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.....

ohhelp that's a good reminder. Martin Lewis says something about imaging the pennies being spent everytime you put your foot on the pedal. The other tip is to only half fill the tank so you're not using fuel up just from transporting all that extra weight.

Well I had a radical idea last night. Instead of renting, or replacing our rent with mortgage payments, we buy a two bed flat somewhere where it costs about 120k. We've got about that from inheritance and savings which we were going to use as a deposit for a three bed house somewhere "naice" but we're on a really low combined income for the next couple of years so don't think we'll get enough of a mortgage to afford it. I'm so tired of trying to make ends meet living in an overpriced part of the country and wish I could spend more time with my DS.

Anyone done anything similar? Lived somewhere smaller and cheaper (not where they particularly want to settle) short term until their income picks up? Is it worth it?

Should say I realise that we're v lucky having that kind of deposit but currently live in an area (near all our friends and family) where that makes no difference to being able to afford to buy anything more than a poky studio flat (and would still need a mortgage to do it!)

Thank you for the lovely welcome! Hoping that by having to confess my spending I can curb it!

Sigh it's been one if those days...

I got a NIP through the post fir speeding which will no doubt he 60 quid or more (stupid stupid sod)!!!!

Then I got a letter from school saying head lice are doing the rounds at school, and yup, you guessed it DD has them - so that's 14 quid to do us all with lotion tonight..

So what was going to be a NSD ends up costing things I haven't budgeted for.

Paid for ds' extended club for inset day £25. Other than that NSD. Interview tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Sounds like everyone's getting hit by bad luck just as we get to the end of the month.
at least virtual flowers are free.

Just heard from DP that his freelance assignment tomorrow has been cancelled.

ohhelp thanks - that's a good point. I'm terrified of getting a mortgage when things are so uncertain with our income and hate the idea of stressing over money to pay a bank who couldn't give a monkeys about us (rather than my rather nice landlady).

freelance I'm no expert but I would have thought you'd be better buying rather than continuing to rent. I bought my 2 bed flat when I was single and, although I still love it, it's not in the nicest of areas although the development is great. It's just me and DS here but there's enough room for us and I'm happy. I aim to move to a nicer area in the future and that aim certainly focuses my mind in terms of spending money.

freelance that sounds like an amazing plan! But will you have to move far to make it work?

Good luck with interview tomorrow NK! We've spent the weekend talking about future career moves, or more specifically me moving back to the job I was in before having dd rather than my lovely, albeit low-paid and career restricting, part time job so I might be the next one preparing for an interview!

Welcome expecting. Writing down / confessing spends has been a real eye-opener for me. Also working to budgets and having to account for over spends in one area to pay for another. E.g. I always used to think I was being frugal by setting a £50pw grocery budget as many people I know spend way more but actually if I spend less than that across the whole month I can afford to buy other things (such as upcoming, child-free, B&B mini-break!)

Well, shopped yesterday and by this morning had already run out of milk and butter - terrible planning! So £1.88 in Aldi, 75p on Gregg's sausage roll !

Best of luck, NK.

I wonder if we'll hit the magic 1000 posts by Friday? ?

Used the aldi voucher today so a £46 shop for £41. When sil was here last weekend we bought some bottles of beer that didn't get drunk so I took them back to Booths and got £10 back which was spent on some other bits. The meal plan is done for the next 2 weeks (after making a list of all the freezer contents) so all I should need to buy is fresh stuff.
We have a night out at the weekend for a friends 50th but no other big expenses coming up so hopefully we can have a good, frugal couple of weeks.

Ooh good luck NK. I hope you get the job.

£35 on new shoes. I only have one wearable pair & they won't be wearable for much longer.

I need new work trainers too but one of the sports shops will have something. I got 2% from tcb but quidcos offering 5% so I will apply for a price match in the morning.

So this gammy eye of mine that was getting better all on it's own, turns out I have a cyst in a blocked dúct. Oftalmologíst said it looks like my inmune system is coping Well as it seems To be self draining, which is nice. He thinks I should Get away without needing it drained.

Eye drops £20
Little 3M hot/cold thing To put on it £6
Dr. £85
Roads in and out 2.40

Now I have To whizz round tidying as agents have someone To view Tomorrow afternoon. I don't want To leave things for the morning. Place is genérally tidy, other than the colono of ants that have set up home in the kitchen.

Will catch up later when I have some breathing space.

Good luck NK, everything crossed for you.

Thanks ladies!! It's my current job but it's at a higher grade/pay... So fingers crossed. I have 3 others competing though (externals) and well, let's hope they go with the one who knows how this bloody place works!!

Good luck NK! And to everyone else getting hit by extra problems at the end of the month and let's hope this means February will be better !

good luck with the interview NK.

we need some good news to counteract the bad x

I am hoping for some good news at work - a senior member of staff told me this week that there is a chance I might be about to be offered a promotion. I might not hear for another 2 weeks or so and it still isn't decided by the management team if it will be a straight offer or whether I'll have to apply and go against other candidates.

Am trying not to obsess about it and just wait until I hear, there's nothing I can do to affect the process other than keep doing my job and keep calm!

Good luck NK, I might need some tips in a couple of weeks!!

Good luck NK and Aretmis. Hope it's all good news for you.

£17.66 in Tesco for bits and pieces. No more spending until the big shop on Fri.

Dd1 is 7 on Sat and is having a little party on Feb 8th and has requested I make the invites and party bags. She is so much more frugal than I am already!

Three more days until payday to get through. I went to Asda after I had walked DS2 to school and spent £5+ on spread, pop, water and some chicken. Although I was cross with myself as the chicken wasn't really needed.

Budget looks like this now:
Petrol: £87.84 remaining
Food: £24.24 remaining
Everything else: £85.23 remaining
Kids stuff: £45.65 remaining

Christmas fund stands at....£33.58 with 1 present bought. When I get my wage at the end of this month I'll buy a dear(ish) bottle of red wine to make it 2 presents bought.

Have read the meter and used about £215 with a rolled forward debit of £68, so I should owe them about £136 when my payment is taken on 1t Feb. They have put my direct debit up by £7 which I'm not going to complain to them about, I should hopefully catch up in the summer. Hopefully just one really cold month left to go - BRRRRR

Good luck Artemis and NK
DH has been paid today so after fuel, food, car tax and various bills, I have £100 left to see me through the next 3 weeks. That said my SMP starts next month and I was hoping to save some to put towards that.

£2.10 on cat food. Dh said I should buy branded cat food as he didn't like the aldi cat food I was giving him (the cat not dh) so now I have 4 cans of butchers choice leftover & I had to give the cat my chicken because he wouldn't eat his breakfast. I'll take them to pets at home for the local cat rescue.

I'm having a sausage dinner tonight now

More led light bulbs arrived today & tcb price matched quidco for my shoes.

ahhhhhh!!! just had my final tax return calculation through from the accountant, and it has gone up by about 400 quid more than the original one. Feeling a little bit dizzy....

How did the interview go NK I need to hear some good news!