Handbags & Gladrags – Confessions of a Recovering Spendaholic

The_Golden_Goose

So easy to overspend on your holidays.

Avoid trips and tours. Buy local wine and consume on balcony with deck of cards, much cheaper than wine bars or restaurants as, if you are like us, we go with the ethos of "we are holiday, lets treat ourselves - EVERY NIGHT" which is not very sensible considering we couldnt afford it, and nor could our waistlines. Saying that, we enjoyed every morsel and every drop. Shame that we are probably still paying those expenses off now!

Sun_Addict

Hi Swinstie

Been catching up with your diary - it always makes me smile

Re the holiday spending money me and OH try to take £1000 for both of us for two weeks. We save money by only eating out every other night but we still go out for a drink every night. We eat all breakfasts, lunches and snacks at the accomodation. However, we always stay somewhere that has decent cooking facilities which makes this possible. We never go on trips or tours - basically we just fly and flop! If need be we would be prepared to have a couple of nights on the balcony with a bottle of wine. We don't go anywhere for the nightlife anyway we tend to go for the sunshine.

As you know from my diary I am like you with unnecessary spends so I can totally empathise on this. I'm sure once you get into the routine of only spending on necessary stuff (with the odd splurge or you wouldn't be human ) it will become second nature.

savingholmes

on the holiday spends thing we spend as little as poss. If we go abroad (3 times in 11 years) we go all inclusive and then take less than £200 spends - works for us as a family but agree not right for everyone.

Remember too that you would have spent money if you were at home - work out how much that would have been and then how much reasonably you need to add to it if at all....

Swinstie73

Hi Sun Addict & Savingholmes & All!

Spending money is so hard to judge! After being made redundant many moons ago I went to Canada for 3 months and spent around £2500, I went a year later for 6 weeks and spent almost £2000 :eek:. (All including flights obviously)!

OH has never been before so he wants to take as much money as possible, which I can understand as he won't want to look as if he is trying to be cheap (we are normally are quite modest in our holiday spending) but this is kind of a special holiday, first time sis and family will have met him (personally I'm hoping for a proposal ).

I already have £300 of dollars (at a rubbish rate) but think I will go for another £500 and take my Visa (which will be empty by August) and use that for the last week if need be.

Good point on the not spending at home SH, will save about £350 there, will only be bills which I have got DD's set up for (including credit card).

On another note, managed to get kitchen done, livingroom not too bad, bathroom okish and The Bedroom of Doom I have made a start on. Sitting watching Gok just now then CSI at 9pm, think that is me for the night.

Hope everyone having a good one x

Swinstie73

Just a wee quick update from me before I go to bed - Dexter on at 10pm, Mmm I wonder if I could stay up that late! Missed most of CSI cos was on here reading diaries, honestly I should be debt free by now with the amount of time I spend on here and not at the shops!

To-Do List for tomorrow is as follows (cos I keep forgetting things):

Phone for dentist appointment (checkup) - he will probably ask about the gum shield I got last year cos thought I was grinding teeth in sleep (waking up with headaches everyday) - have NEVER used it as keep gagging, even worse trying to sleep with it in - yuk!

Phone for eye appointment - should be ok (I hope)

Write cheque to friend for deposit for sis's night out - she never made it and managed to get the money back

Try on-line banking (again) as keep getting thrown off Halifax website

Pack up office for move next week (think this is important but will get to it after done all my personal stuff)!

Well Dexter just started, must watch it, be one less thing to tape x

Scottishmummy

Could have sworn I subscribed to your diary after you posted on mine, but having just looked for it I realise I haven't read any of it whoops:o. Will take far too long to read it all tonight but I am subscribed now so will get there in the end.

rupe34

Swinstie73 wrote: »

Just a wee quick update from me before I go to bed - Dexter on at 10pm, Mmm I wonder if I could stay up that late! Missed most of CSI cos was on here reading diaries, honestly I should be debt free by now with the amount of time I spend on here and not at the shops!

:rotfl:I'm with you there! My life seems to revolve around wrestling the rugrats off the computer so I can catch up on everything.(Or getting into work early and 'constructively' using the extra time:rotfl:)

Swinstie73

Hi Rupe,

It does save you money though, it's not as nice today but I had planned to go to Tesco at lunch-time for a few essentials but I just KNOW I would've wandered to the clothes and end up buying something! So, no I am sat here having lunch at my desk and catching up on here (and only spent £2.40) -result!

rupe34

Nicely done Swinstie

I - on the other hand - went to Asda last night to get a copy of Runner's World magazine (I can't even believe I bought it - whats going ON with me??;)) but came out with Heat, Glamour, shorts and tops for Rugrat nos 1 & 3 and some clothes pegs (as well as RW magazine). :eek:

??? I don't even read Heat anymore - why was it so vital??

£40 later - I possibly need to STOP spending money right now.

savingholmes

Rupe and Swinstie - at least you are in the game and trying to reduce your outgoings... be pleased with yourselves for that and try and do better tomorrow lol