Freedom and Independence.

BudgetingBelinda

I went to the shop 😭 I was tired, I wanted a treat.. I knew I would! Didn’t go mad.. stayed in the treat but also need- wine/fruit/yogurt/boys snacks.. 
but also just paid off that 0.5 step to get me to 10/100 steps to debt free! Balance is key!

BudgetingBelinda

The week has gone! As has some of my willpower. I’m over 400pm for groceries for sure. I will add up.. 🥴. Good news is- I have paid of 10/100 steps of debt and still have some to pay off come payday before next months usual payment.
Im enjoying a chill couple of hours and have plans to do some decluttering this weekend- the wardrobes are taunting me with their doors ajar. The one I did whose door shuts is making me satisfied and motivated! But I do value my down time, it’s few and far between. So I’ll get to that. 

Now I’m already thinking about a takeaway later and how to rationalise that to myself. Not had so many no spend days this week, or AF days. My online weekly grocery shop was small, and maybe too optimistic. Mince- bolognaise and lasagna this week! And frozen fish for kedgeree., lots of excitement about that! Will now think about adding up grocery spend and going back and forth about getting a takeaway later. I think I am clinging on to the budgeting wagon this week. As we crawl towards payday

BudgetingBelinda

464/400 groceries putting it here for accountability. February is another (shorter!) month! 🤞🏼 I’ll do better

enthusiasticsaver

Sorry you have gone over on grocery budget.  You were doing really well but from your posts it sounds like wine is your downfall? We limit ourselves to one a week (for health and wealth reasons) and no more than one takeaway a month for the same reason.  Apart from that you seem to be doing ok on accountability though. 

BudgetingBelinda

enthusiasticsaver said:

Sorry you have gone over on grocery budget.  You were doing really well but from your posts it sounds like wine is your downfall? We limit ourselves to one a week (for health and wealth reasons) and no more than one takeaway a month for the same reason.  Apart from that you seem to be doing ok on accountability though. 

Yes absolutely right! Such a habitual wine-down tool. New week uphead..! I need to do some of your health and wealth management too @enthusiasticsaver! 💪🏼🙌🏼

BudgetingBelinda

Plan for the day:
• Chill in bed with the puppy while watching the post office scandal and drinking tea ✅ 
• Walk puppy
• De-clutter wardrobe
• Relax 

BudgetingBelinda

BudgetingBelinda said:

Plan for the day:
• Chill in bed with the puppy while watching the post office scandal and drinking tea ✅ 
• Walk puppy ✅ 
• De-clutter wardrobe - half a ✅ still more to do but good effort 
• Relax -on it 💪🏼

Update! Tomorrow more wardrobe! Found £12 too 🎉

Less_Talk_and_More_Action

Hi @BudgetingBelinda.  I think you’re doing great - I’m finding myself that the awareness is a big part of it. I’m a bit of a mindless spender and reviewing receipts or bank accounts is great for adding realism to things. 

I must admit I feel your horror on the eating out review.  I have a drive-thru habit when I travel for work. I reviewed 6 weeks from 1st November to 15th December - £180.00 😱😱😱😱.  And that isn’t even anything social.  So easy for it to add up - I’m sure if I’d looked at other months they would have been similar.  

So I made a plan and so far this month (three weeks) I’ve spent  £10.  Not perfect but so much better and, more importantly, gradually changing the habit.  

You are very switched on to your budgets - great overpayment to the DMP.  I’m sure you’ll tweak your groceries to get where you want to be.  

I’m also learning that I need to be flexible- I’ve always been very all or nothing - loads of money paid off and, oops,  no emergency fund so back onto the credit card!!  And so it goes on.  

I’ll be following you with interest- keep taking the small steps. Everything adds up 😁. 

L x 

BudgetingBelinda

@Less_Talk_and_More_Action oh I so am there with mindless spending. And changing that mindset. I’m noticing it so much, and that all or nothing mindset I’m working on.. 
Ive spend time doing my batch cook for the week and prep. Also I am doing an online shop and then going back through in a much more mindful way and editing which is new for me, still needs a lot of work! I caved for a takeaway. But one a month I think is acceptable for my situation. And the balance I want. I am going to try and push those extra extra steps/overpayments before next month. I think that’s what crucially is making me more mindful grocery wise.. internal voice.. ‘weekly £30 to the co-op or to DMP?!’ 

Good luck with your flexible ness and emergency fund build and avoiding the credit cards 🙌🏼 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼

BudgetingBelinda

11/100 💪🏼 just read through my ‘I won’t get a takeaway’ previous post. And I did. Also overspent on groceries. I’m going to overpay when I can and especially when I’ve overspent in other (stuffing my face) areas. So another £60 sent to DMP…. Because of this thread and taking accountability. Sent from overpayment pot, still another couple of steps to go to be really smashing it if at all poss before pay day
.. £665 sent to DMP this month and that progress if I can keep it up, and I’m over budget with groceries and I had a takeaway… will still get me debt free by October.
If (IF) amigo scheme upheld could be sooner…
but kitchen tap needs looking at, and the old car is making some funny noises- I’m turning the radio up and hoping for the best!