My first week OS - and my thanks to you all

Rachie_B

welcome to OS

i agree its about taking little steps at a time ,and if you fall off the OS wagon lol

dont beat yourself up about it just learn from it

exlibris

Congratulations KIttyKate! You have taken the first step and had the courage to confess your so called failings. You now know where you fell by the wayside last week so this week you can change with the advice you have already had from here.

I suspect the Tesco delivery problem won't happen again as you will be planning meals more and also will probably not rely on the delivery for that evening's meal again.

Try to have an emergency meal in your store cupboard. Mine is pasta, a tin of tuna and a tin of tomatoes with the usual herbs. Takes less than half an hour to put together.

The main thing to take from last week is that you wrote down what you did and found areas where you can do better next week.


BE POSITIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ms_london

I always carry a bottle of water with me - esp when I make train journeys to my parents (rather than stopping at the shops at the station!!). Chances are I've always got a book with me too so avoid the magazines (and read them for free when I'm at the gym!!).

I would be just as worried about my waistline as well as my wallet if you are eating out that much - that is a lot for one week. Granted - you are using it for a business venture, but couldnt you ask friends/family to write reviews too?

I think I might invest in a slow cooker myself, although, as with normal cooking, I get stuck for ideas on what to cook (need to search recipe thread I think!!).

I think the key thing is being organised, planning & thinking in advance.

You have done well though - I have read your threads with great interest :0)

Look forward to reading about your next week.

xx

Loadsabob

Hi KittyKate - great to get an update on how your first week went!...

KittyKate wrote:

Mon-didn't spend any money all day until I got an offer for a new job! so pleased, OH took me for dinner to a lovely restaurant. Well, we were celebrating!

Good to celebrate - but it's only a celebration if it's different from the norm, I think, and the norm this week WAS eating out! Just being harsh, there.

KittyKate wrote:

Tues-did a Tesco shop and used a code for £5 off - checked the BOGOF's first and saved about £10 as opposed to my regular shop.

Well done you for checking the BOGOFs and using a code!

KittyKate wrote:

buying a magazine and a drink from WHSmiths in the train station (v expensive). Need to have a glass of water before I go to the station in future!

Yes, but you're already thinking along those lines, so that's great. I try to always carry a bottle of water (tap water!), and try and carry a banana or something in case I get shaky, and a book, too, for any of those waiting around times - not tempted to buy a magazine then.

KittyKate wrote:

Bought another can of coke when I got to my dad's village and it was so windy I didn't open it until I got home, what a waste, I have loads of Tesco cola at home!

You could have not opened it, kept it in the fridge to take out with you on another day, save you buying another can! (also, if you keep cola at home, you can always take some out with you)

KittyKate wrote:

Then on way home thought OH would be hungry as the tesco order wasn't due till 9pm. Bought 2 Boots meal deals in train station (I live down road from train station) and took them home for tea, only to find the tesco order had come early!

This probably won't happen in future, because when you're cooking and freezing, there are always "readymeals" made by you, in for those times when you haven't been or don't want to go food shopping!

KittyKate wrote:

But managed to not buy a burger when coming home at 10.30 from a friend's and we cooked at home.

Yay!

KittyKate wrote:

Fri-went shopping and had dinner in an Italian...at great expense
Sat-OH's family came to stay. They bought us a lovely curry but as we had use of their car we spent £240 on a TV (but we did save on delivery!)
Sun-went for a walk and out for dinner again....very nice but again pricey.
Today-had dinner in a French restaurant (around £20). Also bought snacks from Marks and Spencer's.

Ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch!!! Well, the nice thing about this is that the changes you make will give you SO much extra cash to save, that I think you should notice the savings for your studio coming along at great pace. That's a good motivator, then.

KittyKate wrote:

There is no excuse for the amount of times I've eaten out this week apart from I am writing a restaurant guide website which will pay off soon, in addition to my day job. So it's productive too! But I really need to cut back or I'll never save!

And the fact that some of the eating out may help to generate revenue is a good thing...but you have to weigh up what will come in from the website, against what you've spent eating out - is there really a profit to be had? Can you claim expenses??

Well done on making a start, hope you have fun continuing your foray into OS living!