Money Saving Mojo 2

a_silver_lining

£300 sent to my regular saver, so £1800 savings.

I've bought nothing for three days now and brought in lunch to work each day. My cravings for additional food have been lower due to the heat, so it'a probably a good time of year to kickstart eating less and eating healthier. I've also not had any sweet treats, which is a big one for me.

Busy day today, so off to face it without cash or card in my pocket. I'm bringing a flask of tea and have lunch and a snack made.

a_silver_lining

Another NSD. 6 in a row I think. I struggled today not to buy some plants. They are a real bargain and I've not stopped thinking about them. At the end of the day I put them on a trolley to put out for sale tomorrow. I'm still itching about them... Sigh.

Yesterday I was close to buying a work coffee and had a brief moment of thinking I would buy a takeaway.

Wok lottery cancelled, so that it £10pm savings, £20 if I keep up not buying my usual additional tickets.

a_silver_lining

I worked out my last spending was on the 23rd. So today is actually 8 NSD in a row. I had to buy cat food and suntan lotion last night, but I've included that in shopping as a necessity so still holding my NSD.

Today at work I put the plants I wanted back out for sale at work. This was a massive thing to me as I was in love. But I realised that I could buy all the pretty, unique things I want once I've moved.

Tonight the plan is gym. I exercise loads at work but I need some cardio to raise my heart rate. I might see if we can pop to the shops to buy some yoghurt and bananas to make ice lolly's. I've been eating healthily for a similar time I've been NSDing so I'm hoping to loose some weight. It's been all veg and less carbs, which to be fair is easy in this weather!

Going to keep plodding on

a_silver_lining

Checking in early with 9NSD in a row.

Almost bought a lottery ticket on my phone today after seeing an advert on instigram. I input my password incorrectly, then was interrupted by a colleague and then forgot my new password so I took it as a sign and bought nothing. Phew!

Couple of donuts eaten at work today (for free!) but otherwise I have been healthy. Dinner alone tonight as my other half of back late, so I'm going to have fish and veg as she hates fish!

Have been weighing up on two money saving options. First is my partners friend is getting married abroad. We looked it up and flights and hotel would be about £750 for the pair of us. We've decided to not go and take her and her new hubby out for a meal when we are next over. I think we could then spend under £100 and still be a wonderful way to celebrate... I keep miming and aching if we should go though.

Second dilemma is who is cat feeding when we are away on holiday. I had asked a colleague's daughter to do it as she has previously. I had decided to pay her £100. However, I now have the possibility of our neighbours doing it for free. We have been watering their garden for the 17 days they have been on holiday so I feel comfortable hat we could ask them... I don't want to let down my colleagues daughter though, and there's also the risk the cat needs to vet and I feel better someone who is being paid taking him to the vet then neighbours.....

a_silver_lining

A real money waffle post.

I ummed and ahhed about how much to pay directly to the person I owe. Went for the max I can this month. £150 paid directly to the debt, so £3400 direct paid, plus 2250 in my saver = £5650 /10k 56.5% debt repaid.

This feels extra good as it means that 30% of the debt has been repaid directly to the person I owe. Focusing on the next step, just £1050 from 2 3rds repaid, or £6700 repaid

I've sat and done another budget. I've found that due to bills being slightly lower then I calculated and my wage being a few pounds higher I have £22.35 extra a month then I thought. Every penny counts.

a_silver_lining

10NSD in a row. Today was just a £2.08 food shop on necessities. My neighbour just gave us several bixes of chocolates and sweets for watering their plants, so I think we are sorted for a while.

I went to the gym for a couple of classes and ate well again. It's been a couple of weeks now and I feel miles better in myself.

Tomorrow I'm training so I've organised lunch, snacks and drinks to keep me buying anything at college. Only spend will be on travel, but this will be reimbursed by work.

I tracked down quidco owed to me and chose to transfer it into an Amazon voucher for 4% more money. So that's £11+ to use towards next times cat food.

I also sorted through more items and took photos. I listed my first add on gumtree and will do more tomorrow on my lunch break.

Feeling a bit more on track with life. I think this means I've had my lightbulb moment.

a_silver_lining

My first non NSD, so 10/11NSD. I was good and bought no food or drink at my training day when everyone else went to the cafe.

However, on the way home I was in a very, very posh town between my bus and train and so I decided to pop into a charity shop to see if they had any posh people clothes bargains.

I have a minimalist wardrobe since doing Kon Marie over a year ago so since doing it I actually haven't bought clothes other than for work or replacement sandles, sports bra etc necessities. I have been looking for skirts and dresses which fall longer to my knee as I am inching further into my 30's and think I need to dress more sensibly.

I ended up picking up a Monsoon skirt, as new, for £4.99. It isn't natural fibre, which I prefer, but fits perfectly and gives me an alternative to dresses this summer. I only own about three tops, but now they can be worn (I just hope they don't clash!)

