Changing habits, wanting freedom

JWPopps

Good luck JVR!

I struggle to focus on saving money and losing weight at the same time, which means I usually fail at both hahaha.

Best wishes for succeeding and losing weight AND winning £104

jvr

Helloo


Good point about the emergency fund... keep thinking if I have not much to put aside there is no point but even finding 5 a month is worth it.. will just add extra to my bill money account and hopefully can create a little buffer


So Saturday night, couldn't drive as OH had the car for work but had been climbing at bouldering wall with me friend she kindly chauffeured me there and back so got a taxi to hers and she made me dinner before the others arrived of course ex best friend and her oh were first to arrive so it was a very awkward 10 mins before everyone came. I limited drinks to some very lovely gin offered by my friend and then managed to jump in the car with our friend who was driving to town instead of getting a taxi. I didn't stay long but two others left with me so we shared a taxi and split the cost. Total spends for evening came to £15. Happy with that and no hang over was all very awkward evening and I'm glad its over. Lots of people had lots and lots of opinions about the whole situation which I politely ignored and just got on with things, get the feeling now the group of girls think I will be happy to hang out with her there too but she's just not someone I want to see so aside from special occasions I will decline that fun!
Sunday I did a huge aldi shop! £75... in aldi!! but got absolutely loads and all stuff for meal plan or for replacing in freezer/ cupboards. Have planned my week out so lots of healthy nice foods for my lunches and dinners. Spent the evening on the sofa with OH and the dogs and now the weekend is already over... why does it go so fast?! Half day tomorrow as have the boiler man coming and then I am at a work group thing at another office on Wednesday so think that will help the week fly by Doing some additional work for my old boss as she is in the city with only one pa and that girl will need a break, some extra pennies hopefully .... can put them in my buffer fund!!


Hope everyone is well

jvr

Morning


This sunshine is making such a difference to my mood! Had to pay out £40 for yoga pass yesterday, I know longer have a membership as now I can use the £200 a year learning allowance to buy passes. Hopefully will be reimbursed soon. Otherwise no spends. Me ex-employer didn't make it to Leeds as her pa is sick so no extra money this week but very much enjoyed my evening on the sofa instead.
Today I leave work early for the plumber to come look at our boiler and shower, fingers crossed is easy fix!! but will be £120 out today for that. Spendy week so far in once sense but all planned so not too bad.
Have to get the train to another office tomorrow so tempted to go buy a flask tonight even if cost a £5 and is more than I would spend on coffee tomorrow it will get used again, will also bring breakfast for the train and we get a buffet for lunch so planning on spending nothing else.
I have been invited to a friends for dinner on Thursday because OH was going to be off and I can have the car but now he is working and I think she will be annoyed but I will have to cancel. No buses between out houses and getting tax's would be more than going out for dinner, she doesn't like coming to mine because of the dogs Made me feel even more fed up of things without transport as at moment even when I plan around the car OH suddenly changes his shifts without telling me.


But at least its sunny!!!

SpekySquarehead

Well I'm glad to hear it's sunny somewhere, it certainly isn't here.

I'm looking forward to summer. Like you, the good weather just makes you feel better.

Hope the plumber is cheap!

Cortney

It's not sunny in my town
JVR, have a good day!

JWPopps

It was lovely and sunny here today! That's such a shame about your plans, but also a shame your friend doesn't come to you sometimes! Hope you get something sorted car wise

jvr

So my heat exchanger has gone so £78 for the service and £200 for that to be fixed! Borrowing it from OH's next visa fund as still two years away and setting up standing order to repay at £20 a month so basically giving myself a finance deal haha.
Looking around at the house and so much needs done, some things will cost more money like new carpet in hall and stair but others aren't going to be crazy expensive a lot of it is just painting. Looking at that Dulux paint that is wipeable as the dogs can cause chaos and mud ruined a lot of the paintwork. Also plan is garden, my mum is kindly giving me some pots to start growing veg this year and see how I get on, then if manage will look at making a proper veg plot next year. So I need to sort them out and dig a flower bed and I want some hanging baskets none of that should cost a fortune just so sick of having this great space just look like nothing special!
Potential better paid job come up at work in another team, no idea if its really a possibility so trying not to get hopes up but it would be a decent amount more than I earn now and involve lots of training opportunities! Just going to show lots of enthusiasm and see what happens...
Sun is out again hope it reaches everyone who missed out the other day!!

SpekySquarehead

Good luck with the job. I agree that showing your eager might help when it comes to the selection process or looking through applications.

Some of the inexpensive plans sounds nice and can make a big difference too. Amazing what a lick of paint can do.

jvr

So job change isn't looking hopeful but is something to aim towards and possibility work will pay for apprentiship for further training...


Boiler is fixed so no longer have to hear OH shouting and swearing in the shower when it turns cold


And hidden in the small print of this post ... (I spent 200 on overdraft for the garden) It now has a lovely flowers and I have pots ready to grow my veg.... I think I should feel more guilty next month there is no way to afford everything in one month (hen do / stag / car insurance / huge dog being spade) so will dip into overdraft for that in order to pay in full and will then be evened out the month after..... yea I know bad budgeting planning!!

Honey_Bear

I rather had the feeling you were going to spend some money on the garden! It's well worth going to car boot sales if you decide you need more stuff for the garden. Lots of people use them to make a bit of money by growing plants and selling them, and even more people use them to get rid of their pots and any other garden gibble they don't need any more. You've now got the basics - which I think of as Instant Gardening - so if you need more stuff that might be a guilt-free way of doing it. And yes, I do realise you don't actually feel guilty at the moment!

As to the expense of the heat exchanger - emergencies happen. We all need an emergency fund for things like that and I've taken my own advice and got back into salting away all of the coppers in my own purse again, which I got very lazy about. And my £2 coins. Every little helps.

I hope there's good news on the job front fairly soon. It sounds as though you don't find your current role extends you, and we all need to have an outlet for our creativity. I think I've come to the conclusion that learning is about creating new neural pathways and seems to work for me in the same way for me as actually creating something new from scratch - like a garden, or a patchwork quilt or writing a novel. Either way, it stops me getting bored which leads to me making mischief.