Wednesday 4 January 2023

Looking Back at the 2022 Accounts Book

Last year someone commented that they liked my Frugal Month notes and I hadn't done a round up for a while. I said that it seemed a bit hypercritical as I'd been spending a lot of money in the second half of the year.

(Thank heavens I've been frugal all my life so manage to have spare money when needed - and downsizing was a huge help with this of course - I'd recommend it earlier rather than later.... Imagine if I'd have had to do all that 9 week holiday home shifting about thing in 10 years time, when even older and more decrepit!)  .

image from google freepik


So for those who like to know - here's a round-up from my accounts book...............

Every month has regular outgoings - the Council Tax, charity donation, electric bill, phones/broadband, diesel for the car, household things for laundry, kitchen, bathroom etc etc and there are 10 birthdays and Christmas. Then I seem to often find little things for the grandchildren - funny that!

Somehow each month always manages to have it's extra expenses. Last year it went like this..........

January: I bought raspberry canes plus water-butts for the greenhouse and house. The boiler had to be repaired and I got a wild bird feeding station and feed.
 My personal expenditure was  the half year Radio Times subscription, new reading glasses and some second-hand books.

February: 500 litres Heating oil was £338, for the garden I bought a Bramley apple tree, vegetable seeds, wild flower seeds and multi-purpose compost. And after the electric was off for almost 24 hours I re-stocked on batteries for torches and radio.
My personal spending was a day out at  Anglesey Abbey to see the snowdrops, a bunch of tulips, second hand books.

March: The bill came for water and sewer charges. I paid both and later in the year after I had a water meter fitted I got refunds on both. Suffolk and Essex Water repaid really quickly but I had to wait an age for a refund from Anglian Water (sewer charges). The biggest expense was the car MOT which included 4 new tyres. For the garden I got another water butt and fittings , some enviromesh and brassica plants (total fail!), various plants including herbs from boot sales and an old dustbin to use for covering the rhubarb.
Personal spending on dentist, underwear, a dress, haircut, a couple of bunches of flowers, membership of Over 60s group (before I found out what annoying old men go to the group!) second hand books and  WI membership .
                                                                        
April: Extra spending every April is House Insurance and TV Licence and April 2022 was the month I found the Country Diary plates. For the garden I got fittings for the greenhouse, more multi-purpose compost and a new watering can as well as a few plants.
My personal spending included the other dual WI membership, second-hand books, bunch of flowers. I also took the whole family out for a meal to celebrate my Birthday, Easter and us all being together.

May: In May last year I had to buy myself a new phone and paid the Breakdown Insurance on the car. The car also had to have a new tyre pressure valve - wish they'd have done it when they did the MOT. I found 2 T shirts at charity shops for wearing at home, bought 2 new bras and my summer shoes and a waterproof hat when I was at the Suffolk Show. 
For the garden I bought new canes, some plants, and the very handy patio weeding tool. And apart from clothes my personal spending was on a couple of outings to local events and my exercise step - which is a very good piece of equipment for anyone living in a bungalow.

June: A very low spend month with hardly any extras. I started going swimming again so my personal spending included  that and a haircut, second-hand books and a case for my new phone. I had to pay the annual bill for the garden-waste recycling bin.

July: I paid a deposit for the wood-burner and bought a load of wood but as the weather was so hot I didn't go out much and had another low spend month.
Personal spending included swimming, a new sudoku book, a couple of second hand books, several small bits and bobs for grandchildren and the 6 month Radio Times Subscription.

August: The month I bought a new laptop but other than that the rest of the spend was regular stuff or small amounts. I contributed toward a new man-hole cover for the one out the front driveway that had almost collapsed and bought a bike pump and new inner tubes for my bike.

September: The wood-burner was installed and I paid the rest of the money and a deposit for the new shower room work. I also bought a stove top fan, kindling from a car boot sale and firelighters. I bought 2 new hoodie jackets at half price. I had some meals out when I went to Dunwich, Orford and the Transport museum.

