December debt destroying *blows the budgeteering bugle*

[claretandamberforever]

Okay, so probably not much debt will be getting destroyed this month, but hopefully we won't add too much to it.

Here's the thread you want if you need to keep a spending diary somewhere, confess money sins, ask for help or have a general whinge at the cost of living.

Welcome to any newbies

Oh and £5.01 on a few bits, milk, bread, eggs etc to get us through to tomorrow's shopping day.

Went into town today used jl vouchers for free tea n cake shared one piece n wrapped the other n brought home!!

Afternoon at friends house n late lunch of bread ham cheese there. Children had fun playing which is always a plus

What lovely friends you have turnoff.

I did manage an NSD today and reckon I can avoid supermarkets until next weekend. I have my Christmas do on Friday and have borrowed a top from my friend to wear. I was tempted to treat myself to something new so I'm pleased I didn't. I haven't really bought any new clothes to speak of in a few years as I'm only recently back to my pre pregnancy weight.

Quite proud of myself as although I have spent it wasn't much. £1.98 on snacks & drinks for Saturday night and a few quid on treating Dd to face painting today. I also spent £4.80 on a couple of presents that Father Christmas is giving my ds at his plsygroup Christmas parties.

I have in my purse the exact money for entry for all of these parties. I'm really determined this month.

Whoever it was thst went to London. I think you fid exceptionally well and your friends sound lovely. Glad you had a good time.

Turnoff sounds like you have fab friends

NSD for me Today.

Very fab friends! But if I hadn't been encouraged by advice on here to be totally honest with them about my finances they would have been none the wiser. Really pleased I told them (not just for the dress and cocktails!) but because I realise that by being straightforward it's much easier to plan outgoings without feeling the pressure to conform.

Oh my goodness I'm traumatised by my Christmas over-spend. I really am attempting to be very sensible but it is just impossible not to spend if you want a turkey/tree/anything for DCs to unwrap (and they have under £100 each spent on each of them, including stockings). Still need to buy the nanny a present and get some candles, napkins etc for Christmas dinner table. Am going to scavenge a tablecloth from my mother's when we visit (she has tons) so I don't buy a crappy one which is a complete waste of money.

Turnoff I'm so glad telling your friends about your money situation has been a good move, it's a reminder for all of us that being broke isn't something we need to hide behind or pretend isn't happening.

DH and I need to sit down one evening this week and work out everything we need to spend in the next couple of months, as we're now moving the first week of the new year. Our costs will go down about £400 a month when we move (which doesn't mean we'll suddenly be rich, as our basic living expenses are currently more than our income, even with major frugality), but we have moving expenses, so think we'll need to take out a loan/overdraft extension to cover the deposit until we get the old one back and the odd bits we'll inevitably need to buy, and the shortfall in my earnings for the past month or two. Hate the idea of taking out a loan, but we basically can't carry on without getting into debt one way or another, and a loan is lower interest than anything else, as far as I can work out.

Possiblyorange we have decided to have chicken not turkey or beef which we usually have and will have a free range chicken rather than a cheap turkey.

Our rabbit has been unwell £150 vets bill yesterday n £100 today but hopefully all sorted he is 8yrs old n other than routine stuff only second vet visit was a tooth issue n has never had teeth prob before. Not insured as with an old rabbit excess on insurance plus mthly payment outweighs any benefits for us.

Bbq sausage casserole tonight enough for 2 adults n toddler plus my lunch tomorrow with freezer load for Same again

just checked freedom indoors n need to do one in garage but some weird combos for nxt mth i think

10kg bone in whole gammon being delivered tomorrow was £32 n order ages ago n husband will cut into lots joints

I have just made two claims to my ban- one was for PPI claim ( I didn't even know I had paid it) the other was for being missold a current account.

The bank uphelp my complaints on both issues - it took 2 weeks in total and they slipped a nice £3300 into my paws!!

turnoff you must have been a good friend if they did that for you.

£8.43 today in the bodyshop after cashback for two hand creams and a free face cream delivered for free. The codes 19809 for free delivery over £5 and 50% off, ends tonight.

I've been looking at the cashback apps for groceries, I think we need to get on this because it seems like you can get free food on some items. I need to research it more though.

Hotukdeals reckon a £5 aldi voucher will be in The Sun this Wednesday, valid until the 24th December.

Msmiggins that is amazing!

Today I have spent £10.05. £4 on choc and sticker books from pound world and then £6.05 on lunch out.

