Paid off the £31,000! BUT - still scrimping!

Seasidegal58

Sunshine_girl2 wrote: »

Can recommend Little Women, mum and I enjoyed it. Sounds like your back in the swing of life after Christmas.

I'm looking forward to it SG2! I loved the books when I was a child - also 'What Katy Did' and 'What Katy Did Next'. I wonder if a film will ever be made of these?:think:

doingitanyway wrote: »

All sounding upbeat and good SSG58

milann wrote: »

All sounding good SSG:T:T

Thank you both!:wave:

END OF SCRIMPY WEEK 2 – JANUARY (WHICH WAS LAST NIGHT)

Out of my new reduced £20 Ad Hoc spends for the week, I spent £10 for those pesky locks at the airport on Saturday! Annoying as I would not have had to buy them if I had been more on the ball and put a lock on my suitcase! Still it at least I haven't spent anything else.

Apart from the above, everything else spent this week was budgeted spends, which is good!


SCRIMPY WEEK 3 – JANUARY

So £20 allowed Ad Hoc spends for this week. It's going to be a quiet week – I'm off to the cinema on Sunday but the tickets have been paid and budgeted for. Also £10 to be added to a colleague's birthday collection. Nothing else on the horizon socially-wise apart from a question mark over whether I meet a friend after work next week.

I've been looking at my pots with regard to cutting back –Christmas, birthdays and gifts, coffees and meals out, and books/downloads are the obvious choices – I'm going to try and keep within the budget pots on these.

milann

I love your budgeting- I seem to sabotage myself when I try to do be strict with my budget. I don’t exactly wing it but have a rough idea in my head and keep within it most of the time and cut back if I know I’m going to go over. I’m the same when I plan my food - my inner rebel always surfaces. Much admiration winging your way.

Seasidegal58

Thanks Milann. It helps having YNAB and all the different categories. I've tried to think of categories for all outgoings but still come up with things I haven't thought of every now and again!:).

Seasidegal58

Not much to report. A quiet day yesterday in work and also today. This morning I slept in till 10am! Couldn't believe it, but I think it was the shock of getting up so early for work after a nice time off!:eek:

So housework and ironing were all done today and meal plan worked out for coming week. Weight loss had stopped a bit over the holiday period but I'm still at the two stone weight loss which is good! This week I'm really tightening up with food: 5:2 and strict 1500 calories on other days.

So a NSD yesterday and today. Trip to Aldi tomorrow and then cinema later on in the afternoon.

Sun_Addict

Two stone weight loss is brilliant - well done :j I think what works is if you don't deprive yourself, it needs to fit in with your life, which is what you've done so that's fab.

Seasidegal58

Thanks SA! I'm a bit worried because in true Seasidegal fashion I've taken my eye off the ball recently with my weight. I've got the Icelandic horse ride later next month.......:eek:

beanielou

Good weight loss

milann

2 stone is amazing- you’ve got the incentive with your Icelandic trip - you’ll do it.:beer:

Sunshine_girl2

Hope you had a restful weekend after your busy few weeks. X

Seasidegal58

Thank you all!

END OF SCRIMPY WEEK 3 - JANUARY

So have a had a bit of a January blah week – manic in work with IT changes that are driving everyone up the wall – I'm tired and have been going to bed early most evenings. Diet has not gone well either – did the meal plan, but had extra junk with it (my emotional eating is bad!)! Retirement cannot come too soon…………….:(

But a bright spot this weekend – DD is staying with me tonight through to Monday morning due to having to be in London for work up to this evening with an early Monday morning start!

Other positive was I didn't go over this week's Ad Hoc spends of £20 – however, the meals/drinks out budget took a bit of a hit as I went to a colleague's birthday lunch drinks and spent £32 on drinks and food!

Other budgeted spends was Monday lunchtime Pret coffees, £10 towards colleague's birthday present, monthly toiletries spend, £1.99 on Amazon Kindle and a new bath mat from White Company. This last was a need not a want because my old mat was getting frayed and I found a hole! I did get it in the sale though - £17.50.

I bought some new bed linen from M&S with my Christmas gift card. Also, one of my besties bought me a SpaceNK voucher for Christmas and I treated myself to a Charlotte Tilbury lipstick, which I wouldn't have bought normally as they cost £25! But as SpaceNK do not stock any budget cosmetics, I felt justified. It's colour is 'Pillow Talk' which has had quite a lot of rave reviews as a good nude shade. I do like it but it doesn't stay on half as well as my cheaper Maybelline lip crayon!

Tomorrow I have pedicure in the morning and food shop. Also lunch on Sunday with a friend I haven't seen for while – DD is coming along as she knows her too. Also nails later on in the week.

I read on the MSE weekly email that in May Santander are cutting the interest rate on its 123 Current Account from 1.5% to 1%. Accordingly, I will be switching my current account then as it won't be worth keeping my emergency fund and other savings there and won't generate sufficient monthly cashback to offset the fee. I will do some research nearer the time but at the moment First Direct account is beckoning to me. I will also have to research an easy access savings account.

Other scrimpy news – I have upped my pension contribution via my salary which will begin from end February – I'm now paying in 25%, plus 20% tax relief and the 9% contribution from my employer. This will definitely reduce my monthly income more in line with my estimated pension income so I will have extra incentive to keep to budgets!:eek: