Coffee, Cake, Yarn - New Start

MeenaM

hello coffee ,,, just checking in with you , good you got the loan split and saving there,

CoffeeCakeYarn

Morning all!

Productive evening last night, did the shop, spent the nectar points and totalled a HUGE £1.24 in actual cash on food. Woop. Cooked another ten portions of Spag Bol for the freezer, and pork for yesterday and tonights dinners. Should have enough to see me through the next week now, then only one more week of budgets until they reset.

I've spent a lot on food this month, and noticed when looking back over what it is, a lot of it has come from snacks and bits for the week off and weekend away. Little disappointed in myself to be honest, I think I will be going slightly over budget for the month, and that's annoying because a lot of it has been guff that doesn't actually make meals. I'm going to monitor it, and either adjust the budget or adjust my snack intake. I know that this month was a strange month with all the away time though so won't take any action yet. I'll keep the same budget (£20 a week) for another month and take another look.

Mini yay from the water company. They sent me a letter I didn't really understand, stating that if I filled in a form I may be due a refund. So I did. Got a letter back today saying refund will be credited to my account and my monthly bill will be adjusted. WIN! I have no idea how much, they will confirm in ten days, but considering my water if only £14.32 a month anyway I'm chuffed. I'm not metered, and plan on keeping it that way. I like my baths

Should be a relatively quiet day at work today so hoping for a little cash out. It's been a busy week and I can't wait for weekend. I've decided to stay in alone tonight and craft after the gym, and get a proper good lay in tomorrow. Then tomorrow night is a few drinks out, don't need any taxis so that's good. Sunday is lunch (his round) and then a friends house in the evening so shouldn't need to spend anything other than drinks, and will try and go easy as don't want a huge hangover on Sunday.

I'm almost at my two month anniversary since I started my diary, and although I haven't smashed much of the debt, my habits have totally changed for the better I think. Hope. I'm so aware of this all of the time and really feel like if I keep applying these positive steps, I'm really going to get there. Preliminary budget fiddling shows I should be able to pay £400 off the debt this month.

Happy happy Friday all xxx

MeenaM

You are doing great! and yes so important to be focused and change for the better, that will stand us in good stead for the future, how awesome will you feel being able to pay off £400 at the end of this month! yay!

CoffeeCakeYarn

Thanks Meena

Weee and I'm off again! £2.50 cash out from OO and £1.04 in nectar points. I'm not kidding myself that I'm going to make back the entire fun spend by the end of the month but at least it's moving again.

Also forgot to add, I picked up a packet of green beans in aldi last night for 42p. WIN.

CoffeeCakeYarn

Ugh letter from the phone company stating a 4.1% rise in tariff dur to RPI Not happy. Anyone had success haggling this?

The bills just give with one had (water) and take with the other (phone)

redofromstart

I think the increase gives you the right to get out of contract so maybe worth looking round?

Lilith1980

Nice one for getting back into the habit of the gym. I work out at home so I guess it's easier in some respects, but there are some mornings my motivation to get out of my warm bed is rock bottom!

Like you, I haven't made sizable payments off my debt but it will be a slow and steady process. So, even a few pounds here and there is good enough for me as it'll all add up over time

I like having quiet periods at work too when I can get on my phone and do surveys :rotfl:

joeyjimbles

Well you haven't added a great deal to your debt either - which you would previously have done without thinking, so that's a mindset change. Plus you have changed your thinking about the monies that you did overspend and what you spent on and again that's a change that you've made.
And £400 off the debt is a decent chunk.
Have only just properly regained my survey and money making impetus. I did some extra work last month and the extra income somewhat took my eye off the ball and made me a bit lazy, plus it was half term so I wanted to hang around with DS2 but that's more of an excuse really; he was hardly here. Need to really make a big effort for the rest of the month as I want to start making overpayments on the mortgage so I'd like a cushion for the things that I currently use my online earnings for and then I'll know that the extra is properly extra.

CoffeeCakeYarn

Morning all. I'm creeping in with my tail between my legs today.

So weekend started off really well. Friday night gym, home, dinner and a lovely early night. Saturday morning I was up quite early so had a potter round doing some washing and chores then had a lovely, long nap! Then it all went wrong. Got ready to go out, popped to aldi for pre drinks and breakfast for the next day as I stayed at the boys, got my cash out and off I went. Started drinking, kept drinking, for some unknown reason ended up smoking, but pretty sure I didn't buy them. Paid for my round on my credit card, who knows why because I had the cash in my purse. Then got too wine drunk, ended up with chips on the way home, and just made a bit of a twit out of myself. Woke up with complete hangover shame, don't know what I spent my money on but I seem to only be £7 down after paying the credit card back. And thoroughly ashamed of myself. The boy was amazing, ribbed me a bit and made me a sausage sandwich, but I was so hungover we missed lunch. We did make it out to see friends later in the day though when I felt more human, and have a lovely evening and dinner and it was a nice way to end a rubbish night.

Lesson learned. I am NEVER getting that drunk again. Stupid girl.

Positives to take, I stayed kinda in budget. I didn't lose any of my belongings. Everyone is still talking to me. But really, I'm too old to behave like that. Ugh. And now it's Monday. But, put it behind me, learn and move on.

So got the revised water bill through, it's telling my I'm in £30 credit with them but my direct debits haven't changed. I'm going to leave it and see if any revisions come through in the next few days and if they don't I will call and see if I can get a refund. Could really do with that being mine and not theirs.

Also after the previous ebay fee mess up I'm £3.80 in credit with them now. Might try and get that back as I haven't got anything up on ebay at the moment.

So I'm still groggy, but know I need to crack on today. Ugh. UGH!

Managed to not only drop a few pounds out of my purse last week but also a few pounds off the scales. Yay for gym. Was planning on going again tonight but this hangover seems to be a two dayer...

Happy Monday all xx

joeyjimbles

Oh dear. I'm way too old for hangovers too - in fact I think I went from never getting them in my twenties to them being the worst thing in the world soon after. The worst thing about getting erm to a certain age is that alcohol affects you differently and some times just one drink can be as bad as a skinful. I'm learning to listen to my body and mostly get it right these days but eurghh to hangovers - the thought of them makes me feel cringy.
Well done on the weight loss - and to not being too mean when you're tipsy, oh, and hurrah for online banking which can reveal what bad judgment and spirits can make us forget. :rotfl: