My Busy Life

vasseur

Another lovely day!

Not sure what to advise re the diet as I am lucky in that I've never been on one Is there someone at your gym that you could ask for advice? I think making food part of your healthy lifestyle rather than going on a quick fix diet is the best way because then it becomes a way of life and then doesn't feel like you are depriving yourself of anything.

Or you could live by this motto:-

"Everything in moderation and a little bit of what you fancy does you good!"

Carry on with all your gym classes though - exercise is so good for you.

sidneysmum

Hi Polesalot - Your healthy eating thoughts make sense. I know what I should be doing; the trouble is that i have got into the routine of giving myself a "little reward" most evenings and really it needs to stop. I am going to have to think about what to do. As with most other areas of my life, I work best with a strategy!!

Despite today being a work day, it has been good. I went to work very, very early this morning which luckily I can do and came home at lunch time. I have definitely got my act together and put the afternoon to good use - Trip to B&Q, library, pick up prescription. I also gave my gas / elec reading to my provider today so think the bill will be emailed to me soon. Used up the last of a bottle of perfume so that will be added to my toiletries total. Spoke to my mortgage provider today and they have agreed that my account can now be overpaid so I made my first overpayment today - only £10 but its a start. I have decided that I need to have an emergency fund of a few thousand pound at my disposal, not only for if I need to pay for expensive repairs to my car (or something similar) but i also want to be able to give one of my sons some money next year as he is worried about paying off his student loan and i want to help him. He is a brilliant man and lives a very frugal lifestyle, so I applaud all his efforts. So the plan is.....keep saving for my emergency fund whilst making small but regular overpayments to my mortgage. I have now updated my mortgage signature. Lastly saved a bit of money today by not getting my work shoes reheeled. Really they are ready for the bin so I got another pair out of the wardrobe which i haven't looked at in about 3 years and got on with wearing them.

Hope everyone is having great moneysaving day x

maman

sidneysmum wrote: »

Today had been really enjoyable and cerainly fits the bill of "champagne lifestyle on lemonade money" !! First thing was an hours zumba, cost included in my gym membership. At lunchtime I undid all my good work when I met an old work colleague for our xmas pub lunch. Quite cheap and cheerful really but very enjoyable. At tea time I went to the cinema with my cousin and we watched "Great Expectations" which was superb. Again this was at no cost as its included in my monthly £15 direct debit. I am really tired out now but just happy to have had such busy, enjoyable day meeting up with loads of people.
Still chewing over my goals for 2013 and I know I am going to have to lose a stone in weight. Noit sure what to do. Should I calorie count or should I follow the Slimming World eating plan ? Any suggestions gratefully received as I dont seem to be able to make a decision myself.

I hope everyone has had a great moneysaving day x

I'e been reading your diary since you started and just had to respond to this post.

First I don't think you were undoing all the good work by having an enjoyable lunch with a friend. I know there are (all too many:() people out there who are in desperate straits but many of us are saving/being careful so we can spend the money we have on what we want and not on being ripped off. So if having lunch with a friend is what you want to do then go for it!!

Second, I'm a huge advocate of Slimming World. I lost 3.5 stone in 10 months and have kept at my target weight for well over a year now.:D It's the only 'diet' I've ever followed and it suits me fine and does allow for treats. If you've done it before you could go it alone with your old books and the excellent thread on here for support. I you want a refresher you could go to a group for just one week for £10 and get new books and the talk. It's likely that there'll be a voucher in a magazine in January that'll get you £5 off that. I'd go for it if I were you.

Thanks for starting the thread. It's great (back to lurking now).

Jazee

Hello Sidneysmum, glad you're enjoying yourself. Re weightloss, I don't really do diets, but I was a bit like you in snacking in the evening. I've found that if I have a two course evening meal (only something like 1/2 bowl of soup for starter) its enough to stop me feeling I need to treat myself to dessert later on. It may work for you.

sidneysmum

Maman - Hi. Great to hear from you. Well you have really helped me out, believe it or not. I have pretty much decided to start slimming world again after Christmas. I know the plan works and its a really healthy way of eating. Well done to you as well loosing all that weight. Big pat on the back. Hope to hear from you soon - please dont just lurk !!

Jazee - Thanks for dropping by too. I should incorporate soup into my diet lie you suggested. I know I can do than with slimming world because all the veg and stock cubes are "free food" and are pretty much unlimited.

