I stumbled, then there was an avalanche!

Bennifred

Wow, Lucie - you must have a great sense of satisfaction now :A Well done, you!

Pooky

I must admit I've been having one of those weeks as well. I think it didn't help that the kids went back to school, I love them being at home and there's always something to do, be it a trip to the park or a stroll through the fields and along the cliffs.....but I never fancy that walk alone...so where did I go....to the shops!! I went with a friend who spends money like it's going out of fashion and i'm afraid to say I dug out my credit card and had a splurge. Luckily we went to an outlet village and we did get some good bargins, (kids tops in marks and sparks for £1, gap fleeces for £2.99) but I ended up feeling rather guilty. Resolved myself to do better yesterday and only pop into morrisons for bread and milk and some fruit and veg at the market....in the end I came out of the shop £50 lighter and went and had my hair cut to cheer myself up! (good cut tho, should last for about 12 weeks and only £8).

So after all that hubby and I decided that today was the day to spend nothing and feel better........even stayed in bed until 12.30 to try and curb the spending habit!! Ended up cutting the grass, making a cover for the pond (we'd had the stuff sitting in the shed since last year).....we then decided that the best course of action was to go and buy 5 rolls of the weed control fabric to start clearing out the wasted space in the back of our garden, it's over grown with brambles and stingers, every year we cut it back and then cant be bothered to dig it all over....hopefully this time next year it will be dead and ready to turn into a veggi patch? So again more spending but justified in my eyes.

Think i'd better stay in this week and try and get back in to the swing of things. I really didn't get as much pleasure out of buying stuff this week as I used too, it's quite amazing how quickly you realise the error of your ways after reading this site for a few weeks.

Ty MSE'ers for helping me realise the true meaning of life.....to spend is human, to save is devine!!!

Bargain_Rzl

I've had a bad weekend too...

I always treat myself to a takeaway breakfast on the way to church choir on Sundays, but normally it's a fruit toast and latte at McDonalds (£1.79). The useless McDonalds near my church recently seems to have got into the habit of not having its coffee machine working whenever I'm in there! :mad: I do like my latte, and today I even had a free latte coupon so I was going to treat myself to pancakes...

Well they did it again, so I took my business elsewhere... Starbucks of all places, where I couldn't resist a Cheese and Marmite Breakfast Panini with my Grande Skinny Latte - total cost £4.44 :eek:

Then, having decided I didn't need to buy any new clothes for a while, I had to replace my trusty old pair of black boots which finally died this week (the cobbler gently advised that they should be left to rest in peace). Found a lovely pair in Office, reduced from £75 to £40:jbut before the day was out, I got them stuck in a grating, chipping both heels and losing one heel cap - so that'll be another £5 at the cobblers, cos I have to get them done at the place on the way to work, not the cheap local place, or I will have NOTHING to wear with my work trousers this week!!!!! :mad:

moggins

I've not done badly this weekend. We had a dinner to go to which cost £18 a head but we didn't have to pay for him indoors, 4 rounds of drinks from the bar, and a bottle of wine to go with the dinner (I didn't have any as I was driving). I'd taken £40 out with me and we came back with a tenner. And I'd taken that out of my PMS so I was pleased with that.

Sunday we had promised to get the littlie the fish to go in her tank. We went to the fish place and got her 4 fish, 2 aquarium plants and a piece of driftwood. Spent £13 and resisted all temptation to visit the new garden centre next door

Normally I'd have gone straight in and spent about £50. I also did the weekly shopping on the way there and went to Lidl. Did the whole shop for £27 which was pretty good as I had one child and dh with me and of course they picked up some stuff which wasn't on the list.

Liz19

I have done quite well since becoming a MSE addict. The only problem is that now I check this site and then spend because it is always a bargain. I spent a fortune in Nexts online sale at Christmas which I found out about on this site - but I did get so many fantastic bargains!!:) I have bought cases of Virgin wine using offer codes from this site (well, it would be a crime not to!), a bargain 14in TV from Argos, I could go on. It is not just in the outside world that I can't be trusted, it is online too!! What can I do?

rchddap1

Think of it this way...if these were items that you were going to buy at some point anyway then you have saved money. I buy 'bargains' from this site all the time, but I always think what I am going to use them for. Eg, OH wanted a strimmer for ages, and I managed to grap one a few months ago for £15 from Argos Online...saving around £40. We needed one anyway, but just hadn't got around to buying it. I've also got a stack of pressies in one of my cupboards for birthdays / xmas.

Liz19

Thanks rchddap1:) I feel much better now. I do buy things that I need and also bargain treats that we might not have had otherwise and like you, I have birthday/Xmas presents stashed away. My husband does come home from work and ask me what bargain I have managed to get today and is always pleased with his 3 for £1 magazine subscriptions, cheap Virgin wine, free dvd trials, half price electric tooth brush, free smoothie maker, etc....!! I love this site!!:)

Caterina

It sounds like we all fall into the temptation to overspend at times - I have had a bit of the same lately, as my new office job has started (on top of finishing my old doula contracts) and I know that I have a bit more money now coming in, so I have gone a bit over the top.

I like to have regular 'buy-nothing-days' or 'cook-what's-in-the-house' days to balance the occasional splurge.

I have made a BIG splurge though - see my other post (Am I still entitled to call myself frugal?).

Caterina

rchddap1

I've now given my OH a big problem. Usually around Birthdays & xmas we spend the same amount of money on each other...he's never going to know what I've spent ever again.

I stumbled slightly at the weekend. I spent £88 :mad: However, £50 I can put on work expenses, another £30 was for a stairgate for my parents (not literally for them, but to stop my nephew going moutain climbing)...so I got the cash back for that, £5 was for a couple of plate racks to help me sort my cupboard out and the final £3 was for some dishes for my individual Shepherd's pies that I'm going to make for the freezer . So all in all I did rather well. Spent £88 will get £80 back.

Queenie

Pooky wrote:

..... I think it didn't help that the kids went back to school, I love them being at home

Yes!! YES!!!!!! :j A woman after my own heart! ( oops, sorry, off topic!)

reverie - :T how inspirational!!!! Well done! I was always told the first £1000 is *the* hardest; keep that ball rolling, you are doing brilliant

lucie - Wooohoo!! Really enjoyed reading your attitude, so positive!

Bargain Rzl - awww, pity those bargain boots got chipped Still, even that extra cobblers fiver, although reducing the original bargain, means you still have a bargain overall!!!

Liz19 - your "bargains" bought in advance/sales are .... investments

I love reading how others deal with their urges ... I never fail to pick up another way of looking at things