Apologies followers for the distinct lack of activity. It certainly isn't from a lack of money saving, it's more from a glut of money depression. Several days after my last post I had the embarrassment of 'transaction decline' in the supermarket and my weeks shopping had to be paid for from the savings account. I dared myself to check my online banking only to discover I was in the red. What's worse is it came just a fortnight after being paid, so the following two weeks was spent scrapping my petrol money together from the coppers pot, nicking change out of Max's trouser pockets and eating a mainly vegetarian and lentil based diet!
Grabbing my deerstalker and magnifying glass I scrutinised my spending to see what had happened and after the initial certainty that my account had been hacked and someone had spent all my money in Sainsburys, Clarks and the garage I realised that the cause of the cash flow crisis was actually a rather steep car repair (£110), some new shoes for Martha (£35) a night out with my new work colleagues (£30) and some generally rubbish account keeping. What it did force me to do was actually look at my spending and really account for what goes in and out. I noticed the fact I am still paying payment protection on a cooker for a house I don't even live in any more so that was swiftly canceled making me a whopping £1.20 richer each month.
My new job leaves me financially worse off than my old but I am definitley much happier with my work/stress/life balance so that's acceptable but it does mean for a while at least I am on a very tight rein so that new yoga class I was itching to start will have to wait and that mythical £30 a day we are meant to be saving may be a challenge!
As for general money saving we are doing well, rather than find us in Waterstones on a weekend we are more likely to be found stomping through the countryside with a thermos and some homemade cupcakes for sustenance. I am in the proccess of listing some items on ebay in order to make the money to buy the new camera I want and I have even resisted the jewelery making kit that I tried to convince myself myself I needed for the Green Fair 'craftathon'. I still have moments of weakness when I can be found making an online shopping basket at ASOS (only for pretend buying though) but on the whole perhaps I am a little less materialistic? Though I dread to think the sight that would behold if I got to do a trolley dash round Primark!
What I have been so warmed by is my lovely family who have come to the rescue and cheered us up no end. The Jone's and Blick's came en mass for a visit with a full on lunch (Including jacket potatoes and a pie traveled up from London in tinfoil) and Olivia took me and Marty to the seaside for a day out and even insisted on driving us so it wouldn't cost me the petrol.
Max and I even did a date night for a cheap break from the daily grind, Martha tucked up in bed early, a nice home cooked meal, a bottle of bargain wine and an evening playing cards was a right chuckle and next week it's his turn I shall enjoy kicking back and relaxing while he uses every utensil in the kitchen to make a pasta creation and then challenges me to a match of Scrabble or Cluedo!
So for the moment it's a bit of a wait and see with how the finances go. We are still toying with the idea of downsizing the house to save some money and Martha may get a few more home made Chrimbo presents this year but we are all happy and healthy and that the main thing.
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