One step at a time

seventh88

Hi @sunshineli lovely to hear about your days recently. I hear you on meeting up with a friend and spending a wee bit too much on lunch/drinks. Sometimes we can save a bit of money - looking up places in advance like you say - other times, you know what, maybe those lunches just need to be our splurges if we've had a great day with a friend, and you recognise that it really doesn't happen very often. Easter and riverside walks sound fab, I hope they were sunny ones Take care and all the best for your money saving days ahead

sunshineli

I really must remember to post more updates on here! 

I tend to look at my months based on when I get paid which is around the 20th of each month. Last month (20th April - 20th May) was pretty expensive with the week off work at the end of April and also my friend’s hen party weekend. I’m looking forward to this month hopefully being a bit more frugal and replenishing my bank account.

This weekend has been lovely and was spent going to the library, reading a new book, going for a nice walk, and swimming for the first time in years. My doctor recommended swimming to help my joints. I forget how tiring swimming is, I needed a 2 hour nap afterwards! I haven’t spent too much this weekend although DH and I did go out for a ‘date day’ which we are trying to do once a month now. £18.70 spent on lunch this day. 

I’m starting to get used to working 4 days per week and it’s definitely made me feel like I have a better work life balance. I have also recently cut out alcohol and caffeine. I’m only 9 days into it so far, but I already feel a lot better mentally. 

I haven’t made too much progress with adding to the savings account recently, £4,445 currently. I’m still on track to hopefully meet my goal of £7,000 in it by the end of the year, fingers crossed.

sunshineli

Did a top up shop at Lidl last night and £29.05 spent. We don’t go to Lidl that often so stocked up on soya milk, toilet roll, fizzy drinks, cereal etc which should last a while. Today was a much needed NSD. I have felt very fatigued and brain foggy for most of the day, so I have spent most of the evening reading and relaxing. I’m working in the office tomorrow and hopefully my only spend should be £5 for the train. Lunch is packed ready for tomorrow, to avoid unnecessary spending on expensive convenience food. I actually find a homemade packed lunch is much healthier and nicer.

sunshineli

I’ve completed my office day for the week and I’m feeling quite drained now. I spent £5 on the train and also bought a card, wrapping paper and a book for my nieces first birthday which came to £5.50 in total. This was already budgeted for and came out of my gift fund so all in all a pretty frugal day.

DH made a rigatoni arrabbiata with veggie chicken for tea, which was very nice. 

sunshineli

Yesterday was a successful NSD which is made much easier by working from home. Today I had to go out for a work meeting which cost me £2.75 on the train. I was expecting this to be £5 but as it was off peak times it was less, so that was a nice surprise. 

We also got our weekly food shop delivery today which was £51.75. We got plenty of veg ready for some healthy vegetable packed meals this week. On the meal plan we have veggie Thai green curry and veggie lasagne which will last a good few days. Also planning on having hotdogs, a pasta dish and chicken salad wraps.

We do need to go to Lidl tomorrow to pick up a few extras like bread which we didn’t get in our delivery. I also have a free vegetable to pick up from Lidl for spending £50 (I think?) this month. 

sunshineli

Today has been a ‘simple living’ kind of day. I went for a short walk into town first thing before it got too warm, and wandered around the little market. I bought some incense (£6) as a gift for myself. I bought my friend an engagement present (£19) from a small business. When I got home I had some brunch and a decaf coffee before I went into the garden to do some pottering and a bit of weeding. I was quite tired after the gardening so in the afternoon I relaxed with my audiobook and then eventually did some baking this evening. I like these quiet days of just pottering at home and in my local town with my DH and dog. I feel very blessed for my simple life. 

I have also been watching some simple living vlogs on YouTube which are brilliant and so inspiring.

I have now gone 2 weeks without alcohol and caffeine and 1 week without using social media. I feel better mentally and I’m sleeping better. 

seventh88

Just catching up with your diary, sounds like you've had a good few days with low/NSD - well done! Good to hear the past couple of weeks without alcohol/caffeine is helping. 

sunshineli

seventh88 said:

Just catching up with your diary, sounds like you've had a good few days with low/NSD - well done! Good to hear the past couple of weeks without alcohol/caffeine is helping. 

Thanks for stopping by! I am now at 3 weeks of no alcohol/caffeine and 2 weeks of no social media, and feeling good!

sunshineli

This week marked 1 year of living in our property. Although we haven't made any mortgage overpayments at all in the past year, I feel like we have made some good progress with building our savings. It was only 9 months ago when we got married and used a lot of our savings for that, so I feel like our savings are looking relatively healthy all things considered.

That being said, savings are not looking as healthy as they were a week ago, due to a home insurance payment going out. We have also remortgaged to a new fixed deal, which came with a £499 product fee that we have just paid out of savings. 

In the next year I hope to build savings further and eventually have 6 months of outgoings saved. Only once we have this will we start to make mortgage OPs. 

I also did something not very MSE this week, I spent £59 on a dress to wear for my friends wedding. When I got home I regretted it immediately and started searching Vinted for a dress from the same brand. I found one in the exact style as the £59 one, but just a slightly different pattern. It cost me £16 including fees and postage so I will be returning the shop bought one this week!

seventh88

Congratulations on the one year anniversary of living in your home! Well done on building a solid foundation for yourself with the emergency fund first, before looking at overpayments. It sounds like you found the vinted dress just in time, the other one will be easy to return, and now you know it fits because you've already tried the same one on! It's a win win!