Earthgirl's Final Battle

earthgirl

Thanks for the well wishes! Fingers crossed we all seem to be on the mend now.

I am hoping to stick to my £50 grocery budget this week, and I'll be allocating £50 as a stocking up budget - tinned and frozen. OH has tidied up the garage and we now have a small freezer that I can use -
it was from our old house but we hadn't needed it (we have lived for 5 years with just a little ice box).

I have bought a new screen cover for my phone as it is beyond repair (free with vouchers). I have noticed a 'lets just buy that' attitude creeping in and want to curb the spending - it needs to fit into the budget. For example, we are invited to a relatives for a party and I have just booked a hotel for £87. It will be lovely, but I probably could have just driven home - about an hour. My MIL has a bad back so I have just bought her a massage as I hate to see her in pain £22, but again it was a quick reaction and I could have been encouraging her to go to the doctors and get other help rather than me just paying.

I have also been toying with the idea of joining the local council gym - £20/month, as I know I'd go more and get more out of it if I had classes to go to, BUT I can do this other ways by simply putting more effort in.

Some good things though - I didn't buy myself a total new phone case, and I shopped around for leggings(?) for ds2 for football so they were only £5.

beanielou

Some things we just have to buy.
Sure your MIL is appreciative of the massage.
Call it paying it forward.

WannabeFree

Echo Beanie

Glad you're all on the mend now too

x

earthgirl

I'm feeling great - a little tired, but ok.

I have been doing some banking and I've decided to open a r b s account with a big bonus, and CLOSE all my other current accounts to simplify things.

Im then going to move money to savings accounts and just generally have a simpler banking system. 1 card for groceries, one for fuel, the rest of my expenses will come out of the new home account where I can categorize it in M. Dashboard. This, along with the weekly envelope system will mean I have a much clearer financial picture just by looking at my dashboard.

To do:
- get new bank account info
- move all dds to come from this account
- close extra accounts
-put excess money into savings accounts
- ditto with kids savings accounts
- make sure the kids regular savers are working.

I'm going to simplify my wardrobe, paperwork and the kids wardrobes and toys too.

I haven't made much impact on my list as predicted, so as it's Wednesday and I'm feeling ok, I'll try to do one little thing for each job now.


1. Finish clean and tidy at work
2. regular beach walks +recycle some plastic
3. try new workout /yoga/back care routine.
4. banking check and kids reg saver
5. focus on healthy eating and hydration.

apple_muncher

When you are all simplified, please come and stay with me and simplify me too!!!

Karmacat

Simpler finances sound a very good idea, earthie - I took an impulsive step in that direction last week, and I'm really pleased with it

earthgirl

Thanks for the encouragement! I currently have a train of 10 accounts that amounts move into and out of, and different dds coming out of each, to get a few extra pounds here and there. It causes me heaps of stress and some money ends up sitting gathering dust as I am never sure really what should be kept where... and I can't track things. Enough os enough. Yes I might lose a little in interest (not really as the bonus is £150), but then in years to come I will be eligible for new customer bonuses again and I'll make it all back - and probably more.

So I have made a big list of work things to do ready for tomorrow and Friday. I have a walk scheduled for Thurs and Fri lunchtime, I have put workout plan into planner, I have weighed myself and have healthy food planned for tomorrow (haven't been doing so well with this as I am tired, but planning for success!).

WannabeFree

I'm boring with just one account I went to nationwide and I've stuck there. I couldn't keep up with more than one account, I'd be constantly worried

It sounds like you are much better and back to your usual organised self

x

beanielou

I am bad enough with two accounts :eek:

earthgirl

A very different 'lost weekend' here. I called round to my friends house as planned on Saturday morning- the one I was worried about - and I couldn't leave her. I can't post just how bad it was just incase anyone knows me in real life, but - wow - I was worried and called OH, he was amazing and looked after our kids so that I could be there for her all weekend and help her get a bit of rest. I got in touch with other friends and they took over on Sunday afternoon. I'll go back tomorrow, but she messaged that she was feeling a bit better today - I don't want to take over as that would be negative but I do have a basic duty as a human being to help her.

So everything just fell away. I spent £20 on food for her and family. I ate rubbish. I didn't exercise. I didn't see my children or OH. I didn't make any money on surveys, work for oh, I didn't clean or stick to the plan. I 'worked' all weekend and I hurt my back. But I feel ok because it was vital. One day I can explain to my kids that when you see a friend needing something you have - in my case time, energy and a little money- you give and you give with all your heart.

Today has been a funny day - important meeting this morning went well. Work was pretty good. I am giving myself a day to reflect and get back on track - no point me going off track totally with all my goals I need to be happy myself before I can give support to my family friends or at work.