Balancing not just the budget

vasseur

Welcome back to GF Land!! And hurrah for summer dresses :j

RosaBernicia

Thank you!

It really feels life-changing at the moment as it's improved my skin so much. I'm doing swimming lessons because I can finally get out of the pool and not feel like my skin is shrinking... and I don't have to plaster myself in body lotion any more either so I will be going back to pole class . I've found out about a new school who teach pole, hoops and silks and look to be a bit more serious than the schools I tried before, so am going to try them out next month

I do need to get back to cooking though as it's surprising how much my newly acquired good habits fell apart during the gluten challenge. I realised yesterday that I can't fit into a couple of summer dresses from about 3 years ago so need to eat a bit more sensibly . I don't particularly mind my weight changing, but it's a waste of cute dresses :rotfl:


Rosa xx

kerri_gt

Hey Rosa, didn't want to read and run - glad you are feeling better, you sound more positive.

yay! I am super excited to see you are going back to pole. Please let me know how you get on. I've done a hoop taster once and enjoyed it (it's deff easier if you've done some kind of aerial stuff before like pole) but there's nowhere really near me to do it on a regular basis. Would love to give silks a try too. Had pole night tonight for me, quiet class for once so pole to myself and nailed a Jackknife (been on my wish list for ages, found out I was putting my legs to the wrong side - doh!) and a new one called Embrace, which I love but was ouchy!

Sorry, that wasn't supposed to be about me, but all excited for you xx

ps which school is it?

RosaBernicia

Hi Kerri

I'll pm you a link to the school website. I'm giving myself the rest of this month to get really back to normal and then going to book the taster class in August to see what the school are like.

I have found at least three schools in town now - the first one I tried was via Groupon and is very small, just the one teacher and she has had trouble finding suitable locations. I got a bit fed up with having 2-3 of us sharing a pole and sometimes there was confusion about when classes were on, so won't go back there. The next one has a proper studio and had just got set up, but the times aren't great for me, parking is difficult, the location is a bit pants (eg no changing space) and they didn't seem to have consistent teachers. The latest one has classes later so I can go home first, call themselves an aerial arts school and generally look a bit more serious. Since I am a geek and like to know as much as I can about anything I get enthusiastic about, that suits me

I love the look of hoop but think I should probably try and get going with pole first, they're easier to have at home for practice :rotfl:


Rosa xx

kerri_gt

Ohh, yes , do PM me the link. Every school is different, and even the teachers within schools are different too, it's just a case of fading what suits. after being at a school where we always had our own pole, I wasn't too keen on sharing initially at this school, but actually it does have it's pros as well as cons. It's much easier to share ideas for moves, and have someone give you tips and pointers about perfecting a move. I've decided there is no such thing as perfect lol .

RosaBernicia

Well I'll send payments on the 1st to keep everything in line on YNAB, but this month should see another £150 off the total and down to £4,625 :T

It feels frustrating as I got used to being able to make more of a dent in the debt every month, but there's not much to be done about it. My job situation is still farcical and I won't know anything further until at least the end of this month.

On the bright side, I've taken a week off for a staycation and it's a blinkin' brilliant idea. I'm catching up on all sorts of sorting out that needed doing and have so far deep-cleaned most of my bedroom and learnt how to use a bluetooth headset. I'll be taking the car to the garage as it needs its air-con sorting and will also go through and weed the 'Ebay' bags again as I STILL haven't got round to selling stuff and it's cluttering up my wardrobe. I may just give up on it and take the whole lot to the charity shop - I said I would do that when I got a new job as an expression of gratitude, but maybe it's time to just give it away anyhow. I also have lots of fun things planned with friends so it's going to be a fabulous fabulous week :j

The money situation looks just about OK otherwise despite some extra spending this month (I bought myself a gorgeous summer dress to celebrate being gf and clear skin again, plus there's been the bluetooth headset which I've wanted for ages so I can call people from the car if necessary and so that I can make better use of the time when my dad keeps me on the phone for an hour - at least I can talk while cooking or ironing :rotfl:, and I finally got my hair cut this month too). I lost a filling and have had to have it replaced but it was less than the dental bills pot :j, the car pot is looking fine (have to see if I can get a better deal on the insurance but the renewal was only £145 so pretty good anyhow), and the vet bills pot is starting to build up again.

