I've just looked back at my aims for this month and am not unduly surprised to note that I met only one of them.
It's not been a particularly good month financially, but on the plus side, the one aim I did meet, was to start saving, which means there's more money in my savings account than there was last month. Further, I have bought a rather nice Christmas present for a family member, purchased more of LB's school uniform than I intended to and got an absolute bargain from the CS this month.
Now for the bad news.
I went over on the home budget by £55, due to buying certain things that I didn't budget for, namely, a fan, on the spur of the moment, whilst in the midst of the heatwave, a new log basket from TK Maxx and a bargain dark grey king sized John Lewis Egyptian Cotton quilt cover from the CS for £8.99 (new they cost £55), that I just couldn't pass up. The latter will be perfect for our new bed.
I went over on my personal budget by £8, largely due to an impulse purchase of a poncho at the mall.
I went over on the household budget by £55 too, although this is less of an overspend than last month, so a slight improvement here. No real excuses though. I just buy expensive toiletries, household products and health supplements and find it very hard to get this area of spending under control. I did stock up on a particular product that I've been using for cleaning our bathroom, via an Approved Food order, which contributed to this overspend.
Finally, I went over on the food budget too by £85, partly due to having visitors for a weekend and I did my usual of overbuying, just in case. The AF order also contributed in part to this overspend.
So, not a great month, the overdraft and credit cards took the strain, but will still be paid off in full as usual next month.
I am trying to develop a mantra. I will live within my means. I will live within my means. I will live within my means. If I say it enough, maybe it will happen at some point. Hopefully, by the end of the year, as I'd like to start next year in the black and stay in the black permanently without needing to use my credit cards for very much at all.
Looking ahead to next month. I have a few expenses. Save £100, a niece's birthday present, buy more school uniform for LB, haircuts for both LB and myself, new glasses for LB and the purchase of a few small bits and pieces for the house and myself.
As far as I know, we haven't got any visitors or expensive trips planned, but it is the school holidays, so where possible, I will be getting out and about with LB on some days, although I will try to make these excursions as inexpensive as possible. She is spending a week on her own at her cousins' house, so that will help. I'm still stocked up on many food, household and toiletry items, so this will also help and I just need to keep my head down and avoid temptation, which seems to be much easier said than done at the moment.
I hope that you guys are having more luck sticking to your budgets. Just call me Mrs No Self Restraint.
It is hard to keep to your budget, we often spend more because we see items we use on a very low price, so we buy in bulk which then blows the budget, but the savings we make are better than the budget restrictions we break. We do not pop into town each week, our thinking is 'if we do not see it we won't need it'Plus we get loads more time together at home.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I'm a little relaxed about budgets, too much so sometimes. I do, however, tend to think and act along similar lines to yourselves.
DeleteI try to stay clear of the mall, and usually when I do go I get only what's on my list, but I was a little indulgent on the one occasion I went this month. Just shows how easily you can be drawn back into buying things on impulse when you see them sometimes.
Although I overspent again, I don't worry too much about it, I just try to do better the next month. We don't live particularly extravagantly, so I don't feel too guilty. If we need things, we need them and where I can, I replace worn out things with better quality along the way.
I am happy that I don't tend to shop recreationally any more. I can't afford to. It feels good to break that habit.
If it makes you feel any better we impulse bought a chest of drawers and a side cabinet yesterday. We have a Mid Century furniture shop in the town and I warned Dan when he said "let's have a look" but in he went...
ReplyDeleteWe've had to have a serious reshuffle of the budget but there you go!