Trying to Save

Graduation pics
Graduation gown
Holiday (£280 left to pay)
Friend's wedding at the end of June (no gift ideas yet)
Money for hotel at graduation ball
Money to spend at graduation ball

I was hoping to keep money over from my June pay for this but if I don't do any overtime this month I will have a low wage in June. I left a note for my manager asking if I could come in later when my exams start so that will leave me short. I think I'm going to have to do some overtime so I don't end up in my overdraft. I think I'll be able to study and do overtime.

Hoping to start early tomorrow since it will count towards next month's pay.

It's not long after 8am and I'm working on my coursework. I had no other choice but to get up earlier than usual, I'm working this afternoon and I need to get a lot done.

Today I'm walking to work with my mum, she's bringing our dog too so he will have a good walk - it takes about 40 mins to get there. The weather's been nice so it should be a good walk.

I don't know if my goals for May will work out. I hope some of them do.

Thankfully, i'm totally skint as is completely obvious from my last couple of entries. I hate the week before payday, I always count down the days. In the future I will have to stop this just I feel like I have a lot of outgoings these days.

Stuck to today's goal, I didn't spend any more money.

I read the comment from my journal entry last night from Boomeyer. Boomeyer suggested that I take a bottle of water with me wherever I go. Anyway I checked the fridge this morning and noticed that there wasn't any (usually there is). I asked my mum, she had thrown out the half-empty ones. Anyway I had to buy one this morning when I got to uni. I remembered that there is a tap to fill up bottles of water that I really don't use anymore, but will be next week. My mum offered to give me some money for bus fare next week and so did my boyfriend but I'm really hoping that I won't need it, or if I do hopefully it won't be a lot.

Goal for today: spend no more

Total spent today: £4.50 + £0.55 = £5.05

Due to my very low bank balance, I only have about £15, maybe a couple of pounds more to do me until I get paid next Friday. Within that time I am working two days and visiting my friend, and going to uni for three days. So far all i can think of is to take my own money and walk wherever possible.

I really hope that my goals for this month work out.

13 days until the final draft is due in and I have 6000 words to write. Add two reports and a presentation and I'm stressed!

Spending today: £2.71

Saved money by:

- walking to work
- taking lunch to work

A woman at my work text me yesterday asking if I could do her shift tomorrow. I'm already working tonight so I was considering not doing it. Then I thought that I have a lot to pay for so I really should do it for her. Anyway I told her I would so I'm working tomorrow, so that ruins my plans of having my first no spend day in May. Friday I need to go into uni so there's more money that I'll need to spend.

Total extra hours this week: 11

1. Pay £200 or more towards holiday
2. Order gown and pictures for graduation
3. Increase payment to washing machine (£34 possibly)
4. 8 no spend days
5. Put money into ISA (at least £10)

but he came back within half an hour. Apparently he likes nothing better than running about the street, occasionally barking at kids. He would never bite them.

Spending today:

£4.50
£2.00
£1.30
£0.40

I think that's it for today.

Pictures (a pack) £66.00
Gown hire £30.00

Total cost so far: £96.00

That's only on the day, it doesn't include the hotel or travelling there.

- Keep a record of all of my receipts (I just started this a couple of days ago)

- Put money into my £1 jar

- Put money aside for graduation ball

- Increase payment to washing machine

- This isn't really a plan but I need to think of more ways to save money.

I'm keeping a record of my receipts because I want to know exactly what I'm spending my money on. Sometimes I waste my money on magazines and impulse buys but I'm getting better now. I think I'll look at my whole month's spending in May - from tomorrow until the 31st.

I haven't spent a penny so far today and I don't plan to. The weather's quite nice so I might sit outside and catch up on some coursework that needs done.

I got a statement from the credit company and they're adding 2.25% interest every time I make a payment! The only good news about the statement is that I haven't received any late payment charges, or letter charges. I definetly have to increase my payments. It's going to be really hard to clear this bill!

