Reformed shopaholic? please can you give me the benefit of your advice

CompletelyLost

Afternoon

Anglea, I don't have any jumpers that fit... only a couple of hoodies which I bought when I lost the weight. I still need some more jeans/trousers - the pair I've been wearing religiously have tore, so I'm stuck wearing two pairs, neither of which I really like :S I'm hoping that New Look's sale will have some reduced (last time they had tons reduced to £5/pair).

We were planning on getting up early and going to the huge shopping centre near us, but ended up lying in -- too cold! It's pretty icy here too, it must be awful for people who have to walk everywhere. I feel most sorry for the really old people who I see trudging through the snow/wind/rain for their pensions I'm lucky enough to have my mum to ferry me around in her car.

CompletelyLost

Hi all,

New year's eve... how are you all spending it?
I am just staying in, as usual. Won't be having a drink for the first time in year, as too scared it'll affect my stomach. Just a red bull for me then!

I can't believe how quickly 2010 has gone - I had so many plansbut did hardly anything. Last four months were awful and I hope they're never repeated!!! I'm hoping 2011 is the year when everything falls into place for me (job, money and health-wise).

Happy new year to you all, I hope 2011 is as spend-free as possible for all of us xxx

oh, and I won a Blackberry phone! sooooooo chuffed Not sure if I should sell it or keep it...

Anglea

Hi all Happy New Year

CL, well done on your win!

I've bought 6 books the last few days, so much for giving them up, it's like a fix and I haven't been out yet so who know if I get more.

I really hope things will be better for you too.

For a long while now I stay in alone for New Years Eve, it's easier than the shenanigans that used to go on in the past when we used to go to a town 4 miles away, the final time was when one of the younger members of our party went missing. That was a drama and a half. After that we went locally but it was really boring. So I gave it up.

Is red bull good for your stomach?

NGlady2

Hello there! Guess who?

Well I have finally, got my new username sorted so I am able to post on here more often, no getting rid of me now lol. Believe it or not, I have been lurking a little bit recently

Hows everybody been recently? Lots of people seem to have gone Morocha, and (cant remember her name!!) the lady who I met up with in Liverpool

Well christmas has been and gone already - can you believe, how much preperation it takes then how quickly it just disappears? Did everybody enjoy it? Well I had an amazing time loved spending the time with deman he brought me some amazing christmas pressies and just generally we had a lovely time together. I have unfortunatly had the bug thats going around urgh.

The sales havn't been that great at all this year - possibly as I havnt felt 100% did manage to get a gorgeous skirt and some trousers from the next sale. Also, got a fantastic dress from the Monsoon sale that I wore last night was £85- down to £25.

This year has just rushed passed us.

me and Deman are going fantastic think we might have something to announce at some point this year . . .

CompletelyLost

Hi Anglea, NG, everyone else... happy new year!

Anglea - red bull (sugar free) is better than alcohol I'm getting used to figuring out what triggers the pain and manage to avoid those things.

Sorry to hear of your slip-up with the book, but just think, that was last year. My spending diary from 2010 is an embarrassment, though Aug-Oct I didn't spend anything other than taxi/bus fares, so I guess I saved some money there :S I'm actually going to add it all up and see just how much I spent on non-necessities last year... so you've got that to look forward to (haha).

NG: Welcome back! can't wait to hear about your announcement. Aww I'm so glad you finally found someone decent who doesn't mess you around

I agree, from what I've seen the sales don't look very good. The only thing I bought was a purse I had my eye on in Next. I almost bought it at full price, so I grabbed it when I saw it with 60% off. That's pretty much all I've bought, apart from the jumper (which arrived and doesn't fit ) and perfume set.

NGlady2

Hi CL
Are you in better health?
I darent work out/I would have no real way of working out how much money I wasted last yr however I dare say it would be easily a few thousand, how terrible is that
In the boots sale I brought a lovely note pad at half price and it is my intention to from today to write every penny down and save all receipts. I cant afford to continue wasting.

Anglea

Hi all

Happy New Year :beer:

Hi to CL and NGlady the 2nd!

Lovely to see you're both on here.

