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

[CremeEggThief]

I agreed DS could spend New Year with his dad, so to facilitate this, spent a fortune on travel to and a meal at the airport, where he made his first flight as an unaccompanied minor. I also had a Starbucks coffee, while waiting for his flight to take off (parents have to stay until then), after he'd gone through security with the stewardess chaperone, and then spent another fiver on a Chinese for dinner, as I didn't fancy cooking. So altogether, just under £35. In fact, just under £45, if you include the emergency tenner I gave him just in case he needs a snack and water.

Off to cheer myself up with "Marple" now.

Oh and welcome to all the newbies.

[Possiblyorange]

We've got a freezer stuffed full of meat of various descriptions - the turkey went way further than expected so didn't have to cook half of my planned meals.

CremeEgg was your DS excited? I always wanted to travel as an unaccompanied minor.

We're moving house this week so have had inevitable spends on boxes etc (can never scavenge enough) but we have saved on van hire thanks to generous friends with a truck. Will only cost us a takeaway for them after we finish moving!

[CremeEggThief]

He was sort of excited, but he is a bit of a nervous flyer. However, there were 4 of them altogether, aged between 11 and (looked to be) about 16. I was surprised there were so many on one flight, but hopefully it was reassuring for DS.

Very best wishes for your house move.

[CremeEggThief]

Course you can, ohhelp . I would do the same, if I could afford to pay out in advance, rather than having to save up.

[thatgirloverthere]

Yesterday I was doing so well - didn't spend a penny and was convinced that today would be the same, however, I went with dh to drop our children off at grandparents, I had intended on a day at home getting on with housework, this didn't happen - we first stopped off at Home Bargains for Toilet roll, I managed to spend £32 and forgot to pick up the 18 rolls of Nicky Supersoft tissue. Did get toiletries, hay for the Guinea pig and some birthday presents for dd2.

We ended up in Bathstore where we purchased an entire bathroom suite, taps, shower, shower screen, and heated towel rail for £1278. No idea how this happened - but we did have money set aside for a new bathroom, so this hasn't interfered with our current account cash.

Husband is diabetic and was starting to feel a bit poorly (I think it was the fact he'd just agreed to a large spend rather than his medical condition so we went to Harvester for lunch, it was our first visit and I have to say I doubt we will be going back there, it cost £22, when we get a little bit of time without the children(which doesn't happen very often) it's nice just to relax and have lunch together

I'm sure I'll be back on track tomorrow - Asda grocery delivery is due between 9-11am, so no need to venture out to the shops, that should help.

[northender]

Had a good day out at football today. Tickets were £33, £1.50 on drinks and £40 on fuel but now have easily enough to get to Devon tomorrow. Dh took did out for a walk, they had a picnic lunch and spent £6 on drinks and cake.
Was annoyed with ds (12) though, I took sandwiches, crisps and biscuits with us to cut down spending. He then decided he wanted chips so I said he'd have to pay for them himself which he did. Its amazing the difference between him and dd in their attitudes to money. I know that she would have saved her money but hope he'll learn eventually.
Tomorrow should be an NSD. Have some clothes to collect for dd from M&S but they are budgeted for.

[Helenagrace]

Spent £6 yesterday on some bits for a picnic tea (Sunday tradition chez Grace - movie and picnic on a blanket in the sitting room). However our DVD player looks to be dead. Also dead is the kettle in our bedroom (we take insulated cups up each night containing milk and coffee and make coffee upstairs - we both run on caffeine!) so there will be some spends this week.

[Possiblyorange]

Felt like I spent loads yesterday as I finally gave in and bought a new pair of boots for the school run. Have needed them for aaages though, and school run will be much longer when we move. They're Timberlands so they should last well and can be re-soled. Plus I went through topcashback and got 7% cashback.

[Iamnotanugget]

I've audited the freezer and cupboards, if I get a few tins of tomatoes then I've got enough dinners to take us to payday. I normally do a meal plan for the month but I didn't plan for the last couple of weeks as we've had guests and I had no idea exactly what would get eaten/be left over. I only seem to have 2/3 lunches though so I will have to get some sandwich stuff.

I've left my contract and started with a Payg phone, saving £10 a month which I'm now putting on our mortgage payments. It's not a lot but playing around on mse shows you that it all helps.

North my dh and his dsis are like that. My dh will happily walk 20 mins to save 10p and if we eat out he has whatever is cheapest rather than whatever he fancies. His dsis though can't spend money quick enough. She has owned a home with her dh for about 12 years now and every year the mortgage goes up instead of down as they keep borrowing to buy stuff. At the moment it's still manageable but it won't be long before the bank says no and they'll in for a massive shock. They grew up in the same house house and their parents are very anti credit and rainy day saving so not sure why they are so different.