I also found a Jack Wills 100% Merino wool cardigan in my partners size. It's perfect apart from a few superficial bobbles I'm cleaning off it. It was £6.99 and I think, I hope, she will be thrilled as I think it's perfect for her! If not I'll ebay it in Autumn

No other spends, just need to remember to get my travel reimbursed tomorrow at work.

Planning on putting some items on gumtree tonight, but no gym or major activities as my brain is a blur from studying!

Edited to add that I added a few items for sale on gumtree and one for free collection. The bulky free item is being picked up on Sunday. I also have someone coming after work tomorrow to pick up a bulk lot of items for £15. Fingers crossed. Plan is to list them and some smaller items on eBay if there's no interest by the weekend.

I'm going to spend the cash rather then my card so I can use the left over at the end of the month to save or repay debt.

Plan this weekend is to buy a bra for work using money made cashing in some games and DVDs. Will explore the beat way to make this money tomorrow

a_silver_lining

£20 Made yesterday on gumtree sales. A little bit lighter.

It was a spend day as I spent about £2.20 on a drink at work. So 10/12 NSD.

UPDATED TO ADD:

Spending in 12 days

Cat food: £15.99
Food shopping £7.07
Gifts £6.99
Clothes £4.99
Eating out £2.20
Total: £37.24

Made money:
£20 Gumtree
11.80 quidco on Amazon voucher

Planned spends:
Sports bra for work
Top up shop for vegetables this weekend
Top up shop before partners brother visiting
Spending when he visits (though sort out some free things to do)

EDIT TWO:
£7.29 spent on a basic foodshop. I'll count today as a NSD as it was necessity. 11/13 NSD.

Plan tomorrow is to try and return and item for a refund. It's out of time but the manager seems to agree that I can return it.

a_silver_lining

A day of two half's. 10/13 NSD.

Managed to get a full refund for an item well over due being returned, so that's £87 heading back to my account. I also scored £14 free cat food, so that's the boy fed for three weeks. We went for a free and healthy walk today. I picked another big pot full of blueberries, I am amazed how much fruit I've had from my garden this year, it must be 10's of £s.

I spent most of my money in cash today using the £20 I made on gumtree and change from my saving pot, hopefully this will mean that I'll have that extra in my bank account to move to savings or pay off the debt at the end of the month!

On the money saving front we've cut down our time showering and halved our water use. I've been using this water to water non edible garden plants, so I'm expecting but savings. Today we wanted icelollys and went to Lidl's and they were way cheaper then buying them individually so that was a bonus

Spents £47.84 and £15.23 on food shopping. That's £77.93 this month and I think will be us sorted bar a top up shop when my partners brother visits at the end of the month. He eats a fair bit, so I'm planning bulk cheap food that weekend.

Spent £7.18 on lunch and water for our walk, not technically food shopping so putting in the eating out category.

I went to buy my sports bra and all they had was very expensive ones. I bought one and a sale pair of trousers but tomorrow we are going to Sports Direct to see if they have cheaper sports bras and I may return the trousers, so will report back with the amount spent when I've hopefully lowered it!

a_silver_lining

Having a think this morning... I was stood up by someone coming to pick up some wood for free. It left me a little deflated as I had so much interest but held out for the first person to pick up at this later date.

Shaking off that feeling I've decided to turn the wood into a bench for my garden. I figure I have enough left over screws and paint to manage it. I also have a garden gate I was going to put up for £25, but I'm going to list it for £35 and then see if I need to take it apart for parts to fix my shed door and make this bench. Will measure up later today when it's shady.

Rest of my adverts are going to be posted on ebay today, along with some other items. Off to photograph some more bits.

On the money spending front... I jumped yesterday from £46.73 total spent on the 6th, to £162.78 total spent yesterday. £47.50 of that wasthe sports bra (£29ish for two) and trousers (£18 in the sale, which sounded good at the time), so I have decided to return them and to buy the best cheapest bra at Sports Direct instead. I debated ordering online, but I'd rather find a good fit.

So taking that money off my spending I am at:

£77.93 food shopping
£15.99 cat food
£9.38 eating out
£6.99 gifts
£4.99 clothes
£115.28 Total in 12/30 days

I'm only planning on a mini top up food shop, the cheaper sports bra and my partners brothers visit. I would LOVE to do this month for under £200, so I can move that £100 to savings, plus the £20 gumtree money made and £87 refund, plus whatever else I can make this month...

Edit

I forgot to add this week that work has paid for my next year of college study. I was just grateful they were letting me go to college and thought I would pay, but they have paid the £600 and are giving me each Wednesday off so I come in only 2.30-6pm. I'm shocked and very happy.

They have also booked me into three training courses this month which are lifelong qualifications equalling about 1k. It pretty much sets me up in my career. I'm super happy still being underpaid though, but was told they would review that after a year, so will see if that comes to fruition!