In the words of Yazz...

Fudgefund

Thanks Beanie.

Pre-weekend update, I managed 3 out of 5 NSDs this week, which isn't too bad. I've felt terrible all week again and in the end I went to an NHS walk in clinic, I've got an ear infection. No wonder I've been so blooming miserable. They've given me antibiotics so that was £8.05 (annoying!) but if they work it'll be worth it.

I also spent £6.15 on going to the cinema and having a sandwich so of my £68.50 I now have £54 (I swept the odd and sods into my change jar). I reckon before I get paid I'll spend 2 x £20 in Morrisons, this will be to take advantage of their £10 payday bonus, and also to use the £3 vouchers they've put through our letter box. I actually like the Morrison's game, adding up everything obsessively as I go round, bulk buying offers I have no room for. I'm going to try and get a few bits for Christmas in the weeks our subtotal falls short to be ahead of the game.

This leaves me with £14 for the next 9 days. I have zero intention of spending anything this weekend with my sore head and DB taking me out for something to eat on Sunday so hopefully I should make it. I'm lucky my favourite place to be is at home really. Just discovered Sky On Demand has all the the Cracker episodes so that's my weekend sorted.

Fudgefund

Another Monday evening update, I'm feeling a lot better for all the antibiotics although my ear ache didn't really shift until yesterday and I've now developed a hacking cough. I don't get ill often but when I do viruses seem to go on the rampage.

I've lost another 2 pounds this week so I shall add that to my total.

I stayed in all weekend due to my various ailments and I didn't spend any money. DB didn't take me out for dinner because my stomach was a tad 'delicate' from the antibiotics and I didn't want to stray too far from known foods and the comforts of my own bathroom. The lovely Barclays did take £3 out of my account in bank charges though so I am now down to £31 until I get paid. I've postponed DB taking me out so that should keep me amused on Friday evening and then I'll only have two more days until I get paid. I can't wait to be paid, even though I know I've got another difficult month ahead of me. I'm trying to condition DB to what's coming by forewarning him of the 'four more weeks of pain' again ala George Osborne. If I can just stick it out until October pay, things should be easier for the final furlong into Christmas.

Speaking of furlongs, I shouldn't watch Cracker, it makes me want to drink heavily and bet on horses.

Two weeks alcohol free (on antibiotics!) :j

Fudgefund

I got paid yesterday. It had been so long since I had been paid on a Monday that even I forgot it goes into your bank account on the Saturday morning if you bank with Barclays. Once I had made this marvellous discovery I paid off the following:

£100 from the £300 I owe DB as he asked for it, leaving £200 to be paid.
£383 to Barclaycard leaving my balance at £1200.

It feels very much like a treading water payment, not particularly satisfying, but if I can get through the next four weeks within budget October should be an altogether more exciting proposition. My day's strike didn't hit me too badly, I was still paid £1333 which is £33 more than I was paid before my promotion so it still felt like that little bit extra. There's another strike in October and I feel less worried about how that will affect me money wise now, so that's reassuring. I went to see Pride at the cinema last night and it was wonderful, no more carping about strike days from me.

I had a bottle of wine on Friday night, so the abstinence is over I'm afraid. I also ate a whole bag of M&Ms, so I'm not looking forward to stepping on the scales tomorrow. I'm going to be good today and try and start doing some exercise this week even though I've totally b*ggered up my bike tyres somehow and I think I'm going to have to take them in Halfords. I think some gentle jogging would be the best way to start although I hate people watching me wobble around the local streets. I favour winter jogging as I can wear a very forgiving hoodie, and I keep watching the weather forecast, but the numbers are going up not down! It's annoying, but at least it's good news for the gas bill in December.

I have £50 a week to live on for the next four weeks, which should be fine. I'm meant to be switching bank this week but suddenly I am nervous about the whole thing. I just need to keep visualising how much of my money Barclays have had over the years.

