I’m on wind down, can I say that? Its two weeks until I head off to Standon Calling festival and then we head straight to Greece. Wind-down also means getting all my work done before I disappear off for two weeks, I would REALLY like this year to not do any work whilst I am away. Always a challenge for me as self-employed person.
This week has included some pre-holiday shopping where I have tried to save as much as possible!
But before I talk about my spending diary let me share the EXCITEMENT of last weeks TV appearance!
Me – Personal Finance Expert on ITV Tonight Prime Time TV Show
I was the personal finance expert on ITV Tonight show on Thursday 30th June. The topic was Side Hustles and how to earn more money, my bit is about 20 minutes through, you can’t miss the red lipstick. I was talking about cash back and making money from old tech and books.
Daily Mirror Facebook Live and New Article – Summer Holidays and back to School Costs
I was guest on the Daily Mirror Facebook Live this week talking about keeping the costs down for summer holiday and back to school. I also shared this for my regular column.
Work experience day for my eldest son
My wonderful Twitter followers suggested some things for my eldest son to discuss in his first article for my website and his day of work experience for Mrs Mummypenny. You can read it here, a teenagers view on everything money from debt to crypto!
Back to My Spending Diary
So firstly it was the 1st of the month so immediately £1,700 left my account for mortgage, energy bill, water bill, council tax, insurance, car tax and TV license. Eye watering, but I have the best deal on EVERYTHING!
Pre holiday spending
My boys needed various bit of holiday clothing, swimming shorts, sliders, T-shirts etc. We headed to Hatfield Outlet Galleria and got lots of Nike bits from the JD Sports sale shop. Savings at least £50 on full price, but still £99 was spent. We also went to Superdrug and got Factor 50 sun cream and lip balm (I am determined to protect my lips and not get a cold sore this holiday!), also moisturiser for DJ and me £42 spent. I am trying the Superdrug B brand for day moisturiser after it was recommended on This Morning as a good bargain brand. It was £15 for 75ml tube.
Food Spend
Not too bad this week on a week with my children at home with me £175 for the week, with £120 on eating out, okay maybe that’s not great, that was lunch at Bills and a Wagamama’s takeaway. I think this week needs to be a much BETTER week for food spending. What food can I clear out of the freezer and eat without doing a big shop/ordering in food.
Car Costs
It cost £67 to fill my car with fuel this week, this is up from £40 this time last year, eye watering. I am absolutely making use of the Petrol Prices app to find the cheapest fuel near to where I am when its needed. Here are lots of other ways to save on your fuel costs.
Other costs
I bought new cushions from M&S to match my new sofa that was delivered last week, I am really pleased with them. There was 20% off cushions, plus another 10% off with a voucher on my Sparks app. The cushions were £32 rather than £45, cheaper than The Range where I had looked before. And they match my Kandinsky print perfectly! Also pictures is St. Michaels Mount.
Pensions Contribution
I am working out how much I can contribute to my pension currently. I have built up a chunk of reserves in my business bank account where I am earning 0% interest, not good. The great thing about moving money to my pension is that its an allowable business expense so will save me 19% corporation tax. And of course, it is adding to my future saving pot of my private pension that I can access at age 57, and will benefit from investment growth over time.
It’s just a balance of how much cash I want to keep aside for emergencies and how much I am comfortable locking away for another 12 years. I have a full emergency fund in place, but do I need to set aside more
I made a commitment in my financial plans to move at least £12k per year into my pension, this year I should be able to do more than this.
That’s it for me this week, I hope you enjoy the TV appearance, do go check it out. I talk about Top Cashback and how I’ve made thousands of extra cash in the last nine years. Sign up here and start doing the same!
One Response
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