Intentionally spending my time and money to FIRE and move to Yorkshire

kimwp

Financial Review:
Spends this week until I had a good chat on the pensions board about spending more now rather than saving it for later were just my car insurance £228 plus £20 cash back. I was pondering about delaying food shop and some things I wanted to buy in order to keep within budget, but after the chat, I've bought some clothes so I won't have to plan to do washing so carefully (59) and a new cooker (£745 plus I need to sort disconnection and installation) and had a celebratory lunch from M&S bits and pieces.

I've lost track of the numbers below as some spends weren't showing on my statement last week and now everything is out of order, but I'll know the numbers when I update my spreadsheet after the end of the month. Decided not to track the really variable spends in this thread as I'm not sure it's helping me with anything.

Category: Budget>Spend (difference)

Petrol/diesel:	100	> 75.76
Groceries etc:	200	> 195	(-)
Tools & equipment	40	> 0	(-)
Socialising & presents ("friend spend" - includes eating out)	100	> 0	(-)
Wellbeing - physio, dance class, hobbies etc	100	> 26	(-)
Clothing, shoes, haircuts	40	> 132	(-)
Takeaways & "I see, I want" shopping	0	> 0	(-)

Bus to the town centre to set up coop account                                     0    > 4


Goal Review:
- Be healthy and fit by adding to my healthy habits
Weeks where I have successfully fought false hunger: 7/7
Fitness target is to do some aerobics, some strength and some stretching every day. - I wasn't very well this week, but I've managed a few days 
- Spend money (only) where it is necessary or adds value to my life - yes- car insurance (necessary), clothes (make life easier), cooker (move away from gas for environment and health reasons)
- Spend time (only) where it is necessary or adds value to my life - getting there - I've been quite good at reminding myself to get on with other things rather than watch tv or browse the internet. And spent a lovely day with a friend and

kimwp

Wrote most of this out, then accidentally clicked to another page so lost it all. Reflections in summary, 

May included seven (!!) trips to get probably junk food, so I am going to get receipts to review what I buy and try harder not to pop to the shops. I've not ordered any takeaways, despite logging on and creating shopping lists of junk food several times.

Goal Review:
- Be healthy and fit by adding to my healthy habits 
Weeks where I have successfully fought false hunger: 8/8, though I have to be a bit more careful when I'm out of my routine
Fitness target is to do some aerobics, some strength and some stretching every day. -  managed something every day but one this week
- Spend money (only) where it is necessary or adds value to my life - yes - apart from junk food!
- Spend time (only) where it is necessary or adds value to my life - spent most of yesterday watching Queen Charlotte, a Bridgerton story, so that's grey area, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Otherwise, I have been a busy bee - doing or planning.

Skint_yet_Again

I too used to find it difficult to avoid junk food when going in the local c0 0p for milk. Now I live a couple of hundred miles north and there is no local shop in walking distance which helps 😆

Some days you just need to relax, it still adds value to your life. 😊

kimwp

Skint_yet_Again said:

I too used to find it difficult to avoid junk food when going in the local c0 0p for milk. Now I live a couple of hundred miles north and there is no local shop in walking distance which helps 😆

Some days you just need to relax, it still adds value to your life. 😊

Thank you @Skint_yet_Again, what's ridiculous is that it's not even in walking distance, I drive there - and I'm not going to get anything I need most of the time - the trip is entirely for junk food. 

I agree about relaxing adding value, particularly if accompanied by a purring fluff ball

kimwp

Spends in June so far have been groceries, a very pretty top that I have already worn three times (£3.50, Treetops), a bread bin in a particular style that I have wanted since I bought my house nine years ago (£2.39 PDSA), a black vest top (£4 BHF), more hay fever "meds" (becodefence £11.99!), lunch with a friend (£16 incl parking), a pretty summer dress that makes me feel like I'm in an Austen novel (£4.50, Children's AA), a junk food shop, two lunches at work, tickets to the Leicester Van Gogh immersive experience and an outdoor cinema showing for a fun weekend with my mum and a takeaway today...it's been a pretty spendy 10 days! Minor regrets re the junk food and the takeaway today, but I thoroughly enjoyed both and this is my seventh day without a cooker as I had to get the gas cooker disconnected before the new one arrived.

A bit annoyed at myself as I hadn't thought to check if I could get cash back or nectar points when buying my new cooker - when I did a quick google today, I could have got £21 cash back. But I spent Sunday narrowing a cabinet to fit the new cooker, so I guess I can count that as money-saving (as long as I can make the door and top look ok, those still remain to do!)

Given my new aim of figuring out my number (vs trying to keep to a budget), I'm going to tally my spends in each category at the end of each month, rather than weekly, to stop myself trying to fit my spends into my budget.

Goal Review:
- Be healthy and fit by adding to my healthy habits 
Weeks where I have successfully fought false hunger: 9/9, I think I have managed it this week, though I suspect I have been absent-mindedly munching.
Fitness target is to do some aerobics, some strength and some stretching every day. -  I have not done well on this, after the disciplined week before. I did walk to the cafe for lunch with my friend today though.
- Spend money (only) where it is necessary or adds value to my life - yes - apart from junk food!
- Spend time (only) where it is necessary or adds value to my life - I have strayed onto bored panda more than I'd like to..I'm going to replace that with Babel modules or reading a novel.

