Tea's 'Where has it gone' diary

[Deleted User]

Hi Everyone,

Usual stuff, I have been reading what everyone else has been writing and I now think that it is my turn, but I am going to do a spending diary.

I’m not going to do a SOA as although we are in debt to the tune if £15k, I want to try and see where our extra money is going and do what I can to make extra money, as we are constantly going over our £2k overdraft a month, not something that should be happening but is but also it will give me an insight into what extra money I can pay off the credit cards.

A little about me, I am a stay at home mum to my two terrors, I was working up ‘til Christmas but our childminder quit and it was going to cost more to put them somewhere else than what she was charging us, so here I am. I almost forgot to mention that I was also going to be made redundant in April this year but to put the children with another childminder for that time wasn’t cost effective.

I already do what I can shopping wise to cut this down so am pleased with myself on that score.

So here is my plan as I feel a little disillusioned lately.

· Keep track of how much I spend a day and keep a note of it on here.
· Try and make sure DH takes a packed lunch, not always convenient for him as he often has clients’ that he has to entertain, so tends to be 4 out of five days he takes lunch.
· Enter competitions
· Keep doing surveys
· Keep e-baying
· Try and not spend on anything unnecessary and only buy things we need.
· Give myself a set amount at the beginning of each week and make it last and the remainder put in the jar at the end of the week.

I will try to keep this updated as best and apologies if this should be somewhere else but I class myself as a DFW and am hoping that you won’t chuck me out.

Thanks,

Tea
xx

shopaholic2008

good luck sounds like a good plan, your in the right place there are plenty of people on here that can offer you help and advice

[Deleted User]

Right, well I have done some clicks this morning and I plan to enter some competitions this afternoon once I have picked DS up from pre-school and done some washing up and clothes washing.

I have decided that initally I am going to allow myself £30 for the week but will aim to reduce this to £20 by the end of next month. This will be for any things that I need but also treats for the kids and playgroups during the week; the extra £10 will then go off one of the CC's as an over payment.

Other money spent so far today is £38 for a new shower head and a hose as the other one has finally given up the ghost and is leaking like crazy. I also need to buy some milk and yogurts, this I am going to take out of the shopping budget, which I haven't quite got to grips with yet and need to take more interest in and figure out what is being spent there and how I can reduce it or improve it.

Will keep you posted.

[Deleted User]

Hello again.

Been and picked up DS and have been round Tesco's got some milk, yogurts and some Ambrosia custard deserts, DD is very fussy and I am trying to get her to have something other than yogurts and besides they have come out of the treat money.

Total spent was £9.57 I did get a good deal on the yogurts as they were 2 for £2 so not too bad I guess....

Other news, it is BIL birthday today and he loves Port, DH got a bottle of Port for Christmas from one of his clients' so we are going to recycle it and just buy him a card, reckon DH saved us £10 all in all.

Tomorrow, I have playgroup so £1 will get spent there and I need to go to the garden centre as it is a friends birthday on Wednesday so I want to get her a plant as she loves her garden.

[Deleted User]

Morning everyone,

Hope that you are all okay this morning?

I have been thinking about my friends birthday tomorrow and I have decided that I am going to recycle a smellies gift set that I got given for Christmas from my MIL, not my sort of thing and I know that my friend will use it. I also have a box of chocs in the cupboard that was left over from Easter so she can have those as well.

Therefore I have saved a bit more money and I only need to buy a card and some wrapping paper.

I also need to nip to the post office today and post a parcel as I sold two of the kids t-shirts on e-bay yesterday, not a massive amount but it all helps. Must update my signature at some point as anything sold on e-bay is all going towards Christmas.

I'm just hoping that someone will buy the rest, I have far too many kids clothes that I am hoping will make some money as I don't want to throw them away but will give them to the charity shop if they don't sell.

Whislt DS is at pre-school, myself and DD will be at playgroup so £1 will be spent there and this afternoon the kids and I are making cakes, so all in all we won't be spending too much money today.

Hope that everyone has a good day and I will update later as the day goes on.

[Deleted User]

Afternoon All,

Well what a rather exciting day today turned out to be. I have managed to post my parcel and it didn't cost me as much as I had anticipated so saved 35p there, I also completed a survey with Lightspeed and was able to redeem £3 from them.

DD and I wandered down to the shops and I had a browse in one of the charity shops and came across a plant pot and matching dish for 95p, so that has been used to hold a plant that we got from one of the playgroups for Easter; that is also being recycled tomorow as I am the sort of person who kills Cacti and they are supposed to be the tougher plants!

Cakes have gone out of the window today...not literally I should add, but I forgot because we all went to the park instead and as DS is at home tomorrow, we are going to make them then...DH takes them to site with him and most of the site is buzzing due to all the sugar in them...hee, hee!

[Deleted User]

Morning all,

I did type something but I got logged out so I will try again.

Today the kids and I are making cakes, so we need to go to Tesco's and get some eggs and as it is my friends birthday today we are going to take a few round to her house too.

I have been thinking and I think that I may need a bit of structure to my spending plan, I am still doing the clicks and the competitions but I am wondering whether it would be a good idea to total up at the end of the week how much I have saved and put that amount in the pot.

Other news is that DH gave me a £2 coin last night, so that has gone in the terramundi. Very pleased as that is now getting rather heavy and I will soon be able to break it open.

Out of the £30 I gave myself at the beginning of the week, I have £10 and shrapnel left, but I did use £4 out of it to fill my Tesco card with stamps so we'll see how it goes.

[Deleted User]

Just a brief update before I make lunch for the terrible twosome.

We went to Tesco's and got some eggs and some icing but forgot the cake cases, so we went back again.

Whilst we were at Tesco's in my change out of my last £10 note, I was given three £2 coins Now then my dilema is...do I put them in my terramundi because I am collecting them and draw some more money out of the bank or do I change them for the shrapnel that is currently in my pot and use that instead???

Good news though is that the cakes are made....anyone want one???

bank_of_slate

OOh, cake!

I would just put one of the £2 coins in the pot and keep the others in your purse, if you have to use them, so be it but if not you can put them in the pot later!
...Linda xx

[Deleted User]

Another morning has arrived.

Last night as neither DH or myself could be bothered to cook we ordered a curry, £25 lighter We have at least one curry a week so although not good could be worse I guess.

This week has been a bit of a mish mash, we had the T.V license to pay for yesterday, I forgot to mention that one, so there was £139.50 paid but I'd rather get it out of the way in one go so that I'm not worrying about it. Two of my e-bay items haven't sold but I have two items that have watchers so I am hoping that they do sell, fingers crossed...still no housework done, might have to start that again next week.

Other news on the Tea front: Need to nip to Tesco's this morning to finish off the shopping, got the rest on order and will be delivered tomorrow morning; DS is at pre-school this afternoon.

We nipped and saw my friend for her birthday yesterday and she really appreciated her present as I thought she would do, she even said that the box that smellies were in was lovely that she would keep it and use it for something else...so that was a relief

Keeping_Positive

Hi Purpletea

Have you heard of this http://www.spendingdiary.com/? Its a great was of tracking spending and does charts as well.

Also have you found the grocery challene thread on old style? Long but great thread and it helps me focus on my shopping spends.

Good use of recycling pressies as well.