30 Days of November, Day 13: Of Finances

I used to have a finance blog but I am finished with that now. Budgeting is still a large part of my life and I am happy to share about it on my lifestyle blog.

I am using YNAB (You Need A Budget) online at the moment to budget, but I may move back to the computer version at some point. I mainly switched over to the online version because their strict handling of debt was what I needed to get myself out of a spot of bother I ended up in after some fast and furious medical expenses.

One of Ynab's snazzy graphics.


The medical expenses also came after a stint of seven months of less than ideal spending habits, during my time living away from home with my then partner. Finances weren't the only thing about that relationship that was a wreck...but maybe I'll leave that for another post.

The budget is a lot more stable now, especially with all of the Medical reimbursements pouring in. I am in the stage of trying to rebuild my reserves, get serious about Retirement while making sure that I have enough on hand to cover irregular expenses like holiday gifts and my yearly life insurance bills.

I recently settled down and did my yearly budget for 2018, and so far it look pretty good. It always stings when you see how much is going out to taxes and national insurance! I don't have any plans to travel next year, so most of my 'extra' money should be going right back into savings. I have a pretty lean discretionary spending allowance and I must admit that I think sticking to it is going to take some effort.

Right now I am gift-buying mode for all of the Littles in my life and the budget is starting to feel the strain. I am on the hunt for cheap, but durable educational toys and it is harder than you think to find appropriate buys!

Next time I update I will let you know how I got on, and hopefully I will be reporting a success. Until then..


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