Changing habits, wanting freedom

jvr · 2 November 2016 at 2:10PM

Hi Brizzle thanks!:hello:

So better late than never!
Last weekend…. Friday lazy evening in with OH no spends that I remember. Saturday I went to a yoga workshop with my mum (price included in my membership), it was a restorative workshop and since my mum has been quite stressed with redecorating her house I thought would be good for us both. It was amazing! Felt so chilled afterwards. She bought me a coffee and then headed home with plans of housework etc. Think I managed a tiny bit and box dyed my hair. Went out for the evening to a friends for his birthday. Taxi to their house was about £6.50 and then brought with us some beers £4.50, they then paid for the taxi for everyone to town later and we got a couple of drinks between us probably £20 (Its expensive!) and then had to get a taxi rank taxi home so was £11 so overall about 40ish for two of us for big night out is pretty good I think! I had also got OH a rustlers burger for £1 as I knew he would want a takeaway when he got home which I thought was genius. Managed to have a big row end of night and OH slept on sofa so although did well can’t help thinking should have stayed in! Sunday I just pottered around with a hangover and then helped my mum with painting, got us a chocolate bar each and then ordered a curry with OH in the evening. Shared a main to keep cost down, it isn’t the cheapest place but we don’t order very often and its lovely. Although thinking about that im sure we have ordered twice in the last few weeks… need to keep an eye on that.
Overall money is very tight this month. Going to London at the end of the month for a friends birthday, I am staying with her which should keep costs down but I have realised I am going to have to bite the bullet and get the coach from Yorkshire not the train… its hell but at about £15 return instead of £80 I just can’t justify the train. Also have dog food for the month and worming/flea treatments and injections for one of the dogs and im really not sure how I can find that money – worst case I have the car insurance savings to use and will have to add extra back in.
Been good this week, brought food with me from home and gone to Yoga on my lunchtimes using membership. Still eating less meat and have avoided the normal food shop as still have enough in if I’m inventive grabbed some yellow sticker yoghurts for work and that’s about it. Waxed two friend’s eyebrows yesterday and got a bottle of wine (which I couldn’t afford until after the weekend) so that was a win!
Must get better at posting regularly rather than these essays!

jvr · 3 November 2016 at 2:38PM

So my attempt at more regular posting. No spends yesterday, had to go to Docs after work and got a lift home. OH was home when I thought he was working late so had to share my chili! Luckily still had just enough for my lunch today. It was my first time making chili with half meat and half lentils. Absolutely fab and even the obsessive meat eater OH gave it a thumbs up so will be doing that again. Still on mega strict budget but met a friend for a coffee today on my lunch break, she wanted to eat and because I was starving I got a samosa to keep me going while she ate a delicious big meal. On plus side a large coffee and samosa was only £2.75 worth is to have a catch up.
Another friend text me yesterday suggesting a drink and since I hardly see him didn’t want to say no. Very proud of myself that I told him I was skint and he suggested he come over one evening and will bring the wine… perfect! Driving lesson tonight so unavoidable spend and got more bacci (cheaper than cigarettes but still a stupid spend which I need to sort out)
Feeling positive I can get through this month on such a tight budget

jvr · 4 November 2016 at 1:08PM

Hello
So no other spends yesterday, had a really good driving lesson and popped in to my mum who is redecorating. Will be helping her lay a new laminate floor this weekend so will keep me busy. I made lentil daahl (however you spell it!!) about a week ago and froze it as see lots of diaries saying it is cheap, easy and delicious. Had it with rice last night and I am sold! Was lovely and cost pennies, so adding that to regular list I think.
Small spend this morning of £1.70 as we all get breakfast sarnies into the office on Fridays and it’s a small treat that perks me up. Will have to do a small food shop tonight I think but still have some meat in the freezer so aside from buying some more frozen mince will just be veggies and some house stuff.
A friend has suggested we go to the cinema on Saturday night, feel torn as hardly see her but also I’m not sure I can afford the £10 it will cost and that’s assuming she could give me lifts without going into next week’s spending money. I’m trying to change what I think of as essential spends so can start making a big difference to our debt, neither of us earn much so £10 isnt a small amount… but also don’t want to be stingy and unsociably

decisions. I would just invite her to ours but not that keen on dogs and mine can be a bit too enthusiastic

jvr · 7 November 2016 at 8:58AM

Hello
Friday was a NSD and Saturday I was up bright and early to go help my mum lay her new laminate floor. My dad kindly offered to help as well (my parents are divorced) he picked me up and we stopped to buy croissants for breakfast I got some crumpets as well and spend about £2.50. Mum made lunch so freebie there. Got most of it done Saturday but decided to leave the fiddly last bit till fresher in the morning. I confess I had a take away in the evening, which was covered by £8 I forgot my mum owed me. I was so tired and couldn’t be bothered. Felt awful as got back about 5pm ready to take the dogs for a walk and then the fireworks went off and one of my dogs lost the plot. So decided better to stay in. Sunday went back to my mums to finish off and me and my dad put all her curtain rails up, the place looks absolutely lovely. She used to have that horrific thick patterned wall paper to cover the state of the walls but has all been plastered and painted and her dream wood burning stove installed. My friend who I was meant to go to the cinema with on Saturday ( but I suggested a cheaper coffee on Sunday instead) collected me and I spent about £2.50 on a coffee, she also dropped me home which was lovely. OH came back saying he wanted to order a pizza and watch a film so although terrible for the waistline at least he was paying. Waited 2 hours for it to arrive freezing cold so not impressed and asking for a refund – we had to reheat it and it was so dry but we were starving by this point. Overall low spend weekend and felt good to do something practical although I owe my dogs lots of walks and attention this week. Desperately need to do a food shop as have nothing in the house, just enough to make a lentil dahl tonight and see if OH agrees it is lovely. Back to work now

