Enjoying the journey to becoming debt free - paying back the credit cards

fedupandskint

Firstly - I completed Ripped in 30 yesterday - really pleased and well worth it, lots of hard work. Definately paid off though as I could tell when I went for a run this morning after a long break from running and ran 6 miles in 55mins which is only 3mins over my best time from earlier this year! I felt pretty ploddy and steady while out running so was quite surprised to come home in this time. The circuits have done their work in a way I didn't quite expect!

What else - birthday night out last night, pleasant night, 2 drinks too many for me, should have stopped after 2 or 3 really. Didn't blast the unit allowance though (4 units) in total, just not used to it that's all. Food not bad and restaurant really pleasant. Glad I stuck to my resolve and didn't buy anything new to go out in and wear what I have, apart from my new nail varnish for £1 of course.

Onto today, decided to trot up to the supermarket and lo and behold reduced items fell into my basket to the tune of £15.

2 x cod fillets £2.69 (£1.35 each)
1 x mince £2.69 - 3 or 4 meals out of that
1 x turkey stuffed breast roast for 3 £2.69 (90p each)
4 chicken thighs and 4 chicken drumsticks £2.69 (45p per meal for 6 meals)

Total 15 meals for £10 - so not too bad overall and although the budget is taking a hammering, I was a bit low on things to make meals out of. I really must buy what I need next weekend and not pop into the shop this week at lunchtime.

So today is quite a chilled out day overall I think - washing is done, exercise is done, plenty of food eaten including the last bit of my birthday cake just a little bit of floor mopping to do and thats the chores done for this week.

fedupandskint

Thought I'd have a day off exercise today to rest those achy legs for a night - will do something tomorrow though.

At lunch time I went to get some of the gift sets on offer for Christmas in S*perdr*g and better than half price skincare to go in the hampers. Not too bad for £22. That is the skincare pamper hamper's almost done now. Just one more to get for £3.32 and some slippers and I think that's about it

Travel men's kit £3.32
Full size men skincare £5.32
Skincare day and night cream £4.99 and £5.95
Special large size body lotion half price

Also found another Christmas present to order - Hairy Dieter's cook book for £5 and then found some shoes for another present which unfortunately sold out by the time I got back home for another look

Feels nippy at home tonight so may have to cave in with the heating before November at this rate as its starting to feel quite damp and cold

fedupandskint

Phew, just did day one of no more trouble zones - managed it for an hour and it was done. Lots of toning legs, bums, tums and arms to carry on all the work done since June, just need to pop in some cardio sessions now and I am on my way again to fitness nivarna!

Better still, its a no spend day today too, might just hang on tomorrow and see if I can bag another one then as it made me smile so much today when I realised

fedupandskint

Managed another no spend day today - pleased with 2 in a row now - will go for another one tomorrow too.

what else? Not much apart from yet another cold feels like its coming on so out wIth the echinacea and first defence tonight to fight it off. Lots going around a work too with plenty off sick. No exercise tonight and just an early tea and early night to ready my book

fedupandskint

what to report today? Only another no spend day making it 3 in a row, making me feel very pleased about that.

Finished early today to do some study this afternoon and so its off now to do some reading and writing up ready to submit tomorrow for the meeting next week.

Also found some good soup recipes to try out at the weekend and freeze along with a vegetarian curry recipe to try out using up some of the stuff I have in. Feeling pretty determined to have a small supermarket list for this weekend to stay on track with the budget consisting of fruit and veg and not that much else!

It's a dismally grey day here today so wI think I'll do an hour of reading ready to make notes and add into my notes to submit then take the dog out on a long walk earlier than usual and hopefully beat the rain arriving. I'm still feeling pretty run down along with a few others at work too so I think another day off exercising is required and then hopefully much brighter at the weekend to do some then along with soup and marmalade making and housework

fedupandskint

Read the chpt of doom and some other notes to pad out my notes to submit think I should be ok to send it off tomorrow.

What else? Bathroom cleaned, shopping list written, recipe ingredients found out to make muffins on Sat and marmalade.

Totted up grocery challenge budget and coming in at £60 something. This week's shop should be pretty low in cost and I'm hoping to spend less than £20 to give myself a chance of sticking to my £100 budget.

fedupandskint

Woo hoo its the weekend!!! Thank goodness for that after the long week at work.

