Getting it together...one £ at a time!

Homegrown0

abba1772 wrote: »

I feel your pain homegrown I'm sick of spending money need to reign it back in as we are mega tight til next Friday xx

Honestly Abba, it's one thing after another. Most of them nice things/ needed, but i'm pretty uncomfortable with the amount we've been spending.

Holiday clothes, new trainers x6, accommodation for a wedding we're going to, i've just booked a trip away with friends which is reasonably priced but i get the guilt spending money on myself. Ultimately, i just want all the spending to slow the hell down and get my buffer back up and running. It's ridiculous the amount of extra we've had to transfer into the spending account this month and our savings/ potential debt repayments have taken a hit because of it.

:eek:

teafor2

Hi HG I think your May round up is looking pretty fantastic even if you do feel disappointed you've not managed to make any major over payments.

There are times when everything seems to happen at once and we feel like we're doing nothing but handing money over but hopefully in a few weeks things will quieten down again.

I get the guilt about spending on yourself, but honestly you're doing so well with the debt and seem to be constantly on top of your game in all areas of your life, which sounds a very busy one, I think a break with the girls will be good for you. xx

Homegrown0

Thanks Tea - I know it's still a positive month but I do worry about not keeping up and struggling to hit my target... must revisit my attitude! Haha

I most definitely need this break away with the girls - it's been a challenging few months on many fronts and my best friends and I have never done a proper weekend like this. You only live once and I'm fed up being the person who 'cant go'. I actually can go, I just keep choosing other things over this so sof it, I'm going to do it. I do deserve it, hard as that is to say.

Plus, it's another thing to focus on when the MSE halo looks like it is slipping.

Homegrown0

This morning, I am starting my day as I mean to go on. Positively! In the gym! I'm doing stuff with the kids for the rest of the day so as much as I'd like to lie on the couch and enjoy the peace, I'm going to work out. I'm sure itll make a difference to my get up and go!

teafor2

Yes, you most certainly do deserve the weekend away with your friends. Your family/work life balance is fantastic from what I'm reading but sometimes we need to make ourselves a priority and take a bit of personal time out.

Take it from somebody who knows and has automatically put themselves at the bottom of the list for a decade.... or two.....:o it's a hard habit to break so if I were you I'd start the better habit of seeing yourself as deserving sooner rather than later. xx

Homegrown0

Thanks Tea - that's a lovely comment. I hope you've changed your mindset and have put yourself a bit further up the priority list?

I can be like that sometimes, but I am good at giving myself a reality check. I can tell when it's all getting on top of me and I start to get sick, that's when I need to make time for myself.

The weekend
I spent £15 taking the kids to softplay at the weekend on a playdate, but other than that, my only spend was £51 on the week's grocery shopping. My husband tried to talk us into going out for breakfast yesterday morning but managed to resist so didn't spend on that.

Felt pretty productive yesterday - got all the food shopping early (the last few weeks I've gont late PM and half the things have been sold out), got some lunch prep done for the week and got beds stripped and washing up to date. A nice balance between getting stuff done and having fun with the kids.

Days until pay day: 3

monz

You are still paying off an amazing amount each month so dont let this make you feel down! Look where you are compared to last year xx

teafor2

Yes, I'm definitely further up the list than I used to be, but I've only myself to blame for being at the bottom anyway

Sounds like you've had a nice Bank Hol weekend and that you're getting back on track with the basics again.

It can't be long until your holiday now? xx

Homegrown0

monz wrote: »

You are still paying off an amazing amount each month so dont let this make you feel down! Look where you are compared to last year xx

Thanks Monz - you're right, we're in a much better position than we were last year, and an insanely amount better off than 4 years ago so need to look at the bigger picture sometimes.

teafor2 wrote: »

Yes, I'm definitely further up the list than I used to be, but I've only myself to blame for being at the bottom anyway

Sounds like you've had a nice Bank Hol weekend and that you're getting back on track with the basics again.

It can't be long until your holiday now? xx

Just a few weeks until the holiday, but I still have quite a lot to do, so need to get a move on and write a list or 5!

Homegrown0

Plus Tea, make sure you bump yourself another couple of positions up the list! At least sometimes!