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Original poster

Manic Money Monitoring March continues

247 replies

lilacclery · 25/03/2015 12:12

First time doing the thread! Feel very important Grin

Wages were up last week & down this week but I wasn't spendy so accounts look ok.

Yesterday & today are nsd as will tomo & Fri too hopefully. Away at weekend so food out is essential, dinner & acccommodation for sat & breakfast Sun morn is already paid in advance.

Will fill in spends from last Fri to Mon later
peonies I'm reading Marie kondo at the moment

OP posts:
SpottyTeacakes · 27/03/2015 18:06

I've just booked DD's birthday party! I don't have to pay until a few weeks before. She's doing a pizza express party they cap it at 15 people which is a bit of a pain as there's 16 in her class plus her best friend. It's highly unlikely they will all go though isn't it? It's £11.95 a head and all I'll need to do is party bags and a cake so I'm happy with that. Takes the stress out too.

Fluffycloudland77 · 27/03/2015 18:10

Spotty, I've cried at work over patients being vile to me. People are horrible. But, there ought to be zero tolerance to bullying & abusive behaviour in the practice because they have to protect you from harm.

No choccy biscuits for that gp next time. Rich tea for him.

Slightly stale ones.

Binglet · 27/03/2015 18:12

I've dropped off thread for a while and managed to overspend by about £100. Sad Have halved our food bill and am going to attempt to spend £30 a week on food to try and claw some back. I shall be baking bread so thank you ladies for your recipes. I will come in under budget this month! Got paid today, spent £19.91 in asda on toiletries that were very much needed. We've been living off xmas gift sets for a long time. I finally have nice shampoo and DH was very happy to see his Lynx again. Spent £27 in next on baby stuff for DD as we realised she literally has no clothes other than the mega cheap stuff we send her to nursery in. Luckily had a £20 voucher from xmas so actually only cost £7. Also spent another £10 in bodycare as the shower gel we like was cheaper and picked up some infacol and Teetha granules for my friends baby shower "essentials" hamper I'll be giving her at the end may. And £5 in the poundshop on little presents for my mums "50 presents when you're 50" at beginning of May. So all justified. Trying to sort presents early so I don't end up spending more panic buying.

CaptainSubtext · 27/03/2015 18:13

Oh Spotty what a horrible madam, I don't think any sane person would side with her on that!

Hmm, birthday parties. I was kind of disappointed that DD didn't want a pizza party last year! (Went for rock climbing instead though which was great)

I need to figure out what we will do for DD this year (late June so no rush, although I should learn from last year's mistake with procrastinating!). While DD was still at school we thought we might take her BFF to a play and dinner nearby. However now she is homeschooled and is already making a heap of new friends! Which is fab of course. I'd like to do a more proper party but I'm not really sure if I could 'safely' mix the two groups IYSWIM? Aforementioned BFF is somewhat, erm, overbearing (absolute NIGHTMARE last year, her other two guests got a bit left out :(). But can't really manage the expense of two events! Confused

CaptainSubtext · 27/03/2015 18:26

On another note. I'm a bit concerned I may get a flaming for this but really want to share my news!

DD started brownies recently and we didn't bother finding out about the upcoming camp because we knew we couldn't afford it this year (if there were even places left). I got a phonecall today saying that they really want DD to go. Another girl has dropped out and the parents accept that it's far too late to get the money back, and the place will go to waste otherwise. So... DD can go... for free Shock Shock

I'm so excited for her! Needless to say I have been asked not to mention it to the other parents because quite rightly they will be annoyed :( but I really wanted to share. Can't believe our luck! Blush

SpottyTeacakes · 27/03/2015 18:38

Oh captain I feel your dilemma there. I would feel guilty and excited!

Not sure what you could do RE the party. I just wanted the least stress possible as you can all tell I don't cope with stress well Grin

The ridiculous thing is I know the doctor told her off he's our head partner and won't take patients being rude to us plus another Dr was there and spoke to him before he saw her. She just came out to show off and pretend that she had got her own way and act all smug. The Dr did come and give me a hug and ask if I was ok.

Fluffycloudland77 · 27/03/2015 18:41

I'm glad the Dr stood up for you. Choc bics are back on the menu.

Subtext, when someone puts something free in your hands take it. I'm glad your dd is going, she'll love it.

Fluffycloudland77 · 27/03/2015 18:44

£10.80 takeaway.

Pointlessfan · 27/03/2015 19:01

NSD and payday - hooray! First proper pay cheque for a whole month and minus childcare vouchers since I went back so I finally know how how much my pay is. That will help us to budget better.
Also broke up for the holidays today - yay! Annoyingly left DD's nappy cream at nursery and she has a really sore bottom at the moment so I'll have to buy some tomorrow for the weekend.

girliefriend · 27/03/2015 19:45

Spotty Angry on your behalf, I have had my fair share of shockingly rude patients and relatives before, it is so unnecessary as we are all trying our best!!

