Real Life, Dating and Money!

Littlebirdie

What a long week eh!? And it was the shortest in a while as well.

Anywho here's the reality...

I did go to the theatre and tickets were only £15. TBH couldn't say no (sounds silly but if I was to explain you'd get it).

I also had another date ...why o why do I still say yes to food dates!? I'm so annoyed at myself. I honestly got such a good feeling from him and thought 'yes this is the one'. Oh my good god most socially awkward date yet - not only that he was very rude. Nope, not my cup of tea. Went to a cool tapas place and well I ate before to save some money but I felt the social pressure to eat! I NEED to say no to food dates. So to get there cost £5.20 (got off early and walked a bit to burn the many extra calories I didn't need) and paid £25 for food and drink. Urgh.

I also went into the charity shop today...I need to stop going in there. It's just the clothes are SUCH good value and I'm just so sick of my wardrobe. So I got a new dress for £5 and a brand new cardigan from an expensive brand for £8.50!

I have got a few things selling on eb@ay which one has a bidder and the others have watchers which is good.

Payday on Friday, then I'll do a monthly update of what I've spent

That's all from me

Littlebirdie

I spent no money today! How is this possible? I listened to a meditation podcast on the way to work - I wonder if that was it?
Hmm I'll l try it again tomorrow.

My eBay things are ending tonight, hopefully should make ~£40. Really happy with this!

Littlebirdie

Argh I'm just not feeling motivated at all!

So here is a smmary of last months spends. I've kept out what stays the same such as rent etc.

Alcohol: £127.29 - Budget £50
So I knew that I was going to go over this. Had an expensive evening with friends and then the rest is alcohol on dates. MUST STAY NO TO BOTTLES OF WINE!

Restaurants £83.89 Budget £50
So this also includes a expensive date - again MUST SAY NO TO MEALS AT DATES :rotfl:! £25 then two meals out on night out - food at place and drunk maccy d's, pizza with a friend and dinner out with a friend. Had a good sociable month! :beer:

Clothes £45.50 - Budget £30
This includes getting shoes rehealed £25, spending £20.50 in a chairty shop on work clothes which is really needed

Phone £53.00 - Budget £35
So this month dont know how but ran out of data £10- think I was using my maps lots. I also bought a phone case £8.

Travel - £48.10 Budget £50
Within budget!

House items £40.72 - Budget £0
So we had to get some much needed things for the house from Ikea so this was split three ways. and this is also inc that very sore subject of the blow up bed postage and then bog role. To be fair this is usally less than £5.

Food week 3 £35.67 Budget £30
So this week I got lots of little things from big supermarket and ofcourse it adds up

Gifts £33.80 -- budget £20
So this is my nephews christening gift and a few other bits like cards

Eating on the Go £30.99 - Budget £25
Sos eating at the airport didnt help.....

Coffee shops £29.88 - Budget £25
Sooooo what causes this to go up is my occassional cake - onlu had it twice in a month but bloomin ec it adds up

Make up/ beauty £15 Budget £25
Wooohooo under budget and some o the stuff I bought could have waited till this month. I just hate the thought of running out

Food week 2 £20.68 - Budget £30
Woohoo!

Rare spends £19.20 - Budget £0
This includes my sports massage from gr0up0n and a book from a chairty shop which I love

Food week 1 - £18.20 Budget £30
Under spent woohoo

Birthdays £18 - Budget £20
So this is for my mums borthday. Yup I've reminded myself that I need a budget for Birthdays AND gifts.

Food week 4 - £15.96 Budget £30
Woohoooo

Baking £13.03 - Budget £0
This HAS t stop cause our oven is rubbish!

Work food £9.91 Budget £10

Beautician £8.00 Budget £30
I just get my eye brows done these days.

So lots of over spending but that happens evey month. I'm going to set mysef a few challenges this month.

5 NSD's - this is low but at the moment I cant even manage one
£25 only spent in a coffee shop.
£25 only spent on eating on the go.

Basically I need a BF! I spent much less when I was in a relationship bt that's not happening anytime soon so I maise well make the best of it, enjoy the many dates and just try and stay in budget :rotfl:

At the moment I just feel that I'm losing my joy for life. I'm fine but it gets a little hard sometimes. I'm sure I'll have a spring back i my step soon. I think I've been harsh on myself with spending - always trying to spend less (which clearly doesnt happen :rotfl: ) that I'm trying too hard. So I've gone out and bought all the things that I have bene holding back on. For example new bra's - got three in the sale for £17 they would ahve cost £40 then I also got some new running things with the hope that it will revive my love for running as that is currently down the pan. That came to £40 + 4.99 for potage. Annoyingly it doesnt cost less if you pick it up from the store! I also bough much needed socks, tights (my tights have been the bloomin bug bear of some of my days!). Today I'm going to go and get new work shoes, and some underware.....I havent bought any in a long time and I've chucked lots out. So I feel like I have gone a little bit crazy with these few bits but I think it's casue I'm in a bit of a rut. I'll aim to have a sensible month on every thing else. Moan, moan, moan. Meh it's not all that bad! I've got lots of friends, a nice roof over m head, the abailty to afford food, live in a great place and love my job!

I also need to catch up on if my holiday has been approved for next year (I hate always checking!) and book a week of to go abroad as I need something to look forward to!

Littlebirdie

So quite old week. Had lots of little spends as I've been feeling quite low. Lots of fruit here and there.

I've just weighed myself and the weight is going up again!! Argh this is such a horrible feeling. My skin is also spotty which is new. My diet isn't perfect but it's not the worse.

Oh I've have one biggish spend. I paid £12.99 for a website to borrow dogs. I hopefully will get some responses and it will get me out of this blue phase.

