Diary of a (hopefully)reformed shopaholic

LivvyLoo_2

Morning Diary,
Hi Indigo, thanks for subscribing.

Feeling really tired today, I didn't have a late night either.

I was meant to bring my spends diary in to work today to tot up last months spends but I have forgotten it. I will pop home at lunch time and pick it up on my way back from dropping ebay packages off at the PO.

Grocery spends for this month so far, Poundies £6.63, Mr Ts £52 (no subs so was pleased about that), £38.23 Ald*s. Total = £96.86. I will try and keep it under £200 again this month.

I picked my friend up last night and told her I wasn't going on holiday with her, she was dissapointed but understood. I asked if we could possibly wait another 2 weeks before she booked it as OH might have a blow to the head and change his mind.
He text me last night to ask how I was and he said he wasn't feeling great about everything that was going on. I feel like for the first time in a year he is actually starting to realise what he is going to lose...wish I had told him ages ago that I didn't like him very much, it might not have dragged on so long.

My friend was having a look at all my little budget accounts last night and she was really impressed, she said she thought it was a great idea and is setting up some of her own. It must be catching ha ha.

xx

Keeping_Motivated

Livvy Loo yes it better to be honest and face things than let it fester and hope he's a mind reader. Try and keep communication as open as you can even though I know its out of your comfort zone...remember 'if you always do what you've always done you'll always get what you've always got'.

You sound like you have been in stale mate for the past year or so, so this change in you might bring change in your relationship one way or another.

Re the budget accounts do you use the same bank and it allows you different 'pots' on one account or are they all separate bank acounts? I have a bills account, spending account and savings account but thats all.

LivvyLoo_2

I love that saying, will remember that thanks.

I have had a thought, I am going to suggest to OH that we all go to America with his family. That way, if he had no intentions of going anyway he will say he can't afford it and I get to go to Doha and if he say yes, then we go as a family and we all get a holiday. I am going to make it clear that we are going to see if we can get on and not because we are getting back together for definite...it might be the wost thing I have ever done mind you!!!

I have lots of savings account in the same bank. I have a bills account and a normal account and then I have about 7 savings for Christmas, Birthdays, car, clothes & entertainment, cosmetics, DD clothes, Food 7 Petrol. I just move things about every month if I need to and when I am planning for the month ahead, depending on what is coming up, I can see how much I have spare to put towards things. For example I am putting more in the holiday fund atm but in Octobers pay I won't put as much in there and I will put the extra in my car fund as I need to pay for MOT, Tax and Tyres.
Hope I haven't confused you.

LivvyLoo_2

Good Evening Diary,

Its been freezing cold here today, I took DD to the soft play and then we sat outside in the playground. I had my flip flops on and my toes were like ice. £5 spent on drink and play.

I popped into town yesterday and bought all the bits for the party bags for DD party next month. I was having a panic as I thought if I buy all the stuff for the bags for 30 kids I was looking at £30 at the least. Anyway I popped into Poundland and picked up some bubbles each, glow sticks and 3 multi packs of swizzler sweets...£7, then popped into Home Bargains and bought 2 party bag packs (boys and girls), with 48 items in each for £8. So I am very pleased because I have managed to fill all the bags for £15!!!!

I also bought 3 packs of 20 Christmas cards from M&S Outlet...£2.40 each and as there was an offer on so I got a pack free.

I have listed 10 items on ebay tonight and I have watchers already.

Had a mad clean out with DD this morning, I cleared out all the toys she doesn't play with any more and all the rubbish. I filled 2 sacks, one for the bin and another for the car boot sale. DD was emptying the toys out of the bags as I was putting them in and playing with them, she will have plenty more coming for her birthday so I didn't feel too evil.

OH has been overly nice since my brutal chat with him last week, it all seems a bit false at the mo and I am sure once he doesn't get his own way again he will change back to Mr Nasty. We haven't discussed the hol and I guess we won't be talking about it tomorrow either because he has had a huge fight with his dad....it will keep!!!