Skint_yet_Again

Spends for June so far look good. At least you enjoyed the junk food and takeaway. You won’t forget to check cash back again 😆

kimwp

Thanks @Skint_yet_Again, actually if you hadn't reminded me, I would have forgotten to check when I went to buy new pans. I've only bought one so far though, struggling to find exactly what I want ie stainless steel, uncoated, welded handles and glass lids. For some reason, the idea of the rivets on the inside of the pan is really annoying me - none of my pans have this at the moment.

This last week has not been spent intentionally in the slightest as my cat had constipation, so I got out of bed every time she wanted water from the bathroom tap. A bit extreme, but I'm still in the emotional aftermath of losing my other cat earlier this year. The resulting tiredness and a sore back from wrangling lactulose into the wriggler, plus being a bit afraid of damaging my new cooker, plus a colleague being extremely frustrating resulted in another takeaway and a junk food delivery. It was a trying and tiring week and I gave myself a pass of it being an unusual week.

Spends since last week have been paying the gasman (£60) and electrician (£150) to disconnect old and connect new cooker, vet visit (£76), takeaway (£29.76, made three very tasty meals), cat food once my tired brain reminded itself that I could mix the lactulose in with the gravy (£2.69), groceries and a new (expensive) pan (£98.63 with a 30% discount and a free 20cm non-stick frying pan).  As the pan is uncoated stainless steel, I'll use it for the rest of its/my life - I would have kept my existing pans til then if they had been induction compatible.

kimwp

A much better week this week, though with a bit of an energy/emotional dip from the middle. I forgot last week that I did an amazon order (£35 - elastic shoe laces to replace the dead ones in my gardening shoes (old walking boots), claw clippers for the fur ball and cuticle clippers for me, 10l vinegar for cleaning and two kilner jars after several incidents where the flimsy plastic used by the local shop I'm now using sent lentils and pumpkin seeds flying everywhere).

This week, my spends have been two Stellar draining pans (£73.90, including a free half baking tray), which I really like, breakfast, lunch and a sandwich at work, a junk food delivery (another frustrating colleague encounter, though I logged out of the app several times before giving in and managed to buy relatively healthy junk food apart from cheesy puffs and a ginger pudding cake - nuts, popcorn, plain tortilla chips and salsa), groceries. I also did another  amazon order, which was a whopping £70 - four more kilner jars, dr Beckmann odour remover, a wide brimmed hat because I keep avoiding walking outside as I hate suncream and two sets of fruit tree sleeves - ever since my cherry tree became too big for me to net, I've lost the crop, so I'm going to give this a go (assuming I've not lost the crop already this year!) I'd really like to not use amazon due to how they treat their workers, but unfortunately as a customer it's very convenient and good customer service.

I keep thinking, "I've got so much stuff, I can't possibly need any more things", then it turns out I can.

Goal Review:
- Be healthy and fit by adding to my healthy habits 
Weeks where I have successfully fought false hunger: 9/10, definitely been eating when I haven't needed anything. As I've now missed a week, I'm going to aim for this to be 95% or more so I have a chance of bringing it back to target if it drops down.
Fitness target is to do some aerobics, some strength and some stretching every day. -  I have not done well on this, I've quite sleepy/lazy this week.
- Spend money (only) where it is necessary or adds value to my life - hmmm - junk food shop and pretty sure I wouldn't have bought quite so many kilner jars if the min purchase for free delivery hadn't gone up to £35. 
- Spend time (only) where it is necessary or adds value to my life - My plan was to replace bored panda mindlessness with Babel modules or reading a novel, which has not happened in the slightest, but after a week of sleepy/laziness, I'm starting to get back on planning my time, so hopefully a better report next week.

kimwp

My cherry tree has indeed been completely stripped, so no cherries for me this year! I have the sleeves for next year, and a plan to cut some of the branches during its dormant period to concentrate the fruit on the lower branches. An amazing 2l of blackcurrants from my mature bush, the little one has done its best, but the bindweed has smothered it while I've not been able to get out. 

This week, my spends have been my turn for paying for lunch (£26.20), lemon meringue cake slice for elderly neighbour (£3.95), boiler service (£64.99), ubereats delivery (£17.08), vet visit for conjunctivitis (£77.60), food shops £37.50 and £13.34). One of the kilner jars I bought had a little stone embedded in it and I was thinking it was going to be a pain to send it back, but there was an option for returnless refund, so that was painless. I'm not sure what to do with it now, it's not broken as such, but I think the embedded stone will create a weak point, so it will break more easily.  Tomorrow will be the last day in June, expected spends are the dentist, possible lunch with friend and BnQ for some plumbing bits to attempt to address a dripping tap. ubereats delivery is the only regret - relatively healthy food apart from Jamaican pudding cake (popcorn, plain tortilla chips, salsa), but loads of plastic bags and definitely overeating due to stress and availability of crunchy food. 

Goal Review:
- Be healthy and fit by adding to my healthy habits 
Weeks where I have successfully fought false hunger (target 95%): 8/10.
Fitness target is to do some aerobics, some strength and some stretching every day. -  not good this week - too hot, but that's not a good reason.
- Spend money (only) where it is necessary or adds value to my life - hmmm - ubereats not great, but otherwise necessary or joy-bringing spends. 
- Spend time (only) where it is necessary or adds value to my life - I read a bit of my current novel and managed to get through a few things on the chores list, but spent a bit too much time zoning out in front of Netflix, need a bit more nike attitude.

Skint_yet_Again

Great result with the kilner jar kimwp. Sorry to hear about the bindweed, I have lots of that too but weedkiller doesn’t seem to be touching it.