Becoming debt free and saving for the future.
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Finally got some time to update.
So, I did fail at the August challenge but I'm still ridding myself of stuff, daily...just not as much as the challenge demanded. Having said that, I don't exactly own much since I rent a room in a furnished house...
Went to the mothers today and she got me some food and sent me packing with some money for more food...Good ol' mothers, eh?
I got some cinnamon the other day, otherwise most of my food budget is still intact. £20.94 left to play with and I reset on Friday so I'll probably end up putting that in my money jar which is already at £36.59 this month alone. Haven't decided whether to bank the money jar money and put it towards bills, EF or a Christmas/birthday fund...or to keep it as 'treat' money. Probably a good idea to build a Christmas and Birthday fund so I don't have to panic about not having the money for gifts and things. Or maybe I'll split it between that and the EF fund.
Still using bits up but I did get some pantry bits, today, though I 100% know I will end up eating everything I got today because they never last! Haha. I've been over eating today and yesterday but I don't think I can keep this up. Still need to keep my weight up, annoyingly. No period this month because of it and it's so frustrating. I used to be so regular but in the last three years, I haven't managed to go more than 10 months without a period being missed (defo NOT pregnant)...
Out round a friends tomorrow for lunch before work. Unsure if she's making/I'm taking/we're buying stuff yet but I'm hoping it'll be a NSD if possible. Feeling very full but I know we'll pig out...at least I cycle 5 miles to work and back (though I'm not always up for it at 11pm).
Anyways, hope you're all having a good week so far and continue to have a good one, despite the crappy weather.0 -
Good to see you back about. You sound determined and focused, which is a fierce combination. I would suggest saving for Xmas/Birthdays. If you're like me, I tend to overspend on these fronts so you'll appreciate the sacrifice just now.0
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Hi Alicia, just wanted to say good luck with your journey!
I sometimes struggle to eat enough calories (faddy) but didn't want to eating low quality junk for the sake of it. For me the solution was nuts and dried fruit. They don't have to be expensive, Lidl do Almonds at £1.39/200g in the baking bit and some lovely dried mango for example. I have also heard about washing the salt off the value peanuts and using them in cooking or making your own peanut butter.My mortgage free diary: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6498069/whoops-here-comes-the-cheese0 -
you are doing so well on your journey, think its good to have a plan for any extra money that was already budgeted for one category but hasn't been fully used up. I would probably add it to xmas/bday fund to ensure you don't have the feeling of paying for xmas all in one month
Keep up the good work you are doing amazing
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I'd agree with redofromstart, walnuts are high in calories and are absolutely gorgeous!! Weight loss 6lb/16lb 10lb to goI spend an insane amount of time wondering if I am doing it right, sometimes I remind myself that I am doing my best....and that is enough0
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Thank you to everyone who's responding. I'm trying my best to stay focused and now it feels like it's becoming a part of my routine. One of the most useful adjustments is to plan and wait for my spend days in a week. That way, instead of impulsive buying, I've had time to think whether I really need to waste my money on things and it often changes my mind. Happy days!
Food weekly allowance: £16.80/£30
Monthly NSDs: 9/12 (way ahead of target)
Still getting rid of as much stuff as I can and using freezer/cupboard stuff, too.redofromstart wrote: »I sometimes struggle to eat enough calories (faddy) but didn't want to eating low quality junk for the sake of it. For me the solution was nuts and dried fruit. They don't have to be expensive, Lidl do Almonds at £1.39/200g in the baking bit and some lovely dried mango for example..
Yes, I don't eat low quality junk food for the sake of it, either. I only eat that stuff as treats with friends. I'm a vegan that eats only WFPB but when I'm going through a lot and quite active like I am in the summer, weight seems to drop off. Thank you for the tip, though. And you're right, Doing it my way, Walnuts are delicious.
SqekySquarehead and FootyFanDan, you both raise good points and I'm inclined to agree. I'm going to stick it in the Birthday/Christmas fund 0 -
I keep reading your £30 a week food budget and wondering if I can do the same. I will have definitely spent less this month so thats good, so I'll see how that has worked out per week. When payday comes round at the end of the week I am going to see what I have left in the freezer and cupboards, plan plan plan and work out a (hopefully) realistic budget for the following week. I have a lot more than I thought I would have, think I overbought at the beginning of this month in an attempt to batch cook and have go to foods in the freezer, and I still have a whole pack of chicken and mince left plus other stuff! Might even be able to stretch food for half of September!0
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TravelGirl84 I'm sure you could manage to cut down a little, too. The reason I can get away with spending less at the mo is because I have A LOT of food in the cupboard and freezer for 1 person to get through! Haha. But I'm sure I could manage on £30 or less, anyways, now I'm not being so frivolous.0
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So, finally got a day off after 4 very busy shifts at work. One day, I had to kick somebody out of where I work. I rarely, rarely ever raise my voice or anything but I was absolutely fuming. When I explained to my friends what happened, they seem mildly shocked at how angry my response was for me but it turns out I'm not so timid and can deal with confrontation in the right circumstances. Anyway...
Messed around with some online calculators and what not and have set myself a few goals to get debt free ASAP. It'll mean cutting back quite a bit but I'll have treats every now and again, of course. I'll just feel so much freer when I have this burden lifted.
Oh, it also means, off the new budget, I should (hopefully) be under £10,000, including the interest the calculators worked out for me, by the end of the year! Finishing the year with the first two goals completed would be such a relief for me! Aiming to be debt free by 2022.
Still have £16.80 left of the food budget and can't see that much changing.
Someone who owed me money paid me back some of it this week so happy days. We had P*pa John's build your own pizza with cheesy marmite dough balls/bites and cheese and jalapenos loaded wedges split between three of us, all vegan, of course. My part of the bill cost £7.50 and I got to spend time with two of my closest friends so that was nice. It's not often we all spend time together and that I eat so much 'junk' food so it was a real treat, though I may be paying for it later. Because I eat so healthy all the time, it really upsets my system when I eat this way! Haha.
Anywho, hope you all have a great week and that this has been a good Monday/start to the week for you. 0 -
£7.50 for that scran seems a bargain! Very MSE.
And well done for being on track to smash your goals!!0
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