November Numbercrunchers *blows the budgeteering bugle*

[claretandamberforever]

In here please.

Feel free to post a daily spending diary, to ask for advice or just for a general money moan.

Cheap weekend apart from fuel for us - long drive both ways but PIL were really generous and bought our lunch out and the DCs a couple of needed new bits of clothing, so I don't feel we've done too badly!

No bids yet on the eBay items I listed yesterday night (impatient, me?!), but hoping to get a bunch more stuff listed this week. I also have some fabric to sell (on etsy, I have a fabric shop on there, but need to clear some of my own fabric!) but need to find the time to put them together and photograph. Have rent looming over me next week!

I love thermals normally, but am pg so nothing fits. Luckily I am growing my own personal hot water bottle though

Helen I have bought the Asda thermal tights too and they are great.

In fact I find Asda really good for clothes for me and for DD - I went this morning and to my delight found they had a sale on. DD has an interview on Wednesday so I bought her a blouse in their sale for £6. Hope she likes it and it fits.

I can vouch for this range

If you register you usually get 15% off as well, delivery is very fast too.

Expensive weekend for us in laws stayed n we paid for dinner out on one night although with a voucher cost £60 for 4 adults n toddler n all adults had ribs . No alcohol though.

They did buy the meat for Sun lunch n we have some left so that's dinner tonight

they also treated us to tea n cake at cafe yesterday lunchtime.

Ooh, was day dreaming about a pair of thermal tights whilst feeling the cold earlier today - pleased to know I can get them in Asda, maybe not as pricey as I thought.

Really quite pleased with my overall spend on London trip; £1.50 bus fair, £2.88 on a couple of fancy dress items, £7.50 on drinks, £1.09 on munchies on the way home!

£7 on posting 2 letters and buying 2nd class stamps for Christmas cards. Oh and also £20 on couple of bear clothes for Christmas, still save £10 from brand new at Build a Bear so thats a reult I suppose

Wow, turnoffthelights, that's brilliant. I always, always go over budget whenever I go to London!

Just over £35 on food shopping from Lidl and Tesco. That includes shower gel, toilet roll and kitchen roll, cat food, toilet cleaner and a box of Christmas cards. I'll need to spend another £10 or so on Friday for some fresh veg and wine at the weekend.

£1 into softplay this morning - there are some benefits to DS not walking yet £10.11 in Aldi. Got some of their 'butcher' sausages which were on offer at 99p. I've just had them and they weren't bad for cheapo sausages.

I've just tried to pay for my road tax online but it wouldn't let me saying I had no insurance. After my blood running cold thinking I'd been driving for 10 months without insurance I remembered that my registration has changed but I hadnt told my insurers. Whoops! I'm amazed I've not been pulled by the police on their number recognition thing. All sorted now but I can do my tax for a few days.

£13 on led light bulbs.

Managed To Get a little shopping after school this pm. £30

I still have my old thermal vests but found that my arms were getting really cold a few years ago so had To invest (geddit?) in long sleeved vests too.

Sending £3.20 in To school Tomorrow so a classmate can Go on the school tríp. Her father passed away recently and while the school's insurance país her fees up To age 18 it doesn't cover any other costs. Mother doesn't work so can't afford things like uniform, books, tríps. This year I don't begrudge the £40 extra we contribute for fripperies because it's been unaimously decided To pay for this girl's things.

£35 at aldi today. Sorted for the week now I think. Tomorrow should be an NSD

Spent a couple of quid on postage today, have been flat out working so didn't have the opportunity to spend any money at all really.

Am cycling to my meetings tomorrow, rather than sending DH on the train so I can have the car, which will save a few pounds in train fare/extra fuel, and will mean I feel terribly virtuous.

I haven't gone thermal yet. I like to walk around with my dressing gown over my clothes and my hood up, like a Jedi.

Do we think it's fair to keep the heating lowish (18 generally, donor arctic) even though the DCs refuse to wear dressing gowns/slippers etc in the morning? They are 3 and 5 but I'm thinking that's old enough to put on a dressing gown if they're really cold. Every morning they turn them down! Am feeling a bit guilty though, like I should turn it up a bit.

Donor should be 'so not'

Surely if they were cold they'd put them on though?

turnoff The thermal tights in Asda I have bought are £4 a pair and they wash really well. I got the 100 denier ones.

Adora I would love long-sleeved thermal vests. I did have one a couple of years ago with short sleeves like a t-shirt but it wore out and I haven't seen them recently.

They have big tins of chocolates in our Asda - Roses etc for £4. I have resisted as I will only eat them if they are in the house. I think the idea is that you save them for Christmas .

Our idea, Monikar, is that the goodies get saved for Christmas. Asda's idea, otoh, is that we buy them now because they are cheap, can't resist them and then buy more sweets from Asda so that we actually have them at Christmas.

I'll need to get some more bits today but haven't quite got my head around it yet. DH is having to eek out cash in multiple directions. Not being an arse about it this time though.

I can't see now who has refusenik DCs, but you don't need to turn the heating up. Yes they are young but if you want them to get accustomed to putting on a sweater instead of living in a greenhouse teach while are still young.

Disclaimer. All the bloody supermarkets are the same it's not just Asda

long sleeve thermals can be found at M&S and also at Uniqlo (Heat tech). warm, and v thin yet it works. :)

Possiblyorange What about buying them each a hooded onesie to go over their pyjamas - I know, more outlay - but ds has a "bear" one from Dunelm mill and wears it all the time. He even wore it to Tesco last week! It's really cosy. Ds is 7 and his doesn't have feet but with littilies you could get ones with feet and save on slippers.

£10 on petrol but no personal spending.

possibly I'm sure children don't feel the cold like we do! My dc happily sit in just pjs while I'm wrapped up.18 degrees is fine, if they're cold they'll soon whine about it.

Couple of quid on playgroup and £1.40 on eggs as I promised I'd bake for Children in Need.

NSD! Amazing how now I've started keeping track realise just how many things here and there I buy, e.g could not resist a Gregg's sausage roll yesterday when nipping out for nappies on lunch break (Aldi rather than branded!)

Thanks CremeEgg, I was being extra careful with spending this weekend as it is so easy to overspend on a weekend away with friends. I have another one coming up in December which I know I'll need to top up Oyster for, and it's in a bar in Central London so drinks will not be so cheap. Question - how do all of you manage invites out, arrangements with friends etc? I don't mind sharing my financial situation with friends and perhaps declining on the odd pricey outing but sometimes I feel it's essential e.g. Best friend's birthday next week, invited out to dinner, really don't want to change plans but will still have this huge overdraft looming.

Have been rearranging our Direct Debits so they all come out at beginning of month - a small thing but will make us realise what we really have as available spending each month rather than a rough income/outgoings total.