Learning to say no..

Arthurs_Rose

Monday

Managed a NSD as OH brought the onion from his.
Also lots of chilli left for tonight, if im hungry, DS bought me chocs from my birthday and i sort of scoffed them all while watching a film last night.

Cherryfudge

Arthurs_Rose wrote: »

DS bought me chocs from my birthday and i sort of scoffed them all while watching a film last night.

Isn't that what you're meant to do?

Arthurs_Rose

Ha that's what i kept telling myself cherry fudge.

Tuesday

Cant claim a NSD as id forgotten about the installment for DDs hen day. £27.98 paid out that wasn't budgeted for BUT OH paid back the pennies he borrowed without me even asking... who is this man and what have you done with my real OH! so im £22.02 up really.

Still not bought anymore food, at work, then baby sitting so no time to spend and plenty of chilli left for tea, is it still tea when its 9:30 pm!

Arthurs_Rose

No NSD today either. DD gave me a card for a recipe subscription, trial price £1 for 4 lots of recipes and the spices/sauces needed to make them. figured it was worth £1 although the regular price will be £9.99 if i dont cancel it after the trial.

Still have £4.64 left from my £15 food budget for the week. saved a small amount of the chilli from last night and planned to make pizza but i would have had to go to the shop for a couple of things so as there was only me to feed tonight i had it with a baked potato instead. I'm all chillied out now!

Found my fit bit (present from DS) and started to make use of it again. although tonights planned walk as turned into a nice hot bath, PJs on and an early night. Will have to put more effort in, walk more and maybe use my kettlebell for something other than a door stop if im going fit into my holiday clothes by October.

Cherryfudge

I love having a Fitbit and get quite competitive with challenges between friends!

Baked potato and chilli sounds good to me - well done for avoiding the shop! The recipes sound nice too, so long as you remember to cancel after the initial time.

Arthurs_Rose

The last few days have been a bit of a blur.
Very late night Thursday at a music night supporting OH's DS that didnt even start until 10 pm and have been walking around like a zombie ever since.
Had to get a bit of shopping Thursday and ended up with a flatbread from the reduced section and a packet of crisps for tea, must make an effort to not slip into living on sandwiches when its just me.
I work all week and at least one day almost every weekend and OH has a new job working evenings and weekend so unless i want to eat at 10 pm, its mostly just me during the week now.
Ended the week still with £1.32 of my £15 budget. So as I would normally spend £30 - i put £15 towards the debt. Going to try again this week though not sure i will get under £15 having spent £12 last night for two meals and some lunch bits and pieces - meals are for OH as well so hopefully he will provide a bit during the week - and he owes me a meal out (just tea at the local 2 for 1) so i might manage it. We shall see.
Working today - have brought brekki and lunch with me and put stew in the slow cooker.
and day off Sunday then 6 more work days before a whole week off - wont know what to do with myself!

Rachel24

Hi I've read your diary and subscribed to your thread. You've paid off so much debt that's amazing! You must be so glad to be finishing your second job. I'm just about starting my second job as I have so much debt and needing to get it cleared. Hope you have an amazing time in Florida for the wedding!

Arthurs_Rose

Thanks for dropping by Rachel.

Its been hard going and has taken much longer to pay off than it took to accumulate it.
Trying not to look at the whole picture but breaking it down to mini goals worked best for me.

Logged on to my Payplan account and this months payment had taken had taken total payments over £10,000, think OH though I was being murdered the way I screamed at him to have a look!. On one hand i'm proud of what ive achieved. On the other, thats almost a house deposit!! Someone on here said that debt was like borrowing from your future self and its very true.
Ive never allowed myself to think of the money from my 2nd job as extra income, its nearly all gone to the debt. Some to help DS in his first year at Uni and to enable me to get to DDs wedding. One December i worked every single day incuding Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Ive made some great friends, id never have met without the 2nd job and 2 out of my 3 DC are great with money. The other well - i cant have it all
I feel proud to have been asked to give my little girl away and share their first holiday as a family with my DGC and am very grateful to have the opportunity to earn the pennies to make it possible.

enthusiasticsaver

Have you tried cooking something and freezing a portion so you are not tempted to live off sandwiches when it is just you? That is what I did when my OH was working away. Just froze portions of chilli, lasagne, casseroles or Bolognese.

Leaving cards at home is definitely the answer to not spending as much. You have to mentally calculate what you have in your purse rather than just reaching for the card in a blind sort of fashion without thinking of what impact it has on your budget.

Arthurs_Rose

enthusiasticsaver wrote: »

Have you tried cooking something and freezing a portion so you are not tempted to live off sandwiches when it is just you? That is what I did when my OH was working away. Just froze portions of chilli, lasagne, casseroles or Bolognese.

I think I shall have to have a go at this batch cooking and freezing stuff. seems to work for a lot of people. I was proper fed up of chilli by the third day last week. If i was more organised and bought containers for the freezer i could have just had it once and froze the rest!