Getting back on the MFW Wagon

Needhelpsaving · 28 November 2016 at 11:01PM

Another NSD :j 4 out of 5 so far - I don't think I have ever managed that!

Managed to scoop another £10 into savings from some expenses, bringing me to £120/£1500.

I have stuck to the meal plan so far, so the food is stretching as planned, I just need to keep going on the straight and narrow.

Needhelpsaving · 30 November 2016 at 9:27AM

Moving into a period of budgeted spends over the next few days, but will endeavor to stay under the budgeted amounts.

Taking LO to sealife centre today - free entry from vouchers I saved from a newspaper in the summer, only cost will be parking (I forgot I had booked this!). Planning to be home in time for lunch. Then LO is due to have hair trimmed this afternoon to tidy it up before all of the xmas visits - budgeted £20 from personal spends for both. Actual Spend £25.50 (This included picking up some birthday cards and two stocking fillers for LO).

I have a hair cut and colour booked for tomorrow - haven't had it done since early summer and its getting a bit :eek: - budgeted a max of £40 Actual Spend £40 inc tip

Trip to a local xmas fete booked for Saturday to meet up with a friend before xmas - went last year, LO enjoyed it and it had the potential to be a frugal day out. Instead of purchasing lunch while we are out this year, I will be doing lunch for all of us at home, using items from the pantry. Actual Spend - £3 for LO to have face painted

On the home front, we have stuck to the meal plans and have utilised the blanket instead of the gas fire, so I am pleased with this, but I must get ebaying this week to keep the decluttering moving.

Have a great week x

Needhelpsaving · 3 December 2016 at 7:27PM

This week has gone well, grocery shopping has been done for the week ahead, planned spends complete and aiming for 4 NSD's next week.

Mortgage piggy has been topped up with odd pennies that have been found lurking around the house or have been left over from planned spends. Not huge amounts, but hopefully it will all add up in the end.

Tomorrow will be spent catching up on ironing, ebay listings and some work needed for the week ahead.

ETA - 5/6 Ebay items listed

Needhelpsaving · 5 December 2016 at 8:18PM

NSD yesterday, also managed to list 5 lots on eBay, 3 of which have bids on already. They aren't expensive items, but it will all help with the money saving.

A busy day at work meant that I succumbed to the lunch run - £4.20 spent, but I enjoyed the treat. NSDs planned for tomorrow and Wednesday.

Thursday is our xmas family day out, with LO seeing father xmas. This was paid for a couple of months ago, but we will have lunch out to celebrate OH birthday.

I hope everyone had a good start to the week x

Needhelpsaving · 7 December 2016 at 6:33AM

Not able to sleep, so it was an early start for me. I have put the time to good use though and have rounded down my budgets, sweeping £22.25 into savings.

£10 was saved from my fuel budget - had £30 left in the budget, but I still have half a tank and with the xmas break coming I won't be using the car as much.

£2.25 moved from grocery budget, just to round it down to an even number.

£10 expenses moved to savings account.

Needhelpsaving · 10 December 2016 at 11:54AM

I hope everyone's week has gone well x

This week has been a whirlwind to say the least. We went on our family day out on thursday and instead of eating out, we grabbed a hot chocolate as we were all cold at the end of the santa trip, then decided to eat at home.

Not done very well with NSD's this week, I joined in the work lunch on Monday, Tuesday was an NSD, Wednesday I went shopping to grab some xmas bits while the shop was quiet (got turkey etc for xmas day and some buffet items for when we have family over xmas eve), Thursday was the family day out and yesterday I got collared by a work collection and raffle.

I am still on budget and received some money owed for an xmas present I picked up for my mum. That £20 is going straight into savings, now at £184.03.

Today's tasks - housework and meal planning, some work I have had to bring home and packaging eBay items that have bids on ready to post on Monday.

Needhelpsaving · 13 December 2016 at 8:30PM

Blimey! - where did the weekend go? I can't seem to keep up with all the goings on at the moment, but am looking forward to the xmas break :santa2:

On the plus side, all ebay parcels were sent today and 1 item was re-listed. I am sticking to the meal plan and am on track with my budget.

I have been tinkering with my budget for 2017 and given the ups and downs in my monthly spending which are dictated by car services, insurance, birthdays etc, I have decided to set up savings funds for a number of headings to spread the cost of planned spends each month. This will be a work in progress over the next week or so :think:

Kittenkirst · 13 December 2016 at 10:24PM

Hi Needhelpsaving, I do my budgets in a similar fashion as I have a bills account which I overpay to each month based on my rough calculations. This then means that when the big expenses of car insurance, mot etc come up there is already enough to cover it without going short one month.

gallygirl · 13 December 2016 at 10:48PM

This is what I used to do. I had around 10 virtual pots with their own columns on a spreadsheet and at various stages some would be 'overdrawn' but I usually ended up with a small surplus. Always found my spreadsheet clunky though

Needhelpsaving · 15 December 2016 at 6:28AM

Thanks for the feedback KittenKirst and Gally Girl :beer: - I was in two minds about whether i was over-complicating things, but am glad that your experience of a similar budgeting method has worked.

So far I have categories for birthdays, xmas, clothing (inc school uniform), Car (Insurance, tax etc), Holidays/Days out, Hair cuts, School Photo and professional subscriptions.

I have tried to think about everything that I would need to cover this year, including LO first school uniform for September :eek:

I would be grateful to hear whether anyone has any other categories that they find useful that has not already been included above.

Happy Thursday!

Getting back on the MFW Wagon

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