Frugaleers Flying into the New Year All Welcome on the January Thread

[SpottyTeacakes]

New thread hopefully someone can add some old links?

[Ememem84]

need same issue here. Dh asked me to make sure he's up by 9. He's still sleeping that's what happens when you sit up until 330 gaming I'm not waking him. He has an alarm.

I'm off tomorrow and Tuesday. I know that he'll turn his alarm off and expect a lift to work. no lie in for me.

[lilacclery]

Yesterday I spent €9.33 on a topup shop & thinking that should bring us up to next weekend.
Hair cut wash & blowdry plus getting dds hair plaited €30

Today will be a nsd as will rest of week I think

[Oh2beatsea]

I've been checking in here a lot pre Christmas and after in an attempt to get to grips with our finances. My other half had to leave his job 2 years ago (health reasons) so we downsized our house and we are a lot happier but financially we are approx £1200 worse off each month. Although he is working he has only just been given a part time contract (was on zero hours until December) and that is also tricky as I was worried his health problem could reoccur at any time and he wouldn't be paid if off sick .
Another tricky issue for me is that he gets paid on the 15th of the month whereas my wages come in on the last day of the month. This month we have been really close to the wire and I was worried that we may not have enough in the bank to cover some direct debits. Anyway this long ramble has come about because yesterday I opened a letter from HMRC saying they owed him £4368 in tax!!!! The cheque was the next letter I opened.....yippee!!!
I can't believe how different it makes you feel just knowing that pressure isn't there. I feel I can plan to save for next Christmas now and we might actually be able to afford a weeks holiday at the coast this year too. Feel very lucky and very grateful it has come at this time.

[Ememem84]

Wow!! oh2 that must be a boost for you!!

I'm hoping that I can get my tax reduced this year. I hope this every year but it doesn't happen. Currently paying 17%. Sigh. I remember the days when I first started work after uni (10 years ago this year) when I was paying 4%. Waaaaaa

Have tax form to complete so must make sure it's done properly. Need me a refund!!

[SfaOkaySuperFurryAnimals]

Spotty- I think your boots are a great investment...
Needs - glad your pony is okay...your husband sounds like mine shame he didn't do it for you...
We watched the hobbit under 3 blankets with pot noodles and home made rocky road & yoghurt Saturday afternoon while the wind howled, it was lush
Made 4 tubs of veg casserole, spag vol and 18 Yorkie puds for the freezer yesterday, veg pasties and scones to be baked this afternoon. Cleaned freezer out this morning, reading some fantastic books from library too. The beetle still not 100% but if it doesn't rain too much he should be okay. Everybody seems to have had a spendy start, glad its not just me, I think we will pull it back in though. Farm foods came to 35.00 after the voucher, but I usually spend 50 in Mr M's so not too bad.

[JeepersMcoy]

need your dh is being childish and ridiculous. He is a grown man and should be able to get himself out of bed on time. For goodness sake, you aren't his mother!

Wow o2 what a lovely surprise!

I feel like we went a bit spendy yesterday, but should be a nsd today. We have left over pizza and salad bits for lunch and a chicken for dinner. I'm thinking of having savoury GF pancakes with the chicken and some veg for dinner, just for a change.

[Ememem84]

sfa agree. It's been a spendy start to the year.

Payday in 11 days. Cannot wait.

eBay items end tonight. So far 4 of my items have bids totalling £23. So am happy with that. Will relist the rest and see what happens.

[fuzzpig]

Not sure what today will bring, money wise. DH was going to take the DCs out but not really sure now due to the weather.

[Allgunsblazing]

Aiming for no more than £50 today

[Ememem84]

Aiming for nsd today. Nothing we need to buy.

I'm going to meal plan for next week and shop on Tuesday.

[Girlfriend36]

Figure you have made me feel a bit better about dds bday!

So far its cost
£160 for the actual party (for 8 kids horse riding party) this includes basic food as well.
£40 approx on party bags
£10 approx decorations
£10 approx 'other stuff' (invites, candles etc)
I imagine there may well be a few other bits i haven't thought of as well nearer the time!

Looking at your list I have saved a bit on the cake as going to try and make one, have asked my friend to do a cake topper which is going to be £4. Have spent loads more on party bags though. This is by the far the most expensive party dd has had but i think turning 10yo is a milestone! Next year will be back to a friend over for birthday tea and a sleepover

I am not in the best of moods as one of my neighbours must have been having a party or something last night, there was shouting and banging doors all night even woke dd up not impressed!!

