Living within my means-the challenge

beckseven

The meal was fab and had a great time. Spent £15 because my friends ordered a bottle of wine (which I couldn't drink-booooo!) Was naughty today and spent a £1 in the canteen which is a real waste. I'm not going to do that tomorrow as I'm going to leave my purse at home. Just realised I owe £6 on lottery as well at work so going to pay that. Need to make some extra money as desparetely need a haircut-need to look smart for work-mystery shops hopefully and must try and think what i can ebay! Hopefully can keep shopping budget well down this month.

jak

Did you get the printable coupon from the email this week? Also are you registered with bounty.com? They have printable coupons every week off your shopping. That should help!
J
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beckseven

I've been really slack this month in posting and always feel like I get slightly out of control when I don't post so am committing to a daily post again as need to get obsessed again. I've got a few things to save up for £39 for a Sun hols, £67.50 for Ds swimming lessons which start in September, £50 for a pressie for DH birthday and £100 overspend on holiday that needs to go off my card pronto,. I've done well with my shopping this month and haven't gone OTT with anything so hopefully will get these saved up for. I'm trying to get some mystery shops and doing pigspoints to save more money. Spent 50p on crisps that could have gone towards my saving up so now will leave my purse at home. Have got nothing planned this week. It's time to focus again as I was doing really well before.

jak

You can't be an angel all the time! We all have little slip-ups- 50p isn't too bad is it?! Think of it this way- you are planning ahead! At least you know how much you need to save for these items, it's better than being suprised by then half way through term time! Could you add things like swimming lessons to your budget?

beckseven

Thanks Jak. I hope you are feeling ok and not getting too fed up with people ringing up. That's the problem with people getting excited! I was really careful only to text my friend the once as she was two weeks late but had a baby boy on Friday. There is such a baby boom at the moment-my friend had twin boys on Thursday, another had her boy on Friday,another had a boy on Sunday and another is due in the next two weeks. Bit of a theme with boys as well! I am definitely going to add the swimming lessons to my budget as they always manage to 'surprise' me! They are £4.50 per lesson so from now on I'm going to put that away. Doing ok today-feeling more in control posting back here. Tonight I'm going shopping so I'm going to keep my spends under control here and I'm just about to do a quick menu plan to keep myself in check! Am annoyed because Spec savers have taken a £10 dd from me despite saying that I could have a 6month break because i had a backlog of lenses so I'll be onto them tomorrow!

jak

Make sure you get it back! What plan are you on? I was paying 15.50pcm fro my contacts only to discover that the lenses cost 7.50 if you bought them direct from specsavers and paid for your check up etc when you needed it. That might work out cheaper anyway? Worth looking in to.
J
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beckseven

Had to spend £2.20 at the hospital parking today as I had to see the consultant-so annoying. All the other MSE had parked for free in the nearby streets so there were no spare spaces! Didn't get to go shopping last night as DH was in late so going tonight and am on super stingy budget! Good news with pig points-almost there for another £10 voucher and this time i'm going to get a topshop one so that I can get some maternity jeans that I will need v soon!

beckseven

I also got accepted for an MBNA 0% card till 2009 to transfer my HSBC card onto (15.9%) I am then going to cut up my HSBC one-a big step for me as I do rely on this one but I keep running up debts on it as it's always in my purse for 'emergencies' If it's not there I can't use it-so chop chop my horrible flexible 'friend'. Need some messages of support to do it before I actually do the deed though! How sad am I!

lucielle

Go Becks, Go Becks, Go Becks, choppy! choppy!
L

beckseven

Thanks Lucielle-I know it's the right thing to do really. I am going to do it tonight-I feel like it is my security blanket but really it is just holding me back so it's going to go. Have done pretty well this month (get paid on Wednesday) so that is good. Went to see a school friend at the weekend-she earn £100,000 a year now-I felt such a failure! I need to increase my income-but without working long hours and in London! ho hum-don't think it will happen any time in the near future with a new baby coming and a toddler! So depressing that I have done so poorly in my career. Nevermind onward and upwards. I need to start saving for my tax, mot and service now-I HATE cars with a vengeance! Have saved £15 so far which is a start. Trying to think if there is anything else I can sell apart from myself!