I am posting early today because i am off out to the WI Christmas meeting and party tonight !! OMG the exciting life i lead!!! Today has been really productive. I dropped a proper clanger this morning. I was off work but didn't cancel the alarm so ended up being woken up pretty much in the middle of the night ! Anyway after failing to get back to sleep I decided to get up and get cracking. So here goes......cleaned the chicken, repaired some pyjamas, made soup, cleared leaves from the garden (when it got light), did a bit of pampering (lets just say hair removal !!! :eek:), paid energy bill online and paid £5 off my mortgage.
Did a spot of shopping. My hoover died last week and so after several quotes to have it repaired, i decided to buy a value hoover from Argos. Lets just say I have hoovered through the house and it is excellent. For £37.99, I am well pleased. I also went to my local Asian supermarket and as usual got a great bargain. I bought 9kg of onions for £1.20. Amazing. I didn't nee 9kg but i bought them because I needed some for myself and the rest I am going to dish out to my children when the come round.
I even managed to get a quick film in this afternoon - Sightseers. It was rather naughty !! but very funny.

Another use up in the toiletries today - shampoo. Added to signature.

Hope everyone is having a great moneysaving day x

vasseur

Hope you're having a lovely time great hoover bargain - very :money:

sidneysmum

God what an awful day weather wise in the North West. Had sleet/snow this afternoon and now its lashing it down with rain. Really glad I am staying in tonight. Went to my WI Christmas party last night and had a wonderful buffet tea. Glad I`ve not started the diet yet as I definitely ate what I fancied last night. My plan, probably along with half of the UK is to start my diet in the New Year. I want to enjoy Christmas - not go mad food wise but enjoy myself.

Today I took my car for service. My mechanic charged me £150 which I was pleased with as I know his price is very competitive for the make/model of car. He also loaned me a jeep for the day which I was very grateful for considering the weather. Its been another productive day here at Sidney Towers - Wrote all my christmas cards this morning, then either posted or hand delivered those I could get rid of today ! Had a dry cut at the hairdressers which was £9. I usually go every 6 weeks so am very happy to pay £9 especially as my hair looks ok for most of the time. Managed to clean a few windows indoors as well as sorting out my christmas tree lights for a large tree in my front garden. They are on a timer now till the start of 2013 and should be on for 6 hours every evening. They actually look very tasteful and not at all over the top. Managed to nip to the cinema this afternoon to watch "seven psychopaths". Afraid the jury is out on that one. I haven't decided what I think of it yet. The only spends today have been for a loaf of bread, other than the car service, so really pleased with that. Oh....also paid another £5 off my mortgage. :jBy paying all these small amount, I hope to keep myself focused on what I am doing.

Hope everyone is having a great moneysaving day x

vasseur

How do you pay extra bits off your mortgage? Do you do it online or do you put the money by to pay off in bulk every so often? I only ask because I know some mortgage providers won't let you do it the first way (this is how I got my CC paid off by doing a payment a day - really keeps you motivated). I need to start thinking about sorting out overpayments for my mortgage.

It is lashing it down with rain here too

sidneysmum

Hi Polesalot - I phoned my mortgage provider and they gave me a sort code / account number to use so i can make overpayments online. My mortgage provider will let me overpay by 10% per year but some mortgages dont allow you to overpay at all. I actually feel in control at the moment just paying a small amount off when I feel like it. Hopefully I will get the flaming thing paid off a lot quicker too, which will be a massive anchor from round my neck !!

Yesterday I had my friend round all day and they stayed the night so I was really busy all day. We were out walking most of the day which was great because even though it was cold we were well wrapped up. I did have to have a small spend of £2.50. Bought some milk and some cake for after our tea. I am very lucky that I like near to the factory that makes cakes for M&S - and they have a factory shop open to the public. I can always get a great bargain in there. Not too good for the waistline though !!! I did get to pay £5 off my mortgage though.

Today has been back to normal thankfully. Although i enjoy having company, I also enjoy my own company. Another use up this morning (facial wipes) so I`ve added that to my signature. Been out for a walk with Sidney this morning. I know that I need to start to do more dog walking, not only for Sidney's benefit but for my own as well. Its too easy just to sit in the house instead of going out. I am definitely going to make more dog walking one of my New Years resolutions !! Paid another fiver off the mortgage this morning. Feeling really positive about this at the moment. I know its only a fiver but its a fiver I wont have to pay again !!
One of the things I have been thinking about is taking up a new hobby in 2013 and the hobby I have chosen is quilting. Anyway today I actually spent some money on my first lot of quilting fabric. I do plan on starting to collect oddments of fabrics from old clothes, car boot items etc, but for now I have had to buy some fabric or it could be years before I get to start my first project. So I am hoping the fabric is delivered before Christmas so I can actually make a start of the quilt. Oh I am sooo excited !!!

Hope everyone is having a great moneysaving day x

vasseur

Ooh quilting! In H0bbycraft they do sets of fabric squares in complimentary colours. Not sure how much they are but they are gorgeous. Maybe you could buy a set as a start and add to it. A lady on tv the other night said all her spare fabrics were curtains bought from charity shops. Once you've unpicked the tapes and washed them they are fine.

Thanks for the info about the mortgage. I think mine will allow me to overpay. Like you say that's afiver you won't have to pay again. Good attitude.

Have a nice weekend.