Pay day today - thank God!!

Paid my friend for my share of our holiday £140.
£1 for adds school easter egg hunt
£6 fish and chips for dinner - I didn't finish work till late and was starving Grin

Managed to get my millage and overtime in on time for once, so that will be nice at the end of April.

No work for a week - woo hoo Grin

Passthecake30 · 27/03/2015 21:00

spotty what happens at a pizza express party? Do all the parents leave?

£22ish top ups as we have rellies round, £135 new glasses. Sorted life insurance and critical illness cover as my work benefit doesn't cover enough imo.

NK5BM3 · 27/03/2015 21:01

Glad the dr stood up for you. I had an NSD. Really glad it's Friday. Made homemade sausage rolls for dinner.

Will do shop, have to collect dry cleaning, buy some travel shampoo and stuff for trip to Brussels. And get this, there's a transport strike on Monday in Belgium. Lovely. Angry

CremeEggThief · 27/03/2015 21:08

Not on at all, Spotty. Hope you are feeling okay now.

Have a great holiday, Girlie and DD Smile.

Spends for today: £3.30 travel and about a tenner treating DS in Costa (excellent end of term school report) and water.

I found out a few days ago it might be a lot easier to get a council house in my area than I'd thought. I've been on the list for over a year, but not pursued it, as I love our house, housing benefit covers about two thirds of my rent, we know people in the area and the location is brilliant. That said, at the age of 37, the security of social housing is becoming more appealing. So tonight I bit the bullet and bid on three houses, that I am between 1 and 4 in the queue for!Shock It is the right choice, isn't it?

LaChatte · 27/03/2015 21:14

Spotty , just imagine she had to be seen for something really unpleasant (some kind of sexually transmitted disease for example) Grin , I mean it is totally possible isn't it?

SpottyTeacakes · 27/03/2015 21:19

Creme just check the tenancy on them I'm not sure they do long term assured anymore. If I couldn't buy (which we will never be able to) then I would hate to private rent forever. It's so expensive. It's bad enough paying £500 a month for something that'll never be yours but paying £1200 a month for forever would be awful. Plus your hb could get cut in the future.

At the party they make their own pizzas. Parents will leave but dd will be five so it's the norm.

Thanks I'm not feeling better I still want to cry and keep going over it. Ridiculous. Blush

CremeEggThief · 27/03/2015 21:22

Yes, Spotty, I have been private renting for nearly half my life nowSad, so that's why I'm leaning towards social housing now. Up here, most social housing is under £90 a week!

SpottyTeacakes · 27/03/2015 21:24

Our rents £120 a week but the newer ones are more like £180 a week, they're called affordable housing rather than social housing Hmm

CremeEggThief · 27/03/2015 21:32

If I get one, I'll be about £170 a month better off, in my present financial circumstances, which would make a big difference as we live off £420 a month for everything except top-up rent, bills and DS' s travel pass to school (£370 for those).

Fluffycloudland77 · 27/03/2015 21:43

Would you eventually qualify for right to buy? Creme? LA homes are usually very well built.

Iamnotanugget · 27/03/2015 21:44

That's great news captain, just accept some good things are coming your way at present. Your dd will have fabulous time. I loved going away with the brownies many moons ago.....

Not such good news for you nk. I hope the situation changed before Monday for you.

spotty some of the public are just horrid. Glad you got support from the Dr.

CremeEggThief · 27/03/2015 21:49

Possibly, Fluffy, if I ever get back into full time work, but even in a cheap area, it will be tricky taking a mortgage on by myself in my late thirties or even forties... Still, it is a small possibility.

girliefriend · 27/03/2015 22:23

Creme are they council homes? If so then yes would be the right thing to do, I am in a council flat and the benefits are it feels like your own home, within reason you can do what you like to it! No risk to your tenancy as long as you pay your rent and don't annoy your neighbours, rent is a lot cheaper than privately renting and if anything breaks the council are pretty good at getting it fixed.

CremeEggThief · 27/03/2015 22:36

Yes, Girlie. I love my house, but the insecurity of private rent has really started to bother me recently.

AdoraBell · 27/03/2015 23:03

I would Go for it Creme.

NSD, yay, but will need To spend a bit over the weekend. School are collecting donaciones for people in the North of Chile and need non perishable food and sanpro for Monday.

SpottyTeacakes · 28/03/2015 07:05

Is it wrong that I'm excited to do my end of month budget? I do it the last weekend of the month. It does mean that may will be a five week month but my budget planner for food and petrol is based on weekly spends not monthly so should work out anyway.