In the words of Yazz...

Fudgefund

Hello Robin :wave:

Thank you for your post, I got it through on my phone and it was the kick I needed to update. I am okay, I have been a tiny bit out of control in the past week though and it's time to come back and confess.

The weight loss is going terribly. I did find it interesting when you pointed out that 2lbs is nearly a kilo, this had never occurred to me before. When I was younger and a lot thinner my weight really yo-yo'd, and because I was such an extreme dieter I could lose up to 7lbs in a week. Somewhere along the way that skewed my thinking to the point that 2lbs seemed a very poor return. I can see that this is not a rational way of looking at it and I needed to reconsider that for the first time in years. :think: My weekly weigh in last Thursday was not brilliant but I did lose a pound, which is not to be sniffed at. However, I had a lovely weekend of basically doing as I pleased and I'm sure I have gained it back with interest! Sigh.

Moneywise, I spent far too much this weekend too. I think the tantalising glimpses of sunshine went to my head and all common sense went out the window. I decided to abandon dying my hair :eek:, much to DB's consternation, this month as I didn't want to spend £90 on it, which left me with a bit of spare money. I then proceeded to buy a friend a birthday and new baby present, have a few days of a loose belt (not literally unfortunately! :rotfl:), and I am now counting the cost. I did have such a lovely week though, I just can't bring myself to be too cross. It was so nice to see people, spend some quality time with DB and just relax. I did drink too much, which I am not happy with myself about, not in a regret-my-actions way, more in generally ruing my lack of self control. I went to a life drawing class in a pub on Sunday and needed a drink to steady my awkwardness! I enjoyed it once I settled down though.

So this leaves me in desperate need of some remedial action. I am going to attempt to live on £31 this week, Wednesday onwards, which will leave me £50 for the two weeks after (I get paid three weeks on Wednesday). I don't have a great deal planned this weekend, DB is away on his brother's family stag do, so I'm going for a long hike on Saturday and that'll be it. If I can keep in budget and not drink I shall be well pleased. I also need to haul my behind into work on foot this week to get back into exercise, so this is the other goal.

I already can't wait to be paid, despite this being three weeks off. I tend to have a week of post payday euphoria before the hard work hits and I start thinking about the next one!

please-let-me-be-lucky

Glad to have you back and fingers crossed you make it through the week with your £31 and achieve a chilled weekend.

Perhaps you could reset your alcohol free date in your signature and it might spur you on to keep it going? Xx

Fudgefund

Thanks PLMBL

I hope I achieve it too, I think I've got the mindset in place and £31 is a kings ransom compared to some of the other financial scrapes I've been in. I should probably amend my signature, but I like what it means to me - not since that date have I had more than three pints of anything at once/said something I regretted/not remembered parts of an evening. I shall have a think of how I can squeeze that down!

*Robin*

Hi Fudgie, :hello:

Sounds like you've been having a busy time!

Was particularly tickled to hear about the life drawing class - now there's a good way of slowing down the speed at which you :beer: as of course you'll be concentrating on the pencil occupying your drinking hand.

Good Luck with your ££ allowance; the last two weeks @ £25 a go will be a challenge - do hope you have decent weather for walking to work while simultaneously shifting last weekend's indulgent lbs.

Fudgefund

I worded my last post badly I think Robin, I meant I have £50 per week for the last two weeks if I make it through this one on my £31. As £50 per week is supposed to be the average of what I live on, I'm hoping it'll be fine.

I managed to walk to work today (hooray!) but ate quite a few mint humbugs (boo!). I also spent £6 of my £31 on very sensible things to eat so that I don't starve over the weekend. After being so busy last week I'm looking forward to a quiet few days watching the pennies and hopefully eating less. Cinema tomorrow night, about £5 gone there, which will leave me with £20. It can and will be done.

PS - I genuinely thought life drawing would be terrifying, but I soon got over myself. And yes, you are right, not much time for drinking when frantically rubbing out mistakes and trying to keep my pad away from the eyes of people who can actually draw.

Fudgefund

My £31 is disappearing faster than a packet of Cadbury's Eclairs when it's just me in the room.

I spent £4 yesterday buying cinema snacks from Tesco whilst DB footed the tickets bill as planned and only spent £1.88 on some cheese today to perk up my week's diet of beans on toast and pasta but then disaster struck...

£5.57 for toilet paper for the house! I could and should have seen this coming, but for now it's armageddon for the finances. I've talked DB into a stir fry for Friday and Sunday evening when we're together, if I can keep him to that and go halves on the ingredients I stand a thin chance of having enough for lunch for Monday and Tuesday. I reeeeally don't want to break into next week's fund.

I've realised the past few days just how bad my eating has become recently due to my budgeting and pure laziness and it needs to be improved dramatically. My friend is away so there was no 'vegetable Tuesday' this week and it left me wondering when exactly I last ate a raw vegetable. I never cook in my house because I have a weird fear of getting caught in the kitchen with my housemates and having nothing to say. I realise this is weird, but then I am quite weird. I always seem to be thinking that next week when I have more money I'll spend more on good food and it never happens. I don't have lunch for tomorrow so I shall be buying carrots and hummus, this shall be a start.

Fudgefund

Well, it's been nearly a week since I last updated and I've been having a very productive time of it I must say. I didn't quite manage to live on £31 for the week but I did manage to make it to £41 having paid for a glut of toilet rolls and the lottery at work. I also managed three NSDs and had two stir frys for teas so very good news on the vegetable front. I managed to walk to work this morning, so that can go into the pot with the three days with last week and I've been doing so well at living frugally and eating better that I've lost three pounds this week!! :j I am thrilled with this, it's really given me a bit of a spring in my step.

As of tomorrow I am over the hump of the month with 14 days until I get paid and £90 to live on. This is inestimatably better than the position I was in last month (I think on the 3rd last month I was already down to £31). I was supposed to buy my niece a birthday present but my sister has asked for £25 from everyone instead to buy a trampoline. This is both good and bad - I can pay for it when I next get paid and therefore budget and keep the money I have now, but it is more than I intended to spend. Never mind. I'm a big fan of my niece.

In other news, did I drop the issue of the wedding? Did I heck. After months of cajoling DB into asking if I was invited (I am seeing his family for the first time since the break up in two and a half weeks, and I knew it would come up. I had resolved to be honest and say I hadn't been invited, this seemed to give DB the kick up the backside he needed as he was embarrassed. I think he was relying on me saying I was away) I have finally got an invite. I do feel still awkward - now because I'm wondering if I am really wanted there and have I strong armed my way into this wedding - but I still think I'm on the side of right in this case so I am going to brazen it out.

In more worrying news I have a strange rash on my right breast and it is driving me mad. It looks like eczema but I have googled it and it could be more serious. If it hasn't cleared up in a week I shall be going to the Doctors, which I will find very hard. Documenting this here so I will remember how long it's been, for the time being I am just throwing E45 at it.

As of tomorrow I have £45 to live on for the week. Fingers crossed I can do it.

beanielou

45 for the week should be ok.

please-let-me-be-lucky

Well done on the 3lbs weight loss :j.

Whilst google is brilliant, I think the Dr is your best bet for the rash Xx

*Robin*

Hello Fudgie, :hello:

Are you ok? ..Not just your budget lasting until payday, but the meet with DB's family must be imminent - you're not worrying about that are you, or your odd rash (which hopefully has gone by now)?

By the way, well done on 3lb weight-loss. (No idea whether I'm keeping up with you - m'scales have malfunctioned ).