What else to report - shopping done for this week spending £9 in Mr t and £13 in Mr s. Off list for one reduced pretty lip balm for me and one for a present costing £1.22 each. Then some reduced ham to freeze for sandwiches, £3 on choccie - had to cave in to that craving. Off list cost £7.33 extra, so total cost £22 and £7 was extra. Over this week's budget by £2 then. Can I make it on budget? Well, feeling overall pleased wIth this week getting in 3 no spend days and only £2 over budget for shopping.

Not much planned for this wEekend apart from a walk up to town tomorrow, usual cleaning and washing and ironing, soup making, cooking and tidying up the garden

Oh yes, how could I forget? I submitted my final plan for my dissertation and it makes sense and has some order to it - at last! At least I think it does, will find out for certain at next week's meeting

fedupandskint

Ok, confession time.

I have ordered 2 reduced sale items to collect next weekend -a jacket in navy reduced from £35 to £15 in a size 8 - not sure if it will fit but I saw it in store and really liked it at full price. I waited to see if it was in the sale and the colour I wanted was. I'll have to see if it fits otherwise its going straight back for a refund. Also ordered a coat reduced from £59 to £29 which I thought was a good price for a wool blend coat. It's a shorter double breasted coat in black. Its only the colour I wouldn't normally go for but if it looks ok I could do with a coat that goes with all the colour I wear!

Also ordered a pair of jeggings for £10 in burgandy with a print and a navy and white spotted pair of chinos for £9 to put away for spring and summer next year. Although its quite a spend, its better than full price and a blue jacket, shorter coat and new jeans were on my list of things to buy. Just couldn't resist those sale prices in the end. However, if any of them look anything less than brilliant on they're straight back for a refund. Of course, are collect free from store too to stop any postage costs. Actually need to see if they fit first as there is some pesky size 8's in there so no guarentee that is the right size - who knows!

If all are ok, then no more jackets needed along with my 'no more skirts' and only 'one more going out top' (when I find one in cream, in a sale of course!) pledge to myself. To be fair, with all that weight loss and toning upover the last year, I've given away my coats with a lot of wear left in them which were at least 2 sizes too big now. Mum, quite rightly, has done very well out of this!

As usual I've tried hard to stick to styles that won't date too quickly.

Costs
mac - a present £29 reduced from £39
last years warm coat - last year in sale £20 reduced from £35
purple jacket - a present £15 reduced from £35
work light jacket - £9 reduced from £45
navy jacket - £15 reduced from £35
black coat - £29 reduced from £59

Coat costs if keep new ones £73 for 12mths

Total at full price £174 - saving £101 plus extra savings from 2 presents which take it to £209 saving £136

Anyway what all that means is, the total spent on 4 coats in a year is £73 working out at £18.25 per coat, and when looking at the full prices of coats I think that is perfectly ok. As I tend to keep coats and jackets for a very very long time next year's spends on coats and jackets will be pretty low so long as I maintain my healthy weight and lifestyle. Afterall, no point in all of this if nothing fits by this time next year!

fedupandskint

Well as I sit here watching the dancing reflecting upon a very busy no spend day - another one, number 4! Aiming for at 4 next working week and at least 5 in total and hopefully 6

House cleaned and sparkly with only the floors to do tomorrow, ironing done, washing done, marmalade a bit disappointingly made - too runny, muffins nicely made and tasty, lovely soup made and lovely veggie curry made and lovely pud made!

Felt decidedly chesty and sore this afternoon but much better after a hot tea so hoping an early night will sleep off those symptoms ready for a walk up to collect the sale order tomorrow. Glad I got most things done today so can have a pretty chilled out day tomorrow as thinking I 'll need it at this rate!

fedupandskint

Feel much better this morning - that early night must have done the trick!

Today, I'll finish off the cleaning - sweeping and mopping the floors, put some washing on and out to dry, walk up to town to collect order. Come home and sweep up outside this afternoon and tidy up garden for half an hour. Take my dog on a nice long walk, come back and read a chapt of my uni book before my tea which is ready made!

Is that enough for one day? Think so, will see how I feel as the day wears on