Trying to Save

I get paid today. Hopefully it will be good. I'm going to check my bank balance soon.

As of next month I'm getting a pay rise. Then in October we're getting another pay rise. I'm wondering if I should try to live on what I'm earning just now so that I can try and save some money.

Tomorrow is payday so I'll pay all of the bills before I go to work. Here's the total so far:

washing machine £17 min. payment - very high interest rate

PC £20 - also high interest rate

catalogue £90 - the bill's high

phone bill £28

driving £72

graduate £50

holiday £180

gas £20

I think that's it. If I get paid more than £500 I should be fine. I was going to order some stuff from Avon for my holiday but it's not a necessity, I can buy them from work and use my discount.

My boyfriend and I really need to have frugal dates; the cinema isn't really a frugal date. A date that doesn't cost anything would be brilliant. I just read in the forums about other people's ideas of a frugal date. The picnic idea is great if you live in a warm country - we can only do that in the summer. I think I might have to suggest taking our dogs for a walk together like we used to do, or make him a (cheap) meal so it doesn't cost too much. Sometimes I get tired of watching dvds all the time, especially if I've seen them. I guess another idea is to start renting dvds.

I am so stressed out. I feel as though I have loads to do and not enough time to do it in.

I get paid this week, thank God. I won't really see any of the money as it will mostly go towards the holiday and paying some bills.

My mum wants to get cable tv since we got a letter about an offer that is taking place over the next couple of months (it's half price). I said I thought it was a bad idea (we struggle as it is). I think my mum was annoyed but I was just being realistic: there's no point in adding another bill when there's barely enough money sometimes for the other ones.

I'm going to try and pay more than the minimum payment on some of the bills, especially the ones with a high interest rate. I really should have done that ages ago. I just want them out of the way.

My boyfriend and I have had a discussion the other day about all of the saving that we need to do for this holiday. We've decided to go to the cinema once a month as a treat, although we're not going to buy food at the cinema since it's expensive. We need to have some fun, we can't just save for the holiday all of the time.

It is so obvious that neither one of us have regular savings. If we did we may have struck a balance between spending and saving. It doesn't help that we both work in a supermarket, help out with money at home and have debts (well he has a lot more than me) He has a Visa to pay off and a loan he took out years ago. I'm glad I'm not in that situation. His attitude sometimes is spend now, worry later. I have to admit that he has been better since the holiday was booked. He has also decided that he is going to put some money into my savings account once the holiday's paid for. If it's in my account he can't touch it and it will go towards moving out...when we finally get rid of all this debt and everyone is financially sorted. I need a lot of luck, and more money.

I have a test today, which I'm dreading. I studied last night and I meant to do some studying on the bus but I never got round to it.

Meeting with my supervisor for my project today.

Still trying to find some more mature students for my project. A couple of people have sent me an email about it. I have emailed them back but I need to meet up with them to give them the questionnaires. When I do finally meet up with them there's the whole problem of not knowing what they look like. I mean we can decide on a place to meet but finding the person is going to be a problem. Oh well.

My dad hasn't replied to that email I sent him last week. Then again I didn't think he would. No surprises there then. In a perfect world I would get an email along the lines of "I was completely wrong; you were only doing your job..." Like I said, only in a perfect world.

Over the past few days I have been stressing about my dad and how I'll cope not talking to him, especially since I'm still in the process of getting to know my half-brother. I thought of a couple of dilemmas that might come up in the future: what will I do when it's brother's birthday? and should i introduce my half-brother to my mum? The second dilemma, as it turns out, isn't actually a problem since they met today (unplanned). He already knew her name and they chatted away fine. Now all I have to worry about is the first one.

I found that quote from an episode of One Tree Hill, Tullulah Bankhead originally said it. I had never heard of her, i had to type her name into imdb.com.

Anyway, back to my spending today. All i spent was bus fare at work plus lunch and i had to get change before work so I bought some sweets.

I checked my balance and i have about £40 left to do me until payday which is Friday. I think I will be fine. I really don't want to go into my overdraft.

Good news...my dad never came into my work today. Obviously he knows I don't want to see him after that email he sent me. He didn't reply to mine but I'm done stressing about it now, he can do whatever he wants.

I don't know why I'm writing about this since it isn't a money-related issue but never mind. I started talking to my dad about 8 months ago after practically all of my life not having anything to do with him. Anyway he was at my work last week and because he waited ages for me to serve him when i was really busy (he came on a saturday at dinner time when everyone is shopping) he has decided that it should be our final meeting! He never made the effort anyway, if you class shopping in a supermarket as making an effort. He basically said I am not acting grown up because when it was his turn to be served i said "oh ann could have gotten you that" and he said "i'll remember that the next time" and walked away! A few days later I got an email from him saying that I hadn't acted grown-up and i treated him really badly. I emailed him back telling him exactly what I thought: that he hasn't made an effort and that I have and more importantly that I was just doing my job.

Tomorrow at work should be fun if he's shopping. I'm not going to let him get to me, really. Well I'll try. I can't believe him! He doesn't even know me!! My half brother thinks I should apologise because my dad is used to thinking he is right all of the time. Also a lot of people on my dad's side aren't talking to him, which isn't my problem.

Sorry for the rant, I just had to get it off my chest. Trust me, if you were unlucky enough to meet him you would notice what he is like straight away. At least I know now.

I spent £4.60 at the cinema for a ticket, and £2.60 on juice plus £1.40 for bus fare. I had a good day, even if the movie wasn't that good (we went to see Date Movie)

I've just realised this is my second no spend day in March, but that's only because my lesson got cancelled.

Meeting up with my half-brother tomorrow, so I'll spend something then. I don't mind I'm actually looking forward to it. I only started talking to him about four months ago. I don't know him well so this will be good for me.

Ok I exaggerate, two bills came today that are due at exactly the same time. The first one I'll try and pay before I get paid but the other one is a catalogue bill and it's higher than normal so it will have to wait until payday. On payday I'll need to pay two other bills at the bank. I really should set up a direct debit but I like knowing exactly when it's been paid.

Driving lesson was cancelled so i saved £18, i'm having two lessons next week and he's giving me money off.

I just checked and it was LittleGopher who told me about the Twin Cities. Thanks!

A while ago I read someone's blog, sorry I can't remember who. Anyway they mentioned that they lived near the Twin Cities. I didn't know what the Twin Cities were and asked them. They told me and now it has become useful information. I am reading a research article about student retention and the Twin Cities are mentioned. Thank you to the person who told me about them.

I think I will get paid about £200 more than I usually do, if I've worked it out properly. I'll find out next Friday.

So far I have paid £310 so I have about £600 to go. This is a boring entry but I need to keep track of my payments so i know how much I have left to pay.

It's two weeks all-inclusive so I shouldn't need a lot of spending money there although I will buy stuff. Has anyone ever been to the Dominican Republic before?

Here's a rough idea of what I think I'll spend this week:

£8.00 bus fare to uni for two days
£3.20 more bus fare for when i'm there
£18.00 driving lesson
£2.30 day ticket on friday plus £1.50 at the most for lunch
£2.30 day ticket on saturday
£1.00 bonus ball money

Will save money buy bringing my own lunch to work, I never did that this week when I should have.

Our Council Tax has gone up so I'm going to help my mum sort out a payment plan this week - well write the payments on the calendar so we can keep track of payments.

Catalogue bill will be higher this month as my mum has ordered some stuff. I was going to use it to order some stuff e.g. bikinis, shorts etc for my holiday but I will wait until I've paid this bill. They don't charge interest so it's really good but all i can really manage is the minimum payment when we get the bill. After I'm finished uni I will be abel to afford more by doing overtime and hopefully getting a decent paying job (I only earn over £5.00 an hour where I'm working just now but I get a discount when shopping which helps)

Because I don't earn a lot i'm considering putting 5% of my wages away every month, although this might not happen until I have paid the holiday in June. I really think that savings are a necessity and I don't have a lot. In fact my long-term savings have been abandoned because of the holiday. I feel that if i put even a little bit away it will be helpful for when i move out (next year). Realistically I should be saving 10% but that isn't going to happen anytime soon unfortunately.

I have suggested to my mum that she sets up a savings account, even if she just puts any spare money in it once the bills have been paid and shopping's done. She said she will but i have a feeling that i will have to remind her since it was my idea. I want her to have one, she'll need it in the future, just like i'll need mine.

I went out to the pub for my boyfriend's friends birthdays on Friday and Saturday. Their birthdays are on the same day so its a good thing that they had them on different nights. Anyway I only spent about £7 on Friday (me and my boyfriend take turns buying each other drinks) in the pub and £4 on a McDonalds which i had after work. We got a lift home so that saved on taxis/buses. On saturday I spent £5 plus bus fares on the way home, I came straight from work again.

Yesterday I gave my uncle the money for the graduation dance, well deposit. The girl arranging the dance is going to give me the deposit money back so I'm not losing out on anything. I could really do with the money right now.

I think all the money I'll have to spend today is on bus fares and possibly a photocopy card at uni. Quite boring really but it has to be done.

I'm going to register to graduate after I get paid. Also I think I'll just pay £180 towards the holiday instead of £200 because I forgot about registering to graduate.

I'll have to save some money for July it's going to be an expense month and all I'm doing is graduating. There's paying for the hotel (my boyfriend is paying half), my dress, shoes, the extra ticket I'll need to buy for my auntie and I'll need to hire a gown and pay for pictures to be taken when I graduate. I better start soon.

Ok I'm not overdrawn so I don't understand what happened. The bad news is that I only have £50 left in my account until I am in the red. However my boyfriend owed me money so he gave me that to last the week and my mum is going to give me some money to help me out with bus fares etc.

My boyfriend knows that I hate being in the red. He's the total opposite, he still counts the money in his overdraft as "his" money. It's a really bad habit he needs to get out of.

Anyway I'm so pleased I'm not overdrawn. Careful budgeting for the next couple of weeks for me.

