Turning Straw into Gold: Creating Long Term Security & A Solid Home

FootyFanDan

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81986674#Comment_81986674

My bank holiday has been pretty chill thank you - kinda just hitting reset on the finances front really and exploring where I go with it.

I am convinced if I only had to live on weetabix and pizza I could be pretty happy with that haha. I like the idea of set menu's and easy food choices but worry it would become boring but honestly the decided of lunch everyday is ugh

ArtyJ931

My only conclusion is that all people are generally weird but don’t realise it haha

MillQueen

@FootyFanDan, I'll report back on whether it gets boring. To be honest I'll find it hard to consistently make anything long enough for it to become that. I tend to be able to cook in bursts of enthusiasm for a few weeks and then I get tired and have a period of eating things from packets until my energy returns.

@ArtyJ931, that's strangely comforting 😂❤️

I have downloaded a book to read, "The Trading Game" by Gary Stevenson (free to read as I joined "Borrowbox" through my local library, thanks to @jwil's recommendation on here 😍). Finance is all I think about now, so even my reading is linked to this and people around me say I've turned into an investment bore. I tend to throw myself into things with full enthusiasm and this has been my most useful interest yet.

I have had another no spend day today and have made £55 doing a small project. It should be another no spend day tomorrow, as I have already made my lunch and I'm at work all day until late and won't buy coffee.

Dakota_Rose

Fabulous side-hustling there! And I for one would love to hear more about your reading and investments!

MillQueen

@Dakota_Rose, thank you, and you are for sure going to hear about those 😂❤️. I am enjoying the investing, I should hit 1k in three months. Return isn’t great right now as markets aren’t doing well with world events, but the idea is to continue investing while markets are down as it’s cheaper to buy stocks and shares, which will hopefully be worth more at a later date. Apparently many people panic sell at a low point, but the best performing accounts take a “buy and leave it” approach and don’t touch their account for as long as possible. I’m planning to build mine over 20 years.

Today’s money saving is an early morning one. My hair dryer has broken - it’s done at least 6 years of daily use and wasn’t an expensive one in the first place. Rather than replacing it, I’m going to use the other hair dryer I have, which I don’t like (because it dries my hair somehow different 😂). It’s a perfectly serviceable hairdryer in new condition, so despite my dislike, I’ll use that one now until it breaks as well.

I am having a no spend day today. I ended up spending £8 yesterday replenishing the biscuit supply at work. I must prepare in advance for this next time and go to Home Bargains, as the little shop we have on-site is massively overpriced.

ETA: I have concluded there’s a very good reason I used that hair dryer once and then put it in a drawer. It makes my hair simultaneously flat AND frizzy. I will persevere and use some hair products…

peb

If you need more hair products and tbe hairdryer is causing misery then i think usjng it is false economy.

No idea if its posdible to sell it but I think a new one should be obtained.

I dont use them but have a boxed one in case of guests. I dont think thats been used more than twice !

MillQueen

@peb, that’s a good point about selling it. I wonder if I could even complain to the manufacturer that it’s just not a good hair dryer (it’s pretty terrible) and get some vouchers or something. I ought to have returned it when I bought it, but I had not begun to save money back then, so I just put it away when I realised it was rubbish. I have a ton of hair products, as I have the sort of wild hair where it’s hard to find things that work. I am somewhat impressed at your guest hairdryer… it’s like a hotel!

peb

I tend to have friends staying fairly often, my friendship group is spread aroundthe country and im in the middle. Of course the one who aaked fir a hairdryer hasnt stopped since....

foxgloves

My hairdryer was also a disappointment. I know they need safety features, but I couldn't believe how little time I could use it before it cut out due to overheating. I changed to using the coolest setting but then it really seemed to create the frizzies & I don't use it at all now. I wash my hair, let it dry naturally then just attack it with the straighteners. I do have naturally straight hair, but it kinks (I think out of pure spite!) so I do end up having to use a bit of electricity taming it. If I'm feeling particularly stingy, it just gets tied back.

MillQueen

@foxgloves, I have got the sort of hair that takes a bit of wrangling - it's curly and really quite wild, so usually blow drying with a diffuser upside down is the best way. Depending on the hairdryer, the results can vary. The one I currently have, which I am not enjoying, creates a lot of additional turbulence, which flattens the roots and puffs out the ends. I'm training myself to use it with better skill to see if I can avoid buying another. I am jealous of your naturally straight hair 😍. I do mine for special occasions but it only lasts a couple of hours.

In other news, I have spent a bit on a food shop today, which should last a week. I was trying to eat the stuff in the kitchen until the weekend, but I am feeling super low about work and it's making it harder to find the motivation to turn bits from the freezer into creative meals. All I want to do in my free time is lie down. I've bought stuff for sandwiches again, so that can be my repeated food for now, as I had that plan to keep eating the same thing for cost and ease. Looks like the thing will be sandwiches. I did get weetabix too 😂.

Today I've stepped down from an additional unpaid role I was doing at work, as now the project has ended.