Back In The Saddle

...sort of. I've been snacking less, but after an exhausting really-busy week with lots of cheat meals, I know I didn't do great. I have a new resolve to behave myself this coming week. There are four salads prepared in my fridge, to take to work. I'm also playing catch up financially, so I've just booked myself in for some overtime and that will help cover bills.

Work has a bonus week coming up where we get a larger staff discount. I've been trying to mentally tick off all the things I should stockpile (and the things I shouldn't). I still have hand soap left from last year when my old work did the same, so clearly, I bought too much of that. But at the very least I'm going to stash a few mega packs of loo roll, get myself some more face cloths, and think about which non-perishable food is worth buying. Some grocery items at my work are still cheaper elsewhere because we don't carry the rock-bottom "price match" items like unbranded baked beans or tinned spaghetti.

Battling yet another cold. It's just getting annoying always coughing and I would like a refund! 😁

Whelp, That's Annoying

My favourite crypto platform has increased its fees. I can no longer play with the market to earn five pence each time! 😁 Ho hum, it was interesting while it lasted. I'll keep the £40-odd that I have in there, but I doubt I'll add anything to the fund.

I coloured my hair this week (long overdue) and used a pack I'd had since forever, so I'm calling it free.

After four days of the magic weight loss product, I have gained one kilo. Annoyed is not the word, because I have been INSANELY good with what I eat. I won't bother buying it again. Dinner: half a tin of value spaghetti hoops on a slice of toast. And it was delicious.

Got paid - this happens every week, so not that exciting of itself - but I had enough to chip away at some of my bills. Felt good! Financial adulting 💪

Budgeting Fail

My stoopid Good Boss asked me today if I wanted a plant.

He knew I'd been eyeing them off and (successfully) resisting them for more than a week. And it was the last one. And he reduced it to just over half-price. Sigh. So there goes £10 of this week's grocery cash on a magnificent Dracena for my living room 😍

I also bought a loaf of bread for 10p, even though I'd just bought bread. It's stashed in my freezer for next week, along with a reduced pie.

Despite the fact there were six of us doing the close, four of the boys were being absolute wankers to poor Blondie (the supervisor) and at 9pm all four said they were done and were going home. I volunteered to be the one who stayed while he did the last five minutes in the office. When he emerged, we saw the mess they'd all left in the warehouse... and the two of us had to make it right. Well, at least one of us is getting a few dregs of extra pay 🙋

I then realised I'd forgotten to buy an essential medicine that's nearly run out 😕 so I made a mercy dash to Favourite Supermarket and discovered that... it's cheaper there than at Boots. But as I didn't have any grocery money left, it's gone on my credit card. (Slight guilt there, not sure whether to deduct it from next week's allowance.)

Dinner: pork steak, mixed vegies, yoghurt.

Resolution: I am not buying favourite supermarket's value yoghurt again. It tastes like value. 😖 The one from local cheap German supermarket is miles nicer... and to be honest, it's possible I might switch allegiances to this as my new favourite supermarket.

Megaspend

Well... mega by my standards. I just spent £40 on a ticket to see Russell Howard next year. Very excited and it's still six months away 😂 so hey, I'd better be on my best behaviour and make sure I've earned it by then!

I also have more bills to pay and lately I feel like I am haemorrhaging cash. 😩 I have to travel next week to an important appointment, so there's more money going kaput. Not planning to do anything touristy except maybe walk around and take pictures. Being the frugalist that I am, I'm staying in a hostel and will be enjoying pot noodle!

Incidentally I did manage to scrape together enough for the loan repayment before it was taken automatically. There is not much left in the tank, and I'll have to make some extra repayments here and there to replace what I moved, but I made it (phew).

I am now 82kg and have three to go to reach the "overweight" BMI range, my first target. I looked at my "weight loss journey" and since I started the most recent serious attempt, it's clear that it slowed dramatically over the past few weeks (with a few too many cheeky sandwiches being to blame). I have bought a magical weight loss product which is supposed to make you feel full and am giving it a go for five whole days. So far, it's... not doing much, because I don't generally overeat as a consequence of hunger. I eat because food is nice 😂

First world problems. Oh well, it was worth a try. Hoping to get down to 80 over the next ten days. Wish me luck willpower.

