The hilariously over-optimistic goals I am setting myself in 2010....

Rainbowchild

Just come across your diary and it made me laugh - love the Bridget Jones styley summary. Good luck and really well done for not smoking. I got some Ugg-like boots from TK Max for £45 and they have been great in this bad weather and keep my feet all toastie warm.
What tat are you getting?

Midnight_Skye

Hi, been following your diary...well done on not smoking, and don't beat yourself up about the Uggs - my friend bought a pair just before Christmas and says they are sooo comfortable she's completely forgotten about the cost (of course, she seems to have plenty of money so she would say that). Keep up the good work!

dalleDF

Hi guys! Thanks for stopping by. Rainbow - TX Maxx is a good idea actually, hadn't thought of that. Will check it out. Uggs are still not here. *Sigh* My old boots really are falling to bits now so I need to get some new ones pronto.
Oh, and my tattoo is going to be a sleeve, sort of geometric patterns that look 3D. Exciting!
Midnight - Thanks for the encouragement! It's nice to know people are reading.

dalleDF

Rich news:

Today was almost a No Spend Day, but then I saw that my current favourite band is playing a gig in a really small venue and the tickets were only £9. Since I cancelled my Hypnodiet CD purchase for the same amount, I decided to plurge. Eek! So now I only have £20 for the rest of the month. Really will have to live on dahl.

I have a lot of watchers on my ebay items which end on Sunday, so that's good news. In other money making schemes, I have decided to have a go at writing a Mills & Boon trashy romance novel. The pay is pretty good, which it would have to be for me to set womankind back about a thousand years by perpetuating the myth of the feeble girly girl who needs a big, strong, chiselled man to save her from herself.

Skinny news:

I skived Boot Camp this morning because it was raining. But I am DEFINITELY going to the gym tomorrow. My Catholic guilt will force me.

Have decided that because my weight keeps fluctuating I am going to measure my weight loss using a pair of trousers. I have not been able to fit into them for about 2 years, and as yet I haven't dared to try them on. But when I can get into them again I will have achieved my goal. Better check whether they are a size 10 or 12 first though, might be aiming a bit too high!

Day 14

Number of cigarettes smoked - 0
Bottles of wine drunk - 0
Chocolate bars eaten - 0
Cereal bars eaten - 2
Weight gained - Who knows?
Weight lost - Probably none.
Pairs of size 10 trousers into which fat a*s can be shoe-horned - 0
Gym visits - 0
Running around in the snow - 0 mins
Time spent in bed instead - 2.5 hrs
Cash spent - £9.90 on a gig ticket that will be WELL worth it, aside from the fact there is a good chance my ex-boyfriend will there.
Amount of life-force sucked out by vampire boss - moderate

dalleDF

Quick update: I tried on 3 pairs of trousers I have not been able to get into for a loooong time, even though they are a size 12 and I can wear a 12 in jeans usually. The good news is I could get them all done up. One of them only just though! So these are the pair I will focus on. I want them to feel loose!
In your face, Trousers of Doom! I will win!

dalleDF

Another Low Spend Day today - 59p on a Ribena on the way to work and nothing else. And I went to the gym, as promised! It was every bit as vile as I remember. But at least I did some exercise.

Have hung the Trousers of Doom in a prominent place in my room to remind me to keep my eyes on the prize.

Got British Military Fitness in the morning and I am cr*pping myself! I realised I can still only run for a few minutes at a time without getting exhausted, so I'm worried I might keel over after an hour long session. Well, one way to find out.

Anyway, had some possible good news on the money front. A friend of mine should be in a position to send some freelance work my way, which will really help towards the various expenses of the next few months. Will try and do everything I am offered.

Also signed up for Slivers of Time - a website you can register on to do casual work in slots of an hour or two, evenings and weekends etc. Has anyone used this before with any success? I can't imagine there can be that much demand for such short shifts.

Sold something on ebay and got more than I was expecting for it. Have listed it twice before and it didn't sell, so that was a nice surprise.

Still no sign of the Uggs. Have been looking at Emus instead, they look pretty good, and are about £50 cheaper. Will see how I feel when they arrive anyway.

Day 15

Chocolate bars eaten - 0
Booze drunk - 0
Fags smoked - 0
Gym visits - 1
Cash spent - 59p on Ribena
Cash earned on ebay - £4.70 (Target = £70)

dalleDF

My friend and I cried off British Military Fitness because it is pouring with rain. Am glad we did (although feeling horribly guilty) because it has not stopped since this morning and I don't fancy leopard-crawling through dog poo soup all over the park. Weather permitting, we will try again next Saturday.

This weekend I have to do a small food shop and plan my meals for next week. I'm actually doing pretty well, still have some fruit, dried fruit, muesli, frozen veg and a few frozen meal portions left over, so should be able to eat very cheaply next week. Lunches are going to be dahl. Am checking a few recipes today to see what looks nice. Hopefully I have enough spices knocking around and won't have to buy any more. May also make a trip to Lidl to stock up on cereal bars. They were 69p for 8 last week which is brilliant, and they are better for me than chocolate when I get a sweet craving (which is often).

Am going to a friend's for dinner tonight, and then to a party, during which I will not drink. This will be the first party I've been to sober probably forever, so am anticipating it being quite tough. However, I have a good excuse to leave at a sensible hour, as it will take me forever to get home on the nightbus.

Today will do some yoga in the lounge, do the washing up, and clean the bathroom. Ebay items are up to £19 now in total, ending tomorrow night. Fingers crossed!

I actually can't wait til payday, not just for obvious reasons, but also because I love seeing my total debt go down every month. This month it will go below £8k. When I am debt free, I will have almost £500 a month extra in my pocket, which will feel like an £8k a year payrise!

Have been toying with the idea of not going on holiday this year and putting the money towards my debts instead. It would be about £600+ including spending money, and I am struggling to scrape the money together even though I've been trying for a few months. It's quite a depressing thought though, as I loooove festivals and this really is the highlight of my year and my only chance to get some proper sunshine. But I know ending the year completely debt free will make me feel better. Thoughts?

Corona007

I'm in the same position regarding holidays, especially now I have been invited to a wedding overseas in October. I'm definitely cutting out festivals but not sure I'll be able to resist the urge to run off into the sun somewhere credit card in hand.

I must learn control. A holiday may do wonders for you but I think the feeling of paying for one out of my own money rather than the banks will make it that much sweeter.

I'm intrigued by your tattoo. By sleeve do you mean it is a whole arm job?

dalleDF

Hi Corona, yeah it sucks paying for a holiday with credit and knowing you're still paying for it by the time the next ones rolls around. Yep, a full sleeve is just what it sounds like, shoulder to wrist. Except mine will end a few inches above my wrist so I can hide it with long sleeve shirts at work!

dalleDF

Update: went to a party sober last night. That was a strange experience, and it was tempting to have a beer and a smoke, I admit, but I am proud to say I stayed strong. I think by the time Feb comes round I will be able to drink in moderation, which was really the point of this whole exercise.