Trying well done to your dp
Fluffy & girlie we have spent more than budgeted for Christmas but it's because we borrowed from Christmas savings during the year. I'll tally it & we will save that amount weekly next year. We were putting away €55 weekly towards it since summer but not earlier in the year. At a rough guess for wood pellets, turf, and Christmas if we save €65 from week 1 we will have plenty. We haven't hosted guests that are staying here before either & we bought a new tree in January & new lights this month. I would like to save €80 so that €15 is there for emergency fund. Will see when I work out figures. I have ynab since April so will look at figures there.
I've been paying monthly for ynab, no discount that way though so yesterday I budgeted for paying for a years subscription next week using gift money. 10% discount that way!
It has definitely tidied up my finances so worth it.
I input my meter reading yesterday & my electricity bill is €60 less than last December. This is combination of switching suppliers & installing an covered outdoor line so that we don't use the dryer very much, weather has been milder too of course.
seacow I can highly recommend jools beef stew as a crowd pleaser, I always add extra veg & it doesn't suffer with less meat.
Recipee*
Fluffy I keep my Christmas & savings for yearly expenses in a rabodirect account, earns a little interest & I can transfer money back online within 24 hours if it's needed. It's an online only account. I used 30 day notice one year but you can't take advantage of a bargain mid year with it.
Snuggly it's amusing alright.
Ynab tells me I'm on target to paying off my 0% transfer cc on time. I intend switching my remaining cc to 0% when I have this one completed.
Joint account owes me money, I think when child benefit comes in on 3rd June it can go straight against my cc #2
I did bulk of wrapping last night when dc were in bed, dh was asleep on couch & woke up halfway through & helped from then on. I had brought everything downstairs so he brought Santa stuff back up to crawl space when I'd finished. I've a bit left to do this morning it's in granny annex of house next door so I think I'll head down shortly while everyone's sleeping & finish off.
Don't envy those who've been paid early & need it to last until end Jan. When I started first at this company at start of Christmas week you got holiday pay & wages together & had to try budget it until getting paid when back at work & that was hard enough. Our fc is paying our wages weekly as normal this year so that's a big help.
Going to put Christmas ham & turkey crown into the two slow cookers now too & full turkey will be cooked tomorrow.
Fluffy Internet shop all the way!!
As I was wrapping I realised 80% of ours was bought online.
I spent €50 on addresspal which is €3.50 per package but that was still saving money compared to buying in the shops & our post office needs the transactions to be viable so win win.
Must pay local property tax this week €225 & budget properly for it next year, like I did in 2015!
A local company here have sent a gang of men to U.K. To repair power lines from storm Barbara, the guys will earn €5500 for 5 days work, this is probably 8.5 times their regular weekly wage, but missing from their families for Christmas.