Want-essity

I suppose this is not really a necessity, but a want: My Bluetooth wireless headphones have bitten the dust and now refuse to recharge. I can still walk and cycle using cheap corded ones, but they're just so awkward and uncomfortable. I found a gift balance I'd forgotten about on Amazon.com (ka-ching!). Even better, I have actually found a set of headphones which will deliver to the UK. Free headphones, that's a win. There's a chance I'll have to pay a customs fee, but I think it'll still be less than replacing them over here.

Today I cashed out on PaidViewpoint so that money is on its way to my PayPal, for a little bit less cash-stress this week. I've cashed out a fiver on Shoppix and that should also arrive shortly. I also realised I had another programme at cashout level (£25 for sharing my tv viewing habits, thank you) and I have cashed that out too. Plus, I got a survey invite in the mail for Sport England, who are apparently sending me a £5 gift card for a mystery store. Not a bad day for being productive!

Heating hack: I was thinking about how I sometimes got to enjoy the faint aroma of spag bol, or casserole (etc) in my bathroom thanks to the fact there's a paper-thin wall there next to my neighbour's kitchen. Well this morning I checked the temp in there, and it was 19 degrees at 8am. Hello, warm neighbour with their gas central heating! I'm leaving the bathroom door open from now on to warm my whole flat 😂

So far I have not used the main heater this year. I have that small one that I bought, it's right in front of my knees as I sit at the PC, but even that one doesn't get turned on much (I'm trying to be brave). Here's to more bravery as the temperature drops. Oh, and I spent £2 on some cheap slippers 😁

Passport Shenanigans

Australian Passport: Your passport will cost the equivalent of a newborn panda, and it will take about eight weeks. Twelve weeks processing so far and still waiting...

British Passport: We'll do your passport for a nice low price. But we won't process it unless you send both your others to us with the application, we won't discuss alternatives, and we won't tell you how long we'll hold on to all three of your passports. Probably ten weeks. Possibly ten months.

Finnish Passport: We do charge a little bit extra because you're overseas. And this might take two weeks. I hope that's ok? (I got it back in my hand, including international postage, in six working days (!!).)

It just goes to show you that if a country actually gives a toss about its citizens, it actually delivers proper public services... even abroad.

Not So Great This Week

Another moment nobody enjoys... realising that even after pay day, there won't be enough money for the loan repayment. Cue more of the "pushing money around in circles" malarkey. Oh well. This shall pass. And perhaps it'll enthuse me to work an extra day.

My work hasn't had fresh milk deliveries for days... the day before yesterday I took home a bit from the work fridge, in my drink bottle, to use in my coffee the following morning. But yesterday I had to bite the bullet and go to Old Work on the way home. Found a yellow-stickered Organic Milk for 71p and also treated myself to 11p crumpets 😀

I also bought myself a hot water bottle (from my grocery cash) and gleefully filled it last night. It was... weird, since it wasn't really cold last night, and it wasn't long before I stripped off my top jumper. Maybe I'll appreciate it more in the colder months 😁

Since my ankle still sucks at being a functional ankle, it doesn't appreciate the treadmill for more than ten minutes at a time. Lately I've been doing most of my time on the exercise bike instead. This doesn't burn half as many calories, which is annoying. So my weight has just stood still, as I'm not about to spend two hours on the bike with my arse going numb. Sigh.

Oh! First-ever freebie from my new work: five bottles of bleach which have the wrong supermarket brand on them. Yay! Even though I'll use most of it washing the cleaning rags from work, hey, it's a win 😂

Too Much Month

Too much month at the end of my money.

This hasn't happened in a while, but I did a quick count of everything coming out before my next pay from work and... the sums don't work out. This is basically big bills all catching up at once, combined with missing work due to being ill. The timing is bad, as it's too late to stop my direct debit, which is more than £500 as it's set to always "pay in full". Which is good, because you know, paying in full is good, except when the money isn't there!

Long story short I've had to do a money transfer off two credit cards and half of it wasn't interest-free. Sad face goes here 😞 I am currently doing surveys and trying to scrape together a few pounds more. I'd rather not have to buy next week's groceries on credit, since I was so proud of myself managing £20 cash each week 😁 Still, it is nice to know that I have options to sort this out. There are a lot of people who just don't have those options, who would just go hungry or have no heating. I am fortunate, I am nowhere near the bottom of the barrel.

It's meter-read day, so I dutifully submitted a reading. I do hope that the promised credits go onto my power bill this month.