Monday Money #174 Spending diary Therapy and a Birthday

Happy Monday to everyone, I am celebrating getting this post out on a Monday morning. I ‘think’ I am just about on top of work projects at the moment, and this feels amazing. November is always super busy in my writing world, lots of brands want money saving content for Christmas and this all needs to be written in Oct and Nov. December should be more chilled out.

I hope so as I am taking a holiday officially from 18th Dec to 10th Jan!! Can’t wait for a three week break. I 100% deserve it. It kicks off with a five day trip to Penzance with the boys where we are doing an early Christmas with my family, and we are getting the train for the first time ever together, SO much more chilled than that awful drive. I got tickets for three of us for £120 after friends and family railcard savings and a voucher from The Trainline. It’s a six and a half hour train journey which is actually quicker than it takes to drive if you take into account the stops for wee’s and food. 300 mile drive is home;-)

It has been an expensive week as the birthday continue in this house, this week it was my youngest 9th birthday. SO expect a big week for spending, again. But I did make a birthday cake!

Content This Week

I also put out some wonderful content. I am super proud of this post all about the world of pensions where I have defined ALL of the complex terminology used in the pensions world. Its unnecessary to be honest, but its there, and now there is a clear guide that explains everything. Huge thank you to my friend Eve for helping to come up with the long list of things that need to be explained and checking my definitions were 100 % accurate. She is a pensions expert with 20 years experience in the world.

Podcast Episode 10 – Mrs Mummypenny Talks Protection with Kathryn Knowles

I am nearing the end of Series 4 and this week was a pleasure to host another friend and owner of Cura Insurance, Kathryn Knowles to talk Protection (which always makes me think condoms..NO!). We talk about the world of insurance, life, income protection and critical illness. Those insurances that we all need to cover us if we die or get ill. We explain in a simple way making it clear which products you need and when.

Listen here, or via your favourite podcast app, just search Mrs Mummypenny

Watch here on YouTube

Reverse Advent Calendar

Have you started yours and how are you going to?

I am up to day eight and need to do some catch up. I want to get this to the food bank at beginning of December.

Please do share pictures with me on social media, also tag Super Lucky Di on Twitter with a chance to win a £50 voucher!

Spending Diary

Food Spends

Food spending is high as there was son’s birthday party eating out and a night out in London with my best university friends for Neilboy’s birthday. I spent £182 on eating out. £85 of this was in Shoreditch with my friends. £35 was on McDonalds for five children and a few other bits and pieces. It all adds up, all those coffees at the gym and a burger at the Christmas lights switch on. Grocery spend was only £68 and this did include cake ingredients and other birthday bits.

Family and Personal Fun

I spent £114 on family and personal fun last week. This included a trip to the cinema to watch Eternals. I loved it, such a brilliant film that I felt was gender, race and disability balanced. The eternals included a deaf woman, a gay man, the lead was a woman, there were older women, Salma Heyek and Angelina Jolie. Ans the diversity of skin colour and accents was wonderful. Anyways I love it and do stay for the secret scene in the end credits, I actually gasped with surprise. BTW I save 40% on my cinema tickets by using a kidspass for tickets and food available any time.

I also spent an extra £20 at bowling for J’s birthday party on an extra place for DJ. Hollywood bowling were brilliant, super busy, but let me add on Dylan and gave us extra time. Jack also went to trampoline park with our neighbour on Sunday morning, which was nice as I was having a personal meltdown. And I also spent £37 on tickets to Clapham Scummy Mummies Christmas show for Eve (pensions) and me!

Personal Care

Quite a bill this last week. It was a hugely challenging week with lots of personal health things going on, Perimenopause impacts on my health, sleep and mental health. There were a couple of externals factors that had a really big impact, all resulting in a need for a therapy session and a chemist bill. £155 spent. Also also I call an essential grooming requirement of hair removal, £20 spent on tash and brows wax. Perimenopause is not being kind with facial hair growth. Grrrr.

Presents

I spent £78 on presents, some H&M clothes for Jack and £28 towards a tablet. The remainding £91 cost of the tablet was paid for using my Top Cashback cash back I had built up over the past few months. And I got an extra bonus by turning my cash back straight into John Lewis vouchers, and I bought the tablet via Top Cashback, so I triple stacked my vouchers.

Business Expenses

Again a lot this week. I sent out thank you/Christmas gifts to some wonderful people who have helped me with my podcast recently. And supported a small business friend who has just set up making creative beautiful goodies.

I also paid a parking ticket from July, I was disputing but gave up, they wouldn’t let me off, despite it being incorrect to give it to me. Plus travel costs and a few other bits. £171 spent.

Holiday Costs £125

This was the cost of the train ticket to get the three of us to Penzance in December, this is great price for an adult and two children, bought using my family railcard. Basically the two children travel for free.

Other costs and Summary

A bit of savings to plum, some petrol costs and pet costs. This take me a total spend for the week of £954. A spendy week indeed, but with quite a few one off costs. Holiday travel paid for, therapy and a birthday. Such is life, things hit in threes

Thanks for reading!