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musings of a shoe string

Hello, my name is shoe string and im a spendaholic! There ive admitted it can I go now?

Im not in debt, I dont have credit cards or catalogues or other stuff on credit and I dont have an overdraft but what I do have is an overwhelming urge to visit shops and spend money, usually on craft things. So now I have to stop. I want savings not craft supplies that just sit here gathering dust and cluttering up my home.

I also go mad food shopping. I buy to much, I cook too much and I throw too much. I have bulging freezers but never anything to eat as I have forgotten to take something out of the freezer (or in lots of cases CBA to take something out).

So enough is enough its time to shorten the reins.

After all bills are paid we have £1063 leftover. We dont have any savings so im guessing it means we spend it all.

So where do we go from here?

For the month of May I am taking the plunge and setting myself a food budget of £600. This may be too low or too high as its a guestimate. Our month starts on the 9th and I have £21 in my purse so I am determined im not going to spend anything else. I have lots of bread, milk and veg in the freezer (yes i freeze it just in case but then pop to the shop for fresh!)

I tend to do things on a whim so im hoping this isnt one of those.

Last week I read a thread about making laundry powder so I went and bought all the ingredients to make it. Came home and made it even though I have 3 boxes of washing powder! I think I need to give myself a good talking to! lol

Anyway enough rambling im off to sort my life out.
NSD 2012
APR 1/10 MAY 0/10 JUN 0/10 JUL 0/10 AUG 0/10
SEPT 0/10 OCT 0/10 NOV 0/10 DEC 0/10
GC 2012
APR 1177.40 !!! MAY 0/600 JUN 0/600 JUL 0/600 AUG 0/600
SEPT 0/600 OCT 0/600 NOV 0/600 DEC 0/600
«13

Comments

  • NSD today and ive managed to bounce a chicken! Enough left for sandwiches tomorrow and the carcus will make soup out of with the veggi peelings. So day 1 has been a success.
    NSD 2012
    APR 1/10 MAY 0/10 JUN 0/10 JUL 0/10 AUG 0/10
    SEPT 0/10 OCT 0/10 NOV 0/10 DEC 0/10
    GC 2012
    APR 1177.40 !!! MAY 0/600 JUN 0/600 JUL 0/600 AUG 0/600
    SEPT 0/600 OCT 0/600 NOV 0/600 DEC 0/600
  • ZTD
    ZTD Posts: 24,327 Forumite
    Hello, my name is shoe string and im a spendaholic!

    Welcome to DFW! :hello:
    There ive admitted it can I go now?

    Nope! :tongue:
    Im not in debt, I dont have credit cards or catalogues or other stuff on credit and I dont have an overdraft but what I do have is an overwhelming urge to visit shops and spend money, usually on craft things. So now I have to stop. I want savings not craft supplies that just sit here gathering dust and cluttering up my home.

    Have you an inventory of your craft supplies?
    I also go mad food shopping. I buy to much, I cook too much and I throw too much. I have bulging freezers but never anything to eat as I have forgotten to take something out of the freezer (or in lots of cases CBA to take something out).

    Have you tried meal planning? Basically you can just consult your "menu" and take stuff out that you've pre-arranged. Takes all the decision making at the time out of it.
    So enough is enough its time to shorten the reins.

    After all bills are paid we have £1063 leftover. We dont have any savings so im guessing it means we spend it all.

    So where do we go from here?

    For the month of May I am taking the plunge and setting myself a food budget of £600. This may be too low or too high as its a guestimate. Our month starts on the 9th and I have £21 in my purse so I am determined im not going to spend anything else.

    Get a notebook, and make a note of everything you do spend. A spend diary helps track down those little spends you barely remember.
    Anyway enough rambling im off to sort my life out.

    Good luck!
    "Follow the money!" - Deepthroat (AKA William Mark Felt Sr - Associate Director of the FBI)
    "We were born and raised in a summer haze." Adele 'Someone like you.'
    "Blowing your mind, 'cause you know what you'll find, when you're looking for things in the sky."
    OMD 'Julia's Song'
  • ZTD wrote: »



    Have you an inventory of your craft supplies?



    No im too scared!!! lol
    NSD 2012
    APR 1/10 MAY 0/10 JUN 0/10 JUL 0/10 AUG 0/10
    SEPT 0/10 OCT 0/10 NOV 0/10 DEC 0/10
    GC 2012
    APR 1177.40 !!! MAY 0/600 JUN 0/600 JUL 0/600 AUG 0/600
    SEPT 0/600 OCT 0/600 NOV 0/600 DEC 0/600
  • ZTD
    ZTD Posts: 24,327 Forumite
    No im too scared!!! lol

    Do it!