October: All the usual things plus  I paid the rest of the money for the shower room work and for the new heating oil tank. There was a dentist visit, and I sent for another small apple tree for the garden. I splashed out on some items for my own Christmas hamper and bought two new tunic tops. The bill came for a small boiler repair done in August.

November: 750 Litres of heating oil was £637 (equivalent back in Feb would have been = £507) This was the month when most of my Christmas spending was done including postage stamps and I bought a small set of storage drawers to fit under the new wash basin. I bought two more new bras, so have replaced all my very old ones now - should be OK for a while!

December: The rest of the Christmas shopping and present buying was done. The boiler had its annual service, car insurance paid and my years supply of loo-rolls arrived from the "toilet paper that builds toilets" company ( huge saving by having a regular once-a year order)

As usual there are many small savings that I make which allow me to spend elsewhere on all the above.

  • Cutting down spending on crafts
  • Some clothes bought from charity shops if possible
  • Not buying alcohol 
  • Not buying make up
  • Cheap haircuts
  • Using bread maker for home made bread
  • Christmas/Birthday cards home made, found in charity shops or at car boot sales
  • Growing some of my own veg
  • Making meals from my veg to store in freezer
  • Making chutneys/jams/marmalade for me and for gifts
  • Using the library for new books
  • Only buying second-hand books
  • Plants bought from car-boot sales when possible 
  • Catching water in water butts will save money now I have a water meter
  • Giving up chocolate eating and peanut butter
  • Using second-class postage stamps
  • Mixing milk half and half with water
  • Avoiding using tumble dryer for most of the year
  • Rarely buying meat
  • Using side lamps rather than overhead lighting when possible
  • Don't buy newspapers or magazines (other than the RT which is on subscription and less than £2 a week)

So...........2021 was expensive because of moving although I ended up better off due to it being a big downsize. 
Then 2022 was expensive because of having the wood-burner fitted, the  new shower room and a new heating oil tank.

So, unless I decide to have a porch built over the front door, 2023 will definitely to be less spendy....or am I tempting fate to say that?!

Back Tomorrow
Sue

30 comments:

  1. Definitely growing some of my own veg has saved money. And my SIL has just kindly given us a voucher for a seed company for Christmas - which is a bit like a DIY food hamper!

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    1. Just started perusing the seed catalogues - a favourite occupation - even if I can't grow as much as I once did

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  2. Thanks again for your wonderfully inspiring and informative blog. Margaret (New Zealand)

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    1. Thank you - I enjoy see photos on your blog of somewhere so far a way and very different

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  3. Sounds pretty much a year anyone can have from time to time. I put a new woodburner in three years ago when the old one that was in the house when I bought it developed a hole, very dangerous. I keep monthly accounts in a tiny cash book. Acts as a good aide-memoire when one wants to re-check on something like "when did I buy that" "when was that repaired last" "how much was that bill last year" etc. Very easy to do and useful habit to get into. I don't do any end of year totting up, it just runs month by month, year in and year out. I started it when I moved in here. Best wishes for 2023.

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    1. My old accounts book is full and falling to pieces which means I have to start a new one but the old one will be kept for reference. Useful to have things in writing and a very good reason for charting it all here.

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  4. Happy New Year Sue...we have been able to order, and eventually receive a free water butt from our water company. Ideal! x

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  5. I have kept, and still have, ins/outs/balances books for over 40 years. There were times when they were essential because money was tight, but I carried on because it was useful to record when I wrote cheques or used my debit card. Now I do more and more online, and the statements are easily accessible there. I'm considering giving up my trusty books!

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    1. I'm still resisting online banking while there are still a few buildings to go into!

