I want adventure in the great wide somewhere

belleandthebudget

Ah, the good old landlines! I know we have one for the internet at home but I don't have a phone hooked up to it!

With you about the mobile internet - although I do use it I'm so often near free wifi that I don't feel like it's necessary to use much of the 3G.

belleandthebudget

Ended up only paying £0.05 for lunch and £0.78 for breakfast today. Not bad going!

I'm so excited about the potential of saving so much money on the grocery bill. I'm thinking that if I can stick to it I might actually be able to cut my monthly bill down to £100. That should still leave room for fresh/frozen veggies and the odd bottle of wine.

That would definitely help as my ballet teacher is now offering classes in her own space once at week for only £10 (very, very cheap for adult ballet classes) and if I could scrounge the money from my grocery budget I would love to go to them too.

More of an incentive, I guess! I know my budget contains lots more ~fun~ things than most people but as a single girl living far from my family I don't want to cut out so much that I stress myself out. Plus a treat that doubles as exercise can't be bad!

liltdiddylilt

Hey Belle just catching up!!!

You have been busy and your food prices at work are awesome!! Remind me of college :rotfl: when I used to have fried egg on 2 slices toast for about 99p every morning.

Once you have paid off those cards you will have a lot more money to play with. Regarding the phone contract, what I have always done is gone to each providers website, plus carphone warehouse, and checked out their cheapest sim only tariff, and what you get for it, then worked my way up to finding how much I need to pay for what I want. I then go back to my current supplier and tell them I am cancelling and get put through to 'customer retentions' who bend over backwards to agree to whatever I want.

I pay £12.90 per month including VAT for 800 minutes, unlimited network minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited data which for me is what keeps me going, kinda like your amazon music - I also got a free phone number change and all sorts out of them. In the past I have had a Nintendo Wii, and a PS3 :rotfl:

Keep going, you're doing very well!!!

belleandthebudget

Thanks Lilt, I didn't even think of playing the providers against each other - rookie move!

Today has been good so far. Definitely a spendy day as I have dinner for my best friend's birthday tonight but I budgeted for it on payday so nothing that's going to throw me off for the month.

On Sunday I want to have a look around my place for any bits that can go to online auction. I have so many DVDs and lots of them never get watched anymore so that's probably an easy win.

Also have a Nintendo Wii that's collecting dust. I should probably check it still works - though no reason why it shouldn't - but bit hesitant to sell just because posting will be a nightmare I'm sure.

Went to ballet last night and planning to spend some time on the treadmill and go for a swim on Sunday. Can't wait! I'll have my first weigh in on Monday. My goal is to lose 56 pounds in total (which is the amount I've put on in the last five years) but in the shorter term I'd like to lose 28 pounds (two stone) before Christmas. That would put me exactly half way.

belleandthebudget

Had the first non-budgeted dinner invite come through this week. I have old flatmates who eat out more than they cook. We're not really close enough for me to explain the financial situation and that I can't just arrange a spendy dinner for the next week.

Am going to use the busy at work excuse for them. I get paid on the 20th each month and will say I'm not free until after then. It's not a big fib as I have other previously arranged social bits for the rest of the month which I budgeted for in advance.

Usually I would have just gone to meet them without thinking about it. Popped something on the credit card. But I don't want to risk my progress anymore just to 'keep up with the joneses' when I know they won't be interested in doing something cheaper.

Going to do some more cooking today and then organise some sellable bits. Huzzah!

Maryland_Cookie

Just popping in to say hi! You are doing really well, and the batch cooking sounds fab. I love new diaries, the enthusiasm rubs off on me! x

MissLaura

Hello lovely. Just wanted to drop a comment after catching up to say that I am SO proud of you and all the positive steps you are taking.

You are doing such a fantastic job with your food so far, which makes such a difference. And like you said, what you've eaten so far was great. Proper result.

I bet writing out that soa, although scary, was a relief. Well done.

I can also definitely recommend GiffGaff, they are a brilliant network.

belleandthebudget

Hi Maryland, thanks for popping by!

And, Laura, thank you so much. The support here is definitely the thing keeping me mostly on the moneysaving straight and narrow!

liltdiddylilt

Hi Belle!!

Popping in to see how you're doing this weekend and have to say I am very impressed at your goals. 28lbs is what I need to lose before Christmas too... Minimum! However I have some kind of chocolate button I cannot switch off... I need to now for my budget :rotfl: I will soon be going without haircuts and toilet rolls for that chocolate fix...

Well done on fobbing off the Joneses and not going out. It is all too easy to just think ah eff it, but that is how 90% of us got to where we are/were!

Like you, my main issue is sticking within budget on groceries. £400 a month for a family of 1 and a half adults and a small person? Stupid! So I have got to take a leaf out of your book. I had an email from the Money Advice Service telling me how to spend 2 hours cooking to get a weeks worth of food. Basically it was... make a giant tomato based sauce and then use it for everything... Pasta, bolognese, chilli, etc. I may well do that!

Glad you're finding the forums useful xx

belleandthebudget

Lilt, I found that even though lots of the things I was making were different they did have over lapping ingredients in places so I think the multitasking and jumping from dish to dish was really what saved the time. Though I do regret roasting veg in an oven that was cooking chilli... They had a bit of a weird taste to them, lesson learned!

Well, today it's off to the gym. Going to do some time on the treadmill followed by a swim (and a steam... So good!) I can't wait.

Finally made the macaroni cheese yesterday and I didn't have to run out for extra butter or cheese which was the initial worry so very pleased. It got six decent portions from it too and now the freezer is definitely full.

Last night I had such a sweet craving but nothing in the house. Usually I'd pop to the supermarket five minutes away but I found popping kernels and caster sugar so made salted caramel popcorn.

Need to take some meter readings today too. Productivity, hurrah!