sort out my finances

Well it has been four months and, although there have been a few “expensive blips” I was able to pay what my colonial friends would charmingly refer to as “tuition fees”, out of my current account without going over my overdraft limit.

On the downside I don’t own a motorbike, a pony, or a foreign holiday this year – but it’s all a step in the right direction.

Not going to close this one quite yet – as an acknowledgement that there is still a way to go.

I have stopped drinking real coffee at work and have been quaffing the instant stuff.

This has saved me around £25 per week x 4 weeks is £100

I have also been working to a budget for entertainment for the whole month of £50 per week (coffee would have counted as ‘entertainment’ for the purposes of this exercise).

I suspect I might have gone slightly over budget on this – but I was blowing almost a grand here and there, so reducing that to around £250 means a total saving for the month of £750

I have also cut out the weekly and monthly items that I no longer need. My backup ISP has gone, (£15 per month) and my internet radio station (£5 pcm)

That means I should have saved almost £800 so far!

I have started to make a list of everything I spend, and I mean everything. So far the main expenses seem to be food, petrol, and horse riding; however the very act of writing things down has prevented me from spreeing.