    You know you want to... ;)
    "Follow the money!" - Deepthroat (AKA William Mark Felt Sr - Associate Director of the FBI)
    "We were born and raised in a summer haze." Adele 'Someone like you.'
    "Blowing your mind, 'cause you know what you'll find, when you're looking for things in the sky."
    OMD 'Julia's Song'
  • ok here goes

    silhouette cutting machine and specialist accessories for it including pens, spare cutting mats, spare blades plus upgraded the software to designer edition and bought 12 months download.
    full set of pro markers.
    700 blank card bases with envelopes
    23 12x12 paper pads
    18 embossing powders
    6 colour printer ink refills
    6 black printer ink refills
    heat gun
    glue gun
    guillotine
    5 reams of printer paper
    19 reams of assorted coloured card
    12 ink pads
    box of ribbons
    tin of assorted buttons
    loads of different glues
    sticky pads
    paper flowers - hundreds
    embellishments - thousands
    12 large pots of glitter
    15 sheets of vinyl (for wall decorations)
    large roll of transfer tape
    14 rolls sellotape
    15 assorted picture frames!!! (from ikea)
    13 rubber stamps
    hundreds of digi stamps

    OMG there must be over £1000 worth of stuff here!!
    NSD 2012
    APR 1/10 MAY 0/10 JUN 0/10 JUL 0/10 AUG 0/10
    SEPT 0/10 OCT 0/10 NOV 0/10 DEC 0/10
    GC 2012
    APR 1177.40 !!! MAY 0/600 JUN 0/600 JUL 0/600 AUG 0/600
    SEPT 0/600 OCT 0/600 NOV 0/600 DEC 0/600
  • ZTD
    ZTD Posts: 24,327 Forumite
    ok here goes

    silhouette cutting machine and specialist accessories for it including pens, spare cutting mats, spare blades plus upgraded the software to designer edition and bought 12 months download.
    full set of pro markers.
    700 blank card bases with envelopes
    23 12x12 paper pads
    18 embossing powders
    6 colour printer ink refills
    6 black printer ink refills
    heat gun
    glue gun
    guillotine
    5 reams of printer paper
    19 reams of assorted coloured card
    12 ink pads
    box of ribbons
    tin of assorted buttons
    loads of different glues
    sticky pads
    paper flowers - hundreds
    embellishments - thousands
    12 large pots of glitter
    15 sheets of vinyl (for wall decorations)
    large roll of transfer tape
    14 rolls sellotape
    15 assorted picture frames!!! (from ikea)
    13 rubber stamps
    hundreds of digi stamps

    Wowsers...

    I thought I was bad for screws and rawl plugs...
    OMG there must be over £1000 worth of stuff here!!

    Yup...

    How many finished/in progress bits and bobs do you have?
    "Follow the money!" - Deepthroat (AKA William Mark Felt Sr - Associate Director of the FBI)
    "We were born and raised in a summer haze." Adele 'Someone like you.'
    "Blowing your mind, 'cause you know what you'll find, when you're looking for things in the sky."
    OMD 'Julia's Song'
  • 6 finished artwork frames
    15 cards

    and 10 work in progress! lol

    BUT I did make and sell 4 frames and 10 cards,
    made 2 butterfly frames for presents
    2 framed 3d art for myself
    4 vinyl wall art on my walls
    and havent bought any birthday or christmas cards since last year
    NSD 2012
    APR 1/10 MAY 0/10 JUN 0/10 JUL 0/10 AUG 0/10
    SEPT 0/10 OCT 0/10 NOV 0/10 DEC 0/10
    GC 2012
    APR 1177.40 !!! MAY 0/600 JUN 0/600 JUL 0/600 AUG 0/600
    SEPT 0/600 OCT 0/600 NOV 0/600 DEC 0/600
  • ZTD
    ZTD Posts: 24,327 Forumite
    6 finished artwork frames
    15 cards

    and 10 work in progress! lol

    BUT I did make and sell 4 frames and 10 cards,
    made 2 butterfly frames for presents
    2 framed 3d art for myself
    4 vinyl wall art on my walls
    and havent bought any birthday or christmas cards since last year

    Ok then, you need to start making more "raw materials" into "finished products" since you obviously must enjoy doing this.

    Is there anything (workspace problems etc) that is preventing you?
    "Follow the money!" - Deepthroat (AKA William Mark Felt Sr - Associate Director of the FBI)
    "We were born and raised in a summer haze." Adele 'Someone like you.'
    "Blowing your mind, 'cause you know what you'll find, when you're looking for things in the sky."
    OMD 'Julia's Song'
  • ZTD wrote: »



    Have you tried meal planning? Basically you can just consult your "menu" and take stuff out that you've pre-arranged. Takes all the decision making at the time out of it.



    You mean I have to delve into the freezers to see what ive got.... was thinking more in the lines of pot luck dinners lol
    NSD 2012
    APR 1/10 MAY 0/10 JUN 0/10 JUL 0/10 AUG 0/10
    SEPT 0/10 OCT 0/10 NOV 0/10 DEC 0/10
    GC 2012
    APR 1177.40 !!! MAY 0/600 JUN 0/600 JUL 0/600 AUG 0/600
    SEPT 0/600 OCT 0/600 NOV 0/600 DEC 0/600
  • ZTD
    ZTD Posts: 24,327 Forumite
    You mean I have to delve into the freezers to see what ive got.... was thinking more in the lines of pot luck dinners lol

    If you meal plan, you can cook/defrost a couple of days beforehand, and then chill them just to warm them up when needed. That takes the CBA out of coming home and realising...well...that you CBA...
    "Follow the money!" - Deepthroat (AKA William Mark Felt Sr - Associate Director of the FBI)
    "We were born and raised in a summer haze." Adele 'Someone like you.'
    "Blowing your mind, 'cause you know what you'll find, when you're looking for things in the sky."
    OMD 'Julia's Song'
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