London Socialite Sees The Light

LondonGirl252

Thanks Muffin & thank Positive Balance, appreciate it.


Done well again this week, helped that I didn't have to go into London. A friend has invited me over for dinner tonight so that will be nice. I have superhuman training in the morning so won't drink and I'll pick up some soft drink and some chocs to take with me.


Other than that not expecting to spend anything this weekend, my only plans are to go to training and to pop in on a friend to meet her new kittens (can't wait!).


This does mean I need to be prepared for my usual "Sunday Slump" for some reason if i dont have a busy weekend I tend to get really down once training is finished on a Sunday and spend the whole day on the sofa miserable. So after training I will shower, tidy up, meal plan for the next week, go shopping for said meal plan and spend the day batch cooking. As Monday is a rest day for traning, i will get small bottle of wine as a treat to have while I cook. Then have some good films lined up for the evening.


No flat news to share at the moment.


The stables I ride at have just reminded me their yearly membership fee is due which is a pain, it's £78 for the year. I'm going to try and push it out to Feb as Jan is already short for budget.


Better do Febs budget this weekend too, it's already expensive with two engagement parties in London so i need to make sure I don't over commit myself compared to budget.


Hope you all have lovely weekends
LG

LondonGirl252

Just quickly did my Feb budget and as thought is close to maxed out so I can't accept any more social engagements - this is really highlighting to me now why I am nearly £6k in debt. Most of that is housemoving etc but a large amount is socialising and accepting invites before checking the budget, i over commit myself financially.


I feel like I've just had a mini LBM!


Anyway, know not to accept any more stuff for Feb, it's not too much of an issue as because I have Superhuman at the end of the month I need to train hard and not drink, perfect excuse to be anti social for a month!

mark55man

LondonGirl252 wrote: »

Just quickly did my Feb budget and as thought is close to maxed out so I can't accept any more social engagements - this is really highlighting to me now why I am nearly £6k in debt. Most of that is housemoving etc but a large amount is socialising and accepting invites before checking the budget, i over commit myself financially.

I feel like I've just had a mini LBM!

Anyway, know not to accept any more stuff for Feb, it's not too much of an issue as because I have Superhuman at the end of the month I need to train hard and not drink, perfect excuse to be anti social for a month!

I know - buring the candle from both ends is likely to go wrong once in a while. However, I would probably go further and say its not just a month that's gone wrong, but a systematic reluctance to put money aside in the form of savings. some say 6 months living expenses is the minimum you should have put away - way more than an emergency fund.

Now I can afford to lecture you becsue I have had many more years of experience in the same reluctance, and built up some unwanted skill is riding the consequent s!!tstorm. I think what I'm trying to say is its not one months excess that causes these challenges but systemic - failing to plan is planning to fail would be LBM takeaway from that

LondonGirl252

You’re spot on! Couldn’t agree more! I’ve always planned and budgeted money but not planned what is due to take up my money and therefore giving myself suitable budget- pretty pi$$ poor for an accountant hahaha!

Lovely evening tonight at my friends, one small glass of bubbly before dins and I’m now home and in bed ready for training tomorrow.... we’ve got a 175kg tractor tyre to carry around alongside a bunch of exercises in between carrying it between markers. Will let you know if I’m still walking tomorrow!

mark55man

I know but it is so much more fun being super busy - I am slowly learning to love slower pace things, although my crazy self, crazy family and my crazy job make that difficult sometimes. Plus a little bit of peacefulness of knowing that I am well over half way on most of my debt free journeys - which isn't gloating (not really anything to gloat about - like feeling smug about climbing out of a hole you dug for yourself) just being reassuring (hopefully) that there will be a time all this fuss and bother will play in the background not centre stage

joeyjimbles

Do you still do surveys for extra pennies? Something else to occupy you on long evenings.

LondonGirl252

I haven't actually done that for a whle, I'll see if i can find any around here- good idea, thanks!


So, week 2 of January finished, no overspends in terms of going out etc which is great.


Still 3 weeks of Jan to go through and looking really light on my groceries budget, just over a tenner a week to last me. I have some stuff in the freezer I can use up, I have a big bag of sweet potatoes to use up too so I'll get creative with cheap meals. Going to the supermarket tonight to get some veg in for the week and will do my best to keep it under £10.


This week I just have a work meal on Thursday which I will be expensing and i am driving. I will buy a round of drinks in the first bar as this is me taking out some of the team as a thank you for a massive effort they put in earlier in the year. Budgeted £30 for the night and don't expect to go over.


On Sunday I have the crossfit competition which is all paid for. I will need to get food to take with me for the day too. I trained really hard this weekend and am so sore today, so taking today as a rest day then will do my usual morning HIIT/Boxing Tues, Weds, Thurs then I'll be resting Fri, Sat so im on good form for Sunday. One of the girls doing it helped me with my lifting technque yesterday which was really kind and she got me up to a decent weight, just need to keep practising my technique then she says she reckons I'm strong enough to lift heavier. Not going to push it though, i do not want to get injured!


After training yesterday I spent the afternoon helping my friends clear out their stables so it was also an afternoon of manual labour! They said thanks by cooking my dinner which was nice and meant I was busy all weekend so there's was no chance of being in a slump which was ace!


Fairly busy week at work this week. Planning to take lunch everyday by cooking double in the evenings then having leftovers.


LG

MuffinTops

You're doing well through this longer than long month. It's not easy staying on track with a £10 a week budget but I know that if anyone can do it, you can.


Well done on all the exercise too. It's nice to hear you had free and lovely things to do yesterday that kept you out of the Sunday Slump.

mark55man

well done on keeping so positive - its can all get a bit of a PITA.

cheap meals that I like
* anything with a yellow sticker on it (learn when they put the reduced stuff out and get into the habit of shopping at that time
* lidl sardines and lidl beans both about 25p a can both good on toast
* lidl sweetcorn (33p) and tuna (67p) mayo - good in a wrap or a baked potato
* tray bakes - small pasta (eg orzo) or cheaper, use value rice in a baking tray with as many vegetables as you can afford and agenerous amount of stock

Oldstyle money saving has a lot of threads with bargain meals in and very tasty + a few threads on how to feed a family of 4 for a month for £20 - although you are not quite there yet

Buffythedebtslayer

There are still three WEEKS left of January! Crap. I am never leaving the house again.

Good to see you back