Judicious January Jangling & Juggling *blows budgeteering bugle*

[claretandamberforever]

Sorry, couldn't resist going overboard on the J's

Happy new year y'all. Welcome to expert budgeteerers, newbies, lurkers and de-lurkers. We're a very friendly, non-judgmental bunch so please use this thread as you choose whether it's as a spending diary, to confess your money sins, ask for help or have a general whinge at the cost of living.....

Bought a late Christmas present - budgeted 20 from B and Q for spring bedding, bulbs, etc and spent 15 and got LOADS because so much was on sale so spent the difference buying Thomas wallpaper (massively reduced) for wrapping paper and a lampshade for DS

Well yesterday was spendy, one of those where money just seems to fritter away. Money spent on car parking and food for dh and dd despite my efforts. We went out for drinks at night with friends to our cricket club which technically was unnecessary but I'm glad we did iykwim.
adora how's your eye? Hope you get it sorted quickly. Your healthcare costs really add up don't they? Dd's audition went well, thanks. It's for a part in Annie with a local theatre company. She's done very small scale am dram before but nothing like this. She got through the first and second rounds and has to go back this afternoon for the final session. We didn't expect her to get this far and are now panicking somewhat about the commitment involved if she does get a part but also v proud

Hello all

Haven't been on for a few days.

Budget looks like this...
Kids activities: £113.15 remaining
Petrol: £154.34 remaining
Groceries: £133.55 (EEEKKKK)
Everything else: £331.50
Christmas Fund: £14.74 cash / 1 present

DS2's birthday plans have changed since I last posted. He has now been invited to a birthday party on the day that we were going to go to the away match so he wants to go to that instead. He also doesn't want his own Futsal party (phew) but he does want a party...

Christmas fund is now up to £14.74. DS2 found £1.05 in my glove compartment and I also got another Asda voucher for 36p (woo). I'm also doing 2 paper rounds today which will add another £8.

I'm also considering buying a new sofa. We will be using DH's bonus to get a new carpet and redecorate (a feature wall only) but I saw a lovely sofa yesterday in Harveys. However, how well do you think this one will wear

www.harveysfurniture.co.uk/products/hot-offers/collections/lullabye/lullabye-right-hand-facing-standard-back-corner-group.aspx

Do you think it will go saggy quickly? Will the cushions lose their plumpness. Unfortunately it only comes in light colours. I've been longing for a corner sofa forever. I think it's 3 years interest free credit and they've quoted me £1500. We've had our current sofa for 11 years and it still looks good, so this would be a want and not a need. I'm not sure I want to saddle myself with an extra £40 a month though but the current set up we've got (1 x 3 seater, 1 x 2 seater) isn't suiting us anymore as DS1 always wants to sprawl out on the 2 seater, leaving DH and I to sit on the 3 seater and poor DS2 ends up on a bean bag. DH also seems to fall asleep on the 3 seater and if that happens I'm left with nowhere to sit and end up on the floor. We'd be getting the corner sofa and then a 2 seater. I might put up my income and outgoings later to see if there is anywhere I can save £40 a month.

Adora it was the Assam. Couldn't bring myself to serve sainsbos smart price. You have a job keeping his feet on the ground you really do.

Morning just made a chicken gammon n mushrooms savoury crumble for dinner tonight used the chicken n gammon frozen from xmas. Huge crumble so should do two meals for the 3 of us.

Had new carpets fitted to hall stairs n landing no cost to us after months arguing with carpe fitters they were cut short n them saying issue with actual carpet manfacturer came out said no cut to hort eventually got md out from fitters n he agreed to replace n continue his argument with manfacturer without us being caught in middle any longer -

Claret corner sofas look nice but not practical when have people over seems little close for comfort to each other we had one in old house due to space available n now in new house have them as 2 x 2 seaters - we searched for ages for a 4 seater one with arms on either end nor chaise lounge style n proper sofa backs not all cushions as feared same as u would get all squished n lose shape.

Ours was £700 n 7yrs later still in great condition.

Adora- hope the eye improves. I take it you are not in the UK?
Freelance- I love a good bedding bargain. I got an amazing quilt cover set with cushions, pillowcases and sheet from the argos outlet store on ebay- I was smiling all day :-)
North- fingers crossed for the audition!
Claret, I inherited a lovely leather corner sofa with DH, the only problem is that the two seats we sit on are going now and the rest of it is immaculate. I agree that it is a bit cosy though when people come round. I did keep my old two seater sofa that guests seem to sit on instead lol.

NSD yesterday for me but after a big row with DH last night we need some quality time today so going to put more petrol in the car and do some geocaching on the moors.
Going to have one of the bargain Iceland turkey joints for tea tonight, The rest of the week is looking ok for spends really.

Adora, last time I had a stye it cost £15 . It itched like hell when it was healing too.

99p on an led candle (cheaper than burning the house down with a real flame)

£20 on lord knows what, dh has gone shopping for wood & nails. My jokes of "that's nice wood" are lost on him.

