Hiya, I don’t get much time to post in the week so tend to check in at weekends.
On YNAB, I didn’t even try it for 10 years as it seemed ridiculously expensive and I am handy with a spreadsheet… HOWEVER. Now I have i absolutely love it, not for the number crunching exactly but for the change in attitude it has brought about in me. That is easily worth the cost, it will make such a big difference to me (and I wasn’t stupid with money before but I was ‘generous’ with myself, iyswim)
I think it was Frugal who said she likes more detail - you can make it as detailed as you like! For monthly stuff I have as many buckets as I like and same for irregular payments. For instance, I have lines for all my annual and monthly subscriptions, payments etc (down to things that cost £25 per year), effectively you put aside 1/12 of the cost each month. It takes a while to level out because whenever you start with YNAB there will be some annual costs that are due ‘soon’ so you will have to pay those faster than you would once you are past them and saving up for the next year. But it is such a great feeling that once the bill comes around I am just taking it off a budget line that already has enough ‘credit’ in it. I have termly expenses for DD, for example, and they are now in place in advance. It will be the same when I get to home insurance, paying for holidays etc.
the main benefit to me will be to understand exactly where I am spending loads (food!) and to level out the lumpy spending so that I can hold myself to account more regarding regular savings. In the past I wouldn’t feel too bad if I didn’t save in a month with a big spend, but then wasn’t saving enough on the other months either to make up for it and was just frittering more. I also really like the interface. I’d advise setting it up on a laptop if you can and then use the app for small adjustments and checking on the go. And checking out the YouTube tutorials from Nick from mappedoutmoney - I spent an afternoon watching his tutorials and set it all up for there. You can try this with the free month’s trial and only pay if you like it .
I do exactly what BIg (I think?) says. During the month of March everything that has been paid into my bank accounts (including the joint account) has gone onto a line called ‘next month’s money’. I haven’t spent a penny of it. Come 1st April I will allocate all that to April’s spends and savings targets, and the money that comes in during April will be saved for May. It has take me a couple of months to get there but it is great.
anyway, enough of my gushing!
glad you are loving your trip Need. I’d probably feel the same about a nice knitting retreat 😂
Lovely of your DW to support you taking your time to recover muddling. She’s a keeper.
Nice to know so many people are in London - I didn’t realise Frugal was too! I am Zone 4, so between y’all.
Big I think you were right to complain about the eyelash stuff too - I probably wouldn’t but it’ll be annoyed with myself for not doing, YANBU!
Awful, awful week at work. Am really struggling with someone in a senior role who has got it in for me because of history… the person is being very unprofessional but I think it would be hard to prove. I’ve been losing sleep over it, sigh. Things are also getting trickier with DS at home and school, double sigh.
Mostly I am cooking this weekend, for a bake sale and a succession of visitors. It’s good distraction but has pushed the budget up this week! I am over on my food budget this week, need to rethink it for April. I used the pizza oven tonight to cook for some friends who came over, it was very decent! I think I’ve got the hang of making and stretching the dough but not quite how much topping to use to make it not too wet or dry. I’ll get there though!
We’re watching Smal Prophets at the moment. I loved The Detectorists, I thought it was absolutely brilliant and charming. This is a very similar vibe but I am not loving the homunculi in jars! I think they are really creepy and can only watch out of the corner of my eye, hence typing here while DH watches 😉😂