Sunday morning is my household planning time. I like nothing better that to lounge in bed with my budget book, receipts, household notes, menu plan list and online accounts at the ready. Taking my time and enjoying the luxury of having enough to to do this, some would say tedious, job well, is a blessing I never forget. At its heart it's a frugal exercise in housekeeping financial and stock control, but I like to dress it up like I'm running the books of a Shabby Chic Chateau!
We run on a monthly budget and start on, naturally, payday where all the big expenses and direct debits are paid out via the bank. I'm canny about keeping those bigger costs in place, checking the deals and that's easy enough too do. What's more complex to keep under control is the smaller week-to-week and day-to-day expenditure.
I like to use tools and aids; including useful little books like this from KTwo now known as BusyB. The lovely people there run a wonderful website and design all sorts of solutions for organisation that are every so pretty and clever!
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| Useful Budget Book |
In addition to my budget book I keep a general household A5
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ringbound book. I often need more than one in a year depending on what's happening or what's taking my interest. This this household notebook is filled with everything going on day-today such as shopping lists, menu plans, to do lists, ideas, plans, itineraries, days out suggestions, sewing patters and sketches of all sorts including eats, treats, flowers and new camping tent set ups.
My note book is a real hodgepodge of my thoughts about running my home and life. It really must look like crazy lady stuff to the uninitiated. It can be a lot of fun keeping on top of your domestic duties hehe.
On a more serious note, the little budget book links up to a larger monthly budget spreadsheet shared with hubby on our shared Google Drive. This lets us both see the bigger financial picture and how much if anything we have saved.
Tracking Every Penny
I track every penny I spend in my budget book - that means everything from that newspaper and chocolate bar while buying petrol at the garage, to those sneaky ebay purchases through to groceries, flights and hotels. I note every item down and balance it against its "topic" account and overall bank account.
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| My budget book, household notebook, my sewing machine covered and sewing box. The glass of wine... well I have not idea where it came from! |
What About Cash in Hand
We all need to work with some cash in our pockets. There maybe things like the odd bit of shopping, petrol or leisure & going out spending that lend themselves to several people using cash as and when needed?
I keep cash in one place in a cash purse for this. I alsokeep a note of what has been spent and the receipts brought back to be able to balance the account.
Kate Made a Cash Purse - I made it from bits of gingham cotton, zips and acetate I had lying around. There's 4 different compartment each with an interchanging label. Zip closure and an outer cover that zips shut. It's kinda geeky-meets-with-twee kinda stuff :-) Saddest thing ever...it actually gets used.
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| pockets can be renamed |
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| room for receipts |
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| It closes up tidy |
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| The Cash Purse closed. |
Thanks for reading Kate Makes x
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