jvr · 8 November 2016 at 10:30AM

Hello,
Fairly MSE day yesterday, used my yoga membership at lunch time brought porridge for brekkie and a sandwich from lunch. Came home and discovered my puppy got in the cupboard ate a whole bag of cat food and was sick lots. Desperately needed food shop so went grabbed another bag and some food. Spent £41 but got some yellow sticker chicken for freezer etc. Was planning a delicious MSE dahl even got some discount poppadoms to make it special and OH calls to say coming home with burgers from work, felt very put out that had this cheap dinner planned and finally realised my plan was not at cheap as free burgers so what was I complaining about!
Had a surprise visit from my old boss who was up in Leeds (a disabled woman I worked with for about 6 years) and her pa who is also my friend. They brought a bottle of Cava so we had a great catch up and a lovely drink

Found a mince pasta tub in my freezer so took that out to defrost form my lunch and making my version of the Lean in 15 chicken pie for dinner, makes about 4 portions which is fab, love Joe Wicks recipe books. Will go to yoga on lunch (stops me spending money) and still managed to cycle in, although I have dug out some thermals its cold up in Yorkshire I can tell you!
Hope people are well and wrapped up nice and warm!

Dolphin1 · 8 November 2016 at 5:42PM

jvr wrote: »

its cold up in Yorkshire

Oh yes, it certainly is, the winter wear is well and truly out! And snow expected overnight. :snow_grin

jvr · 8 November 2016 at 5:51PM

So I've heard! Taken my work laptop home just in case .. We have only just been given them but will be great if weather is terrible not having to stress about getting in somehow! Hope it doesn't effect you too badly dolphin

jvr · 9 November 2016 at 2:47PM

Hello
Slight rant ahead….
Had a money discussion with OH yesterday… he feels sick of being skint but he actually spends so much… he buys beer and wine all the time and smokes a crazy amount. His petrol is expensive but I still figure he has about £300 a month to play with… I buy food with the amount he gives me and bills with my wage. Am I mad thinking that is a hell of a lot of money to be playing with?! He’s so keen for us to try having kids and at present im worrying he has no clue how little money he will have when we do. Makes me feel really anxious and he refuses budget or help with it… grrrrr!
Had to get bus today due to snow so that is £4 unplanned spend but taken breakfast and lunch so will be no other spends. Praying for a pay rise sooner rather than later can’t help thinking if im struggling this badly now to reign things in how am I gonna cope when we have kids… it’s not like it’s just his spending that has been the problem but he refuses to look properly at it! Panicking and ranting…

Dolphin1 · 15 November 2016 at 10:43AM

How's it going jvr, any progress with your OH? Does he really expect things can stay the same for him if you have children? They are a never ending drain on your finances so I can understand you wanting to sort this issue before moving forward.

jvr · 15 November 2016 at 4:42PM

Hi Dolphin :j
Well… I don’t even know were to begin with the financial disaster that was last weekend. Friday morning I dropped my iphone in the sink… tried to revive it with no success. So I have a split contract and luckily was on my last month’s payment for the phone. I also get 30% discount on airtime portion of contract due to a friend who used to work for 02. My plan was to just not upgrade as when I upgrade I would lose the discount and my phone was fine. In the end decided to get a cheaper phone but that was still £150 and obviously I had to pay outright for it and keep my discount on contract rather than upgrade. Phone is great and does everything I used to use iphone for so why spend so much money just to have an iphone! Then my sister and her bf came up and so went to cheap local pub for food and drinks but even then its like £25 for both of us when we are skint. Saturday I went to my mums to meet my sister and a friend who was recently attacked in a gym spa, my sister is very good at krav maga self-defence so to make my friend feel better we went through some techniques. She then gave me a lift home which saved on bus fair. On the evening went back to my mums for my sister’s birthday, OH drove but spent £10 on some wine to bring and then £20 on curry for us both. OH left early as has been working nonstop and I spent £5 on taxi home later. So two days and £205 spent!
Then comes Sunday… our puppy has destroyed one sofa so my other sister has given us a puppy gate to trap her in the kitchen, also getting a sofa to replace from my mum so £50 spent on sprays to make her not eat another sofa and various very tough big toys for entertainment (she is a Rottweiler so the cheap toys last seconds with her). Annoying but necessary spend! Then for no reason and probably because I decided we had messed up the whole budget anyway we got pudding delivered spending £11!!!! So now on to £266 spends…………
Monday I had booked off spent most of it setting up a home gym with OH that was also kindly donated from my sisters fianc! who wanted rid of it…… no other spends till today when I bought loads of bits for my lunches for the rest of the week.
Having ranted about OH feel like I am failing even worse! On plus side my amazing dad has told me don’t have to pay the last £1000 I owe him for the car as he has been helping my sisters out with various things so that will be another £100 each month that can go to debts, or to the overdraft to repay my stupid spending

Changing habits, wanting freedom

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free