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  6. You’ve just convinced me I need to get back to recording everything again. It’s comforting knowing we don’t want for much and are able to afford whatever it is we might need but sometimes we need to know without racking our brains trying to remember.
    Your monthly posts where you tally the ins and outs are interesting to read - and I love the fact you can find joy in the smallest of things

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    1. Sometimes I wonder why I keep such detailed accounts but then find them so useful and might as well keep going

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  7. I'm glad I have started recording again - reading this made me realise I don't have a clue about last year apart from that it was too much. Thanks very much. xx

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    1. I planning on spending a lot less this year - except for book spending

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  8. it's always so useful to keep an account book so that there is a record of when this or that was paid for. Your records are so much more detailed than mine!
    Thanks for sharing , it's fascinating to read what someone else has spent money on ;)

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    1. It's ever so useful to look and see when things are due

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  9. I have account books going back to 1976 that I started when we were first married and filled in every Friday evening after work. In 2002 I installed the Microsoft Money program (now discontinued) on my computer to keep a record electronically and if I enter all the receipts I get and balance the statements it gives me frighteningly accurate reports of my spending and I can find the date of anything I have bought in an instant. I still hang onto the old accounts books though as they remind me of those housekeeping books that you find displayed in National Trust places and are quite fascinating to read. We spent £2.39 on avarage on our weekly grocery shop at the local Co-op in 1978 plus a couple of pounds for a mass of fruit and veg.

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    1. Goodness, that's a long time to keep a record - well done. £2.39 for a whole weeks shopping - just seems unreal now

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  10. I admire your accurate record keeping , I'm a bit of a fritterer ( not sure that's a word!) but probably not as bad as I used them be when working - danger zone for me is when I feel I 'deserve' a treat - these days I try to do something that's free, nice walk with the dogs or a trip to the library!
    Alison in Wales x

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    1. The joy of being frugal in some areas means I don't feel guilty spending on other things.

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  11. That's good accounting for the year, you do really well to keep the costs down with all your money saving ideas and bargain buys.

    I need to keep tabs on myself this year, I think I'll use my diary for that each time I spend some money.

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  12. I often wish I knew when I was going to die so I would know how long I have to make my pile of money last! I am quite cheap and try not to spend much if I can avoid it but if I knew I have fewer years left - I might splurge more! ;)

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    1. I think my children would be worried there would be none left for them if I started splurging! My main weakness is books

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  13. Like you, I also track expenses and know where money goes. With everything increasing in price, it becomes important to have options. I'd like to grow more fruits and veg and am considering putting up a 6-8 ft.tall fence enclosure and having planting boxes built. When I've planted veg on my property, the wildlife eats everything. Deer can jump a fence so the fence height has to be right. Between deer, rabbits hedgehogs, possums and raccoons, the garden will require fortification. I'm also looking at bread making machines and am interested in having more control over the high preservative content.

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    1. I love my home made bread - especially as toast. The bread maker is so easy.
      Had some losses from pests in my garden too - although whitefly are a lot smaller than deer they are just as destructive.
      Good luck with your plans

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  14. I've often thought about keeping a Housekeeping Book to track finances (as opposed to following a budget). I'm going to try it this year - and hope it doesn't give me too much of a fright to see where all my money goes!

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  15. I love reading your yearly windup of expenses. I do have to ask... What is a TV tax? I don't think we have that here in Canada.

    God bless.

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    1. Do you mean TV Licence? It is what we pay to fund the BBC because it doesn't have ads to fund it

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  16. I wish I kept as good a track of my spending habits as you do. I do think I could cut back a good amount on some things if I tried a little harder.
    Cathy

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  17. This definitely encourages me to keep better track of spending. This past Christmas season was great fun, but oh so many gifts to buy, sixteen kids, seven spouses, eleven grandkids, my husband...so this year, I'm going to keep a running list with me on my phone, and when I see something nice for someone, on sale, I'llbuild up the gift closet, so there's no scrambling in December...spread it out over the year. My vice: coffee...local coffee shop, Starbucks....I don't eat sweets or donuts, but love my coffee...but it's pricey.

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