Need to stop spending and chasing dopamine!

Pink_Butterfly

Hope everyone has had a nice weekend?! Mine was quite nice. The coffee & walk with my brother yesterday was good. I got a decaf vanilla latte, and it was delicious, so much so I had the same drink this morning when I met one of my close friends for a coffee 😊 She’s my only single friend, so we often like to meet up and share our recent dating experiences 😂 They’re normally tragic 🤣

Speaking of which, I ended things with that man. I think I’ve upset him as it looks like he’s blocked me. I feel bad, but also a bit annoyed, as I kept telling him I wanted to take things slowly and he agreed but clearly didn’t want to as he kept trying to plan loads of things with me, including a trip abroad in 2 months time 😬 It was just too much and I ended up feeling suffocated and like my boundaries were not being respected.

I’ve spent a bit of money on theatre tickets on the credit card but I’ll get it paid off in April - it’s for DD2’s birthday. She’s obsessed with Wicked at the moment so I’m going to take her to see the show during the Easter holidays 😊 My mum is going to have DD1 for me so I can have some very rare one-to-one time with DD2. I’ll do the same for DD1 on her birthday ☺️

My mum was upset earlier, so I popped round to see her. She’s the kindest soul but people take advantage of her. We had a big hug and a good chat and she was smiling by the time I left. She’s also hurt her foot as she slipped down the stairs yesterday ☹️ I’ll check in on her tomorrow x

Pink_Butterfly

Hello! My UC payment came through today, as well as my child benefit, so I sent £161.00 to the holiday, meaning I’ve reached my target 😊 Another £600.00 gone! Yay 😊 I’ve paid almost £2K since I started this diary.

My friend is currently in hospital having her first round of chemo. She’s been so brave. Really hope she doesn’t suffer 🙏🏼

Work was busy today but I managed to only have one chocolate bar from the tuck shop… progress 😉😂

Pinknails101

I've read through your diary, and started following. I think that you should be really proud that you've paid £2K since you've started, it's a great achievement.

I hope your friend is holding up as well as she can be

Pink_Butterfly

Thank you @Pinknails101 😊 I am proud, though the debt repayments are going to slow right down over the next 2-3 months 😬 This is because I have a large service charge bill to pay, but also it’s DD1’s birthday, DD2’s birthday, my birthday, my dad’s birthday, my brother’s 30th birthday, and Mother’s Day, plus I need a new passport, my boiler needs servicing, and finally my car tax & insurance are due (I like to pay them annually). Expensive times!

I got told that I passed my last course unit today. So just the final assessment to do and then I’ve completed it 😊 yay!

My friend is doing ok after having chemo yesterday. She feels cold, but other than that she’s doing well so far. So proud of her!

Work was really really busy today. In fact I’m going to do some more now as I just want an easy life tomorrow 😂

I haven’t seen my girls since Friday but I get them back tomorrow 😍 yay! Can’t wait to squeeze them x

Pink_Butterfly

Good morning! It’s been such a busy week at work so I’m glad it’s the weekend. My job role is changing, and a promotion is on the horizon, so I’m feeling excited and nervous about it all. Imposter syndrome is well and truly here but I think a chat with my boss next week will make me feel better. He’s mapped out my next 2 promotions for me which is lovely but I’m also scared 😂 It’ll be fine, it’ll be fine…

The girls are currently chilling. I’ll probably take them to see my mum a bit later. She’s got my nephew today so we’ll also see him 🥰 He is such a cutie. He’s 2.5 but talks like a 5 year old! And has size 10 feet 😳 My dad won’t be there as he’s currently working overseas but he’ll be back in a couple of weeks.

I’m part way through my final assessment so hoping to get that finished today and then I can say I’m officially done! Then my new focus will be on my health & fitness. I weighed myself this morning for the first time in ages and, well, let’s just say I’ve got some work to do 😅 I’m tracking what I’m eating on MFP and I’ve got my Fitbit at the ready. I’ve been living like a slug the last few months! Time to prioritise my health as my fitness levels should be much better considering I’m only in my 30s 😬

Pay day was yesterday so the bank account is looking lovely! My childminder should be sending me her invoice soon. Then all the direct debits will go out on Monday. Another council tax free month however this time I need to save the money for my large service charge bill 😭 I hate having these big bills!

