he gets to go out with out the big sisters, £1 tooth fairy and £1 church service donation for the girls.