Fudgefund

One week in and my budget is tighter than the 5 year old clothes in my cupboard which I still wholeheartedly plan to get into again one day. I shall tell you who I blame; too many people full of festive "cheer" producing September babies. I never budget for birthdays (perhaps I am to blame. Damn) so I've been clobbered by £10 to people at work, a niece, a nephew, and a friend all in the same fortnight. My sister wanted £12.50 for my niece (not too bad), somehow £16.50 was spent on my nephew (all my fault, I find small boys so hard to buy for), and I also spent £5ish on three cards to include my friend. I think my friend is a bit miffed I didn't go out for her birthday but I really couldn't afford it. I feel a bit deflated really and I'm left with £40 to live on for the coming week. Three more weeks of pain. I can do it and I will do it to break the back of my remaining debt.

Speaking of pain, incredibly I made good on my promise to go to the dentist. For the first time in five years! It wasn't too bad, the dentist himself was so nice it made me feel a lot better. I've got to have that tooth extracted, no surprises there, so that has cost me £50.50. I've already paid to ensure I actually turn up. Losing £50.50 would be worse than losing the tooth... Just.

I weighed in this morning, I've gained 2 pounds back. This doesn't surprise me at all given last weekend and the fact that on the night of the Scottish Referendum I ate a whole box of Tunnocks Tea Cakes. I'm not even Scottish, there was no excuse. I'm trying hard to be good this weekend and there's strictly no alcohol so hopefully it'll be better news next weekend. I'm going on a bike ride tomorrow which will be a good start. I managed to fix my tyres, I didn't realise there was a bit you had to unscrew.:o I think the embarrassed face will do for most of this post actually.

I've found 31p in loose change this week. First good find for ages.

Fudgefund

Sunday update this week because I was in too much of mood to yesterday. I am totally sick of having no money this month and arguing a lot with DB - I can't wait for October to come round. I haven't been an angel either - my credit card now has two birthday presents sitting on it which I'm going to have to pay off next payday but I couldn't see any other way around it.

But enough whinging, this week hasn't been all bad. I've managed to make up 5 hours flexitime at work so I am very nearly out of debit after being eleven hours down last month. I really need to make up a flex day so this is positive.

My weigh in also went well - I've tried really hard this week and I'm now 6.5lbs less than I was when I started - so I've lost the two I gained back plus one on top of that. I went for a ten mile cycle ride yesterday and I'm hoping to do a lot of exercise this week, as I really want to lose another 2lbs this week.

Alcohol - I went out to a gig on Wednesday with DB, not my thing musically and I hadn't planned to drink as I had no money and I was trying to lose weight. However he talked me into it as he didn't want to drink alone and I ended up drinking too much and spending too much. :mad: No one's fault but my own - I just don't have the stop switch everyone else has with alcohol. I was really hungover at work the next day which is not befitting someone of my age. I've been sober all weekend again and I plan to do that again next weekend and hopefully my budget will come out somewhere in the middle. I have £90 for the rest of the month. Hmm.

Sorry for the whinge fest, I think I can feel a bit of depression coming on with the autumn. I need to keep working at my goals this week and hopefully I'll be full of the joys of, er, autumn next week.

please-let-me-be-lucky

Well a mixed report there Fudgie, but nice to see you posting.

I'm currently having blood tests done with the doctors for things like anaemia/thyroid, but she is also testing me for low vit D as she says lots of people are suffering with that at the minute. Perhaps you could get that checked out too? Xx

*Robin*

Hello Fudgie, :hello:

Just catching up. Looks like you're winning overall; mostly** keeping to budget, 'gaining hours' at work, exercising and losing weight - all great. :T
**Don't blame yourself for unexpected birthdays mucking up the sums - might be a good idea to start thinking about Crimble expenses if you haven't already got a 'pot' for that?

You're also aware of your own triggers and danger signs which is hugely positive - am a bit disappointed that BF selfishly encouraged you to join him boozing; surely he knows the likely result?

