Finally facing up - SOA

James_B.

Kittykat85 wrote: »

Clothing - yes I probably do as I am a size 24 a lot of the discount option don't fit and I also take a size 9EEE shoe, making Evans pretty much my only option there, at £30 a pair! I walk a lot so basic shoes wear out quickly.

OK, I know that this will not be welcome advice, but perhaps try cutting back on the quantities of food that you buy and eat. At size 24, and as a smoker, you at vastly increased risk of early death or debilitating disease.

Very importantly, too, you simply cannot afford to consume as much as you are doing. £350 per month on groceries is a shockingly large amount for someone in so much debt.

Speak to your GP about support; they will very likely have a scheme available to help you. It could change (and save) your life.

Kittykat85

I've already cut down and have gone from a size 26 to 24. I'm spending about £30 a week on food. Rest is pop, toiletries and rolling baccy.

getmore4less

Kittykat85 wrote: »

I've already cut down and have gone from a size 26 to 24. I'm spending about £30 a week on food. Rest is pop, toiletries and rolling baccy.

Break the groceries down further

pop
smokes
food
household
personal

might need to review further.

saraih

I moved from rolling my own to ecigs, best move I ever made. The initial investment was £30 for the gadget and then around £25 a month for the oils. I'm a stupidly heavy smoker and it's never out of my mouth but I've managed to go from 18 strength to 6 in a year.

I was on about 40 rollies a day by the time I switched. It wasn't even that hard as it was the catch in the throat that got me and you still get it.

Less smell, no mess, much cheaper. I do find that you need a routine for it to work as one battery has to be charging while you use the other and that's when you can really be tempted to go and buy some real tobacco.

Anyway it can be ridiculously hard especially when you're stressed about money, so don't put too much pressure on yourself but it's worth a try if you can.

The sparkling water is a good idea, but watch out for initial headaches if you flat out quit pop, it can be quite the withdrawal.

The easiest thing is toiletries, cutting back on that and going to pound shops/ebay/sales and being mindful of purchases instead of impulse buying it with the other shopping really helps.

Good luck!

moohound

You will definitely feel better without tobacco, it is hard at first, but its worth it for your bank balance and your health.

getmore4less

Oh forgot,

spending diary is the most powerful tool you have at your disposal.

Ultimately you need to know where your money goes in order to make cut backs.

By recording your spending your SOA develops in to an accurate reflection of where your money goes so you can make your choices.

patman99

Op I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the adative they use to replace sugar in fizzy drinks is as harmful to your health as the sugar. From memory, I believe it is called aspartame and is banned in France due to potential effects on health.

getmore4less

patman99 wrote: »

Op I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the adative they use to replace sugar in fizzy drinks is as harmful to your health as the sugar. From memory, I believe it is called aspartame and is banned in France due to potential effects on health.

That depends who you believe. Worth a read of the various opinions on this and other artificial sweeteners.

Some link it to depressive symptoms.

https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=aspartame

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/the-truth-about-aspartame.aspx



I think it is a good idea to just stop sweetening everything you get used to it quite quickly.

Bex296

Along the lines of saraih's response- a good friend of mine switched from cigarettes to e-cigs and hasn't looked back. He's still addicted to nicotine, but the habit is a lot cheaper now and is probably less harmful.
Good luck.

James_B.

Switch to e-cigarettes, and then, when you want one, go for a walk instead.

Spend the money that you save in the first week on a pedometer, and ensure you do 10,000 steps a day.

Every calorie counts. Write every one down, and limit them. You will lose weight at a pretty well-defined rate if you do this scientifically.