Since I started working I have struggled to actually save money which has never been a good thing, I have wasted so much over the years on so many things I never needed and never used but now as I am getting older I have realised just how important having savings is. One thing that definitely gave me a wake up call was when we moved out and into our own home, seeing just how much money it takes to get the house as you want it and doing all the work to keep it looking good and to your taste is a real eye opener. Plus holidays can soon add up and be expensive when you just want to get away and see some different places, that is why we haven't really been anywhere together since moving in together we just haven't had the spare money to go to the places we have wanted yet as the house has become a priority.
In recent years I have really narrowed down on where I spend my money, meaning I try to limit myself to what areas I spend the most money and narrow down from what I previously spent. Where I used to spend way over £200 each month on clothing etc that I really didn't need, now I give myself a limit of £150 a month which is going to be dropped to £100 soon as I don't need to keep spending that, plus any money left over I can always save up for a bigger treat when I really want one.
To try help me stick to my budget I created a spreadsheet to mark down what I have spent and what I have saved. This has been great as I can see areas I am spending too much or where I can get rid of them all together. I am trying my best to stick to these amounts so that I am on track each month but sometimes things don't fully go to plan and I do go over. One of my big downfalls is certainly just paying for everything on my debit card so I lose track but I am hoping that once all the lockdowns are over with I can start using the cash envelope idea to keep on top of what I am spending even more and get a better idea of how much I have left each month instead of just guessing and having to scroll through my bank account all the time. At the end of the month I can just check the envelopes to see how much is left over and if it comes to it and I want an item but there is no money in the envelope then I will soon realise I need to budget a whole lot better.
So here are the main reasons I am creating my budget...
Holidays
As I said earlier in the post me and Liam have never really been on a holiday on our own so this is one of the main things I am wanting to do as soon as possible. There are plenty of places we want to go so having a budget to help us save is going to really help us tick off the holidays we want to go on whether they are in the UK or abroad. A trip to Orlando is a big one for me so I definitely need to get plenty of saving done.
New Furniture
When we moved in 3 years ago we ended up just bringing furniture with us or buying the first thing we saw which has left us wanting to change some bits already. For me these changes are mainly in the games room as we definitely rushed into purchases for this. We are mainly after a new sofa bed which definitely isn't cheap plus there are other bits in the room I would love to change around. Plus I am sure in the near future there will be other bits I want to change.
Jobs Doing In The House
We have a few odd jobs to do in some rooms to get them finished which shouldn't cost too much however, there are a few big jobs that need doing. We need the loft boarding, the hallway plastering and redecorating and the kitchen redoing which are all going to be costly jobs in the grand scheme of things. There is also a possibility that the roof and gutters may need some work soon too which definitely won't be cheap. Alongside the budget we definitely need to make up a plan of action for what jobs are most important.
Getting The Gardens Finished
The back garden is almost done, but it turns out the finishing touches are adding up in cost. Once that is done we then need to make a start on the side garden (plans coming on a post soon) and the front garden where we need to put in a border and tidy it up and add the final touches. There is also the driveway to sort out, we need to redo all the driveway, take down the garage and repave down the side of the house and where the garage was so none of this going to be cheap and it might be a job we need to save up for over the course of a year or so to get it done. I can't wait to see how it all looks once it is done.
New Car
I have had my eye on a new car for a while as I am wanting something a bit bigger so I can take more than 2 people out comfortably. It would be great to have a new car so that I can take my nephew on days out and just feel a bit more comfortable when out and about driving. Plus the new car could be for me and Liam to share so his car could be for work purposes only as the new one would be bigger and comfier for trips away.
Fingers crossed I can stick to this budget a lot more and reign in what I am spending so I can tick off all the goals that I am aiming for in a lot less time than I would have done before if I carried on spending so recklessly. My main job is to get the jobs in the house down as soon as possible so that the whole house is redone to just how we want it. Do you have a budget?
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