...only about five weeks left until all of my exams will be over (they haven't started yet). I have a lot to do till then: 2 reports (due the same day), 2 presentations and I have to finish my dissertation which will need a lot of work on it.

Bought my mum's birthday present today (£80) now all I need to do is buy a card. Spent a lot today

- ink cartridge (£17)
- swimsuit (£10)
- television (£80)
- bus fare there (£2.80)
- driving lesson (£19)

I also bought a new purse (£4). I better stop spending money.

Tomorrow I'll be buying some pizzas (they're on offer) and a bottle of wine for my mum's birthday.

I've been trying to think of a way which will make me put £1 coins away whenever I've done a task (like the stair challenge). I was thinking of putting money away whenever I walk my dog for about 20 mins. I don't know if that's a good idea. If I were at home more I would do the stair challenge, but I'm not.

I think that once I've saved some money I'll check it every month and whatever I've got I'll put towards the washing machine since it has the highest interest rate.

I found some energy saving tips. I really should put them into use.

Turning your thermostat down by 1ºC could cut your heating bills by up to 10 per cent and save you around £30 per year.
Is your water too hot? Your cylinder thermostat shouldn't need to be set higher than 60ºC/140ºF.
Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows.
Always turn off the lights when you leave a room.
Don't leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave appliances on charge unnecessarily.
If you're not filling up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher, use the half-load or economy programme.
Only boil as much water as you need (but remember to cover the elements if you're using an electric kettle).
A dripping hot water tap wastes energy and in one week wastes enough hot water to fill half a bath, so fix leaking taps and make sure they're fully turned off!
Replace your light bulbs with energy saving recommended ones: just one can reduce your lighting costs by up to £78 over the lifetime of the bulb - and they last up to 12 times longer than ordinary light bulbs.

I can't wait until my course is finished, it won't be long now. All I'll be doing between now and then is working on coursework, my dissertation and studying for exams. Most people on my course are feeling exactly the same.

Graduation in July (assuming I pass my final exams).

I like this method, although I've only recently started using it. I withdrew money from the bank today (£300) and divided it between envelopes: holiday and mum's present. Okay there was only two. It's a good method, I know that I'll need to take more money out in a couple of days for my driving lesson and for when I pick up some shopping on Friday. It's only a couple more weeks till I get paid again so I should be fine.

I had some change in my purse so that went into my other change jar that me and my mum are both putting change into. It will probably be used in the Coinstar machine for a shopping trip in the future.

Bus fares have increased in my area. I think I will try walking more places when it doesn't involve travelling to uni.

I am in the library just now, working on the same essay that I've been working on for days. I have to get it finished tonight. The more I read about it, the more interesting it is.

At work yesterday I noticed that there was an overtime sheet up with one shift left - 5 hours - so i put my name down for that. I will go to work after I've finished uni.

Working 5 hours extra next week too.

I just checked my university's website and I have a library fine of £7.10. I'll pay that this week. I can't graduate from uni if I owe the university any money.

It's my mum's birthday next week and I'm buying a new tv for her. I seen one for £77.

I've decided to save £1 coins in my change jar and check the jar in a couple of months. The money that I had in my change jar I used for bus fare before I had been paid.

We need a higher fence for the garden to let our dog, well he's mostly my mum's dog, run about. That can get done in May or June. I'll probably buy it from Homebase, or B & Q. I don't know which one is best.

Working today, as usual.

I'm working all weekend, which I don't mind because it's my contract. Anyway I went into work today and I noticed that my manager had put up a new overtime sheet for May, well the first week. I only put my name down for one shift because of studying, coursework etc. I'm so relieved that there is overtime, now I don't need to worry as much.

I've worked at my job, in a supermarket, for nearly four years now and I feel like a change. There's loads of reasons why I want to leave: the important one being my degree. Why should I work there when I can get paid more somewhere else? (once I have more experience) It's the same thing over and over again, every time I'm there. I've spoken to other people and they all say that every job is like that, no matter if you like it or not. I suppose the good thing about it is that I don't take my job home with me, why would I? I might have just gotten a pay rise but they still don't pay me enough to worry about sales.

