Learning to live within my means

StartingAgainAt29

If they forgot my chocolate I would not be impressed!! I'm not even kidding when I say I take my chocolate very seriously   Hope you're doing well, online yoga sounds great, I do most of mine via youtube but the yoga teacher I was going to is thinking about doing classes over zoom. Take care of yourself x

astrocytic_kitten

March totals

• Snacks £2.90
• Groceries £103.02 (combination of having to buy more expensive brands as my usual were sold out and abandoning the plan to run down the cupboards as much as possible as I’m in the at risk group and stuck inside. Also stress bought some nicer food)
• Cat food, litter £62.46 (had run out of cat litter and also bought some of the only food he’ll eat when sick. That was right before his appetite came back and he’s now on his old food again....should’t need to buy cat food for quite some time!)
• Household £14.01 (5.50 of this was a new hand blender to replace broken one so I could make soup, £6 on tinfoil tubs for batch cooking)
• Toiletries £2.50
• Books £2.98 (no new kindle books pledge not going well)
• Taxis - medical appointments £9.80
• Yoga £10 (impulse bought a couple of online classes)

Could definitely have been more frugal but I’m not beating myself up over it. I accidentally moved an extra £30 into savings this morning when shuffling money round so I’m going to try to keep it there and cut costs for this month to adjust.

I’d been toying with the idea of doing a money transfer of the loan to my credit card in a couple of months once the loan was down to a level that would let me transfer all of it, had a great deal but it expired yesterday and as expected once I checked this morning there wasn’t a replacement. I felt pretty ambivalent about it anyway - it would have saved loads in interest, and also meant I could get to the money I have in the credit union savings back to use as emergency savings if needed (currently locked away while the loan is above that). But I’m not sure I trust myself to stick to the same level of repayments and not start reducing the amount paid or otherwise self sabotage getting it paid off asap. Oh well, decision made, onwards and upwards!

astrocytic_kitten

Well, I’ve reached £10k paid off! I’m also close to 2 months living expenses saved, should get there next month. Not sure if I’ll keep aiming for a third month saved which was the original goal, or start diverting some to the debt now. More savings would be sensible - I’ve been very, very lucky that I’ve managed to mostly break even so far even on reduced income, but there’s no guarantee it will continue. I have very itchy fingers wanting to pay more to the debt though.

What else to report...I’ve spent way too much on plants under the guise of supporting local businesses. I’ve definitely gone through a phase of loosening the reins on spending but need to recommit to bring frugal. I’ve been quite affected by all the press and pleas for people who still have a salary coming in to support local businesses wherever possible but it’s not as if I’m awash in cash, I’m still deep in the red. So I need to be a bit more sensible. 

I do feel both lucky and guilty that my work and life are pretty unchanged (though as a friend pointed out to me that’s not exactly a good thing - my health and lack of mobility meant I was practically housebound before, it’s just that now everyone else is too 😂). It’s a weird time, I’ve been mostly feeling pretty calm but I went through the anxiety and anger and resentment stages of adjusting to living like this last year. I’m taking cuttings of plants I already have and I’m hoping nurturing them will get me through the spring, it’s my first one stuck inside. The current situation is not doing anything to lessen my desire for a garden!

I’ve done a bit of decluttering and have some dvds ready to donate or sell once things get back to normal. I’ve also had a few disasters in the kitchen, currently eating my way through some weirdly tasteless soup which seems neverending, I’m sure I didn’t make that many portions 😆 Cat is keeping me sane and happy, as ever. Hope everyone else is keeping safe.

redofromstart

Congrats on the 10k!

StartingAgainAt29

Well done on the 10k @astrocytic_kitten, you're doing so well! I've done the same of buying stuff "to support small businesses"....I need to stop lol. I think being stuck indoors it gets very easy to think "Oh I'll just treat myself!". Personally I would keep going with the savings, but I know dealing with debt feels amazing, maybe split it across the two? I have a bonsai tree kit that I keep meaning to break out....you talking about plants is inspiring me. Maybe I'll do it tomorrow when I have the day off

StartingAgainAt29

Saw this today and thought of you

astrocytic_kitten

Thanks @StartingAgainAt29, love that! I’m definitely having to stop myself killing them with love 😂

Today I’m looking at home insurance renewals and quotes...it’s probably my most-hated financial task. I just find it so confusing, there’s so many different variables, everyone talks about cheap insurers v quality but I have no idea which is which even with comparison sites... we’ll see if I manage to actually renew or not!

astrocytic_kitten

I’m in danger of not so much falling off the wagon as throwing myself off head first...boy cat is dying, to be blunt, and is not likely to make it to next weekend. My emotional spending mechanism is out in full force. Haven’t actually bought anything yet (though I think the plants from earlier came under that umbrella) but I really want to buy a painting an artist I like is selling on Instagram as part of the artist support pledge, plant pots, a cosy blanket, expensive wireless headphones to help when working from home, a wall clock... have resisted so far but the temptation is strong. Especially as scrolling through artists I follow on Instagram has been a soothing coping mechanism so far. Posting here to try to keep myself accountable.

I know in the grand scheme of things right now, with what other people are losing, a cat is a cat... but it’s still heartbreaking.

Blackberrycurved

Totally understand tell yourself if you are going to spend you’re going to do some good with it. Money to a cat rescue I volunteer for one desperate now as less people buying extra cat food for them. Save for a new rescue kitty £70 plus new bed etc. Take care 

StartingAgainAt29

I'm so sorry @astrocytic_kitten, I never believe it's "just" a cat, they are our loved ones and family too as much as anyone else. If the art would serve as a way of remembering him maybe it's a nice idea. Be gentle to yourself, we are always here x