Champagne diet, lemonade budget!!

menina

Hello diary land!

I'm back with another attempt at a diary. I managed to run one for almost the whole of 2013 and I really enjoyed being on the forum. I felt I'd moved on in my life so much since the start of that diary, that I thought I'd start another (started in Jan 2014). I wasn't really feeling that one though, so here I am again with another attempt! Champagne diet, lemonade budget feels more authentic at the mo....

I seem to have a very care free attitude towards my finances at the moment and this needs to stop. Immediately! I want my life to progress and to be a more successful person but until I have some money sitting in the bank, this is not going to happen. And the money is not going to be in the bank until I have my spending under control.

It's pay day tomorrow, so I can have a good look at the finances and make a plan. Just thought that I'd strike whilst feeling inspired and start my new diary.

Have a good Sunday evening everyone xx

menina

Hello!

Just gone through my credit card statement and discovered that I spent £300 on eating/drinking out and £110 on random supermarket shops last month. Think I know where lots of my money is going then!! My brother in law is living with us at the mo (young and jobless) so I've been paying for him a lot of the time too so this may explain the amount a little. Well, since I am perpetually skint and can't move on with my life, this will have to stop.

Think I'll do a restaurant detox as of today. Only eating at home till next pay day. Unsurprisingly, my body feels like it needs a detox too so this should be quite beneficial all round. Also, need to make the effort to bring food into work.

OK, baby steps, that's enough with the goal setting for now!

Off to pay my credit card bill!

Bye for now x

killerpeaty

Wow, £300 :eek: I suppose it just creeps up on you. I know I spend about £150, it freaks me out a bit but it's all budgetted for.

It's really nice of you to help out your bil like that. How is his job search going? What is he going for/

You seem like you're making massive steps in beating your debt, let alone baby steps. Keep the good work up and I'll be following (in a non-creepy way) your progress!

menina

Hi Killerpeaty, it is seriously scary how easy it is to spend large amounts of money!!

I'm pleased to report that the bro in law has gone for a days casual work today and has another lined up for tomorrow...

Card for Nationwide flex plus came through today. Will save me £5 a month on my insurances Also Tesco sent me some vouchers for £2-3 a week off my shopping for the next 6 weeks. I love free stuff!!

Not sure the eating out detox is very realistic, but I'm seriously trying to limit it. My new goal is that money put aside in my current account from my various endeavours throughout the month will pay off my barclay card by the end of the month. That would be very satisfying.

Urgh, got a horrendous cold, I'm off to get under the blanket on the sofa and hope it shifts by tomorrow.

Night all zz xx

menina

Hello!

Money on credit card £58. Money in bank £523. £25 in purse, so far so good!

I always pay my rent on my credit card for the cashback so this amount will go up by £980 on Monday. The challenge is to spend very little of my own money and to save the money that OH gives me each week for his rent/bills so that hopefully the two amounts will balance by the end of the month. It's the month to get my years cashback from barclaycard so that will also help

Hmmm, I really need to get into being frugal again.

Have a good weekend everyone xx

menina

Nice little surprise from the ILR today, who'd have thought it?! A rebate cheque for £128. OH also gets paid to day and will contribute his weekly £160 to the pot.

All taken into consideration, £1122 on the barclaycard, £799 in the bank as it stands. £323 needed to balance the books before pay day (2 and a bit weeks away). I will do my best... The key to all this is to definitely be frugal!

Need to buy some toiletries and a hair brush. Got some lovely coupons from boots in the post today. Must resist the temptation to spend money in order to save money! I've got till the end of March on them so I can always wait till pay day.

Really want to maximise on the topcashback tesco clubcard thing, still got £25 to go before I reach my threshold, so will look for some cashback deals (again trying not to spend money when I shouldn't!)

Enough money saving musings from me for now....

Have a good afternoon x

menina

Really need to sort my eating out. Have just purchased 'A girl called Jack' Hoping to kill my unhealthy eating habits and my food spending habit in one go. Waiting in anticipation for the book to arrive in the post now!!

menina

Day off today... Will have to go food shopping but will at least use Tesco voucher. Will make sure I've got some work food in there. Think I'll try to give up buying food at work for lent. A nice short term goal to start off with.

Going to the gym now. Need to get back on track. xx

menina

Not doing well with the achieving of goals thing! But myself and OH spent £20 in Tesco today, got some bargains and cooked enough to last the family a good few days. Went to the gym today, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Will go again tomorrow. Would feel sooo much better if I shifted a few pounds. Didn't eat chocolate today for the first time in ages and only had one beer. Think I'll try to focus on being healthy for a bit and maybe good things will happen.... Xx

menina

Went to the gym. Only spent £5 today- papers and a sandwich. Thats actually very good for me on a Sunday!

Packed lunch up for work tomorrow. So far so good xx

menina

'A Girl Called Jack' arrived today. Looks very promising, hopefully will get my food shopping bill right down

On a day off today. On a massive cleaning mission. 3 adults and a Jack Russell living in a one bed room flat= mess! So far 2nd load of washing is in, 2 loads of washing up done, sofa scrubbed, hoovered, floor scrubbed and I'm just getting started...

Money on credit card= £1383. Money in bank= £952. Not as good as I'd hoped but better, as money in bank is usually £0! 12 days till pay day and counting... I plan to get paid, see what's owed to the credit card and then set myself a sensible budget for the month (ie not expecting to live on fresh air!)

Really want to get my hair done but will wait till pay day as this will rack up the credit card further.

I hope to be back on later but better continue my cleaning mission. Clean house, clean mind (or something like that?!)

xx