Hazelnutty's New Start

Karmacat

I still have French, after doing A level and then living there for a few months, keeping it up to date with holidays when I could.  I was able to chat DIY when my sister bought a cottage in France 10 years ago, I was pleased with that!  Italian, a sort of immersive experience (good phrase!) I holidayed in the south, there were no other English people I met, and no one who spoke English (some spoke French).  I came back arguing in Italian, it was fantastic!

Hazelnutty

Sounds like you could classify yourself as multilingual on Pr0lific, Karma! I haven't had my efforts approved yet, or another survey pop up. I hope things pick up over the next few weeks. Sell it Back order has processed for only 10p less than the estimate so will be able to OP the grand sum of £9.68 when that arrives plus TTs from this month.

But I'm most pleased about getting a To Good To Go order in for a super popular bakery in town for the first time (£3.50, food pot). Cycled in to collect it and we have 2 whole sourdoughs and 2 pastries, yum! Another deli order for collection tomorrow afternoon bought by OH   I guess it's kinda MSE

I do have to confess that I did a totally frivolous Dec@thlon order for a couple of capris for cycling around town (which I'm trying to do more of now traffic is building back up - the plan is for DD handovers to be done by bike) and a sports bra in the sale. It's not megabucks (just south of £40 and will come out of next month's slush fund) but the tinge of guilt for not being totally focused on my financial projects is still there

themadvix

Ooh well done for bagging a TGTG bag - I’d set up a reminder to nab one for today while we’re at the in-laws and still failed to get it! 😔 May have to treat us to some bakery goods anyway.

Hazelnutty

There was another one on offer for today (last one) and was about to get it as, frankly, bakery goods are the best but OH restrained me. Even with my bread habit we'd struggle to get through it all! I've already frozen 3 half loaves... We pick up the deli bag today though and hoping for cheese! As lockdown eases, more shop will start offering magic bags so I'm going to have to curb my enthusiasm. I can imagine putting serious dents in my food budget if I don't

Hazelnutty

Hello all!

Yesterday afternoon I just bunked off and we went into town together as a family - it was lovely. I was v un-MSE and transferred £100 from a virtual buffer pot into my personal spends account - we spent the lot and loved it! It is quite a lot of money but think we all needed a treat. Most of it went on DD & me in H&M  (also some foundation for DD and a trip to the juice bar) but we got a lot for my money and it was happy mummy/daughter time browsing around and getting some bits.  DD went off to Dad's for the weekend afterwards but was sending me pics in various 'fierce' outfits she'd put together from the trip OH and I also fitted in our first trip to the local too for burgers n beers, so we got a lot of fun and enjoyment for my £100

Went out on my bike this morning before the deluge. I've put on a lot of weight over lockdown and it's been getting me down. I actually like sport but mentally I've found it hard to get out there. I'm trying to shift my mindset from battling my body to working with it. Really pleasant hour or so then a lovely catch-up with a friend who's had a tough time recently. Builders are here and working through the rain, despite our efforts to get them to come inside for a cuppa. I've been keeping myself busy cleaning, doing washing and life admin in the hope that tomorrow the rain will have cleared and OH and I can do a long walk.

We'd be at our annual music festival this weekend so currently tuning into the 'at home' version and feeling sad we're couldn't go in person. It's kinda emotional listening to sets from previous years

Whatever you're doing, hope you're staying dry and having a good Saturday

Kittenkirst

Sounds like £100 very well spent- and enjoyed by you all 

Sorry about the festival- I did virtual download festival this year and whilst it wasn’t the same, it was still pretty good to hear my favourite tunes and have a cider or two  

Hazelnutty

It was indeed! I've told DD no more shopping trips til her birthday in September as she wants a spree with her bestie as her present (which seems to include shopping and lots of treats and sounds expensive )

NSD today, which is just as well. OH rustled up a Jack Monroe Sausagne out of freezer and storecupboard bits. Not been a major fan of sausage/pasta combos but it was  

Hazelnutty

Mini update the day before payday: extra OP of £20.72 (£5.92 left over in C/A, £9.68 from Sell it Back, £5.12 TTs). New regular OP of £36 will go out on 1st August. Not much but OPs are taking a back-seat to renovation right now (update on that - hole has been dug for garden room concrete base - by hand as digger guy has had to self-isolate - and hardcore going in today in the rain. They are such troopers!)

Will do proper budget round up tomorrow on payday

Hazelnutty

July report!

Today's payday, yay! Here are my key spends against budget:
Food: £277.79/£400 Pleased with this as it includes the final week of G0usto @ £42.75 and 4 TGTG magic bags. Budget is back to the more usual £300 for August and I now feel confident we can hit this (3 humans, 2 cats)
Non-food: £42.71/£50
Fuel: £85.07/£100 This includes the Scotland trip and one back to Old Town. I'm not sure what my fuel budget will be come October when the new AY starts but will probably be double this. Plan is longer term to get an electric car but my Polo is pretty efficient for now
Ents: £88.77/£100 This includes the paddleboarding booking for August (£66)! I'm starting to puts the Ents budget back towards usual levels of £175/month now things are opening and DD is keen to get to the cinema, clip n climb etc

Everything else has come from my virtual pots, bar quite high personal spends this month and a couple of books for work, which never come cheap. I've put £743 into my virtual pots, £1000 into the renovation pot, £250 into the regular saver (which will end up in the renovation pot in Sept) and £150 into safety net savings.

All in all, a good month

Sistergold

Hello @Hazelnutty
I have been catching up with you diary! Welldone your July spend report looks good! 

Xx