Keep calm and carry on....

South_coast

The satisfaction of knowing I am right is enough for me SJ!

£9.22 in from TCB to start the day

South_coast

Not much else to report today, spent most of the day in meetings and didn't leave wanting to kill anyone so that may be a result and epic traffic both ways due to roadworks not impressed

£53 spent on petrol
£1.97 spent on groceries
Hmmm, bit of a theme coming through here. Really should make more of an effort to plan evening meals and not pop to the shops on my way home - although another part of me says I would only spend my time watching the end of The Chase if I got home earlier (no chance with roadworks), plus more trips to the shops means more receipts to scan! I need to get a life!

Received the remittance for some expenses today, so that and the TCB money will make a little OP when it reaches the account

South_coast

Quick update:

Working week over!
Claiming mileage today, took a shorter (but longer time) route so will claim 40 miles more than I actually drove - ssshhh!
£8.44 spent on groceries
£25 OP sent to mortgage

Current balance £32,101.21

South_coast

Evening all,

Quiet day today, just the way I like my Saturdays. The book I ordered the other week has arrived, so made a start on that and then had a nap on the sofa. Trying an experimental dinner tonight hopefully it works out....

£9.76 spent on groceries
£6.40 spent on a little present for BF. He will be seriously underwhelmed :rotfl: so more of a present me for as it solves a problem in his house which has been irritating me forever and he won't even have noticed
1st week of the S&S food diary completed and had enough points to cash out a voucher. I'm normally saving up for something, but nothing on the go at the moment so plumped for Amazon and will use it to buy things I would normally have got from eBay at a lower price (need to instruct brain that when I feel miffed that I am not getting it at the best price, actually I AM getting it the best price, as I'm not paying anything at all!)
Huyu have done a snapshot of my internet browsing and I am now within one receipt of payout. Have informed BF that this is down to him, as I don't need to buy anything tomorrow

After much consideration, I think I am going to have a glass of wine in a minute. This is a real knotty one for me, as I really want to cut down. I have managed to (mostly) crack having nothing Monday-Thursday, but then I do have a drink and go a bit mad. I don't like the fact that the perception people have of me is as a "drinker" and am annoyed at myself that we're 11 days into the new year and I have already woken up twice with the feeling that I had a bit too much the night before. I don't want to stop completely, but would love to have a bit more self-control. All suggestions welcome (although I will probably ignore them )

South_coast

After that slightly gloomy sign-off, I've cheered myself up with an £8.59 trade to WeBuyB00ks

NOW to have some wine....

South_coast

Experimental dinner was very nice !

newgirly

Hi southcoast , you asked for suggestions! ......

Give stopping a chance

I don’t say that lightly, but I drank too much. Not every day and nothing anyone would think is out of the ordinary but too much. I had cut down previously and even given up temporarily a couple of times (usually due to some health issue I was panicking about ) then one day November 2018 I woke up after a particularly sleep deprived night due to ds2 coming in drunk from the pub and my own few glasses of wine too many on a Friday night, and I thought I feel like I need a change from this, it’s tiring.

I thought I’d have a few days break, maybe even a few weeks. But I’m still completely teetotal since then and I can’t tell you how much better I feel now! Do not discount giving up totally, it’s the easier option than cutting back if you like it a bit too much sometimes

My family and friends still can’t quite believe I no longer drink as I was one of the best at it :rotfl: I feel better, people say I look younger, my skins glowing, my nails don’t break, aside from noisy teenagers arriving home in the early hours I slept brilliantly, I don’t lie in bed at night feeling anxious about random things, I have more money, I’ve lost over a stone even while taking up a new hobby of eating cake. The list honestly goes on.

You did say you would take no notice and I am usually very careful to not do the preachy alcohol is bad thing at people, but you did ask so there’s my experience

Oh and if you do consider it there are some great blogs and books out there that help.

South_coast

Definitely not preachy NG, I really appreciate you giving such a detailed reply. I think I know deep down that stopping is probably the right thing to do and the benefits would outweigh the costs, but I'm still at the stubborn "don't want to" place at the moment (and stupid as it sounds, I want to feel the benefit of the money I have invested in what is already in the house ) What do you do instead to relax in the evenings? They just seem so long without anything to drink

newgirly

Morning southcoast, in the evenings I usually have an early bath and out Pj’s on , a good 20mins in a deep bubble bath (not mse i know!) eat a nice dinner (not a cheese sandwich and a glass of wine :rotfl: ) drink loads of tea and watch tv while mooching on my iPad. In the early days I read sober books and blogs a lot.

To start with I had hot chocolates and ate too much - mad sugar cravings, but that’s settled now. Going out is better, no stress over drinking too much and the friends I have I enjoy their company sober or drunk. And if you need to drink while out with hem, they may not be such great company after all - I have found that too!

The worry of everything being dull has not been a problem, it was actually drink that was making everything dull. If I went out to the theatre/concert/show whatever really I would have a few glasses, but I’ve found things deeper and more colourful sober. Actually that’s a great way of putting it, it’s like everything has become a bit brighter:D

South_coast

Thanks NG, all good suggestions and I like the idea of a life in technicolour. Will give it some more thought, I promise

I am a few lbs heavier than I would like to be at the moment (and for "lbs" read "st"), but have refused to buy larger clothes as I thought it would enforce limits on myself - well it turns out the limits on the fabric were more fixed than the limits on my greed and I had a wardrobe malfunction at work the other week, rendering a frequently-used garment no longer wearable. Managed to track something very similar down on ebay (in a larger size ) which I tried on this morning secretly hoping it would be too big, but no it fitted very well. So £18 spent including postage, for an item with the £60 price tag still attached :eek:

Have just done a few hours of work, which I am about because I shouldn't have to work on a Sunday, but decided that doing so would be less painful than not doing. Anyway, it's done now, but it's definitely going in the "things I don't enjoy about my current job" column.

Think I will go and annoy BF now, he has been left on his own long enough :rotfl: