The Final Furlong

Dottles1 · 14 August 2019 at 11:22PM

Beanie and Seasidegal - re pet insurance, I've come to the conclusion that's what I'll do, set up a separate vet fund and cross fingers that she doesn't need anything expensive in the near future. Yes the day out was fun and total spend came to £120.33 so that is personal spends wiped out for this month. I have a day out with best friend next week but will use our NT membership and take lunch with us so will just be the petrol of which I have plenty as I have only been working 2 days a week this month. It's my turn to drive and so she will probably buy the coffees.
I also have the hen do to budget for but am expecting money left from the grocery pot and possibly some left from petrol pot so that should cover it with a bit of luck and creative thinking. I have also realised that I haven't gone into my overdraft this month and looking like I might not need to. I can't remember when that last happened.
Today has been another NSD and I plan that tomorrow will be too.
So pots stand as follows:

Groceries = £200/£108.33 left
Petrol = £0/21 left
Personal spends = £100/0 left
NDS@s = 10/30

Feeling quite positive
Dottles x

seahorsey · 15 August 2019 at 7:07AM

Hi Dottles - with re to the pet insurance I think you’re doing the right thing. In my experience insurance is great if they’re young and have a clean bill of health, however once there’s been issues they will do everything they can to wiggle out of paying. I’ve been stung like this twice after paying £ks in premiums over the last 15 years (equine so may be slightly different). I guess what I’m trying to say is that even by taking out the insurance there is no guarantee they’ll pay out - at least by keeping an additional EF the money is yours if you don’t need it.

Seasidegal58 · 15 August 2019 at 7:31PM

Well done on the overdraft!:j. You new MSE plans are bearing fruit already!

beanielou · 15 August 2019 at 9:03PM

Good news on the OD x

foxgloves · 15 August 2019 at 9:04PM

Hi Dottles1,
I know your 'name' of course as one of my diary readers, but I've just noticed that you have your own! Glad you're finding it helps with motivation.
Re cards..... We each have a credit card used only for points for vouchers. We figured we'd both paid quite enough interest during the Spendy Years & felt it was time for card providers to pay us something for a change. So Mr F has an M&S card, which is used for all petrol, holiday bookings & the month's groceries. I have a John Lewis card & that's used for presents and planned miscellaneous expenditure i. e new washing machine. We save for this sort of purchase & budget for pretty much everything else, so we pay off both cards in full each month. The amount of vouchers is not that big, but every little helps. John Lewis is a bit more generous with points than M&S, if I remember rightly. Used to be the same, but I seem to remember M&S altered theirs. However, any voucher is better than no voucher & I've certainly been glad of them, especially to help with buying presents & clothes.
If you have the discipline to pay the bill in full each month, it can be useful. I have that discipline now, but it was a long time coming!
F

Dottles1 · 17 August 2019 at 10:30AM

Morning all
Thanks Beanie and Seasidegal.
Seahorsey, you make a good point, I know the insurance won't cover certain things and so I'm going to put money away to cover this rather than lining the pockets of the insurance company. As Foxgloves say about credit cards, I have paid ££££'s into various insurances over the years and rarely claimed anything so I'm going to take a risk. I already know that she will need some dental work in the near future which wouldn't be covered so better the money goes to that.

Hi Foxgloves and welcome. I love your diary and have learned so much from reading it. M&S and John Lewis are the cards I have been considering and I think I am going to go with one of them, probably M&S. I will need to buy flights soon and so may as well get some points for that. I have a savings pot for holidays so will use that to pay off straight away. I tend to set my budget on payday, factoring in extra costs e.g. next month I have MOT to pay, and then set budgets with what's left.

I've just had a text to say the hen do has been changed to nearer home (good as less travel cost) but also costs involved.
Afternoon tea - £14.95 and cocktail making - £25 so that's £50 before anything else.

My thoughts for covering this are: I have made £5 from FB this week and received £15 owed to me by a colleague for a birthday gift I bought with another £15 due from someone else which I will chase up. That will cover a chunk of it and I expect to have around £50 left in the grocery budget (I might be able to squeeze this a bit further) and possibly some left in petrol pot which I was hoping to put into holiday pot. However I have not gone into OD so far this month and have some more bits to sell so need to get my thinking cap on. I do like a challenge !!
At least I have money to work with as in the past this would probably have all gone onto a credit card to sort out later, which rarely happened.
I am aware that I tend to go hell for leather with new projects and often fall off the wagon later as I can't maintain the level I've set myself, so I need to remind myself that this is about managing my money rather than cutting things to the bone to pay everything off. I do feel that this is different though and that I am forming new (spending) habits. I'm amazed how having a budget really makes a difference, after all I still only have the same amount coming in.

Thursday was another NSD making a total of 11/30 so far, I'm pleased with that. Yesterday I had GS for the day and treated her to McD's for lunch and had a couple of bits to buy which came to £12.45. I had a mr T voucher that paid for bread and a lime, had an avocado and chilies (home grown) in so that was my lunch at no extra cost.
Today will be grocery shopping day. I have 3 meals in the freezer for this week so will only be buying some fruit, veg and bits and pieces to get me through to next weekend, lunches for work, day out etc. I'm going to aim for not needing to top up this week.

Well the sun is shining here so I'm gong to make the most of it and get into the garden. The lawns are so long and the front garden desperately needs weeding. I am in need of some topsoil to top up the borders but in the MSE vein have found some on FB for free and can collect on Monday after work. Is it sad how pleased I am by this ?

Right, I'm going to get cracking.
Have a lovely weekend all.
Dottles x

Seasidegal58 · 17 August 2019 at 9:44PM

Dottles1 wrote: »

I am aware that I tend to go hell for leather with new projects and often fall off the wagon later as I can't maintain the level I've set myself, so I need to remind myself that this is about managing my money rather than cutting things to the bone to pay everything off. I do feel that this is different though and that I am forming new (spending) habits. I'm amazed how having a budget really makes a difference, after all I still only have the same amount coming in.

I think this is very sensible way to think of things and will smooth your MSE journey.

Hope you enjoyed your garden today.

savingholmes · 18 August 2019 at 3:22PM

I'm similar - and more hell for leather at the beginning - so am trying to use that to my advantage and get gazelle intense for as long as I can - so when I do slip up and start to slide a little I will be further on. I do get that slow and steady wins the race but have realised that if that doesn't totally match my personality I may be better going with what works for me. In terms of using CCs for vouchers and points - I've tried that - it didn't work out well for me. It takes a lot of self-discipline - and DR says you spend at least 18% more if you use a CC versus cash - for me it was more than that. Look at your track record - and evaluate whether it is a good plan for you or if it is likely to lead you into temptation. We want to get to the point where we owe no-one.

Dottles1 · 19 August 2019 at 7:11AM

Exactly my thoughts Savinghomes regarding the initial sprint, I just need to remind myself of this when things slow down a bit and not to get despondent. Also very wise words regarding the CC, I can take time before making any decisions and want to embed my new budgeting habits before putting them to the test. It's early days and I don't want to fall at the first hurdle. I am conscious that my wage will go down next pay day however, have checked that it has gone through HR (it hadn't but has now) so I don't get overpaid and have to pay it back the following month. I will also need to know new monthly salary to adjust budgets if necessary.

I've had a good day moneywise, I met my eldest daughter for coffee and her partner paid and bought us both lunch too. Later had a call from my DIL to offer evening meal at theirs and then received a message from FB saying I could have free top soil that I had enquired about but would need to collect asap. The borders in my front garden need topping up and I had nothing in the budget to buy top soil so I thought I would try FB. It's amazing what you get for free if you look and are patient.
Anyway I hot footed round and collected 9 bags but couldn't lift them out of the boot (who knew they would be so heavy) and had to collect my son on the way back to provide muscle. All in all a very MSE day AND I caught up with family, lovely.

I'm back in work for 3 days this week, Mon & Tues are compulsory training and Wed I am running a workshop which I have yet to write. It won't take long but my enthusiasm is not there any more. I'll put aside time this evening to get the bulk of it done.

All budgets are still on track and I have some private work booked for Thursday. I now need to work out tax due (a big frog) and then I can check that I have enough put aside.

Well, better move my rear end as none of this will do itself.
Have a good day all
Dottles x

Seasidegal58 · 19 August 2019 at 1:51PM

Good result on the topsoil! As you say it's amazing what you can get for free!:j

The Final Furlong

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