On the up!

snozberry

Ok ... Well I have finished the telephone Mystery shop and completed the questionnaire tonight. With any luck, they should give me £34 on the 25th.

I seriously need to find my Christmas spirit. I'm normally quite excited now but it feels like an ordinary day of the week - just a flipping cold one! Work is quite stressful at the minute. We are all tired and feel quite deflated at the min. Maybe I will feel a bit better if I do a spot of housework and wrap a few prezzies. I have nearly done all of my shopping. Just need to get a couple more things and I am done.

Sunday: spent £100 in the supermarket and the bulk went on printer ink. I swear - no more work printing at home!
Monday: £6 at the PO and £15 on petrol
Tuesday: NSD

Why is it only Tuesday??! It needs to be later in the week!

snozberry

Wednesday: NSD

I had my food shop delivered today but a Christmas gift that I bought was damaged. It was on three for two but it wasn't the freebie as it was the more expensive one. I rang the supermarket anyway and they refunded me the £8 that it cost. I asked if I should drop it of at my nearest branch but they said just to 'dispose of it'. I guess that it means I can drink the booze that the gift contained. Nooo - that is dishonest! I will keep it and wait until my CC bill arrives and I will see if the money has been refunded. If not, then I will write them a letter or ring them up.

Squidge123

You're doing great with your NSDs. I love coming and reading your diary.

snozberry

Squidge123 wrote: »

You're doing great with your NSDs. I love coming and reading your diary.

Thanks I find that they are easier in the week when I am on my tod. They are a nightmare to achieve at the weekend!

Thursday: Spent £17 in the supermarket before work. This was on work stuff and I won't be putting a claim in and part of it was spent on a staff hamper that we have been putting together and the other part was on other work related stuff.

Friday: I needed petrol and I went out for tea with friends and spent just over a tenner (including transport - I hate driving into city centres so I didn't and caught the train instead).

Today: WHERE IS THE SNOW??! I am sick of the ruddy wind, rain and flipping hailstones. I don't want frozen raindrops, I want frozen clouds!!

For the past two months, I have slipped into my OD and my CC balance is increasing. I needed a new winter coat and I have done some on-line shopping. I still have a few more prezzies to get and I am hoping to get this done this weekend. My increased hours last until April and then I am back to my searching for a second job.
I have kinda worked out a budget in my head but I need my bill so that I can see if it is dooable. I normally clear the whole lot off but I will be left with nothing if I do that this time.

Roll on payday ... only two weeks away. I have a freezer full of food <--- my new mantra!

snozberry

Saturday - NSD - wahey!
Sunday - got the majority of my Chrimbo shopping done. I used my SCS vouchers. I still spent a lot as we also nipped into the supermarket on the way home.

Goals for the week

I am going out twice this week. I'm going to a concert (tickets have already been paid for) and out for tea with some of the girls at work. We aren't having a staff do. No idea why because work never pay for it - we do. It has ruffled a few feathers tbh so a few of us are going out instead. It will only cost about £20 partly because we like to do stuff on the cheap and we are all skinter than skint. Anyway, goals ...

+ because I am going out twice ... the three work nights that I am not going out, I am not allowed to spend any money at all.
+ The Weekend = very little spending days.
+ Complete all surveys
+ think about ebay
+ Gym at least twice
+ Keep on top of the housework

snozberry

I really should go to bed but I keep thinking about my finances (read: lack of) and goals for the new year.

I really need to get into the habit of spending less money in the supermarket. I have been having, save today, my food shop delivered and getting bread from the corner shop. I know that corner shops are a tad more expensive but they don't have aisles of tempting tat to spend my hard earned money on. I do think that this is something that I should continue next year. Maybe I should do a shop every other week - just to cut back on delivery charges more than anything.

The thing is, Christmas is something that happens every year without fail and every year, without fail, I seem to forget this fact! I am good at using nectar points, money off coupons, cashback websites and shop n scan vouchers but I just feel that I could do more. I just think that I need to go back to old school thinking. When I was at uni, for example, I was always skint but I always felt wealthy. I ate properly, had a damn good social life and I worked part time in the holidays. I could even shop til I dropped at a whim! Now, well ... I will always eat well. I know that some people live perfectly well off economy lines but I will only buy a few of them. I see nothing wrong with frozen/fresh economy fruit n veg but tinned foods, packet foods and paper goods I draw the line at. Anyway, I prefer to make my own sauces and soups. I don't feel the need to put my glad rags on every weekend as hangovers last forever when you are the wrong side of 30 and too much alcohol isn't good at keeping fine lines at bay! My chappie and I aren't big drinkers. To us a night in is sharing a bowl of crisps and drinking a glass of fizzy pop over a dvd or two. Or going out for dinner or a walk somewhere nice.