Sounds like you and he could use some quality time once the new month has arrived, easing your budget. Can you think of an MSE treat for you both which doesn't involve alcohol?

Lucky may have something re vitamin D. A couple of BP folk I know in RL use a light box most of the year in the UK. One is convinced it helps "his defences", the other just shrugs and says it's a "bluddy good reading light" (but took the thing with him on a holiday in Ireland).

Fudgefund

Thanks you two :A for answering my calls for a bit of sympathy so admirably. :rotfl:I was in a bad place last weekend but things are a bit better now. I definitely think you might be onto something with the lack of Vitamin D so I've been trying to get out into the daylight more and I've been buying Calin yogurts with 100% of your vitamin D for the day. On offer at Morrisons. I had a massive fit on Wednesday in the direction of DB fuelled by my lady days and his out and out selfishness and I think a few things have finally sunk in. He's been a lot more considerate the past few days and has even washed up without being asked. Miracles will never cease.

I've managed to stick to budget this week as DB paid for the cinema on Wednesday because I was in such a mood (this could be a cunning plan to take forward ). I spent no money on Friday and then went for a lovely long walk yesterday and only spent £5 on a coffee for me and my friend (she drove 30 minutes to the place so she deserved it).

I had a jolly time in Morrison's today - last week it was the payday bonus £10 off so we couldn't use one of the vouchers they stuck through the door meaning we had two this week. Much to DB's horror I used both of them this week by making him put the first half of the shop through to get our £3 off £22, and I did the same with the second half to get another £3 off £22. He was mortified and insisted on pretending we weren't together. :rotfl:

I tried really hard to stick to my diet this week and I was pretty disappointed to find I've only lost half a pound. The only good thing about this is that I am now at the half stone mark so that cheered me up slightly.

I've drunk no alcohol this weekend again. But I'm going home next weekend so no chance of a repeat performance.

The overwhelmingly good news is my budget has pulled back together and I have £50 until I get paid in 9 days time. I've got a few credit card woes due to birthdays to sort out in October's budget so I need to start thinking about that this week. At least there's no gas bills/birthdays/tv licence/hair and dentists next month.

And finally, speaking of dentists, I had that tooth pulled out this week. I'm glad I faced my fears and can tick off 'sepsis from broken tooth' from my ongoing anxieties but it was still blooming awful. The only reason I didn't run out of the waiting room was that I'd already paid the £50. That's how tight this month has been.

Fudgefund

No weekend update because I was away at the weekend, so here I am on a Monday.


Last week was bumbling along pleasantly enough but I then caught a bug from a colleague and it ended on quite a rubbish note. I struggled into work on Thursday and blew my way through four packets of Handy Andies, but on Friday I had to admit defeat and phone into work sick. I managed to scrape myself together for the journey home to see my Mum, which was good because she looked after me and gave me free meals. I also felt too ill to drink alcohol so that was a plus and I only spent £18, another plus.


I weighed in on Friday morning and was very glad to find I had lost a pound and a half. That's over a third of my target before Christmas, so definitely a step in the right direction. There were a lot of cheap bottles of Baileys in Morrisons this week and I was wandering around reminiscing about last year when I spontaneously decided to start the festivities two months before anyone else. One large tub of chocolates, several mince pies and many 'Irish' hot chocolates later I'd gained 10 pounds before Christmas had even begun. I'm desperate not to do anything like that this year. I'm going to weigh in again on Saturday and I'm hoping it will be okay, I was quite good this weekend apart from the amount of chocolate that went down the hatch, I just need to get back into routine now.


I get paid on Wednesday which is exciting. After this payment I'll have another two to go and then I'll only have my Dad to pay back next year. I've got £60 a week to live on this month and no birthdays, so it should be fine. I've just got to make sure the extra £10 a week doesn't go to my head. Yes, I just typed that.

beanielou

Love your updates