Trying to stay out of debt! [35/AuDHD/Cats/Frugal Living]

daintydaisy

Totally agree with the relief & finding a community - I’m still navigating life after diagnosis and haven’t told a lot of people aside from my family, some close friends and people online. I love forums because I feel like there’s no rush to reply like there is with other social media. 

I actually totally forgot that Greys was still running! I’m terrible at watching TV shows especially if there are already a lot of eps out but I’ve heard a lot of good things about greys. 

I picked some cards up in Aldi a few weeks ago but there were only about 4 packs left. It’s almost impossible to enjoy the hobby right now thanks to scalpers. Although my Journey Together ETB did arrive early (last sat) and I have a couple more packs and some prismatic tins arriving in April. I’m on a spending ban now until I get paid next week and even then I’m going to try and hold off, I will maybe allocate myself a small amount but I don’t want to get pulled into the impulsive spending again just because something has limited stock! 

Hope you’ve had a good week x 

Catlady2025

I also love that there is no urgency in forum communication. It is a much more relaxed environment in general and I feel like if I do go off on a tangent, that's okay?? Whereas on social media there's also the chance that something you say could blow up. Getting on the 'wrong side' of Tiktok is a huge fear of mine. No idea how that would happen... but like on Facebook, I always see 'x has commented on this post in this group' and I think to myself - I'm sure that person doesn't realise that everyone knows they've said that. It feels really invasive? 

ANYWAY! I love Grey's! I saw a lot of tiktok videos of the show and ended up watching it last year (I'm on my third watch now). I get obsessed with TV shows and just like to watch them on repeat. 

Congrats on getting your hands on some Journey Together! My local small business game store got some Prismatic and I was able to pre-order a box, but there were so many requests for pre-order of JT that they took down the post and are figuring out a way to allow people to buy them fairly. I did manage to get some tech sticker sets on Amazon of PE but it was because I saw a post on a buying page that said they had them and I happened to see the post before they sold out. I totally get how difficult it is to not impulse buy. The same local game store I mentioned had some ETBs in and I bought one of each.... Didn't even think about it. It's not very frugal that's for sure!! 

That's me for the month now! 

Catlady2025

I stumbled upon Caleb Hammer on Tiktok, and have been watching some of his YouTube videos. It make me want to be more frugal, so I'm going to keep watching. Not every episode is relevant, but it feels motivational! 

Other than that, debt has increased... but I'm planning to do some meal planning later. Got to take an inventory of what I have in the fridge/freezer/cupboards first. 

Chocolatefund

I like to watch Dave Ramsey ‘Rants’ as motivation.  He’s like the ‘tough love’ uncle that we sometimes need.

Damien Talks Money is one of my fave uk ones to watch on Utube.

mumtoomany

Hi, @Catlady2025. From one who's family is full of ND souls, you are doing great. Keep up the good work. I have sent you a private message, hugs, mumtoomany.x

Catlady2025

Feeling pretty positive over here in my corner of the world! Thank you @mumtoomany for your nice comments.  


Knocked my debt down to £529.73. I cannot pay it off totally this month, which makes me feel sad - but I need to be realistic. Knowing that I'm going to pay interest next month feels more painful than it has done in the past. Just keep thinking about where I want to be and where I am now. 

My focus is shifting onto my impulsivity. I think I've finally accepted that I NEED routine. I believe this is a big issue for a lot of AuDHD people. The autistic person in me craves routine, but the ADHD in me likes to be sporadic. Sometimes when I'm thinking about what I plan for the day - I start to think about doing expensive things. I have started to be more aware of these types of thought and challenging them almost immediately. Changing my behaviour feels really important to me right now. I want to lose weight, have a healthy credit score, and start saving money. 

I've made a little list of things I could do instead of going shopping/for coffee/going to the coast right by the door (I have a little whiteboard with a list of things to do before I leave the house too). I'm hoping that this might help. 

I'm realising that I am a very visual person, and there are things I can do to help me. I just don't really know what they are yet. I've been thinking about printing out pictures to put up in the house or something. idk. Any thoughts would be appreciated. If there are visual things you use to help you with life in general or in budgeting/living well. 

Catlady2025

I guess it's been a week!!

I bought potatoes, carrots and broccoli from the big T on Saturday whilst they were 15p. Went a bit overboard on a present for my Mum. Intended to buy some flowers and ended up spending £35... as soon as I left the shop I felt a bit sick to be honest because it's so much money. Mum said I shouldn't have got her anything at all, but I guess I fell foul of this idea that I obviously don't love her if I don't buy her something. (Didn't need to be £35.) 

I have banana bread in the oven, chicken curry in the slow cooker, and another chicken dish on the hob. Only problem now is that I don't have enough tupperware. I'm going to pop out once the bread is done. I don't think I have enough points for the offer on glassware at morereasons. I feel like I better not go there because I'll just end up buying like 8 containers. One day I would like to switch to glass containers but for now plastic will have to do. There's a poundstretcher near me.

I've been working on some long term and short term goals. I actually weighed myself earlier this week so I have a point to work from. Easter has been a bit indulgent. It is currently raining so I will have to switch the walk goal for a cycling goal I suppose! 

Any tips for how to use the rest of my carrots/potatoes/broccoli that isn't more batch cooking. lmao. Going to google the best way to store them. Might end up freezing the carrots. 

Hope everyone is well! 

dawnybabes

I pop potatoes in a dark bag in the garage and they keep for ages, broccoli I’d be stir frying it and carrots you could prepare and freeze or they should be ok for a couple of weeks in the fridge.  

We use the Alexa for everything in this house (AuDHD 22 year old son) 

Catlady2025

I ended up going to H0me B@rgains to get some tupperware a few weeks back as I'd batch cooked and not got enough to freeze everything. Whilst I was there I got a large container specifically to put the carrots in. There were two containers. One was £1.99 and was just a bog standard tupperware box? The other was £3.99 and had those clips on the edges. 

I thought - well I'll get the cheaper one and save money. When I got it home I lined it with kitchen roll and stuck the carrots in but the box would not stay closed. In the end almost half the carrots I'd stored went bad within the week and I had to throw them out. I'm not sure if getting the box with the clips would have made any difference? I found a website that suggested that storing carrots in an air tight container would make them last a month! 

I put the potatoes in the fridge and they all seem fine still. 

Catlady2025

Also. I caved this week and 'bought' a Disney+ subscription. I had £7.50 worth of Te$co clubcard vouchers so traded it for 3 months sub (with ads). Mostly because I wanted to finish Daredevil: Born Again, and catch up on Grey's Anatomy. 

Now I'm re-watching Daredevil from the beginning again. It is sooooo good!!!