NGlady - how lovely that you have found a true love of your life

CL - at last, we've got a return on here :T taking the jumper back - I was getting serious withdrawals. Sorry for being like this, you need to blame NGlady for starting me off on this.

Although I know that you're not pleased. Are you going to order another size or get a different one altogether?

Last year (that sounds weird) getting inspired by all of you, I kept loads of receipts and just wrote everything up and like you CL, didn't do any totals. Too scared.

NGlady2

Angela, feels very strange to think he is the love of my life - when I think he probably is. For quite a long time now, I was searching for him and its so lovely to have found him. What the future holds, I don't know. Whether he is the one "true" love of my life, shall have to find out within time. I am a beliver people go through many love of their lives to find their true soul mate, what is right for you at one stage of your life may not be in the next stage - does that sound daft?

I am doing a lot less returns recently Angela, and this has resulted in lots more stuff creeping into my wardrobe that hasnt been worn/wont be worn which normally id have returned by now - tut tut - but i have been reallly busy recently, especially cos the weather kinda stopping me getting out there as much.

well - im going going to get back into my old habbits then - writing every penny spent on here!!! Can remember around april/may (last year) I was getting really into it, a thought was in my head "how do I justify that" "how will i explain THAT spend" and it really did help me.

its nice to be back

CompletelyLost

NG: my health is better, thankfully Still don't feel my normal self, but 100x better than the summer.

You should definitely keep a record of everything like you used to - be strict and record EVERYTHING.

Ahh, the Boots sale... I was in there the other day, they had Soap & Glory gift sets and Gok Wan sets half-price. They had loads left - I think most people are waiting for them to be reduced even more.

Anglea: haha, yes... returns... it will be my first of the new year! The jumper was 'one size' and it's too big (width-wise) and too short in the arms, so I can't get another size Never mind, I'm sure I'll find something equally as nice some other time.

I have just added up all of my spends from last year - what a mammoth task! I only added the things that I deem to be "non-essentials", and here's what it looks like:

£221.47 - takeaways/food when out-and-about :eek:
£96.62 - toiletries that I just wanted, didn't need, and have never used.
£235.79 - clothes I've never ever worn.
£39.47 - miscellaneous things... junk, basically.

That's £600 wasted in 9-months (didn't keep records Aug-Oct), which could have gone towards something lovely that I would use. It's good to see it all added up, as I know what I need to improve on next year. I was actually expecting it to add up to a lot more than that :S Just I return so much (gonna work out how much I returned now... lol). Ideally, I'd like it to be £0.00 wasted next year.

I know what you mean though - it's daunting to see it all there in front of you, but it's a reality-check. You should do it... you don't need to post it. Would it be worse than my totals?

EDIT: oh.my.god, my 'returns' total is so ridiculous that I'm not going to post it. I have a serious problem there :S

NGlady2

CL - go on post it.

Im not sure, deffinatly spent more than that on clothes in general - on what i've not worn... hmmm.I think perhaps £150 on non worns, maybe £200 including shoes and handbags. Food, thats a bit expence for me and deman, we're going to really try and stop it, we're very keen on £6 in starbucks £20 in the 2 for 1 meal place etc.. so alas I think id maybe doubling your figure (no wonder im fat lol) toilitories did have a bit of a expence trying to find the right shampoo earlier in the year so maybe around the same as you in wasteds. my junk figure, darent think.

scary to think thats just the wasteds!

something annoys me about me - I have a wardrobe, with draws could probably use a replacement at some point as the draws are breaking, and its quite old now. But will I spend £150 on a wardrobe, course not, will i spend £150 in the shops this month, course I will, same as a DS would realllly looooove one but im thinking oh its £160 - dont give a new dress a 2nd thought. Are you similar? wont splash a large 'investment' figure but will be "only a tenner"ing?

how do you split your spend diary CL? you seem quite good at it, maybe I could learn from you how do you account for returns, do you just write returned next to where you purchased it or something?

Im going to quit un-necceary journeys/expences on journeys too and explore more things - went to Bristol a couple of weeks ago, and loved it, would love to go back again if i could get a cheap train ticket