Thinking about my budget ... giving myself a set amount of cash each week doesn't work. I have tried and tried and tried. Some weeks I just spend more - whether it be on petrol or having my hair cut. Some weeks (not many mind) I spend less.

I meal plan. Not very well, but I do do it. I am good at cooking extra portions and freezing them. I am good at stocking up on offers that I use and I try to avoid the supermarket when I am hungry. This goes to pot when I have my fella on tow. He is dreadful in the supermarket!

I also keep a spending diary. I may not fill it in every day but I do update it when I do my online banking. I used to record every penny spent but I don't now. I list the shop and amount spent if using my debit card and the amount drawn out at the ATM. I don't drink in coffee shops or grab something quick from the bakery (purely because coffee is plain disgusting and I'm not a fan of eating and walking at the same time - tables and chairs for me thank you very much!)

Just reading this back, I guess that I am doing ok. I can't see me needing to do a supermarket shop until the last week of the month. I might have it delivered. I'm not sure - it depends on a few things. I think .. what I will do is, spend January having my food shop delivered and see if that is cheaper. At the minute, I spend about £160 - £200 on me, my fella and three cats. This figure includes things like cat litter and household products.

I also need to spend 2012 throwing every spare coin at the bank loan. The sooner that is gone the better. I also need to stop saying and start doing.

Right, in order to save a few pennies, tomorrow I will ...
+ recharge my phone at work - oops! Was *that* busy the dayum thing stayed in my bag all day.
+ [STRIKE]take a packed lunch.[/STRIKE]
+ [STRIKE]not have the CH on in the morning.[/STRIKE] It's only me in. I will have the CH on in the evening for 90 minutes and then switch it off.
+ I will go to the gym
+ [STRIKE]I will eat courtesy of the freezer.[/STRIKE]
+ I will have an early night. An early night means less money spent on leccy.
+ Not to waste as much time on the t'internet for the above reason.

Squidge123

Sounds like you've got your goals set and I know you'll be able to stick to them

snozberry

I didn't go to the gym on Monday and it is doubtful that I will go at all this week as I have had the worst ladies pains in the world. Urgh!

I went out last night and only spent £3.60 on train fair. The concert was amazing but, because I was in agony, I didn't even manage a cheeky mid week pint. Nevermind

I spent £3.00 on lunch today and £30 in the supermarket after work. £6 was on a new pair of slippers for me, another £6 on a stocking filler and the rest was spent on xmas gifts for work.

I can't see me having any NSD's until the weekend as I am being a social butterfly. For a change.

Anyhoo, just got a couple surveys in my inbox to do. I hope that I qualify. I also have a few cheques to bank (two expenses and one Christmas gift). My CC bill came today and it is £380 which is less that what I thought it would be. I have £100 in cheques to throw at it and I want it gone in two pay days. I'd normally pay it off in one go but my car is due its MOT.

Jeez, it's cold. I'm even wrapped in a blanket and I am still cold. Will do the surveys and have a hot bath to try to warm myself up.

snozberry

Someone keeps beating me to all the mystery shop jobs. I receive an email informing me of available jobs when I am at work but, by the time I get home, they are all gone! Ugh! They need to share haha. I'd book them whilst at work if I had the chance but I rarely get the time to sit down or do anything else!

Anyway ...

In order to save a few pennies tomorrow, I solemly swear to:
+ charge my mobile at work.
+ take a packed lunch.
+ No CH in the evening (at a work event so I'm not in)
+ eat tea courtesy of the freezer or kitchen cupboards.

snozberry

Well, I am now on holiday - woohoo! I am going out tonight but, from the minute I wake up tomorrow morning I am on a mission to save the cash. I am going out for tea tonight with some work colleagues and, as they are all feeling the pinch as well, I can't see me spending much.

I am into my OD by £250 and my CC is £380. It's a lot of money

Anyway, mustn't grumble or be too cross with myself - I must learn from it!!! I normally find holidays from work really tough penny wise so I must avoid temptation.