My friend is still doing ok post chemo which is great news. I might try and go down to see her soon, if I can - this month is a very busy one but I want to see her if possible.

I’m going to get dressed now and then do some more of my assessment. Just want it done now! Have a good day all 😎 x

Pink_Butterfly

Yesterday ended up being a really lovely day. Weather wise it was fairly warm and sunny, so my mum and I ended up walking to the park with my girls and my nephew, who fell asleep in his buggy on the way there. He’s got a bit of a cold bless him. One of my close friends also came along with her kids as her daughter is friends with DD2. After a while she had to leave as she had a hair appointment, but her kids didn’t want to leave so I said I’d look after them, but she got her husband to walk over instead. From then it was like an episode of Coronation Street as my friend’s mum spotted us all and then walked over, and then a school mum came over with her daughter who is also friends with DD2, and then my mum’s neighbours turned up 😂 Once the sun comes out then everyone leaves their houses lol.

My nephew woke up after a while and made friends with my friend’s little boy. It was very cute watching them play together 🥰 My nephew doesn’t go to nursery yet but he needs to in my opinion as he’s desperate to play with other kids. He’s such a lovely little boy.

I finally submitted my assessment last night, so assuming I pass then that’s the course done! Woo hoo 😊

I’m not sure what we’re doing today yet. I’ll be making myself a cup of coffee in a minute though! It’s going to be another nice, sunny day so maybe we’ll go to another park somewhere. After months of being indoors a lot we need to make the most of the nice weather and get some much needed vitamin D! ☀️

Pink_Butterfly

Hello! I’ve been trying to get on here for days! This week has been so busy, and I’ve been going to bed super early as a result. One night I went to bed at 7:30pm 😳

There is a bit of drama going on at work with someone in my team. Can’t say what it is on here obviously but it’s one of the main causes of my hectic week and early nights! I have a meeting tomorrow with 2 directors about it and I’m hoping it’ll all be resolved soon. I don’t really have time for it 😂

What else has been happening? I’ve been eating a lot of healthy food, and have lost 2lbs in 5 days as a result. I’ve also stopped eating chocolate which is a big deal for me, because I am a chocoholic! The downside is my food bill is horribly high. It’s sad that you have to pay more to eat better 😒

The minimum payment on my NatWest CC went out, so the total debt now is £6,374.63 😊

We went to DD2’s parents evening the other night, which was just lovely - her teacher said some wonderful things about her 🥰 I am a proud mama! She went to school dressed up as a Lottie Brooks character today for world book day. I say dressed up… she wore a pair of jeans and a t-shirt 😂 She did ask me to straighten her hair though.

My finger nails and toe nails have been done, and my eyebrows have been waxed, so I’m feeling much better about the way I look! Just need to get my hair sorted out now. Appointment is in 4 days 😊😊 Then I’ll look a lot more fresh again!

I’ve got a busy weekend coming up. Hopefully I’ll have time to do some housework because every room could do with a good scrub!

4 weeks to go, and then I get a week off ☺️ I will definitely need it by the time it comes round 😂

Pink_Butterfly

Morning! It’s the weeeeekenddddd! 🥂

I had a lovely evening last night. I met up with some friends who I hadn’t seen since November and had a meal with them. I stayed good and ordered a salmon & avocado salad with a glass of water 😇 It was tempting to order something naughtier as we were in an Italian restaurant, so carb & cheese galore, but I resisted! I’ve lost 3lbs in the last week so I want to stay focused 😊 I didn’t spend much at all, partly because of what I ordered, but also because we got 20% off due to one friend working for the NHS.

One friend wants to set me up with one of her male friends 😬 She was messaging him while we were out and sent him a picture of me 🙈 I was cringing!

