Facing reality

Lookafterthepennies2020

I checked my Barclays app the other week to see how much we had spent on Starbucks/Takeaway's etc and it was absolutely cringeworthy!  I think because we don't get out to meals etc we think oh we will just have a takeaway as a treat, but instead of a treat they became a bit of a routine at one point! x 

Sarahwithlove

alt80 said:

@Sarahwithlove I could manage no takeaways but no restaurants / pub meals (well when we can ha), absolutely no chance. I know a lot of people have took the !!!!!! on my diary about running my RR and the champagne too but not likely to give up either. Aware it probably sounds bad but I earn well and can't do the whole knitting my own yoghurt stuff, just not for me so 100 get where you're coming from.

The addictive spending is a massive problem for me - I would 100 see a say £500/m personal spends fund as a min target so not at the stage of chilling out more about that side of things. 

Tbh takeaway wise it's usually once a month at the moment but McDonald's on other hand is becoming a weekend habit I need to break. Or midweek as well as case may be. I think because it's a 5 min drive away and I'm struggling at work to have a proper lunch break it's easy to order on app and just go pick it up. But have deleted the app and unsubscribed from the emails they send with the offers and going forward have scheduled a proper lunch break in every day so that I can make lunch and go out for a walk when possible.
I too like to eat out and probably did 5 to 6 times a month minimum before lockdown but again think it's something I need to cut back on. Making my own Nandos at home has helped.

If not having a goal makes it work for you then that's fine. Maybe instead put other rules in place. So only coffee once a week that isn't a business expense for example. Allow yourself £100 every few months to go spend on clothes etc. Going cold turkey doesn't always help but if you know say in Feb you'll have £100 to spend on clothing it makes it easier to go that long without. 

Sarahwithlove

ryanm8655 said:

Sarahwithlove said:

alt80 said:

@Sarahwithlove Rid of the card by end 2021, great news. Looks like you have a solid plan for next year too. 

Know what you mean re maccys/ costa/ Starbucks type places, I'm terrible for buying coffee etc luckily for me vast majority is expensed so doesn't really affect my personal finances, claim the VAT and comes off the business tax ha. Still buy (not expensed) coffee at the weekend too but 100 not guilty about it. Think a few on here have criticised but tbh not something I particularly want to cut to any extent. 

I'm trying to be organised. Found my notebook today with my list of goals for 2020. A lot were very unrealistic, such as no takeaways. I find having an allowance and keeping in it works for me. 
I think you need to have some luxuries in life that's what I give myself a spending allowance each month to use. 

Haha. Have to agree. It’s like dieting. You still need to eat stuff you enjoy every now and then but ultimately it’s about balance.

I probably will try to avoid takeaways. Used to eat a lot to avoid kitchen in crappy flatshares so that would be a good habit to avoid getting back into. I enjoy cooking and should add some structure. I love my food and socialising though so will likely do dinners/lunches out on weekends, head to borough market etc. But not to the same extent I used to.

Exactly. That's my next thing to tackle in 2021 my diet. Need to start eating better but still allowing myself small treats.
It's good you enjoy cooking like I said on your post I find having a menu plan helps keep costs low but I also like finding new recipes to try. I enjoy cooking just not so much the washing up afterwards 😂🙈

joedenise

Sarahwithlove said:

ryanm8655 said:

Sarahwithlove said:

alt80 said:

@Sarahwithlove Rid of the card by end 2021, great news. Looks like you have a solid plan for next year too. 

Know what you mean re maccys/ costa/ Starbucks type places, I'm terrible for buying coffee etc luckily for me vast majority is expensed so doesn't really affect my personal finances, claim the VAT and comes off the business tax ha. Still buy (not expensed) coffee at the weekend too but 100 not guilty about it. Think a few on here have criticised but tbh not something I particularly want to cut to any extent. 

I'm trying to be organised. Found my notebook today with my list of goals for 2020. A lot were very unrealistic, such as no takeaways. I find having an allowance and keeping in it works for me. 
I think you need to have some luxuries in life that's what I give myself a spending allowance each month to use. 

Haha. Have to agree. It’s like dieting. You still need to eat stuff you enjoy every now and then but ultimately it’s about balance.

I probably will try to avoid takeaways. Used to eat a lot to avoid kitchen in crappy flatshares so that would be a good habit to avoid getting back into. I enjoy cooking and should add some structure. I love my food and socialising though so will likely do dinners/lunches out on weekends, head to borough market etc. But not to the same extent I used to.

Exactly. That's my next thing to tackle in 2021 my diet. Need to start eating better but still allowing myself small treats.
It's good you enjoy cooking like I said on your post I find having a menu plan helps keep costs low but I also like finding new recipes to try. I enjoy cooking just not so much the washing up afterwards 😂🙈

Think most of us can agree with that last sentence!  I'm just glad I've got a dishwasher and a DH who will wash up any really messy pans and baking trays etc!

I also love trying new recipes but also eating healthily so I use of lot of recipes from Pinch of Nom and SlimmingEats, both of which use Slimming World as the basis of their recipes so lots of healthy recipes.