I'm going to go running this morning and then to a farmers market. I have no plans for this weekend so will be a cheap one. I budget £45 for socializing so aiming to spend under £20.

I need something to look forward to so will probably book this weekend which will come out of the holiday fund.

I will get there!

Littlebirdie

Hello, thought I would give a little update.

Dating

Nothing to report. There are a lot of 'pen pals' out there.:rotfl: and it's hard cause I can't be the one to ask for a drink. I also think if there are not asking they are not looking for the same thing. So going to start getting rid of them.

Social life

All a bit quite! I'm going out for a curry next Friday which will be nice and I have a few things planned for June. Actually June will be a better month I think.

Money

So booked flights for a holiday - £177 but going to see a family member so hoping I won't spend too much money out there. I did wish they were cheaper though! Then paid £44 for a race which I have been wanting to do for agessss and my friend said she might come along and support me (which means the world)!. Both have been put on the credit card - actually today I should buy travel insurance just in case anything happens. A problem has come up at work about the time I have asked for - urgh gets me angry thinking about it but hopefully it will get sorted! I need a holiday - haven't had a week off in a long time. The flights will come out of my holiday find account and the race - I'm waiting till the end of the month to see how much I have left.

Ooo found two pairs of running leggings in a charity shop and got them under £10 :j

At the end of May I'll be getting my p60 so in June I must put some time aside to do my tax return. I don't think I'll submit it until dec though as I am earning interest on it. Only pennies but it's better than nothing!

Have a good week all

Littlebirdie

Hello,

Thought it was time for a little update. So been feeling a bit poo for a while and decided to go to a support group and oh my gosh what a difference it made - I'm came out feeling normal and so much lighter. Think I'm going to go once a month and maybe then twice a month if I need it. The reason it's so sporadic it's out of the city so costs me in total ~£20 to go. Then dinner out £5 and then I bought stress food £5 sooo it's an expensive evening! But much cheaper than counseling and actually probably more what I need.

So this month I've been spending a lot on food - probably reflecting my mood. But I feel much better now so hopefully I'll have that under control. I've taken something out of the freezer for dinner and I have soup for lunch so today is sorted.

It's mid month and to be honest I'm comin close to my allocated spends. Ofcourse the coffee shop I have overspent. In fact this month is just rubbish. I'm not going to be too hard onlyself.

Oh so I used a 0% credit card to buy my phone (last August/September I think) and after this month there will only be ~£9 to pay so I'm going to put the usual £20 into my fixed savings account so in total I'll be saving £70 a month. I can get the money in early feb and if I don't decrease the payments I'll have £903! Would be so thrilled with that. The aim of the savings account is for my holiday next year BUT I don't think I'll need it all. But I think I might need $500 cash in case we need to be airlifted. We will see. I'll try not to get too ahead of myself anyway.

I've also realized that I am not ready for a relationship. That's fine..it just makes it hard to look forward to the future (silly I know). I hoping this support group will help with that. I might still go on dates just to have a bit of fun! I have one tomorrow...we shall see.

Have a good weekend alll! X

Littlebirdie

Hello,

So life is fine. Plodding along. Hoping next month will be healthier. Planned healthier meals so that should help.

This morning I took a big step - I paid for a power of attorney for financial and health. It came to £158 and came out of my emergency funds which is a big hit. I really think it needs to be done though. I see so many family disputes at work that it's worth it. Although all this planning for the worst is expensive. I think I'm going to aim to do it over the next year or least two years. I think the health one is the most important so glad to have that one sorted. I'm proud of myself for thinking sensibly!

Littlebirdie

Hello,

It's coming to the end of the month and I always lose the motivation to write in my receipts. It doesn't help that I sometimes pay on my phone and chuck the receipt in my bag and it gets 'lost'. I've had quite a spendy month but on things I needed - quite happy with all that I have got!

Realized the other day in June I will have £2000 in my help to buy isa - really happy with that. Excluding my overdraft never saved so much money!

Bought my hiking boots today. Went through the whole list on t0pc@shback and found ones that were the cheaperst. I tried them on in the shop first and they were £115 but found them on eb@y for £88 with £2.95 postage and 1% cash back but then found them on another website for £78 , 5% cashback and free postage! Really happy with that. I've been wanting to avoid getting them last minute as I want to break them in. Hopefully that will be the most expensive thing I buy. Everything else should be well under £50

Littlebirdie

Oh forgot to add:

Food shop done for ~£15
Going to use leftovers from the freezer and not buy any food for dinners.

Also went on a date the other night. Came to ~£20 for the whole night. Boring date and he was date no 13 - unlucky 13 to say the very least!

Littlebirdie

It's the weekend!

So woke up feeling fed up but went for a run and it made all the difference.

This weekend I'm going to make a healthy lunch for the week (something egg based).

Then I'm going to start my tax return. I got a text overnight from HMRC saying that I am due a ~£500 tax return. That can't be right - it must be a con but I am going to look into it yesterday. I've also bought a package from whitch (£148!!) that if I was to become ill notminating someone to look after my finances and health. But I paid VAT on it and I'm wondering as I am self employed can I get that back?

I called HMRC and they said I should call Monday - Friday but I completely forgot this week so must do it next week.

Made a conscious effort to put all my receipts in my purse this week and if not put it straight in my phone. Hopefully this month I will have an accurate list of spends!

No news on the dating front.

Sorted out my bank accounts. A few months ago opened extra accounts so that Christmas and gift money didn't go into the same account, also a contact lenses account and made an account for birthdays as just one payment for gifts and birthdays isn't accurate as turns out I buy lots of gifts!

That's all. Have a great weekend