Good news is that I'm getting away from work earlier tonight, but I'm going in earlier to make up my hours. After work we're going to the pub for one of a friend's birthday. On Sunday I'm starting earlier since I'm not planning on doing extra hours during the week - I need to focus on uni.

I might not have spent anything today but I still managed to have a really bad day. Ok maybe I'm overreacting but I didnt get as much work as I had planned done and I managed to argue with my mum over something stupid. What a day.

I thought it was going to be a good day because my mum is liking the fact that I've been making soup and we were talking about the other things that we could make next week (which will save us some money). Anyway one argument is enough to ruin anyone's day.

I found a lot of textbooks in my cupboard which I think I will sell once I finish university, there's no point in having them if I don't need them anymore.

I'm not planning on leaving the house today. Considering my financial position it's the best thing I can do. So this is my first no spend day in March, at least some of my goals might be achieved. Only fifteen days till I get paid and I really want it to hurry up.

Yesterday was a really bad day. A company phoned up saying I was in arrears of £17 which I paid over the phone. They said I owed them arrears plus another payment which totalled up to £34. However when I gave the man on the phone my card number he said that the payment was declined! I can't believe it. I haven't been very good recently in checking my bank balance but I thought I would definetly have enough to pay that! So it looks like I'm i'm overdrawn, I hate being overdrawn. I'll know for sure when I check my balance this week.

I get paid on March 17th and I'll need to put money aside for my holiday.

I cancelled a driving lesson I'm meant to have tomorrow. If I really am skint then I can't afford it this week.

I'm doing overtime tomorrow but I'm not going to manage 8-10 hours per week because my project is a lot of work.

Save £200 towards holiday.
Save some money in change jar.
Do more overtime, about 8-10 hours extra per week.
Have 4 no spend days.

Yesterday I was working on my project. I spent ages in the library photocopying my questionnaires. Anyway the end result was that I spent £10 just on photocopy cards. It was worth it in the long run it's just a lot of money to spend in the library. The only good thing is that I didn't have to spend any money to print out my other questionnaire because my printer is working at home and I bought a new cartridge for it a while ago.

I managed to get over twenty participants but I still need a lot more. I have to come in to uni an extra day so I can go into another class and ask students if they can fill in my questionnaires. This means that I will have to spend extra bus fare that day.

I'm working on Friday so I should have a good wage when I get paid. I have to stop doing as much overtime because I have to focus on uni for the time being.

I really should be in bed now but I can't seem to find enough hours in the day to get everything done. I'm finally getting participants for my project so I've spent ages printing out questionnaires. When I go to uni I will need to photocopy lots of the second questionnaire Im using for my project which is going to cost loads but it will be worth it in the long run. I just need to get as many participants as possible this week before my deadline - 5th April - which is a lot sooner than I thought, about five weeks away I think. I can't believe February's nearly over I have less time than I thought.

I looked at my spending plans for the week and I spent less than I had planned and I started work 2 hours earlier today. First of all I didn't buy a day ticket a couple of days ago, and we got a lift home that night so that saved me £1.40. Also I brought my own lunch with me. Yesterday I brought my own lunch with me, walked to work and got a lift home. So I think in total I saved about £3.70 plus money I would have spent on lunch which is usually about £2.00 or more. I've been putting change into a jar. I'm going to try and not look at it till near the end of March when I'll have more. Now I'm wondering, if I do happen to save a decent amount, should I put it towards my holiday or towards bills? I have to pay £600 more to the holiday by June.

£25 at Morrisons
£6.50 for prescriptions
£3.80

Tomorrow:

£18 driving
£2.30 daysaver
stationery for project

Friday:

£2.30 daysaver

Saturday:

£2.30 daysaver
£1.00 for bonus ball



Sunday:

£2.30 daysaver

Hopefully I won't spend much more than this.

The soup i made this week lasted us two days so i'll make more soup next week. Asda has a promotion on mince so my mum will buy that on Monday so we can get some meals out of it next week. So far that's my spending plans.

I read in these forums and in other people's financial blogs about the family on Oprah who spent $100 a day on takeout. I never actually seen the show since it probably won't be over here for a while, but I did check the website. All of the families wasted so much money, yet they all had good jobs e.g. in one family both parents were teachers. Hopefully the Debt Diet will help all three families.

I got my exam results today, and i've passed!! I'm so pleased because I was expecting two re-sits which would have cost me £30 each. All I need to do now is register to graduate.

The other good news is that today has been a no spend day.

I have just been reading the financial forums and I seen some recipe ideas that I might try. My mum is responsible for food shopping, i just make suggestions when I want something e.g. carrot soup which I'm going to make tomorrow. It looks as though a lot of people have soup once a week, so i'll stick with that, this will only be my second week in a row so I'll see if I manage to keep it up. I think I might make pasta too. Also I noticed that someone said that when they make a roast they use it for more than one meal. When we have a roast we usually just use the leftovers for sandwiches, since there is only two of us, or the dog gets some of it. It's definetly sensible to make more than one meal from it. We usually have a lot of eggs in the house so I'll start having eggs more often, even if it is just boiled eggs in the morning.