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

Should just need a few bits from lidl today. Mostly whatever fruit and veg is on offer. Shouldn't imagine it will come to much more than £5-6.

I think I'm going to unreverse the penny challenge and do it the way it's intended. It's going to be difficult to use ynab to build up a budget for the rainy day funds and put £3 aside everyday. By December I'll have hopefully built up money in all the other categories and it will be easier. And I'll have a better idea of where I'm spending money and where I can cut back.

[CremeEggThief]

Should be an NSD here too.
Need, glad the pony is okay. It must have been scary!

Enjoy your Sunday, everyone .

[fuzzpig]

Seems sensible Rafa

I've not set budgets for anything yet, as we need to record everything for a month or two first. I really have no idea how much is achievable, although I can see from the spreadsheet that we do spend a sickening amount on food. It's silly isn't it - we try to keep the spend down when we do the Tesco order, but then if there's not enough for DH to take for lunch for example, he has to get something in Coop which ends up more expensive (he's quite limited due to being a coeliac, so can't just buy a cheap sandwich).

Anyway, DH's day out with the DCs is sorted - we looked at bus times for the town he was thinking of and it is ridiculous on Sundays, so he suggested a muddy walk to the local nature park and the DCs jumped at the chance. So should be a nice frugal day, they've taken a picnic although they might get a bag of crisps or something (again, this is the kind of thing I should allow for when ordering the shopping, as a multipack is cheaper!). Not sure if the animal centre bit charges during winter but even if they do, it's very cheap.

And the best part is, I get the day to myself :o lots to do though, must crack on.

[Pointlessfan]

oh2 that's amazing, I keep thinking I'll check my tax is right since going part time last year but I have no idea how to do that and I also worry incase it turns out that I owe them!

[SpottyTeacakes]

If dh's tax code has changed will he get a rebate or will it be 'paid back' (ie less tax taken) via his wages each month until April?

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

That's mostly the aim of the next few months fuzzpig. I'd like to start paying more than the minimum amount off the CC as well but I need to see how much I can afford before I set up a standing order.

[LollipopViolet]

Will be an NSD here today. My grandma went shopping this morning (oh the joys of living at home) while I did the hoovering and looked after my uncle. I've got the next 3 days meals all planned.

[lilacclery]

Spotty those boots to you are like gf foods to a coeliac you needed them & you will use them

My dh announced when I got up this morning he was going to his voluntary activity this morning which I don't mind but why couldn't he have mentioned it last night. This assumption that he doesn't need to factor in taking care of the children on his day off really irritates me.

Asked him yesterday before I did top up shop had he enough bread & milk, he said yes. We're on the last bottle of milk & ds still has a bottle of milk going to bed

Rafa have you been using Ynab long? I tried the trial this week but my figures didn't match up so will try again next week

Booty do you use reep rewards app?

[babsmam]

Fantastic oh2

[babsmam]

Let him get himself up need and em

[Oh2beatsea]

Thanks everyone. It's made me feel so much brighter knowing we can bank that tax money and have a safety net.
It did prompt me to ring HMRC to check if I was due anything back as I had worked all sorts of part time hours last year but I rang at 15.55 yesterday and they shut at 16.00!! Got cut off.
It is worth ringing to check. Not sure how they do the refunds - whether over a certain amount has to be paid in a cheque?
A quick (!!!) phonecall may give a very satisfying result!! Just what we need during a tight January.😊

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

Started playing about with it with a free trial in nov/Dec. But with Xmas travel and shopping, I was always going to overspend.

Started again properly with a Jan 2016 budget. You do have to keep on top of it or it gets slightly out of sync. Do you have the mobile app too? How far out were your figures?

[Oh2beatsea]

I was going to do the Penny in a jar challenge but thought I'd start it in reverse as December is always expensive!!! Then I realised how much I need to save in January to make it work and realised I couldn't afford that either!!! And I found working out how much to put in each day was becoming a bit complex!!!
Have looked at the final figure and decided to try to save £1.50 per day - feels more manageable for my simple brain.

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

It was adding the total up for January last night that made me realise that in my situation it was not going to work. I don't have £108 at the end of the month to save.

It makes more sense to pay of the CC first really.