The October Awakening!

LoveaDove

Yikes! I haven't checked in for a couple of days!

I do find sometimes that my obsession with MSE does get a bit too much at times. Most of my waking thoughts are consumed by it to the point where I start to want to back away from it, so I have to give myself a break from it by turning my computer off. Otherwise, I would happily spend all day and all night scrolling through the forums etc... and any interesting links people post....

Anyhew...

Wednesday was a Spend day- I spent £12 on items required for my Crimbo creations. I realise now, that it would have made sense to have a Christmas budget- as I'm making most of my presents I don't want to be rushing to find everything I need in December, when i am debt free, and feeling stressed and thus taking the enjoyment out of making gifts. So with my next pay I am going to put some aside for such spends.

Thursday was a SFD- Total= 13

Today I have the day off and I am off to my 4th and Final wedding of the year, so it will definitely be a Spend Day (For Taxis & drinks). Turns out the cost of sharing a taxi would be the same cost for putting fuel in my car. So for once I will not be driving!) :T I've run out of dresses to 'upcycle' so I have borrowed a dress from one of my sister's and a cardigan from another. So no spends on a wedding outfit!

I literally have had 4 Weddings and a Funeral this year. Just short of a jibbering Hugh Grant.

Have a great Friday everyone, whatever you are up to!

karmachilovething

I'm planning for a SFD today, but as I'm off to London to the BF it may not happen. We'll see

Weekend will be spendy Saturday, celebrating BF birthday so treating him to lunch. Sunday hopefully SFD again.

Have a good weekend all, will catch you on the next week!
KC

thriftylass

The free food fairy strikes again:j. Colleague just came down from the canteen with a bag of mixed fruit (some grapes, two satsumas, a banana, usually £1.70) and two bananas (70p) that the canteen gave away for free as they would go off over the weekend :T:T

Was just about to give in and ask her for a pound to buy a snack, tehe.

There was also an email sent out about free food in a coffee room on another level but was a bit too embarrassed to look for it

Shady2307

Have had a bit of a blip which I think has been caused by working in different locations and having my spreadsheet saved on the computer at one location. I have been writing every penny down but have not been able to record it on the spreadsheet and see the totals has made me a little complacent. All updates now though and I am up to the grand total of £306.95 for the month so far including all my direct debits for water, electric, gas but not rent… yet. That comes out at the end of the month!

SFDs have only been 7 so far but I include days where nothing at all has been spent, whether it was budgeted or not, that just works for me.

Shocked how the “little treats” like pop, chocolate and crisps all add up.
Have currently spent 2.49 on crisps, 3.62 on fizzy pop and 5.40 on chocolate. I could really have spent that money on something much better. Also there has been £64.39 which I will aim to cut down next month by better meal planning. Am going to try Vegan November and see how I feel at the end of it. I have been a vegetarian for many years so wanting to take that extra step. Will really have to meal plan and be organised though as if I forget my lunch there are no alternatives in the local shops. Have been reading Kat’s meal planning with great interest.

But by far my greatest achievement this month has been giving up alcohol for Stoptober. It has not been as hard as I thought and has changed my habits for the future I hope. I will have a drink or two when I am out in future but I am really going to avoid going back into the habit of drinking at home as it was adding up to so much money.

NinjaSavingKat

Haha Thrifty - my colleagues brithday today made me see through a few of those mini chocolate things that come in tubs from M&S...Shady that will be the main issue when you are vegan - all chocolate contains milk and I find it hard to steer clear. Well done on the lack of drinking though - that is a mighty hard challenge to beat.

So the whole vegan thing will be hard but worth it - I was a tea-aholic and on my very bad days was drinking up to 10-12 cups a day all with a spoonful of sugar. Some busy days was no food just tea.... cheese was another issue, melted on dorritos... lots of milk by the glass and it's all now gone. I know what it does to my innards now...

Have a read of Kimberly Snyders "Beauty Detox Solution" - see what you think (library don't buy it)... any queries inbox me. I will be happy to help a fellow vege-me-tarian....Whoop!

NinjaSavingKat

Shady2307 wrote: »

I will have a drink or two when I am out in future but I am really going to avoid going back into the habit of drinking at home as it was adding up to so much money.

How much used to be spent at home?

thriftylass

NinjaSavingKat wrote: »

Have a read of Kimberly Snyders "Beauty Detox Solution" - see what you think (library don't buy it)... any queries inbox me. I will be happy to help a fellow vege-me-tarian....Whoop!

Don't think I will be joining you in your vege-me-tarian movement . We are facultative carnivores or omnivores in our house as we love meat too much but what I started doing is rather then having meat every day, we'll have at least one fish day now. And what I will also do is maybe introduce one veg day a week. OH used to like it as a student so I'll ask and see what kind of veg meals he liked. Even those small changes will be good for us and the purse. I eat loads of fruit, so I started leaving the sugar out of my teas and coffees (only have two a day anyway).

This would make it nearly impossible for me atm to go vegan or vegetarian. But I definitely want to eat less meat.

MrsGSR

thriftylass wrote: »

Don't think I will be joining you in your vege-me-tarian movement . We are facultative carnivores or omnivores in our house as we love meat too much but what I started doing is rather then having meat every day, we'll have at least one fish day now. And what I will also do is maybe introduce one veg day a week. OH used to like it as a student so I'll ask and see what kind of veg meals he liked. Even those small changes will be good for us and the purse. I eat loads of fruit, so I started leaving the sugar out of my teas and coffees (only have two a day anyway).

This would make it nearly impossible for me atm to go vegan or vegetarian. But I definitely want to eat less meat.

I was strict vegetarian from the age of 11 to 23, I met my DH and although he was supportive it just became more and more difficult. Also he wouldn't just eat stuff like pasta bake or veg stirfrys!
I do practise meat free monday still and he just about copes with that, and we do fishy friday (me and the kids not hubby, he can't eat fish)
I'm still really funny about gelatine in stuff so don't eat jelly sweets and shop bought mousses and desserts unless they say veggie. The thought makes me feel sick!
I really should cut down my tea and coffee intake, I have 3cups of decaff tea and two cups of black coffee, no sugar but skimmed milk in the tea.

short_bird

Inspired by the dietary discussion, I present the word of the day: Greggetarian.

Maisie_M

SFDs: 8/20
Food budget: £350.99/£350
Donation: £0/£3
Planned outings: 1/1 Meal out for birthday with OH (paid on voucher already)
Takeaway £19.40/£20 - Chinese to celebrate birthday with children,
Take lunch to work: 9/18
Beauty spends £2.67/£10

Well spend day today. Did the shopping £14.33 in total :T for 4 as we still have loads in but have decided to redo the budget as I was going to run october 1st to 31st but as DH said what we are eating is the stuff we bought in the huge shop on 27th September. So we are going to do £70 per week and run from payday to payday for food although the majority of it will be in the appropriate month - not sure of that makes sence but it does to us lol.

With that said our budget would then have been £350 for the month and we have spent £350.99 (99p over budget so far). The aim will be to keep it as low an overspend as possible and then start afresh next month.

Dh and I had our lunch out today which was a reward for finishing our decorating this week. I had booked it prior to joining the challenge and it was partly for my birthday and also as a treat as we don't get out much on our own. Lunch was delicious and was a fantastic treat.

Back to work/school next week so all back to normal and all treats to end!!!