Tonight I need to do my cards so I can catch the second class post. I hate writing cards.

Thanks for the tip off re the aldi voucher fluffy. I have one in my purse valid till xmas eve but am wondering if I should do two shops and really stock up. I am finding these vouchers a bit addictive.

Do it of you have space. No point wasting £5.

*if

possibly just get yourself through Christmas -you need to enjoy it and keep it as low-stress as possible, especially as you're moving first week of January! Is everyone in agreement that December is the worst month for being frugal? Yes! You'll get yourself back on track in the new year / new house. You've probably saved loads on previous years it's just that it seems like more because you're keeping track.

Ok, December tracking...
3NSDs
Petrol: £90 spent, £210 remaining
Groceries: £63.45 spent, £136.55 remaining
Misc: £28.15 spent, £71.85 remaining
Childcare: £0 spent, £300 remaining

Feeling like I've cheated a bit as I used own account for London weekend. I do keep about £80 of my wages a month for personal spends, phone, presents etc. from January I will track personal spends as another budget.

Thanks turnoff. I know realistically I'm being more sensible than in the last, just can't believe how much we must have spent in previous years!

We have a viewing on our current house tomorrow. Fingers crossed it goes as the sooner a new tenant can move in the less rent overlap we have to pay.

I'm one happy bunny tonight.
Had insurance and breakdown renewal quote - £575!.
Went onto Top Cashback and got identical cover for £340. With £50 cashback.
What's not to like?

Well done. Nearly half price!.

Too tired To catch up, will do so Tomorrow. Spent Today, horrendos amount.

Couple of quid on playgroup yesterday, planning to do the same today. Sainsburys had a few reduced bits so I spent £10 I didn't need to but I've topped up my gift cupboard for parties that dc get invited to so saving long term.

Ohhelp, thanks I'll look at petrol, we made all the 'big' savings ages ago but as I keep trying to explain to dm, if I shave £5 per month off this bill, £7 off that and £2 off the other then over the year we've got enough for a small family holiday. So every little does help.

Just realised my last post didn't actually post!

Going ok here. I am resisting the Christmas twitch. I looked at the Christmas present piles yesterday and thought they looked small. Then I remembered that the children have got a kindle each so of course they looked small as last year they had lots of tat more, smaller presents.

Had a few NSDs and my lunch out on Saturday cost much less than I expected.

It's the outlaws golden wedding on Saturday. They put "no presents" on their lunch invitations. I really hope they meant it!!

Hello all! I can't seem to get near the laptop to post these days!

Have spent loads on groceries this week
£14.42 in Morrisons on Saturday
£72.84 in Farmfoods yesterday (I actually remembered to take my vouchers with me and saved £7.50 as it was over £80)
£22.74 in Tesco yesterday
£12.00 - secret santa present in Next (and they ripped me off as I bought a small gift box at £1.50 but it went through the till at £2. It's too far to take it back just to complain at 50p)

But I won't have to buy any main meal / snack food until pay day, will just have to do top-up shops, pop, milk, cereal that kind of thing. I also bought my Christmas meat and although I spent a lot, it cost less than a turkey crown would have done (£9-sum on a 'finest' gammon joint which was half price, and £6-sum on a half leg of lamb which was yellow stickered). I'd already decided we weren't having turkey this year anyway so had to act quick when I saw those meaty bargains.

So, budgets are:
Kids stuff: £110.45 remaining
Groceries: £58.80 remaining
Petrol: £95.96 remaining
Everything else: £202.65 remaining

DH then reminded me his mouth might be in too much pain to eat on Xmas day due to his biopsy so he's asked me to go and buy some boil-in-the-bag fish in parsley sauce that he might be able to manage with some mash.

2 weeks exactly to payday. My bosses have told us that they're not paying us before Xmas this year which is okay by me but a few of the others are fuming. It also means we get our Christmas bonuses after Christmas.

DH has been told his Xmas bonus will be paid in his next wage but hasn't had a wage slip yet so no idea how much it'll be. I'm hoping it will be enough to have paid for the Christmas presents that I've put on the credit card. Only a few more presents to buy this year. The kids pile is scarily small to say how much I have spent!

Working til 8.30pm tonight as I volunteered for some extra hours, and 6.30pm tomorrow but it means with the extra hours I can have a full day off before I leave. Still haven't had my vetting passed and although they did tell me it would be 4 weeks I still can't relax. I'm holier than thou when it comes to character and family members but it's the financial stuff that I hope doesn't hold me back.

Have a nice day y'all