Currently clueless...aiming for awareness

[Deleted User]

I think we all need to be mindful that we are on our journeys. It would be very easy to say if you're in debt you should eat x, y, z only from the cheapest shops, wash your hair with washing up liquid, sell your house and live in a tent, use of rags for toilet paper and walk everywhere... lol but we all need to do things that we are comfortable with. That threshold will look different for different people. Frugality is such a spectrum, it's all about personal choice and balance.

Keep going and do what you feel is best

xanderaw

@canvascamper I also struggle with self control / being held accountable and find your diary really resonated. I've subscribed, looking forward to the journey

canvascamper

@Farmers-wife_2 I'm so sorry to hear about your best friend's son. Life really is precious when we have it.

In relation to my hours, I currently work 4 days (3 normal and 1 short) so there would be scope to increase hours and that would be the plan if I can't reduce spending, but I'm currently awaiting the outcome of a very long interview and assessment process for a self employed position in the judiciary that I would do alongside my normal job. The pay for that is fabulous (minimum £15k gross per year extra for 30 days work) but I need to room in my schedule to do the hours, so I'm waiting for the decision on that before I think about increasing my hours. My final interview was in February and I get the decision at the end of July 😱 so it's a bit of a waiting game. Typical government process! 

canvascamper

Daily update - another no spend day!!

I was in the office but got lift into work with OH. I took a packed lunch (v boring microwave rice) but my boss bought us a Chinese anyway so I had a lovely fresh lunch for free, was mad busy so didn't go out of the office, and then when I went to get the tram home the machine was out of order so I couldn't tap in for my ticket anyway. 

Plans for the weekend -

Saturday - Older kids have parkour/trampoline club in the morning, afternoon at home in the garden/relaxing at home. Movie night at tea time (we do this every Saturday)

Sunday - OH is taking 10yo to see the Sonic movie, I'm taking 7yo to spend her book token with 3yo in tow. 

I've taken lots of photos for eBay and will list stuff whilst "watching" the kids do their parkour (bouncing around for 2 hours in a freezing warehouse 🙄). 

I'll need to go to Aldi at some point to stock up for packed lunches. We're due an online Big Shop next week, I've already done the meal plan, we have a monthly rotating menu so this is fairly straightforward. 

How exciting does my life sound 😂

canvascamper

3rd no spend day of the month! Think I'm addicted 😄

I listed 10 things on eBay today, tidied the garden, and signed up for one of those receipt-photo app things. 

Tomorrow will be a challenge - OH taking the boys to the cinema and I'm taking 7yo to the bookshop, but it's in a huge shopping centre and she is an absolute pester power champion. I will need a will of iron! 

canvascamper

Well....today was a bit of a failure to be honest.

Set off for the shopping centre with very good intentions, armed with 7yos book token and a Love2Shop voucher OH had remembered he had got ages ago. Went into Asda to get the boys some cinema snacks without paying extortionate prices, and did a top up shop. I set a budget of £20 and 7yo and I were very diligent with our choices, coming out with a final spend on £19.18 which we were pretty pleased with.

Into shopping centre, but most of the shops did not open until 12 so we mooched about for half an hour and I bought 7yo a smoothie - I had come prepared with a bottle of water but OH realised as they went into the cinema he'd forgotten one for the boys so I gave that to him. First unplanned spend!

Went into the bookshop and 7yo spent AGES choosing a book. Her book token had a £10 limit on it. She chose 2 books at £6 each and I agreed to top up the amount to £12. We got to the till to discover that the book token had already been spent previously - I have no idea when! 7yo was understandably upset so I bought one of the books and put the other on her birthday list. Second unplanned spend!

7yo needed a new water bottle for school as hers keeps leaking, I think the seal is worn away. We went past the sensory overload that is Smiggle and 7yo spotted a water bottle she liked. I had a quick google and it looked like Smiggle accept Love2shop so we went in and again spent the time only a 7yo can spend making a decision. She (eventually) picked a water bottle for £12.50.

We got to the till and of course, they don't accept Love2shop vouchers. They do advertise offers on Love2shop but that's all, but I hadn't read it properly. What I absolutely should have done, of course, is tell 7yo she can't have the bottle, but I am so useless when it comes to not wanting to disappoint, honestly I'm such a people pleaser it's ridiculous. Also there was a queue behind me and the lovely staff member looking at me expectantly...so of course I paid the £12.50 and died a little bit inside, instead. Third unplanned spend!

What I didn't do at that point, which is what I might have done previously, is say "sod it" and keep on spending. So we didn't stay out for lunch, I didn't get coffee, I didn't buy anything else, we came home and the kids are now finishing their homework before we watch the dinosaur thing with David Attenborough on BBC.

In happier news, I sold 3 things on eBay since Thursday, a load of the questionable seeds I planted have germinated, and we still have an unexpected £45 love2shop voucher that I can use for birthday presents. 

twiggy86

I would say you had a few wins in there actually! You planned with the water - OH was the one who had the planning failure! You then didn't just buy both of the books (and had agreed to pay £2)! Maybe you could have got a cheaper water bottle - but you needed to buy one from somewhere, so not a wasted spend. And as you said you didn't carry on spending and have a voucher to use in future! 

[Deleted User]

We will fall down slip up but I think it makes us more determined and next time you'll be more aware. I agree re the wins, you didn't keep sending, so much more money could have been spent. Well done for putting a lid on it xxx

shell16

Well done on those wins, and I really agree with @twiggy86 and @Deleted_User at least you didnt carry on spending which the old you would have done previously.  You are learning, so pat yourself on the back!

Shell x

canvascamper

Thanks for the encouragement and positive thinking you lovely lot! 

I managed another NSD today which is great as I usually do an Aldi shop after dropping the kids off at school. There's 2 ways to walk to and from school, either through the park or through the local mall with Aldi/Boots/home bargains etc. I try and avoid walking through with the kids but I often cut through on the way home and end up buying things we 'need' (that we don't need, of course).

I'm determined to go through the park much more so did all 4 legs there and back today. 12000 steps! 

I made £10 on surveys this week so I've cashed it out and when it arrives in my PayPal I need to decide whether to transfer it to my bank to reduce my overdraft or keep it in my PayPal to use for purchases as needed. 

Child benefit came through today, which is all of my spending money for food and non-bills from today until the end of May, plus I've budgeted an additional £50 when I get paid mid month. It's gone up by £5 (now £201 per month) so I transferred the extra £5 straight to the credit card as an extra payment. It's going to be a challenge to stick to the budget but I really want to. OH's birthday is the end of May so I'll need to factor that in. I bought him a hoodie from eBay already and he wants a new guitar stand. We'll probably have a family day out so will need to think of something cheap to do.