Today I’m going to one of my favourite restaurants for lunch with one of my close friends from work. I’ve already put my favourite dish into the My Fitness Pal app so I can track the calories I’m consuming 😂

Work yesterday was just back to back meetings with my boss. One was about financey things, one was about the colleague I mentioned yesterday (which also involved another director), and one was about my role and how it’s now evolving to something more senior. I should see the changes in terms of salary & job title in about 3-4 months. I already know how much extra I’m getting as I have access to the budget 😂

I’ve sold a pair of DD1’s wedges for £3 so will get that posted shortly. They’ve been on Vinted for ages so I’m just glad to get rid of them! I bought them on Vinted about a year ago for £5 from memory… bargain 😂

Managed to get a free month subscription from Spotify so I can now listen to music on there ad-free. I love listening to music so this is a big deal 😂 I’m too tight to pay for the subscription usually. I’d rather pay £1 ish for the song and then I can play it whenever I like. Makes more sense to me!

It’s only 7am but I’m going to get up now & get ready for the day as I need to try and fit in food shopping, housework, and a couple of other things as well as going out for lunch, so busy busy! Can’t do it tomorrow as I’m going to a spa with my mum (my Christmas present to her) so needs to be done today. Have a lovely day all x

Pink_Butterfly

The rest of my weekend was very nice. Lunch with my friend was good, though I think the teriyaki chicken made me a bit ill. It’s not the first time so I don’t think I can eat it any more 😭 Shame, it’s so tasty!

The spa yesterday was nice, but not AMAZING. You get what you pay for I guess 😂 I’m a snob when it comes to spas lol. The beautician was rushing through my treatments, and I didn’t like her technique. The coffee machine was broken, and the jacuzzi was always full of people. Still, it was nice to spend time with my mum. Even though it was her Christmas present from me, she decided to transfer £50 into my account when we got home, as she wanted to pay for lunch and the parking. It was nowhere near £50, but she wouldn’t accept any money back. Bless her.

I worked from home today as I was too tired to get dressed this morning 😂 After work I got my hair done. One of my close friends does my hair so it was nice to catch up with her!

I’m annoyed with Amazon. They had my CC cream on offer & I’m running low, so I ordered one using a gift card. When it arrived it was the wrong shade, so I requested a replacement. Well, the replacement arrived yesterday, and it’s the wrong shade again! A different shade this time. So I’ve requested a refund and ordered it from somewhere else, and now I need to post the 2 incorrect shades back to Amazon. Annoying!

My friend had her 2nd lot of chemo today. Hopefully she doesn’t get poorly. She’s been ok ish so far! 🙏🏼

Pink_Butterfly

Hello! I have a lot to update you on…

I’ll start off with my friend. She’s a bit more poorly than when she had her first round of chemo, which she was expecting. Yesterday was her worse day as she was feeling super nauseous. I recommended some travel sickness bands, so she got some and they seemed to help and today she hasn’t been feeling as bad, so hopefully she’ll continue to feel better now. 1/6 of the way there!

We had a big presentation/business review yesterday at work and I was given an award, which was so lovely & unexpected. I’m also getting an extra £350 in my pay packet this month! So so lovely of them, and it’s really going to help as my budget was looking a bit tight. I won’t really know how much extra I’m getting until I see my Universal Credit award next month as obviously more wages means less UC payments. During the presentation we had lunch provided for us, and dinner, but I felt unwell before the dinner so I went home. I’m still not feeling great but I’m better than I was. The pains got so bad at one point that I could hardly stand up 😬

I’ve paid off the theatre tickets for DD2’s birthday that were sitting on the Barclaycard. I’ve also transferred £8.71 that I received from my new NatWest rewards account into my account. It’s basically Cashback from stuff I would’ve paid for anyway!

I received my new council tax bill today. An extra £6 a month for me, which isn’t bad in comparison to a lot of my friends! We went to the pub a couple of nights ago and they were saying how theirs have increased by a lot. The pub we went to was our local Weatherspoons, which I don’t think I’ve been to for over 10 years despite it being 1/2 mile away from where I live 😂

The girls are going to bed soon so I’m going to get them to clean their teeth now. They’ve got a dentist appointment next week so they need their teeth to look sparkling! 😁