A few months and several questions

RosaBernicia

I am a happy eejit :rotfl:

This month was looking really tight and I was a bit surprised as I thought I'd been good by 'declaring' my Christmas money in the spreadsheet. But turns out I made it a minus so was taking £75 off instead of adding it on

Anyway between that and the £27.50 cashback from Quidco today, I am £100 up on where I thought I was :j. This means I've got £200 left, even allowing for getting my eyelashes tinted and and it only has to last two weeks. Plus I have some food in stock and some petrol left.

I also still have £20 of Christmas present M&S vouchers left. I know in theory I should spend these on something present-like, partly so I can tell people thank you and this is what I bought with it... but I have actually already used £10 on groceries and I'm thinking I will do the same with the rest. There isn't much that I really want in M&S at the moment - I've looked - and spending it on food means I can free up the cash to use on other things. So I think I will do that and just say to rellies that I spent it on cookware - it's kinda true as I've effectively bought the Sainsbugs stuff as treats this month.

The house insurance is due but not til the end of the month so that can come out of January's pay. I also have a new contract due and as the landlord says we have to go through the agency under his contract with them :mad: I am hoping there won't be too much of a fee for me.

Think I will be having a quiet couple of weeks as everybody else is skint and I want to do a bit of studying just in case I get an interview after the assessment thing I did. So for once I might make it to payday with a bit left over :eek: and have realised that if I could keep within £150, that would mean that I could stay in the interest free first £500 of my overdraft next month. Which is pathetically exciting because you have no idea how long it is since I've been able to do that. Fingers crossed


Rosa xx

RosaBernicia

Just wanted to add that :j

I've started using the local one again - I got out of the habit when I moved last year as sadly this one isn't within 5 mins walk and in a lovely park like my last one.

But have rediscovered it now and it's saving me a fortune. I'm walloping through stacks of books of all sorts because I can try whatever I like for free and it also saved me buying the reasoning test training books I needed because I got them for £1 reservation fee each instead.

Amaz0n will be disappointed, but I am a very happy bookworm :j


Rosa xx

vasseur

Brilliant news about the money :T it's so easy to get into the habit of logging things as a debit instead of a credit but at least it has worked in your favour. I still find myself writing my running balance in my cashback in brackets (as overdrawn) when it is actually in credit

We love our library too. Now that buzz I used to get when leaving waterstones after getting their 3 for 2's for free (and I can take out a dozen books at a time ).

RosaBernicia

Massively overslept today and am annoyed as it meant I didn't get to the library after all. Also realised it was mainly due to not sleeping well in the week, and that's down to stress at work and a couple of nights I was late home. That must stop as I really don't want to end up a stressbucket again. It might be time to really think about goals etc for this year and get my thoughts clear on what I want to do.

Spent most of the remaining £20 M&S gift card this afternoon, as was supposed to be going out tonight but also wanted to eat properly and brain wasn't in gear enough to think of something to cook. I got the £10 dine in deal so that has fed me tonight and meant I did get to the party after all, plus it covered bottles to take with and I bought a little bunch of flowers for my friend - MS& are doing little bunches with gerbera, roses etc for £3 and they are very cute.

I debated not going to the party as was a bit wiped out and grumpy but decided I have to get out more often and this was ideal practice :rotfl: as a couple of friends went too. I'm actually really glad I went as met several interesting people and it's pointed out to me that I just need to find events where I'll meet people with something in common.

Had my eyelashes done today and asked about a facial as was thinking of treating myself to one at the local salon. Then I remembered I already have a couple of Group0n etc vouchers for local spas etc so will dig them out tomorrow and book them.


Rosa xx

RosaBernicia

I am a cross and disorganised eejit :mad:

Two of the spa vouchers I bought have now expired - one at the end of Dec and one on 8th Jan. I never got round to organising the trip, partly because they turned out to be very booked on weekends, partly because work has been a bit mad and difficult to take time off, and partly because I needed to keep my annual leave for the job application I'm doing so .

There's one more which is OK til the end of March and I must sort that out on Monday. Otherwise this is just silly, that's holiday money wasted or I could have got a facial at the local place for the cost of the two I've missed.

Note to self: no more buying vouchers unless I really will definitely use them.


Rosa xx

RosaBernicia

well I finally started it!

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4398229


Rosa xx