Sarahwithlove

Lookafterthepennies2020 said:

I checked my Barclays app the other week to see how much we had spent on Starbucks/Takeaway's etc and it was absolutely cringeworthy!  I think because we don't get out to meals etc we think oh we will just have a takeaway as a treat, but instead of a treat they became a bit of a routine at one point! x 

Yep it certainly adds up quickly doesn't it? I am gonna try reign mine in for next year again. Go back to the once a week only and if have coffee then no mcds either. 

Sarahwithlove

joedenise said:

Sarahwithlove said:

ryanm8655 said:

Sarahwithlove said:

alt80 said:

@Sarahwithlove Rid of the card by end 2021, great news. Looks like you have a solid plan for next year too. 

Know what you mean re maccys/ costa/ Starbucks type places, I'm terrible for buying coffee etc luckily for me vast majority is expensed so doesn't really affect my personal finances, claim the VAT and comes off the business tax ha. Still buy (not expensed) coffee at the weekend too but 100 not guilty about it. Think a few on here have criticised but tbh not something I particularly want to cut to any extent. 

I'm trying to be organised. Found my notebook today with my list of goals for 2020. A lot were very unrealistic, such as no takeaways. I find having an allowance and keeping in it works for me. 
I think you need to have some luxuries in life that's what I give myself a spending allowance each month to use. 

Haha. Have to agree. It’s like dieting. You still need to eat stuff you enjoy every now and then but ultimately it’s about balance.

I probably will try to avoid takeaways. Used to eat a lot to avoid kitchen in crappy flatshares so that would be a good habit to avoid getting back into. I enjoy cooking and should add some structure. I love my food and socialising though so will likely do dinners/lunches out on weekends, head to borough market etc. But not to the same extent I used to.

Exactly. That's my next thing to tackle in 2021 my diet. Need to start eating better but still allowing myself small treats.
It's good you enjoy cooking like I said on your post I find having a menu plan helps keep costs low but I also like finding new recipes to try. I enjoy cooking just not so much the washing up afterwards 😂🙈

Think most of us can agree with that last sentence!  I'm just glad I've got a dishwasher and a DH who will wash up any really messy pans and baking trays etc!

I also love trying new recipes but also eating healthily so I use of lot of recipes from Pinch of Nom and SlimmingEats, both of which use Slimming World as the basis of their recipes so lots of healthy recipes.

I don't have the room for a dishwasher sadly and me and my housemate seem to be slipping back into bad habits of me doing the cooking and the washing up. Need to sort that out before it becomes a regular thing again. 
I have the pinch of nom book too and also use some of slimming eats recipes as used to follow SW. Will have to have a look at them again maybe for some new ideas. 

astrocytic_kitten

You mentioned earlier scheduling in a proper lunch break - I’ve been doing that since working from home and I find it so helpful, especially if I’ve also planned what I’m making for lunch. Means I can eat and also get some fresh air, which then means I’m fresh for work in the afternoon instead of eating chocolate and trying to keep my eyes open like when I was in the office.

I’d find it annoying enough doing the cooking all the time - but the cooking AND the washing up?! That’s really not on.

joedenise

That's definitely not fair @Sarahwithlove having to do cooking and washing up!  You need to set a rota with each of you rotating cooking and washing up.  Maybe do a week of cooking while your housemate washes up and then change the following week , although if you like cooking then you could just say I'll cook all the time but you wash up!!!  which is what I think I'd do but I never did the flat share thing when I was younger as I married straight from home so never lived on my own, ever!

Sarahwithlove

astrocytic_kitten said:

You mentioned earlier scheduling in a proper lunch break - I’ve been doing that since working from home and I find it so helpful, especially if I’ve also planned what I’m making for lunch. Means I can eat and also get some fresh air, which then means I’m fresh for work in the afternoon instead of eating chocolate and trying to keep my eyes open like when I was in the office.

I’d find it annoying enough doing the cooking all the time - but the cooking AND the washing up?! That’s really not on.

It's deffo needed as they are booking my calls back to back with no time for lunch break until late afternoon which usually means I grab something quick and easy.
It's partly my own fault because I hate the mess being left there or I need to use the saucepan again so end up just washing it up so can cook the next night. 
She says she will do washing up so I leave it but then it doesn't get done for a few days and it annoys me lol. 

Sarahwithlove

joedenise said:

That's definitely not fair @Sarahwithlove having to do cooking and washing up!  You need to set a rota with each of you rotating cooking and washing up.  Maybe do a week of cooking while your housemate washes up and then change the following week , although if you like cooking then you could just say I'll cook all the time but you wash up!!!  which is what I think I'd do but I never did the flat share thing when I was younger as I married straight from home so never lived on my own, ever!

It's my flat that I own and she lives with me. Quite cheaply I might add. Mostly because when she first moved in I had no real idea of cost of bills etc and she was staying at her bf for half the week. Now she's here full time which is fine dont have issue with it but bills have gone up. Most places also probably wouldn't let her have her pets living with us either. I do love them both so I don't mind in that respect but when comes to tidying and sorting she seems to think that tidying her room and hoovering the living room whilst cleaning out the rabbit is enough. It is starting to become a bug bear for me again. She has a friend coming on Sunday to drop off another rabbit so will see what happens when she mentions cleaning the flat at weekend ready for her friend coming.
I've left washing up from last night and will leave tonight's as well and see what happens. Maybe I'll be lucky and she will do it. Otherwise will have a chat with her after new year about it.