New Year New Diary :)

[Deleted User]

I dislike January, I've never been great at coping with the early payday in December. Next year I will be better prepared!

I cashed out the money in my matched betting account, it'll go towards my share of something with OH or some extra spending money for holiday depending on if I get gifted any cash or aussie dollars as a birthday gift. I'll build the pot back up after holiday and start it again, then!

Three more days of work after this shift is done and then it will be basically holiday time.

On a proud note, I changed over my own windscreen wiper blades yesterday :rotfl: I used some of my Amazon gift card to get them and fitted them on my lunch break. I do like learning to do things for myself! I have, however, noticed this morning that the rear one is in need of replacing too. That will have to wait until after holiday! Better to do these things now rather than have them noted on the MOT or Service

[Deleted User]

Well I am back to MSE!

We got back over a week ago, but I've been working through work stuff and having the week from hell last week, so I thought I would wait until things were smoother to get back into the swing of things on here!

We landed back on the Sunday, and found out Monday morning that my car battery was dead. Even after jump starting it wasn't holding the charge, so I was told I needed a new battery. I ordered one with the intention of fitting myself, and a local guy offered to help me do it but didn't show on two occasions, so my brother came round this weekend just gone to help me pull a part out and then we fitted it no problem. Still worked out so much cheaper than paying someone else! What wasn't cheap, was the £50 I had to spend in train fare for work, that's 2 weeks worth of petrol!

Various bits and pieces, foot was really sore, had no cold water one morning, we had OH's little boy for the half term week too which was planned last minute, which meant that OH was at work for most of the evenings so that was an adjustment immediately after holiday.

It was just one of those weeks where nothing seemed to go right...! :rotfl:

However, my wonderful relaxing holiday brought me back with a positive mood and lots of energy to get things done which is refreshing! I have started getting up at 5:30am instead of 6am and found just the extra half an hour makes my mornings go much smoother. No more rushing around like a headless chicken and more chilling and getting ready at my own pace.

After holiday I was about a stone over my ideal weight, so I have been making sure I do lots of steps each day (this was easy when I was walking to and from the train station each day, but last night I went for a quick half hour walk after work to make up my steps) and logging my food on MyFitnessPal and eating healthily, and last night the scales showed I had lost 3 pounds so that's motivated me even more and I am going back to the gym tonight after work

I sold my running watch today as well, mainly as I don't know when I'll be running but my Apple watch can track my runs anyway so I've put the money towards some cheap comfy flat shoes that a) I can drive in but b) look nicer than my scruffy trainers I drive in, some top-up petrol money, and the rest will go into savings on payday.

I have decided to start setting aside some money each month again for gifts/cards (£10 for now) health & beauty (£10 for now) and car bits (£15 for now) to build up a bit of a buffer.

I think that's enough waffling for now, but as much as I miss Australia I am happy to be back and cracking on with things, and 100% start living my best life whilst debt busting and saving a little too

[Deleted User]

Thank god it's nearly the weekend, this has felt like the longest week!

Weight loss is currently at 4lb, although I feel the need to have a crazy healthy weekend as we ordered pizza on Wednesday. It really took some persuading to myself that I was allowed to have one unhealthy meal, which I guess is good in a way that my mindset is to eat healthily now.

I made it to the gym and cycled 18k on the bike, although I severely regretted wearing full length top and trousers as it gets very warm in there! I found out today that with my membership I can book a squash court for free, and as my booking is for the court and not just for me, OH can come in too for free and they don't even require a deposit for the rackets and balls, so absolutely zero cost, especially if we feel particularly healthy and walk over! I am hoping we go on Sunday before OH needs to get the kids for us to have them.

Not that I've ever played squash, mind, it just looks like a really good workout. I imagine it'll play havoc with my foot but I'm just putting that to the back of my mind until I actually get some referral for treatment for it.

About half of my DD's for my debts have gone out today, the next few will come out across the next week or so when I will be able to update my balances

[Deleted User]

Hello MSE :hello:

Plodding through the month this month, all but one DD has gone out for the debts so the total is slowly going down, I will do an update the next time I hit a milestone as I'm trying to not focus on it so severely

Started using Swagbucks this month, I have looked into it before and just got a bit lost with it but I am a bit more confident now and hoping to cash out a mastercard each month and pay down some small amounts to debts from that.

I still have small amounts in my pots with no desire to touch it, so that makes me feel proud.

We played squash, ached for two days, and then booked in again to play this Sunday :rotfl:

Weigh-in on Monday showed I'd lost another 1lb, so 5lb total since coming back from holiday.

I'm now around the weight I was stuck at for quite a while, but the difference is I am totally focused on eating healthy meals (tracking with My Fitness Pal) and really enjoying going to the gym and playing squash. The biggest motivator is probably my work trousers not restricting my stomach as much, and being able to faintly see where my stomach muscles used to be :rotfl:

Feeling very good about things at the moment, hope everyone else is doing well if you're reading

beanielou

Plodding is always good

[Deleted User]

beanielou wrote: »

Plodding is always good

It is indeed

I'm so glad it's Friday, I feel so tired this week. I have just been for lunch with my brother and his girlfriend and allowed myself to have a full english as it's the first "bad" thing I've eaten all week, and will burn off plenty of calories this weekend with the gym tomorrow night and playing squash on Sunday, along with anything else I might do as well!

I hope everyone is having a good week x

[Deleted User]

Well, MSE, I did not go and play squash this weekend as I literally got out of bed to get dressed and go as we were running late, caught my toes on a wooden pillar near my bed, and broke one of my toes :rotfl:

OH was convinced for a long time I had just stubbed it but I have never dropped down and started crying over a stubbed toe before! We went and got it checked out just to make sure, and I think he only really believed me when they confirmed the break.

So, no sports for me for a few weeks. I will see what I can manage to do in the mean time without putting weight or pressure on it, and hope that it heals up quickly!

I imagine this well set me back weight-loss wise, but I just need to be extra good whilst I can't work out as much.

Typical, too, that it's on the already-injured foot. Who knows, maybe it will all heal together?! :rotfl:

Building up my swagbucks and prolific balances slowly but surely, so there will definitely be some overpayments by the end of the month

beanielou

Eeek to breaking your toe.
Bet that was blooming sore.

[Deleted User]

beanielou wrote: »

Eeek to breaking your toe.
Bet that was blooming sore.

It really was :eek: OH took some convincing that I wasn't just being dramatic :rotfl:

On the plus side, driving is manageable so I can still get to work. No sick pay in my job!

beanielou

SSDD23 wrote: »

It really was :eek: OH took some convincing that I wasn't just being dramatic :rotfl:

On the plus side, driving is manageable so I can still get to work. No sick pay in my job!

Take it easy.
I broke a finger years ago & I was very dramatic!!