In the words of Yazz...

Fudgefund

Thanks for the much needed eBay tips Robin! I particularly liked the weight one, it's thing that worries me most (no, not in general). I'm planning to lose my 'e' plates on Wednesday night, I hope truly hope I don't make any really horrendous mistakes. I don't meditate to be honest, I am cursed with an extremely cynical personality which prevents me from embracing a lot of things. My friend is trying to get me to go to yoga with her though, so perhaps that will help.

Sooo... I haven't been on here for a few days, and I have several confessions to put in my diary unfortunately.

1) I was doing well on the money front until this weekend. Myself and a friend went to a small festival where I live to watch some bands, but things got quite badly out of hand because I never know when to stop drinking and I was pretty much drunk all weekend. I was quite manic (yes, the signs were there last week) and was awake all of Saturday night because it suddenly occurred to me that I wanted to be able to play every musical instrument known to man and I had better get on with it. Turns out it would be an expensive venture.

2) I sent my ex-boyfriend some texts. They weren't embarrassing or pleading or abusive or anything, but I had gone a whole five days without, so it's pretty annoying. I've got to start over again now, made it through today.

3) Didn't go to work today because I was on the mother of all come downs following three days of alcohol where previously there had been none. I'm not supposed to be drinking, so I'm definitely cutting it out.

I did have a good time, I just wish I had this magical stop button everyone else seems to have. I also ate too much, so I need to be mega sensible for the next two weeks to avoid going back to where I was.

So I really need to recalibrate (in the words of a sat nav) my budget and sort things out again. No point moping over what's been done, just have to try and learn my lesson and move on. I'm hoping to live on £16 until Saturday, I have food and transport, and I have no plans to speak of, so it should be doable. Then, I will have £60 a week to live on until I get paid. Obviously this isn't ideal, but it could be quite a lot worse. I just need to be very scrimpy and have a very quiet weekend next weekend. This is probably around the time I'd be hitting my credit card for groceries if I still had it, so it's a very good thing I don't. I think that's everything. Hope so!

Fudgefund

Oh, and I should also mention while I'm 'fessing up that I owed my Mum £500 from a couple of months ago whicg I didn't include in my original debt description. I've now got my deposit back (which prompted the ex contact) so I've paid her £400. Just £100 to go next month.

*Robin*

'Morning Fudgie - well done well done well done! ..On being honest with yourself - it's the biggest part of the battle, isn't it?

I'll not be around much for a while - and should be doing a hundred other things right now - but just wanted you to know you'll be in my thoughts until I get back here; keep it up, you've really made an excellent start and I for one am proud of you! :T

Fudgefund

Thanks for being so nice Robin, I really appreciate it. :A I think in the past if I had had the weekend I did, I would've spent a lot of time pointlessly regretting it, but not this time, I'm all about just learning the lesson. no more 8.2% cider for me! :eek: In fact, hopefully no more alcohol full stop unless I'm enjoying a small glass of red over dinner in a grown up fashion. I do love that.

Weighed myself this morning - I have managed to gain 4 pounds over the weekend which doesn't surprise me at all. Hoping it'll just come off as quickly as it came on now I'm back to my normal routine, hopefully I'll also walk home a few times this week.

Feeling positive, having a NSD, and my lovely friends are cooking me Tuesday night dinner as they like to make sure I have vegetables at least once a week. Added my debt to my Mum to my signature, as I figure it's the first one that will be paid off so I should be proud! Counted my change jar, up to £14.56, if things get desperate this month that's going straight in the cool Barclays coinstar thing that goes straight into your bank account. It amuses me.

Fudgefund

So, another frenetic day of scrimping is over (I'm at home now, I have limited scope to mess things up) and I spent £2.45 today. I feel fine about this as I really enjoyed having a (skinny!) hot chocolate with a friend and having a giggle over her maternity pants (they weren't on the table).

Made it into work, not eaten anything bad apart from a Mr Chew, officially the best sweets in the world, bought by my housemate for Trick or Treaters. I'm er, thinking of the children's teeth.

I'm also back to the most economic gastronomic delight known to man, the wholemeal pitta bread and houmous combo for lunch. I wittered at length about this on my old diary, so I don't see why my new one should escape. 60p for 6 pittas, and £1.25 for three mini houmous pots makes three lunches to get excited about. And all for the princely sum of £1.85!