[Turnoffthelights]

Hello all! Really seems as if frugal resolutions are beginning early - January should be a good month!

Treated dpils to coffee and cake yesterday morning, £17 for all of us.

We are doing less driving than originally thought as dpils have put our car seat in their car. We still have £150 of petrol budget left and realised our big return journey is actually in January so if our half tank lasts til then we'll have come in at half budget for all the December Christmas driving!

[northender]

Interesting about your dh and his sister nugget. I will persevere and hope the message will get through eventually, but you can't live their lives for them, can you?

I forgot about our other win last night. When I got home dh was trying unsuccessfully to unblock the dishwasher. Anyway I dug out a big jar of pickling vinegar which was well past its best and a tub of bicarb, threw them in together, watched it fizz and froth, left it for an hour and hey presto, one unblocked dishwasher!

[Fluffycloudland77]

www.ovivomobile.com/ try these people for mobile phone sims, my understanding is that you pay £20 for the basic Freedom 0 tariff & there's no monthly top up after that unless you go over your minutes etc.

The catch is that when you browse the web you have to watch ads but considering I'm paying £7.70 a month at the moment I can live with a few adverts.

It should make the cost of my mobile £1.66 a month for the first year.

[TheOnlyMrsW]

Hello, please can I join?

Have been lurking for a little while but need to actively join in I think to make a real difference..........

Am at work today but when I'm back at home later will be making a freezer and cupboard list so that I can properly start to meal-plan. Our worst habit is not sticking to menus properly so really need to be good about that; also DH and I are planning to do the January Dryathlon which should save a fair chunk from our shopping bill! Hope to save enough in Jan & Feb to pay our holiday off early and then start to really put money off the mortgage - that's my aim for the year anyway!

[Possiblyorange]

Iamnotanugget I am planning a big freezer/cupboard audit when we move, and my mission for January will be to involve something from the freezer or store cupboard in every single meal. We have tons of dried beans, lentils, lasagne sheets, frozen meat, frozen cakes, frozen stewed fruit etc etc. We also have plenty of yoghurt, cereal and condiments. I'm going to try to keep Jan food shop below £75 a week on average, so £325 for Jan instead of usual £400 monthly budget.

[Fluffycloudland77]

60p sample bottle

£2 parking

£5 tin opener (I will learn not to give dh tin openers for work and expect them back the same night I really will).

He bought me a maccies to make up for it.

Welcome MrsW

[claretandamberforever]

Hello lurkers, de-lurkers and newbies.

Yesterday's spends
£3.01 - pop and sweets from Home Bargains before footy
£2.00 - Footy programme for DS2
£6.00 - Pyjama's for me (half price)
£2.50 - half price mint chocolates (nom nom)

Then, out of DH's bonus, I bought some new bedding. Definitely needed it, our duvet must be at least 10 years old, and the duvet cover was threadbare, so got a duvet cover set (£14 from Morrisons for a Kingsize!), new kingsize 13.5 tog duvet from the Range (£16.99), 4 new pillows (£15), new flat sheet (£7.99) and 2 new pillow cases (£3.99).

Today's spends
NSD (yay me)

So, today is the end of my month as pay day is tomorrow. Budget has finished like this....

Kid's activities: £60.15 remaining
Petrol Budget: £65.96 remaining
Food budget: £4.87 remaining
Everything else: £103.15 remaining
Grand Total: £229.26 to carry forward to next month's everything else budget and £4.87 to carry forward to 2014 Xmas budget.
DH's bonus: £623.03 remaining

Right, will start a January thread now, for anyone who has started January already

[claretandamberforever]

January thread

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1952069-Judicious-January-Jangling-Juggling-blows-budgeteering-bugle

[claretandamberforever]

Fluffy - 60p sample bottle?? Sample of what, may I ask my mind is bogging

[Fluffycloudland77]

Sample for a pre-med.

[CremeEggThief]

NSD. See you all on the new thread .

[claretandamberforever]

Fluffy - just a plastic sample bottle? Like you would do a wee in? They make you pay for them?

[ilovepicnmix]

NSD for me. Also first run in ages and first day back on 5:2. Very impressed with myself today.

Thanks for the new thread claret. I'll still check in here tomorrow as it'll still be December and I'm a bit funny about finishing things before I start something else. Which explains why im still using cheapo body lotion rather than lovely stuff I got for Christmas!