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Honeysucklelou2 · 13 July 2018 at 11:35PM

Hope you are feeling better.

Robin09 · 15 July 2018 at 8:03PM

Many thanks honeysucklelou2, I am getting there..

An amazing day yesterday, a group of us went to our first Pride event. I am so lucky to have such great family and friends who support our son. It was quite emotional as everyone was just so full of happiness, was lovely to see. I paid for everyone's tickets and train fare a few months back so I hadn't budgeted spending money as knew I would be getting the money back from them all, it was enough to cover our day out. Mainly spent on drinks, it was soooo hot!!.

Today, DS spent the day with his group who are going away to Europe next year so paid in the money we had saved. Then on to a birthday party for DD.

Shopping this week came to £72.03, so only just under budget. Still trying to get this down.

My weekly £20 has not lasted long at all this week. I spent some getting a nice photo frame for a present we are making for DS Scout leaders, as he is leaving there this week after 8 years. Also used some to buy ice creams today after the party. Have enough left for raffle tickets at the school. But I do not need anything this week hopefully so can wait until it resets next week.

MIL gave us a big bag of clothes today for DD, so grateful. Plus there was 3 school dresses in there that is the size I was planning on getting. So that has been ticked off the school uniform list

Robin09 · 17 July 2018 at 11:57AM

Yesterday I felt truly awful, finished work with a migraine that lingered for the rest of the day. DH needed the car so my dad gave me a lift to and from work. Which was good as wouldn't have wanted to drive home feeling like that.

DH gave me strict orders to rest today but the house needed doing and I hate letting it slip as then it's just so much more work to catch up on. So spent a couple hours this morning blitzing the place and now I can sit with a coffee and relax properly.

I am going to take some money out of the 'extras' pot from our savings today. £10 to get DS scout leaders some flowers and choc to go with the gift we have made them to say thank you and goodbye. DS has had such an amazing 8 years there and it's truly amazing how much time and effort the leaders give up to give our children such brilliant experiences.

Have another DN birthday this week (budgeted for) not a month goes by without a birthday in our family. Between DH and myself we have 11 brothers and sisters and 34 nephews and nieces. We do not buy for all the adults and some of them are older now and have kids of their own so we get the little ones something instead.

Robin09 · 18 July 2018 at 8:36PM

A NSD today..

As well as feeling poorly, yesterday I had a fall. So was coughing and hobbling around work today! Getting fed up of it all now.

After yesterdays unbudgeted spend, I am hoping to not have any more until next month. Will see how that goes..

DS got sent home from school today, was so close to getting 100% this term too. Seems to have perked up once he had a rest. The shirt I ordered him from E8ay came today and annoyingly it is too small. Will have to try to sell it on. Weird sizing on the shirts. The medium size is smaller than the size small he has now.

Payday tomorrow for me so will be able to add to the various pots :T

Tink_04 · 18 July 2018 at 10:35PM

Hi Robin!

Popping in to have a read - seems like your doing really well with your new budget and seems so organised with the present buying too!

I always struggle with the budget and find the money runs out before the month has! How did you change yours to make it work out better for you?

I have friends who only like to do big expensive things too and we just try to work around and do our own thing - usually meeting at out house or aomewhere after lunch etc so we are not caught out. I always have my snack bag too! Most of my friends understand but it's awful when people just don't even try to understand at all!

Good luck & ill subscribe to keep up!

Tink

Robin09 · 18 July 2018 at 11:42PM

Hi Tink,

Many thanks for stopping by and subscribing

The new budget is nothing new or exciting and very simple, although I doubt I am going to explain it very well, apologies. DH is paid the beginning of every month and we were the same for a long long time.. Just waiting for the next payday to come around.

Basically I figured out what our essentials were (rent, council tax, any set bill etc) and worked out what we were earning on minimum pay. This is so I know that on these months we will have enough for the essentials if nothing else.
I then break down a chunk of the remaining into weekly amounts. For example, before DH would get his money out at the beginning of the month and it would be gone within one or two weeks, then he would be getting more cash out or paying by card and I would have to redo the whole budget again. Now he has set weekly amount and rarely even takes his card out with him anymore. It doesn't seem to bother us as much if we run out within 2-3 days because then it resets itself a few days later. Better that than waiting 2-3 weeks.
I am not saying it was all DHs doing (although for sure he was a lot worse :rotfl:) things like needing £1 for something school related would see me going to take out £10 and not accounting where the other £9 went to. So, to have my weekly £20 works really well for things like this.
Our income is variable so some months we have been able to save more than others but the most important thing to me is that we have been able to save something and not be waiting around for more money to come in.