OH is picking DD up at 10 in the morning so I have planned a day of cleaning...lucky me! It will take my mind off her not being here though. I keep telling her how much I love her and we have lovely cuddles, she is such a gorgeous kid....I feel so lucky.

Right time for sleep me thinks.

Night night xx

mummytogirls

Wow livvy you got some right bargains with the party bags didnt you, well done :T.
The weather was pants here yesterday but it looks a bit brighter today. Wont be long and we will be putting the heating on :cool:.

Have a lovely day, even if it is going to be spent cleaning xx

LivvyLoo_2

Hello Diary,

Well I have (as expected) spent the whole day cleaning! I have done so much, I started at 10 and didn't stop until OH brought DD back at 4 (1 hour early). My house is spotless and everything has been washed and ironed. I cleaned out the freezer and even hoovered my matress...sad I know!

I have sorted out 10 more items for eBay next week and 3 of the ones I put on last night have bids already.

Thanks Mummy, I was really impressed with my bargains. I must have walked around the shop about 10 times but it paid off! The bargain hunting is all new to me as the last 2 years I have spent a fortune on DD's birthday parties and I have had them at home (you live and learn).

I have had the heating on today...but I still only put it on for 1 hour, then I worked up a sweat cleaning and opened the windows.

OH is looking into the holiday to see if he can afford it, funny how he could afford it last week! Still no sign of him saying, 'you get yourself away with your mates'. Dream On!

NSD Day!

xx

LivvyLoo_2

Just a quick chat before I read the preparing for winter threads.

I have done all my jobs already tonight as DD was so tired and asked if she could go to bed after her nightly watch of Little Princess. I'm going to chill out now and read up on what I can do to save more pennies.

I checked my energy consumption today online with EON. I have almost cut my useage by 2 thirds since January, I know its summer now and that will change by November but I am going to make sure I set my heating to come on first thing on a morning for 30 mins and an hour or two on a night. It normally works on a thermostat but with me being at work all day its such a waste as I forget to turn it down. My boiler is fairly new as the house is only 5 years old so it has a setting where you can put different times in for different days...so Sat and Sun the heating doesn't have to come on at 5.45am.

I need to bleed 2 radiators too so I'm going to Google how you do it and have a go myself...OH did them last year and they worked on luke warm for about a week. So you know what they say? If you want something doing...

I was aiming to have a NSD today however I was looking in Clinkards on Saturday for some black patent kickers for DD for the winter and they were £45! Anyway I found them on the Kickers website today for £40 and got a discount code which runs out tomorrow for 12% off, plus I also found a free delivery code so ended up spending £35 instead...very happy with that. I find the patent ones don't scuff as badly and black goes with most things.

Ebay items still the same, have a lot of watchers on most of the items which haven't already got bids so hoping to make more than I have the last few weeks.

No word from OH about holiday...think he is stalling!

xx

mummytogirls

Hi Livvy, get you catching up with the preparing for winter thread very organised!!

We live in a new house, probably built around same time as yours. We have our heating coming on for 1 hour in a morning and 1 hour in a evening and thats mostly sufficient but if its still chilly on an evening we stick it on for another hour, then we are usually sweating and opening the windows! I just dont like to think of DD's getting out of the bath and it being chilly. DH has set ours to come on later at weekends, think we have our thermostat set to 21. Hope this helps a bit.

Bless DD taking herself off to bed, she must have been tired!

Well done on the kickers bargain too :T xx

LivvyLoo_2

That is really helpful, thanks Mummy. I know what you mean about them getting out of the bath in the cold, sometimes on a morning DD doesn't like to take her pj's off complaining of the cold, but the heating being like it is I have to get up and go and turn the thermostat up and by the time it heats the house we are going out of it...suppose the dog gets the benefit ha ha

I can't stand wearing more clothes in the house though as I feel too restricted...I think what you have suggested should do the trick, thank you xx

MrsNotAPenny

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