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Original poster

Money Management Boot Camp ..... anyone interested?

390 replies

Twiglett · 18/09/2007 13:33

OK the house of twig has been overspending drastically in recent months, so I'm about to start sorting it out again (took my eye off the ball you see)

I know we do style and healthy living makeovers on here

Anybody want to join my Money Boot Camp? Get control of your money and stay in control?

NB this may be well over my head though but I'm pretty good at this normally

sign-up if you wanna try .. we could start next month?

OP posts:
Original poster
Twiglett · 23/09/2007 10:37

remortgage guide from Martin Lewis' excellent site moneysavingexpert

OP posts:
SleeplessInTheStaceym11House · 23/09/2007 10:39

oh i know what i was going to ask you ladies. if i do an internet shop when do i pay for it?

ie. if i order it today will i pay today? or wil i pay the day its delivered or what?

dh doesnt get paid till fri so need to pay after payday!

chocolateteapot · 23/09/2007 10:44

Right, have bookmarked that so will use them next time, thank you. They started hiking the fixed rates just as we were doing them which was a pain, but am just relieved it is done so we know where we are for the next two years.

Stacey, I think you pay the day the shopping is delivered but can't be 100% sure. If you are using Tesco don't forget to have a look round for money off codes, there are a fair few about.

puffylovett · 23/09/2007 11:44

i did own mortgage shop and turned out that First Active (who we were already with) were the best deal. Then out of interest got the Hanley Building Society broker to do a search for us, and she came up with the same mortage.

WE're oin a fixed rate for 2 years. They're very good, no hidden costs.

Should I put my sunday newspaper delivered down in todays spends, or just put in the total when i pay for a month or so's worth ?

we did the budget and we're £12 in the green per month - but that's based on what things SHOULD be and we've got a credit card bill that's creeping up again ! yikes I'm cack at money management.

where's the cheap meals thread ?

Theclosetpagan · 23/09/2007 11:52

Does anyone have a link to a good meal planner?

puffylovett · 23/09/2007 12:14

just 'bean' through all my vegetarian cookbooks. off to try and do a cheap online waitrose shop... wish me luck !!

meal planner would be a great idea. maybe there's a busines opportunity !

puffylovett · 23/09/2007 13:13

Can i have a gold star please ? kept my shop to just about our £60 limit and even did a meal plan for the week.

been arguing with dp about it all though, he's been banging on about saving money for months, and now i'm doing something about it, keeps chucking sarcy comments my way.

i must say, it does help to have other boot camp members to do this with !

unknownrebelbang · 23/09/2007 13:39

Just been to Tesco and been fairly sensible, but I did buy a blue blazer which was reduced to £6, on the off-chance it might be needed next summer.

It will get used occasionally, but isn't an essential item unless this trip takes place next summer - I had to buy one for one of the other boys this summer and it cost me £20 from M&S.

Was I justified??

unknownrebelbang · 23/09/2007 13:41

Oh, and I've filled out the budget-planner.

Discussed with DH what we're doing, and will be telling the lads later that we're cutting back, so that they know not to ask for stuff, or at least will understand more when we say no if we have to.

popsycal · 23/09/2007 15:04

I have written down everything I have spent for the last three days.....

Celery · 23/09/2007 15:15

Just been doing some research into remortgaging to cover CC debts, and it IS viable right now, and it looks like we will probably be able to cover the debts and have a lower payment each month ( although we will have to go back to having a 25 yr mortgage instead of a 23 yr one that we have now ).

This is a huge relief - I wasn't sure it was going to be possible with us moving next year ( I thought it might tie us in here for a couple of years ), and it will free us up several hundred pounds a month.

I know, mortgage is still debt, and in the grand scheme, we still have the same amount of debt, but when a family of five lives on one average wage, living from month to month is priority, in my opinion.

puffylovett · 23/09/2007 16:18

also celery, if you had the opportunity to earn extra cash in the next few years, you could conceivably pay a lump sum off which will actually have saved you money due to the lower rate of interest on a mortgage compared to a normal loan..

Original poster
Twiglett · 23/09/2007 20:25

good for you celery

we've spent on average £33 a day so far .. far too much .. and that's with me trying to be careful too .. bugger

OP posts:
SleeplessInTheStaceym11House · 23/09/2007 20:29

i have spent £24 this week, but when your bank balance is nil its too much!

puffylovett · 23/09/2007 20:59

Twiglett ! what happened to the Stern Sargeant Major Leader of the Boot Camp ???

Doodledootoo · 23/09/2007 21:09

Message withdrawn

bozza · 23/09/2007 21:12

What do you mean by spent twig? Are you counting bills etc? I have spent way more than that I think. Yesterday I took DD to Leeds on the train for a treat so that was £3.90 (but would have cost more to park so that was a plus), bought her a Gregg's sausage roll (to my eternal shame this is her favourite ever lunch and I did make her a fresh pea and cheese omelette with carrot sticks on the side today) so that was fairly cheap, about £2 for both of us with drinks, bought her some Startrite winter boots (£35), bought her a hideous necklace in Clare's Accessories and some fantastic tiny bobbles that actually work in her hair (£5), and spent £25 on presents, oh yes, and bought her a biscuit and me a sticky bun (£1.05). And I don't know how much DH spent. But today I have spent not a penny. So that is about £75 but DH took DS to the football at Liverpool so they spent money on lunch, parking, programme etc and DH has been to golf today so probably had a drink.

Nemo2007 · 23/09/2007 21:26

I havent counted the monthly bills as they are as cheap as we can get them. I just count my shopping and day to day spending/gifts and the like.

Today I spent £0 as I didnt leave the house.

Original poster
Twiglett · 23/09/2007 21:34

put money on the oyster card, paid for DS course which is for the next term

that's why I like to do this for a month first because it evens out .. I'd like it to even out to half that

doesn't include bills .. they're all by dd

OP posts:
bozza · 23/09/2007 22:05

Do you think £15/day is feasible for you in the run up to Christmas? Or are you a sensible type re Christmas? Tomorrow I will spend £40 - I already know that without anything hidden (DS beavers for term, hospital car park, greengrocers so not extravagances).

bozza · 23/09/2007 22:05

And I forgot about dinner money which is £8.25.

Original poster
Twiglett · 23/09/2007 22:12

this is over and above house / utility bills though

its mainly food and household stuff .. probably will go over for xmas

anyway I'm just writing down spends at the moment and will sort out budgeting in a few days time

OP posts:
MascaraOHara · 24/09/2007 09:03

Happy Monday guys!

I spent nothing yesterday and have made lunch today. Need to fill my car up as on the red so that'll be £40 today but have decided to put all of my food & petrol on my credit card this month. That way I can see exactly what I spent on those two things and just pay off the balance at the end of the month.

Going to look at the L&C site now.

A mortgage broker that I've used before has offered me a deal and he's recommend not fixed rate as he doesn't think the rate will go up much/at all over the next few years..

SleeplessInTheStaceym11House · 24/09/2007 09:08

does the money on my oyster card count as spending money?

i put it on months ago, and have only just started using it, mainly to get to see my dad in the hospital!

gunna travel up to mums today as she gets back from holiday, wanted to buy her flowers but havnt got the cash. hopefully a tidy and hoover will do!

niceglasses · 24/09/2007 09:49

I'm still up for this and am going to do budget for start of next month and try to work mainly in cash.

Cheeky question - we may have to remortgage to consolidate some of our debts. We feel our current lender (Nationwide) may say no because of poorish credit rating (late payments nothing very very bad). If they say no what are our options?

Just wondered if anyone been there, would liek to have Plan B iykwim.

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