Speaking of sales, the store is having a special offer for two days in my department. Any 10" pizza for a £1. It's going to be so busy - it's the end of the month and it's a bank holiday a couple of days later. I checked the rota - there isn't anybody extra in for those two days. Typical.

I probably shouldn't moan about my job this much - actually I think this is the first entry where I have. I was telling customers today about special offers that were on and some people were pleased to hear about them. I also told them about the other offers which would save them money e.g. vegetarian meal deal. It always surprises me that people don't know about it. The way I see it I might as well help the customer save some money.

I'm going to take advantage of the offer for those two days and buy pizzas to freeze. I really don't eat them that much but I might as well make the most of the offer. Anything to save money really.

I've decided to stay up until the early hours of the morning working on this essay. It's such a difficult question I wish I'd never picked it. Not much I can do about it now though, I've found research articles about the topic. I emailed my lecturer today but she hasn't emailed me back, it's the holidays so I shouldn't expect a quick reply.

There's only six weeks to go and my course will completely finished - exams, coursework, everything. This means the next six weeks are going to be really tough. I just can't wait until I leave. I suppose I can't really complain, these four years have gone in fast.

Sales at work have been quite bad recently - well the store seems to think so. From now on, there has to be no unauthorised shifts done by colleagues. My manager doesn't even have an overtime sheet up for next week. I have been relying on overtime to pay for my holiday. Apparently the GSM will authorise any overtime. I suppose I shouldn't be complaining because I have studying to do, but I still have money to pay towards the holiday. I'm trying to think about what I should do if it gets really bad and there isn't any overtime up for a while. Try and do overtime in another department? Ask to come in earlier than my starting times? I really don't know. One thing's for sure, I'll write down everything I need to pay for and work out what I have left from it. I have until June to pay the holiday so hopefully I will work something out.

It would have been a no spend day but I had to buy milk (£1.29)

Phoned the company responsible for the pc, well the credit company anyway to request more payment slips. I have taken over paying it from my mum. I needed more slips, I only have two left. The guy on the phone asked if I had a mobile number to get in touch with me. I lied and said that I didn't have one. He probably didn't believe me but I don't want them to have that number.

I've decided I should be doing what Loubilou does and max out my ISA for 2006/07. Honestly I probably won't be able to but I'll try after the holiday is paid for to put more money in it. I got a letter from the building society today and I only put over £500 in it last year. My OH said he was going to put money in it for when we move out next year, but now I'm thinking he should just open up his own account. He says he's bad with money so he probably won't.

I'll aim to have at £2000 in it by April 2007. If I save more that will be great.

I'll try again:

My prom dress arrived today. My mum ordered it from the catalogue so I'll just pay it next month. I'll try and attach a picture of it.



Hope it works.

I was hoping that today would be a no spend day but that wasn't going to happen - there were bills to pay. Total spending today:

£85 catalogue
£20 pc
£17 washing machine
£7.00
£15.00 prescriptions
£2.30 day ticket
£20 gas

Total: £159.30

Just wanted to say Happy Easter to everyone!

Me and my mum went to visit my auntie today,it was nice to do that. Usually I'm busy working so I don't get the chance too.

My plans for the easter holidays didn't work out. I still have work to do.

Saturday night was cheap. I took £20 with me and I came back with £8. We spent 7 hours there so that was really good. I bought myself food too.

No driving lessons in May. I text my instructor and told him and he's fine with that. It wasn't his decision to make anyway. It will save me some money too although I may take extra lessons in June to get it out of the way quicker...well hopefully it will if I do that.

I'm totally skint already and I just got paid yesterday. I took out all of the money that I had from the cash machine so i won't be going near it till I get more money. Holiday payment will have to wait for a couple of weeks, it's either that or I go into my overdraft again.

Cheap night out on saturday, hopefully.