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.....

I think I just clicked past that, I can't remember how now

I'm cancelling in a few weeks too.

won't be an NSD today here again as have to get food in for the week - did £40 on dry goods and staples for next 2-3 weeks on Saturday, today is fresh stuff. Hoping not to spend more than £30.

Aiming for NSD tomorrow, Weds and Thurs.

ARRGGHHH despite my plan of a plan-free weekend, I caved and went into the City Centre yesterday for a mooch and ended up spending. This is a particular pattern of mine now, that everything always goes tits up the last week of the month.

Spends...
£20.00 - two pairs of school trousers and a pack of socks for DS2 who has now had a growth spurt.
£4.85 - fruit from the fruit & veg market (got loads, I couldn't believe how much. Ten pears for a quid! and the apples are lovely and sweet, not chewy and tasteless like the supermarket value ones).

£5.00 - pound shop spree; bubble bath, light bulbs, 2 x sets of headphones and some sweets for DS2
£6.45 - takeaway (not me, am SW friendly at the moment).

Budget looks like this...
Everything else: £96.23
Kids: £47.75
Food: £54.70
Petrol: £87.84

5 days to get through until pay day.

DH has been living off his betting winnings all month (plus some computer work he has done) so he hasn't touched his £190 'pocket' money this month. This has had the added bonus of next month's interest being a lot lower than it has been (woo). I think I'll put it 'to one side' for him as he is being really good at sticking to his budget and there's bound to come a time when he needs something. I think I might ask him to go halves on road tax though.

Hi everyone,
I read this thread loads - there's some great ideas on here. I'm sure I was reading in the bath the other night that one of you had a discount voucher for signing up to Tesco Delivery Saver?

I want to sign up for 6 months but am hanging on till I see if they're doing a voucher. Last year I'm sure they did 50% off.

Thanks!

It was mostly stuff you needed though claret. I think halves on car tax is fair for a shared car.

OMG I cannot believe what has just happened.

Was sat casually in the living room and DS2 screamed "MUM YOUR CAR IS ON FIRE!". I ran to the window and indeed my car was on fire.

Neighbour had seen it first and already had rang the fire brigade who came out and extinguished the fire. They say it was an electrical fault, the speaker in the door looks to have shorted, possibly some rain has got in (although he couldn't see anywhere that it could have got in) but definitely no foul play and it's a write off.

I've rang my insurance and everything all sounds very straightforward but nothing is ever straightforward with me so we'll see. A company will come and tow the car away within 48 hours and one of their technicians will look at it and then make me an offer. However for a 14 year old car with 150,000 miles on the clock I dont think they will offer me a lot. Plus I have a £175 compulsory excess. Also, I am sure I will have to pay the remainder of my policy (have paid 5 out of 12) and I will probably have a cancellation fee to pay. I bet I end up owing them money.

Oh god Clare that is awful! Nothing is ever easy is it ?! Hope your car insurance will get sorted quickly. Do you have a car or transport you can use in the meantime ?

Oh dear, that's pretty dire. I think you are right in thinking it will cost you money as well.

You just couldn't make it up sometimes. Do you need it to get to work?

Dh was on the phone to his bf once when bf said "omg dw where's the car?" His keys had been taken off the stairs using a fishing rod and they'd driven it away.

Claret [tbshocked]
Poor you! If nothing else this is a story that will go down in family history but I'm sure that's no consolation right now.

(just noticed the Scottish emoticons and I am Scottish after all )

OMG claret!

[tblush]

Oh

Fgs! I give up

Yeah, DH has a car. TBH we don't 'need' 2 cars. An extra car is (was) a luxury. I used to work 2 buses away which were always blobbing and we used to have to have 2 kids in 2 places miles apart at the same time hence the need for another car.

But fast forward 2 years, I now work 1 mile from home and there are only the odd Sunday with the kids clashing activities so it has been an unnessesary luxury. I have been saying that I would run this car into the ground and once it became unrepairable that would be it and I wouldn't get another one. I didn't expect it to be so soon though :-(

Anyway when I start my new job I would have been bussing it anyway because there's no free parking so at least I don't have to budget for petrol and bus.

It was a NSD here as had stuff in for a roast dinner, and just took DS to the park this afternoon till it started raining again

Starting off tomorrow by sending out my eBay sales from the weekend. Am taking lunch in to work so hopefully another no spend day as I have enough petrol to last me for another week at least.

Also found my DS money box he got given as a christening present and am planning on just putting pound coins in it whenever i have more than one so that I can start to save money to put in his account too. Anyone else got any ideas of little ways to save ?

£5 on a paint tester pot.

Ellis, do you mean saving coins or cost cutting generally?

Claret.

DH is being frugal, I'm struggling To Get my head around this peeps but he went out of the hotel for dinner and breakfast. $5 for dinner instead of $90. This is my DH I'm talking about

I'm not leaving the house Today so can confirm my NSD, Tomorrow I'll need something To deal with ants, the stuff DH put down hasn't worked.

Oh my goodness claret! I'm speechless! Perhaps a blessing in disguise, think of all that money saved from car tax, insurance, petrol, parking, maintenance etc...

Spent £17.70 today on shopping. There is about £10 left across all budgets for any emergencies and will definitely need to get bread and milk before Friday. Pleased il have come in within budget (hopefully) just a shame there has been none left over to save.

Adora have you asked him if he's ok? I'm quite surprised too.

By surprised I mean shocked.

Fluffy- anything really. Am doing the usual things of meal planning,looking at all bills taking lunch to work etc just wondering if there is anything I have missed I guess tricks to save without really realising it iyswim

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1600030-Small-money-saving-habits-petty-even

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/1543785-your-top-tips-for-money-saving-and-a-more-frugal-life

Try these threads.

£4.80 in aldi on milk, fruit and noodles. Noodles are about all I can manage to eat at the moment.

80p for a gift bag for a pressie.

Fluffy Nah, no need To rock the boat, eh?