Leaping from debt free to self employed

CreditCardJunkie

Plodding along until payday...first month being totally self employed! Invoices will be sent last working day of the month and 🤞 invoices won't take too long to get paid. Picked up some extra work this month via the business so luckily didn't need any government support in the end. Honestly I've really enjoyed the freedom and downtime. I've worked out I won't have a lot left over this month so having to be really careful with spending.

CreditCardJunkie

Probably much like everyone else, food shopping is costing so much at the moment. We already shop at Lidl, buy a lot of own brand and use their own brand nappies. Will see what we can trim down in Feb and it may be we just need to allocate a bigger budget to food.

Sarahwithlove

I agree food shopping has definitely got more expensive. We managed between Xmas and New year to get a lot of yellow sticker meat so luckily that has given us cheaper food bills this month but I know when it runs out at end of this week we will be back to paying more again. Also doesn't help that trying to eat healthier which sadly is more expensive as well. Everything seems to cost more but wages don't seem to have gone up to match it. 

CreditCardJunkie

Sarahwithlove said:

I agree food shopping has definitely got more expensive. We managed between Xmas and New year to get a lot of yellow sticker meat so luckily that has given us cheaper food bills this month but I know when it runs out at end of this week we will be back to paying more again. Also doesn't help that trying to eat healthier which sadly is more expensive as well. Everything seems to cost more but wages don't seem to have gone up to match it. 

We were exactly the same with the yellow sticker meat! I could do with trying to eat healthier but just don't have the motivation at the moment!!

Sarahwithlove

CreditCardJunkie said:

Sarahwithlove said:

I agree food shopping has definitely got more expensive. We managed between Xmas and New year to get a lot of yellow sticker meat so luckily that has given us cheaper food bills this month but I know when it runs out at end of this week we will be back to paying more again. Also doesn't help that trying to eat healthier which sadly is more expensive as well. Everything seems to cost more but wages don't seem to have gone up to match it. 

We were exactly the same with the yellow sticker meat! I could do with trying to eat healthier but just don't have the motivation at the moment!!

Motivation wise I'm doing OK and also following 16:8 Mon to Friday which helps. But it's just expensive especially as I'm trying to get my 5 a day in every day where possible.

SSTJCKel

Sarahwithlove said:

Motivation wise I'm doing OK and also following 16:8 Mon to Friday which helps. But it's just expensive especially as I'm trying to get my 5 a day in every day where possible.

Just a though but I am working nights near an M&S food hall. I have found that if I go in there after 8pm they discount a lot of their sandwiches and salads. I'm trying to lose weight and get my cholesterol down so trying to eat more healthily. Last week for instance I went in and came out with a sun dried tomato & rice salad, a falafel wrap thing and a chicken salad with all sorts of veg in it all for £3.72. Together they gave me 2 of my 5 a day and all with a total fat level of less than one normal sandwich so i'm eating more healthily and saving money. Its nice food too....

CreditCardJunkie

SSTJCKel said:

Sarahwithlove said:

Motivation wise I'm doing OK and also following 16:8 Mon to Friday which helps. But it's just expensive especially as I'm trying to get my 5 a day in every day where possible.

Just a though but I am working nights near an M&S food hall. I have found that if I go in there after 8pm they discount a lot of their sandwiches and salads. I'm trying to lose weight and get my cholesterol down so trying to eat more healthily. Last week for instance I went in and came out with a sun dried tomato & rice salad, a falafel wrap thing and a chicken salad with all sorts of veg in it all for £3.72. Together they gave me 2 of my 5 a day and all with a total fat level of less than one normal sandwich so i'm eating more healthily and saving money. Its nice food too....

That's a great tip thank you!!

CreditCardJunkie

I have been dying for a takeaway lunch all week (think due to sleep deprivation), however my budget doesn't allow and where the old me would have stuck it on my credit card, reformed me knows better and has been making do with what's in the cupboards. I feel like it's taken a long time to get to this point but I'm so glad I'm on the other side of it now. Self employment has been steady enough, not masses amounts of disposable income but enough for what we need.
Spending lots of time with my daughter, however not quite what I'd imagined as I really thought all these lockdowns would be over us by now. The weather has been either extremely cold or extremely wet. Getting out most days for a little fresh air but there's only so long you can stay out in that weather. I bought myself a waterproof coat which unfortunately isn't very warm.
Hope everyone is doing ok.

CreditCardJunkie

Sooo the lockdown has been extended in NI until 1st April 🙄 one client hasnt quite worked out which could potentially leave me short as very part time job is among the last places to be reopened. I am ok for this month and I have enough savings to make up the potential shortfall for 1 or 2 months. Beyond that I may need to look for something else. Ugh ☹️ 

CreditCardJunkie

Picked up another client ☺️ luckily every time I think I'm going to be short the universe seems to send me something extra to make up the shortfall!
Pay day today and haven't been able to add anything extra to the EF. I do have a spare £750 in the business account in case of a rainy day and our Christmas fund now has £100 in it.