Found 30p in the bottom of my handbag I must've dropped at some point over the weekend. Good times.

Off to embark on my ebaying journey now, not looking forward.

Fudgefund

Another upsidedown day in Fudgeland, I received a text from my ex last night asking me if I would like to go to Blackpool at the weekend as friends and stay with his family. I agreed because I'm crazy (we've covered this) but then realised it was a terrible idea and way too soon to be friends. I ended up meeting up with him today and calling it off, and I think we both now know everything has been said. I really do feel as though I can move on now, so it was a good thing really. I felt a bit wobbly kneed afterwards so went to the shop and bought some chocolate. :mad:

This totally messed up my NSD and it wasn't even all that nice! Dairy Milk with toffee popcorn - bit of a weird texture if you ask me. It did mean I gave most of it away and didn't eat the whole thing myself though. £1.48 down the drain. It was actually a good thing anyway as I have very little monies and the trip to Blackpool would have ruined me. My entire food budget for the month would be in the bingo machines so £1.48 seems positively saintly.

I did do some positive things today:

Contacted Council Tax about getting a refund of the money owed to me on my old flat. This is hardly a King's ransom, but I want it back.

I also sent a form to TV Licencing for a refund of the 6 months credit I was in with my licence for paying by DD. I know there's loads of stuff on the internet about licensing, but there's nothing about problems with getting a refund. Hopefully this is a good sign.

I didn't sort any eBay stuff out last night as I was in a tizz about Blackpool, which wasn't very good of me. I'm off to set that right now, starting with the Toy Story toys!

Fudgefund

Annnnd, I am full of a cold. The second the cold air strikes my nostrils, my nose is streaming like a prize racehorse in November. I struggled into work to sneeze on everyone (I CANNOT take anymore leave) and now I am home on the Lemsip. I did manage a NSD, so some good has come of my illness.

I had big sensible plans for this weekend which were thus:

1) Bake bread.
2) Make a coconut cake.
3) Sort my clothes into piles, "bin, charity, ebay, chest of drawers". It's a bit like 'Snog, Marry, Avoid' if people were clothes.
4) Not drink.
5) Clean the bathroom.
6) Go for a jog.
7) Put said chest of drawers together.
8) Not spend anything.

Obviously now I feel rubbish there aren't many things on the list that appeal. Hoping to wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed tomorrow for some serious baking. I have been reviewing my figures for the rest of the month and they're terrible after last weekend. I've got roughly £85 until the middle of November so I need a game plan (particularly as I've got a busy weekend next weekend). I've realised I've got all the ingredients apart from eggs to make bread and cake, so I'm going to live off those this weekend. Along with a nice cheap bean chilli. I knew there was a reason I lugged all the food stuffs over from my old flat.

One thing that pleases me is that I haven't had any alcohol since Sunday. Really hoping to keep that up over the weekend even though one of my only sources of nutrition on the house is two cans of cider. That could practically count as one of my five a day, right?

MuffinTops

Hello FF,

I've been reading through your diary and love how motivated you sound. You're doing so well on taking control.

I read that you wanted a budget of £70 a week for normal spends and I do this too, only slightly different to you. I give myself a daily budget of £10 to spend on myself. Then if I know I have something coming up that may require more I "save" for it out of earlier days budgets.

I can't be trusted with £70 in my purse as I will feel I can afford a £40 or so item on the first day and then I would struggle so much the rest of the week I would feel i didn't have enough. But having just £10 for food and unnecessaries every single day is consistent enough to keep me focused and on track. I love the feeling of saving for something with low spend or no spend days. Also withdrawing or taking out of an envelope a new crisp £10 every day feels good and if you spend it all that day it's not long until it gets replenished.

Anyway, I thought I'd share that in case you'd like to give it a go. There's also a great no spend day challenge that starts each month.

I've subscribed as your enthusiasm is contagious.

I hope you feel better soon.

Fudgefund

Hi MuffinTop, thanks for stopping by. I'm glad my enthusiasm is contagious, I try to keep my pecker up. :rotfl:Thanks also for saying I'm doing well taking control, it doesn't always feel that way!

I think that's a brilliant idea about the £10 a day, and as soon as my normal budget is resumed I'm going to give it a go. £10 a day sounds like soo much, but it never is in my little hands! xo

beanielou

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/56804915#Comment_56804915

Link to the NSD thread.
Pop over for a wee look