Robin x

Tink_04 · 19 July 2018 at 10:10AM

That's a good idea - the simple ones are always the best! DH takes his money on payday too - he gets paid 29th and me 24th! Might give it a go for next month and see how it works out.

I'm always taking money out of another account and putting it back later or forgetting about it etc. We have put the joint account cards away and use our own cards or the shopping account (monthly shopping allowance) might try to do the shopping account weekly too as I have been going to ald* and get loads more for the money from them!

I'm trying to work out money for the 6 weeks holidays abut we are trying to keep it as simple as possible and do cheap or free things! It's the feeding them that's hard - they eat all the time! Might make packed lunches up for the fridge then that's the stuff for the week!

Tink

dustydigger · 19 July 2018 at 11:15AM

I too have a lot of family to buy for,though fortunately not as many as you do,Robin!:eek:Only (!) 14.
We are pensioners on Pension credit so are paid weekly and I arrange the finances fortnightly,and our direct debits are spread over the month,so theres not a horrific clump of DDs to come out at the start of the month,it doesnt feel so much of a strain.And only having to go 2 weeks to the next ''pay day'' is less strain too.
I have a ''birthday fund'' on my fortnightly budget,usually put away £10 a fortnight. Our birthdays seem to come in masses,then big gaps,so having a fund building up is a blessing. September is the worst,with a daughter,2 granddaughters and Mr Dusty all in a space of 9 days at the end of the month,thats about a 100 quid. Ouch.:(
I just emptied the fund with DS1 and his partners birthdays this week,and I have 5 fortnights so that makes a nice round £20 a fortnight.I do a zero sum budget each fortnight,put down every expense,putting a reasonable sum in the household cash box which we take cash from as necessary.and then I immediately transfer anything left to the various savings accounts,even if only a fiver

. I am a real Scrooge once money goes in the bank,I dont want to touch it,I will bend over backwards to make do and mend,or improvise,or eat out of the freezer,etc etc rather than remove any.If I left it in the purse for a while,it would mysteriously melt away.And you know what its like,think,oh I need milk,get a tenner from the ATM,and somehow the whole tenner mysteriously vanishes in a day. Spooky:D.Putting excess away at the start and living strictly from the money box really shows up whether things are a ''want'' or a ''need''.

Robin09 · 19 July 2018 at 7:24PM

Hi Tink,

It's always worth a try. I have tried so many different ways over the years. Works for us but maybe not for others. Just have to find out a way to work it to each individual circumstances I guess.

We do our shopping weekly now. Used to do a big shop at the beginning of the month but found it just went quicker and would end up spending more throughout the rest of the month. I wish we had some of the cheaper shops around here but I also really dislike actually going into the shops to buy it all.

I asked mine for some ideas of what they would like to do in the holidays and most of their ideas are free thankfully. They are happy to spend the entire day hiking in the woods or playing in the stream. DD did put two paid items on the list - trampoline park and Pottery painting so will try and get them done. We are lucky to live in such a beautiful place with lots of free places to visit but it does get so so busy in the holidays. We do have a big day out this weekend though, was DS's main birthday present.

Yes, mine eat non stop too. Specially DS who is definitely having another growth spurt and is a bottomless pit. I usually get them to make lunch together in the holidays if we are at home, as it gives them something to do. But I feel these holidays are going to be slightly different as DS is at the age where he wants to be out with his friends whenever he gets the chance. I am sure I will be fed up of picnics come September. DD only has 5 weeks holidays which makes it easier.

X

Robin09 · 19 July 2018 at 7:27PM

Hi dustydigger,

Yes, big families can be hard to budget for can't they! Since we have started managing to save I have started a 'birthday pot' this will come in so handy on the months we have less money coming in. Ours keeps getting bigger, twins due in Autumn too! Your September is my May, never ending some months - ouch indeed! August though thankfully is very quiet with only one to budget in. School birthday parties for DD are some months pretty constant, I have a £5 limit for school friends.

I wish we had broken down our money into weekly a long time ago, it really does work so well for us. I love the idea of the house money box. I am still guilty of sometimes wasting a few ££'s here and there if I have my purse with me. I know the days I forget my purse I rarely need anything that badly that I will make another trip out for. So very much a want instead of a need.

X

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