Frugally Forward To Autumn

[Wolfcub]

New fred

£53 in Sainsburys, £7 in Pets at Home because sodding DFD have stuffed up the delivery for Ddog's food.

Wolf, your recruitment panel sound like total amateurs, and maybe you are better off not working where they can't get these basics right. But sorry, all the same.

Have just remembered an interview when I was 20, for an overseas scholarship, offered by my home LA. I was extremely naive, and rocked up expecting to answer questions of an academic nature, about my proposed research and why I was a good fit for that particular university. And I was asked things like what I thought of x politician (long dead) and how I would answer questions about the IRA. It was a nightmare! God, I hated the 80's...

Hi all, just a quick stop by, having a lovely holiday in Wales 😁 arrived yesterday. Steam train ride (and a new little toy train for ds in the train station gift shop) plus a cafe lunch today, so lots of spends! But all hopefully budgeted for.

Am documenting holiday spends in a note on my phone, have never done this before but we've not really had regular holidays since before ds when we were young free and easy and both worked full time 😂 we've just started going on holidays again since covid and having ds so want to get an idea of what's a reasonable budget for spending money etc to be able to work out how much I could do with saving each month (we have a monthly pot for holidays).

Hope everyone's having an okay week.

Hello cheese. I'm new to this and rubbish at keeping up! It's really useful though.

Bigskies i gave up snacking from the start of July. Its made a big difference, as that's where all the empty calories were going, about 500 per day 😳. I've lost 11lb since Jan but 7lb of those in July and August. Good luck with your plan.

Unexpected spend £30 on a scientific calculator for DS's college course. He has GCSE ones but he needed an engineering one. Returned a planner DD didn't need £9.99 back

Enjoy Wales Socathe we* *stayed in Snowdonia near Dollgelae last year. Beautiful country.

Still feeling rough. Early night again.

Nsd planned today

Here's my frugal win!

Last week I set up my own business. I have 2 clients and another enquired last night. I charge £30ph which is cheap for what I do.

Using any extra funds to save and overpay mortgage. There's no guarantee on what I'll earn from week to week but I'm so happy

Yay!! :)

Wonderful news collie

I’ve done no further looking but someone flagged this on the Christmas thread. I’ll look later but though some one might be interested

Great news Collie!

Ooh Life I've got that offer on the MSE email saved on my phone. Amazon Fresh offer used wisely this month. Will look at Bother this month. Eight days to payday 🙏

That’s great collie!

Just arrived in hospital so waiting to be told what to do next. It seems quite empty and quiet which I guess is a good sign for me being taken to theatre early.

I wrote out all my debts last night and DH will add his credit card and car loan to them sometime this week so we can track as a household. Hoping to be debt free by this time next year. My student loan is finally close to being going line (I was on the old fees of £1,125 per year so my loan was nowhere near as bad as kids now face) and I think it will be done by April which is really exciting.

I've given up on frugal spending this month as have an adult DS at home in between work and uni. he does contribute to the food spending but when its my turn its been shock after shock to spend £30 in lidl when I used to spend £10 or £30 every other day in Sainsburys. He loves cooking and its been great eating different recipes but i'm really going to cut back after I take him to his new digs on Saturday!

Plus I need new glasses as my eyesight has deteriorated so much and they now advise me wearing them for driving and TV too - £450 plus frames!! When the admittedly lovely young man explained we have frames from £60 to £600 you can guess which ones I went for . Also know I need to see a dentist but that also will be ££££££ so I keep putting it off which is silly.

Did get two new skirts from BHF on Saturday for work at the massive cost of £12.50 for both! Both lined, both smart and although the fit isn't perfect it flatters my current potato like shape.

Good luck Gen, thinking of you!

I paid off my student loan earlier this year and it saved me about £150 a month. It was the best feeling!!

The glasses sound nice Blobby! Hope you aren't in dental pain! X

Gen (())

Congratulations Collie, on your new business. May you prosper! I am in awe of those who do this, having been (mostly) in full-time paid employment with no 'side-hustles' ever (I don't count second jobs like bar work or periods between jobs when I've made ends meet through teaching/editing work). Friends of mine who have sought to translate their (very good) skills and qualifications into their own businesses have either a) taken years and years to build the business into anything like the equivalent of the industry average for what they do or b) given up long before that point and gone back into paid employment because billz.

Gen, that is exciting news about a specific end date for debt. Well done - and it's great the way you and your DH are pulling together. I think DH and I could use a bit of a financial summit to sort out some shared goals over the next few years. Something for the autumn, methinks (like the new chancellor's budget!)

I will try to catch up a little tonight but just a quick one to say I'm still around, but we were on a little hol away so not been on the thread. Those few days were spendy but I feel a good use of spends if that makes sense. Would rather spend less on rubbish day to day so we have enough to enjoy if we are holidaying etc.

Todays spends just about £5 on groceries at Asda, actually I was surprised when I saw the total as felt I got a lot for that amount for once.

Can anyone advise about tax codes, I've got a new job which atm is a second job, the tax code on it means I've been taxed PAYE straight away with no personal allowance, however I will earn nowhere near the personal allowance limit for this financial year, so it's wrong and I want that money back. I've raised it with the HR department and am awaiting a reply but I wasn't sure if I'd need to go to HMRC about this direct?

That’s a great way to do it, being frugal day to day to enjoy the fun things

Air fryer cake = nope

Do tax discrepancies get balanced out at the end of the tax year? I know new joiners would often get put on an 'emergency code', and that would usually be sorted out within a couple of months, but my experience of PAYE is dated.

My emergency tax came back at me with a £500 rebate! I had been on emergency tax code from January to April 2022.

I couldn't believe it when I opened the letter 🤣

Thanks everyone for your support re: self employment. It's very poorly paid after the professional membership and tax fees. But it's just nice to be busy :) it's the scariest thing I've ever done!

I'll still be on the lookout for a nice role as I do find WFH especially lonely.

Did the shop today for £60. Full of lots of tasty treats. A comment on another thread implied that those spending £60 a week on food live like peasants. Well, we don't. My shop included gin, beer and a whole tub of celebrations! Yum.

bigskies you need to call HMRC to ask them to share the tax free allowance between your two jobs. I don’t think your payroll departments can sort it for you, otherwise you will need to wait for a rebate at the end of the tax year.

Oooh big step collie, very brave. And brilliant news on the tax rebate.

that reminds me I must call Hmrc on my day off too!

If a job comes up Collie you can keep it as a side line, it’s good to be earning again
bonus on the tax rebate

With Real Time Information, where your employer submits all the earnings/tax/ni on line every month it should get picked up quite quickly. Then they send a new tax code to your employer and they pay you any rebate. If it's gone on for a while I'd give them a ring, they usually sort it out quickly if you get in touch.

Hope it's loads.

@WeightoftheWorld came on to say the same as @Timetoswitch - they can split your allowance. I’m finally home from hospital. Feeling like absolute crap.

Big hugs @Gensola , lots of rest xxx

I've been so tearful today! No idea what's up :/

Gen hope you feel better soon