The holidays pot is wiped out as I've used it for days out this coming week. I also have another week off booked soon and have already budgeted for the cats boarding costs, so the pots should start building up again from about September. Then again I will have college fees to pay *ulp* and haven't dared ask what those are yet. I'm hoping there will be a monthly payment option.

So still plodding in the right direction, but I would like to go a little faster. The only budget lines I think I could work on at the moment are groceries - as I get back into the habit of cooking, that will go down, and clothes - I've got pretty much all I need for summer, but think I will need new boots for winter... let's hope the weather stays good for a while Oh, and now that my skin is getting better I may decide to drop the facials and only do one in every 3 months.

I have NO idea what I did before YNAB - can't tell you how much I love being able to see everything in one place :T


Rosa xx

RosaBernicia

I'd forgotten how expensive holidays are :eek:

Had a lovely week off including trip to see a friend, and a weekend away just now for a 40th... and am reeling from the petrol bill! I've just made myself be brave and sit down to put all my receipts in YNAB, and will go through and match it up with the account tomorrow. I think there's a Sainsbugs bill I can't find, but it isn't quite as bad as it might have been. And there was another £150 emergency vet bill so that's wiped out any flexibility this month - will be taking mog to usual vet and fortunately the monthly payment plan covers an extra consultation, so that will be free.

I've kept CC payments low this month and next to allow me the leeway for my holiday at the end of this month. It will be mainly petrol bills as I will stay over with the parents part way there and with friends, plus maybe also a hostel as a private room looks to be half the cost of a hotel. And the cost of boarding the mogs. I really need the time away though and as I'm going back to college in Sept/ Oct, I don't want to reschedule it. Will be phoning my friend later in the week to make sure I can't back out

I also bought a few bits and pieces for the flat as decided I need to feel good about it and anyway they are things that will come with me when I do move - towels and a fab pair of cushions. And am reducing this month's food bill by eating the freezer clear ready to defrost it :rotfl: Not going back to Pilates class til next month as it saves the fees and I won't be around every week til then anyway.

Still haven't heard what college fees will be and daren't ask, still no sense out of work, so just aiming to stay sane and have fun for next couple of months while plodding in the right direction.

Onwards...


Rosa xx

RosaBernicia

... not one, but two speeding tickets. Can't believe it - I'm not exactly girl racer, but I was in a hurry in an unfamiliar area in the dark. Both are just at the minimum level recommended for a ticket :mad:

Really worried now in case I got more and have disqualified myself in one weekend cross fingers for no more please!

Guess I now appreciate what an asset my driving licence is again. I'd forgotten how complicated life would be without one. *crosses everything to keep it*


Rosa xx

RosaBernicia

... my only CC with interest is now down to sub £1,500. :j

I had a couple of other payments I thought were needed this month and aren't, so have pushed the extra £20 that way to get it past another £500 mark.

I want to get this one paid off before the interest free period on the other expires. Hopefully then I will finally be down to one debt :cool:


Rosa xx

vasseur

Just popped in for a catch up....

Glad you're feeling better - it's amazing what a difference a change of diet makes.

We've just been away and it was my first real test of explaining the GF thing in restaurants. In the end I just said I was coeliac (didnt feel too guilty about that as haven't actually had the test to prove I've got it, just have a stomach lining that looks like I have) and needed the GF menu. I didn't want anyone thinking I was just another nut on the latest fad diet. I'd already eaten something by mistake the previous Saturday and it takes me a good 4 days to stop feeling so sore so going into strange restaurants for a week was making me feel really nervous. It was fine though - most places were OK and on the last night the waitress at our table was coeliac - finally someone who understood!

We have also overspent and are currently eating the way through the freezer prior to defrosting it too! I actually feel far happier when I am saving money than when I am spending it - probably because I enjoy the challenge more

I hope your new pole classes turn out OK. I wish I had the time to go back to it. I've also had a go at silks and hoops too but preferred pole. Pole will prepare you for the related pain!