The turtle moves.... slowly

astrocytic_kitten

It’s been useful for me to think about MB, because the most sustainable action is to only buy clothes you love and that will last a long time…and not, for instance, buy a bunch of sub-£10 stuff because it’s 70% off and “ok”, then at the end of the year add up all those small buys and realise you need to do better 🤣

savingholmes

I can so relate to that on clothes... Getting better though.

astrocytic_kitten

The more I think about the clothes spending, the less happy I am with it. I definitely want to do better this year - apart from anything, I definitely can’t think of much I actually need and I definitely want to stick to needs.

savingholmes

I'd still allow yourself some clothes money though or you will rebel against yourself and end up spending more... or is that just me

astrocytic_kitten

Thanks SH, yes restriction also doesn’t work for me! I accepted a couple of years ago that giving myself a clothes budget/ pot just doesn’t work for me, no matter how much it makes sense, so instead I have a fritter pot which is used for clothes/books/plants/wildly expensive loose leaf tea in pretty tins, as needed until it runs out. Last year any slack in budget went to clothes as well as buying stuff for new home. 

This year I’ll still let myself buy clothes but I plan to be very mindful and careful with it and really only buy needs. I plan to do the same with the flat too, I feel like with all the needed spending I was doing after the move last year I just generally loosened up on spending in all areas. For various reasons there is zero slack in the budget this year so if I’m going to stick to budget and not get into debt I’ll need to be much better this year. I’ve done it before so I know I can do it, I’m just hammering the point home here to also hammer it into my head 😂

savingholmes

I have to keep repeating things for good habits to stick too

astrocytic_kitten

So I knew it was a while since I’d updated my diary but didn’t realise it was over a year! Thankfully I didn’t go off the rails during my year away from MSE, which may be a first for me 😆 And it means I can see my 2023 goals nice and easily to compare!

Very quickly: still debt free other than the mortgage, which is currently 11% paid. Health is a disaster and I’m adjusting to a different life than the one I thought I’d have, but cats continue to provide entertainment. I’m overpaying the mortgage slightly and also saving money (first time in my life I’ve had savings to earn interest on) but still feel like I’m spending just a bit too much.

I rounded up my 2023 spending a couple of months ago (2022 in brackets)

- Food, household: 208.26 (148.21)    
- Cat food and litter: 75.28 (75.66)
- Toiletries: 14.98 (11.45)
- Books: 23.78 (25.62)
- Plants: 7.12 (23.66)
- Yoga: 23.18 (10.36)
- Clothes: 73.32 (87.49) 
- Home stuff: 49.3 (54.02)

Not really looking for comments on the food, it’s currently what is needed to eat vaguely healthily while my health is really bad and it’s as good as it can be for now. 

Amazingly, my book spending and clothes spending have both decreased! Not by much, but still. Clothes is still a bit higher than I’d like but I’m pleased with books, especially as I read lots last year. Have completely failed at reading through my to be read pile however, and I think it might actually be bigger than it was a year ago. Part of this is due to making excellent use of the library. The other part is enthusiastically embracing an idea I saw on Instagram of treating your unread books like a wine cellar, where you’re laying them down for the right moment to pick one up 😆

I’m hoping to keep checking in here, and I’m lurking away gradually catching up on diaries too. I guess my 2024 goals are the same as my 2023 ones, just with the aim to do them a bit better this year. Consistency has always been my weak point, I’m more of a massive push to sprint to the finish person than a continue to make sensible decisions every day person 

redofromstart

Good to see you back, and glad that your absence wasn't all bad. 

astrocytic_kitten

Redo! I’m still keeping my running list of purchases, and I must tell you that I only bought one jumper last year! One! 

redofromstart

I am very impressed. I try not to count but I think mine was probably either many or lots. Possibly many lots actually.