Thanks to all for the washer advice, all degunged now! NSD so far today and not planning on leaving the house as it's foul outside! Will be spending most of the afternoon in the kitchen getting ready for next week...........

So budget is looking decidedly ropey now. It isn't a shock as we knew the combination of being paid early in December and over-spending at Christmas would cause problems so I guess we have to just face it now!
A few things we had on Ebay finished last night and made about £30 minus around £4 for the postage I hope.
We have food to last until Friday on the meal plan but not sure what we're going to do after that! We don't get paid until a week on Friday. We'll have about £30 I think to buy food for next Saturday - Thursday. I can do it but it will be tight! Luckily the kids never have any idea when things are tight, we make sure of it. Everything for them is paid and all bills are covered, it's just food and any extras. We both have enough petrol/diesel until pay day hopefully so won't need to cover that.

Blueandwhite no, we're in Latín América.

Fluffy I'm thinking of some lead boots. I haven't tried Twinnings Assam. T'is mucho expensive here so I hardly ever splurge despite my liking for some of their teas.

East glad you got the carpets sorted.

Abby I think someone Linked To a thread for using up left overs, few pages back. Might give you some ideas To stretch things úntil next pay day.

North Well done To your DD, and good luck for today's round.

NSD number 5 today. Will need bread tomorrow and I need to book a shop for later in the week. I couldn't get a Sainsburys slot last week - wish all those "I'm going to be really organised and do my shopping online" NY resolutioners would slide back into their old habits!

Budget looking ok this week. Get paid in 12 days. I have most main ingredients for meals until then.

Made slow cooker soup out of some suspect looking mushrooms - will do nicely for lunches this week!

checking in with a bang! I spent like a crazy person over Christmas and now have no money at all until pay day on 25th Jan. All bills are covered, and have food in w/ meals planned until the 22nd Jan so it won't be too bad but feeling so annoyed with myself

DH and I did no gifts this year to save money and then I blew it all by going mad in the sales!

On the plus side, with freezer and cupboard foods we have plenty to last until payday, so hopefully no emergencies will occur or DH will have to bail me out.

Adora - hope you feel better soon.

NSD! Surprise really coz we usually end up with spending on the weekend. But today we didn't spend any.

Happy work week ahead everyone!

I'm glad no one has said No! No! No! to me, cos we've gone and bought the sofa. I 'think' I got quite a good deal as everytime I ummed and aahed the salesman knocked me something off. It should have been £1733 and I've got it for £1440 (48 payments of £30) so will have to start proper frugalising again. It's 1 x L shaped sofa, and 1 x 2 seater sofa. DH is going to order and pay for the new carpet tomorrow.

Other spends:
£12 for DS2 to go to the Panto with school
£4 for DS2 to enter an athletics comp
£5 for DS2 for a hair cut.

I am of the new sofa! I would loooove a corner sofa. We are a very snuggly bunch and frankly we don't have the space on our current (freebie from a friend) one! Our living room is far too tiny though so it's on the "if we move somewhere bigger" list (along with a trampoline and a dishwasher :o)

Delurking to tell claret we have a three seater and a cuddle chair in this range and its lovely, so very comfy. I plump everyday and they seem fine. Though we have only had them since June so I would expect them still to be firm.

Great advice in this thread and also very inspirational in stopping me spending everyday.

Hope you feel better soon, adora.

£14.33 in Tesco.

Dosey - you have made me very happy with your delurking and positive comments about my new sofa :-D

NSD today but then I only stepped outside to go to the bin.

I've got a big jar with coppers in it whichI counted today. £5.70 in there. Im going to swap silvers everyday, to use the coppers up, and then I'll have effectively earnt £5.70 if you see what I mean.

claret I like the sofa. Looks v comfy.

Claret most people who come round always comments how comfy it is and it's snuggling on dark cold nights!

Now I have delurked I will confess my situation. I get paid on 27th of each month and so far I have seven no spend days. I was doing so well in keeping within my budget this month but as usual things crop up. Need two new tyres on my car which I am budgeting for. But the brake pads on my bike have gone. I am currently dragging my feet on the road in order to stop, so because me and DP are really bad at mending stuff I will need to take it to the bike shop. Also the blower switch in my car has broken so I have no heat in my car and can't clear the windscreen when it's cold. I have no idea what this will cost to mend. And dd's rainbows fees have sneakily cropped up this month which I didn't budget for.

I have however done my first shop at Lidil this week. I spent £15 on pack up stuff for the week, I usually spend £30.00 in morrisons but due to been more careful with my spending and discovery Lidil I managed to cut it in half. Long may it last.

Thank you for reading!

Welcome dosey I'm guessing you're talking about a push bike rather than motor

Yes my push bike!

How many people is the pack up stuff for Dosey? I've had to start sending DS2 for school dinners as I reckon I am easily spending more than £31 a month on stuff that the school deem healthy enough yet stuff that he will actually eat. He really likes school dinners and getting a pudding.

Free veg

Sort of.