Wheels back on, wagon keeps rolling
My maternity leave is looming and I still don't have a plan in place, other than living to a v strict and scary budget. We've definitely decided against an IVA for reasons mentioned last month : too expensive, restrictive and would cost us more than we owe!
The DMP may have to be an option in September when we'll be paying for two small people at childcare again.
In the meantime the strict and scary budget is going pretty well! I no longer have access to a debit or credit card and instead am on a £30 allowance. Here's how it works, on Monday's DH hands over £30 in cash and I have to spend that and that alone for the next 7 days.
£10 goes on my bus fare home from work each day and the rest is mine to fritter away on rubbish. In a not very surprising move I negotiated an advance last month in order to buy some limited edition Urban Decay eyeliners
ta daaaa http://www.temptalia.com/urban-decay-15th-anniversary-247-eyeliner-set-review-photos-swatches
So for 4 weeks my allowance is £15 and £15 a week is going to pay for the beautimous box of eyeliners ( £60 for 12 eyeliners sounds bonkers but they are normally £12 each so it's actually a bargain!)
I'm on my 3rd week of £15 allowance and it was all going splendidly until Monday when the wheels fell off my wagon. At 36 weeks pregnant it is probably time to be packing my hospital bag, so I asked DH if I could have my debit card in order to buy the essentials from Boots during my lunch hour. Note at this point that I said "essentials", well the inevitable happened and instead of just buying
maternity mats - for the bed in case my waters break at night
breast pads - inevitable leakage
tena pants - don't laugh, they are so much better than maternity pads
I also bought
Hipp organic formula - £6.99 we'll be bottle feeding owing to my breast reduction
small packet of mini eggs - £0.69 I was hungry
changing mat - £6.12 we do need a new one but it's in next months budget
maternity bubble bath - £3.05 my skin is scarily parched
pregnancy wonderbalm - £0.00 was buy one get one free with bubble bath
V Cute blouse for Em - £5 in the sale
stripy leggings for Em - £2.50 in the sale
Breast pump - £13.65 I want to try and express if poss
Do you see the extent of my problem now? Admittedly none of these are scarily frivolous or rubbish purchases but we can't afford for me to overspend by £30 every time I have a debit card in my hand.
DH was fairly pissed off and I took the changing mat and breast pump back for a refund the very next day, Em had already seen and loved her new clothes, I'd eaten the mini eggs and the formula and toiletries are coming out of this week's food shopping budget :(
Speaking of the food budget I'm doing a weekly online shop and keeping it to under £70 each week, this week is £51! which I'm bizarrely proud of, I wonder if I'll ever get as big a rush from saving as from shopping?
The DMP may have to be an option in September when we'll be paying for two small people at childcare again.
In the meantime the strict and scary budget is going pretty well! I no longer have access to a debit or credit card and instead am on a £30 allowance. Here's how it works, on Monday's DH hands over £30 in cash and I have to spend that and that alone for the next 7 days.
£10 goes on my bus fare home from work each day and the rest is mine to fritter away on rubbish. In a not very surprising move I negotiated an advance last month in order to buy some limited edition Urban Decay eyeliners
ta daaaa http://www.temptalia.com/urban-decay-15th-anniversary-247-eyeliner-set-review-photos-swatches
So for 4 weeks my allowance is £15 and £15 a week is going to pay for the beautimous box of eyeliners ( £60 for 12 eyeliners sounds bonkers but they are normally £12 each so it's actually a bargain!)
I'm on my 3rd week of £15 allowance and it was all going splendidly until Monday when the wheels fell off my wagon. At 36 weeks pregnant it is probably time to be packing my hospital bag, so I asked DH if I could have my debit card in order to buy the essentials from Boots during my lunch hour. Note at this point that I said "essentials", well the inevitable happened and instead of just buying
maternity mats - for the bed in case my waters break at night
breast pads - inevitable leakage
tena pants - don't laugh, they are so much better than maternity pads
I also bought
Hipp organic formula - £6.99 we'll be bottle feeding owing to my breast reduction
small packet of mini eggs - £0.69 I was hungry
changing mat - £6.12 we do need a new one but it's in next months budget
maternity bubble bath - £3.05 my skin is scarily parched
pregnancy wonderbalm - £0.00 was buy one get one free with bubble bath
V Cute blouse for Em - £5 in the sale
stripy leggings for Em - £2.50 in the sale
Breast pump - £13.65 I want to try and express if poss
Do you see the extent of my problem now? Admittedly none of these are scarily frivolous or rubbish purchases but we can't afford for me to overspend by £30 every time I have a debit card in my hand.
DH was fairly pissed off and I took the changing mat and breast pump back for a refund the very next day, Em had already seen and loved her new clothes, I'd eaten the mini eggs and the formula and toiletries are coming out of this week's food shopping budget :(
Speaking of the food budget I'm doing a weekly online shop and keeping it to under £70 each week, this week is £51! which I'm bizarrely proud of, I wonder if I'll ever get as big a rush from saving as from shopping?
You're doing really well hun, keep to your budget and think positive, the debt free date will soon be in sight.
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