Now I don’t know about you, but I feel like I start every one of these spending diary posts off in the same way. Every month I talk about wanting to save money and spend less. And surprise surprise, every month I’ve managed to spend more than planned. Honestly, it’s a special talent of mine! But if you’re interested, here are my January, February, March, April, May, and June spending diaries. And below is my July spending diary.
Week one 1st – 4th July – 1,978.82
So the first week of the month as usual was an expensive one. £635 for my mortgage. £127 on council tax. £243 for my car lease. £74.72 for electricity. £22.99 on mortgage insurance. £28.15 for broadband. £100 into my investment account. £86 to Moneybox. £60 to my cleaner. And £22.96 on Dominoes. Oh, and to top it off my oven broke, which meant I needed to buy a new hob and oven from AO at a cost of £588.
Week two 5th – 11th July – £1,130.96
Well, this week wasn’t much better! £12.24 at Waitrose, £39.49 at Tesco. £16 on car parking at the station (I’m back in the office now so that’s a new expense!). £47.80 on train tickets, £9.60 on Tube costs. £4.79 on Pret for lunch. £55 for lashes and brows. £58 on food and drinks at a dinner with friends. £213 on afternoon tea. £18.04 at Waitrose. £7 in Monsoon. And finally £650 on laser hair removal.
Week three 12th – 18th July – £381.63
Well, this week was better! £14.70 at Tesco. £16 on car parking. £177 on a flexi-season ticket. £18.95 at Waitrose. £38.66 on a Beauty Pie order. £90 to Moneybox. £9.60 on the Tube. £5.89 on Pret. £10.83 on Tailwind.
Week four 19th – 25th July – £883.51
Well, this week was a little spendier than planned. Thanks mainly to an impulse purchase of the Dyson Airwrap which was £445 at QVC. But alongside that, I also spent £8 on car parking. £2.40 on the Tube. £19.20 on postage after selling a few things on eBay. £48.90 on petrol. £20.25 at Marks and Spencer. £20.21 at Waitrose. £50 on a Monica Vinader order. £60 at Dyson. £22.96 on Dominoes. £55.95 on home insurance. £85 on Moneybox. £10.99 on Canva. £34.65 at Tesco.
Week five 26th – 31st July – 447.43
Well, I didn’t do too much damage in the final week of the month. £24 car parking. £2.15 on lunch in Marks and Spencer. £9.60 on the Tube. £32 on Michelangelo exhibition tickets. £15.99 to Lyrical host. £83.20 on two silk pillowcases for a birthday present. £70 to Dyson. £95 to Moneybox. £16.40 for a curry at my friend’s. £74.18 on my phone bill. £24.91 for my car maintenance.
Total = £4,822.35
So that’s my July spending diary. My plan for August. Well, like every month to take advantage of the fact that I’m still working from home part-time and save more. But let’s see how well that goes next month. What are your financial goals for August? Have you ever tracked your spending like this?