Sticking to a budget can be hard and when your a home owner and have bills to pay for you don't really get a choice. I've been living in my own home now for just over a two years now and I have found some ways that help me to stick to my budget and not go into my overdraft every month.
- Meal Plan
This can be a life safer if you are someone who ends up buying a bunch of food that you don't need. Cal and I like to sit down and plan what we are going to eat for dinner that week for many reasons, one is so we can get what we need on our weekly shop ahead of time and because it gives us something to look forward to.
- Stick to your list
I think it should be a known rule never to go food shopping while you are hungry otherwise I come back with 2 cinnamon swirls, 3 different biscuits and a box of microwave chips so stick to the items on your list. You made a list for a reason so only get the food that you need.
- Choose food with multiple uses
It's easy to buy food because you like it but it worked for one meal and then its done. I like to make meals which I can freeze for another night or pop in the fridge for my lunch tomorrow. It helps me save money and stops me using everything in my freezer in one go.
- Shop Around
Before I moved out I was a self confessed Tesco addict and if I needed anything whether it was food or random bits I would go to Tesco. When we moved out we didn't know how we would find balancing our mortgage, food shopping, petrol and such so we ended up trying the Aldi store which is 10 minutes down the street from our house. We've found we can get a full weekly shop with meat and chicken and the everyday bits for between £20-£30 which is really good considering how much we bring home so we are official Aldi converts now. I love the chicken and meat from Aldi so if you don't already shop there then you should try it once. I know down the line when we start to have a family it will really help with saving our money. Its easy to stick to a shop that you are familiar with but when you can save all this money you have to give it a go.
- Check your online banking daily
It sounds very silly but I am terrible for not checking my online banking for days and it has become Cals job to remind me to pay the bills. By checking it daily you know exactly what bills has already come out and what you still need to pay for, that way if you see something you want for the house you know what money you have left for the month.
- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
Anyone else remember this saying up on every wall in your school?
It does still apply now in every day life so I have implemented it back into my life. When we first moved in we were still learning a rhythm and we ended up not using fresh food which meant it went off and we had to throw it away, which is such a waste. So when we plan our meals for the week now we also check what we still have in the fridge and freezer and what dates they go off. Then we make sure we use the food before the due date so that we don't waste the food anymore.
This doesn't just apply to food as well, we had lots of random house decorative bits which didn't have a home for a while and rather then getting rid of them we have rotated them round the house until we found a room where we liked them. Its so easy to chuck something away because it doesn't suit your theme only to need one a few months later and end up buying it again.
- Never impulse buy for the house
I love buying items for my house like most people and going into Home Sense or Dunelm can be really hurtful for my bank balance, I like to go home shopping with Cal because he does stop me going crazy for stuff that we don't need and don't have room for. Home stuff can be really expensive so I try and really think about what I want for the house and stop myself impulse buying. If I find something that I really like but it is super expensive, I like to sleep on the idea of spending that much money on one item. You can get into the hype of 'I need to buy this now, it won't be here tomorrow if I change my mind' but I have come to believe that if I return to the shop and the item is still there then I was meant to purchase it.
- Treat Yourself
This one may sound strange in this list but when you have been really good for a long period of time you deserve a treat. Me and Cal have the occasional take away when we have cooked dinner for the whole week because it gives me a night off from cooking and its something a bit different. If we don't have a take away we sometimes go out for date night instead and again its just a little treat for our hard work. Just watch they become too much of regular thing!
I recently brought back to life a old set of garden chairs and a garden table which my parents have had for quite a few years. It was unloved and a faded light brown colour which didn't look any good. Annoyingly I didn't take any photos of the table before I started work on it but alas I am not god...
I really wanted a garden table set for my royal wedding party as I knew it was going to be a lovely day and my parents had given us this set all the way back in summer last year so it was about time we got it looking up to scratch.
The set had been sitting in our garden since last summer so you can imagine how horrible it looked and felt so the first step was washing the chairs and getting rid of all the spiders and cobwebs. Not the most glamorous job but I had to make the wood ready for painting.
The second step was painting the set to make it look brand new and Cal and I decided to choose a dark brown colour which would wear well on the wood over time and cover up the light faded colour. The dark colour makes the set look brand new and the paint I used was the Dulux Woodsheen Stain and Vanish in Golden Teak. Because we used a stain and vanish the colour on the table should withstand any weather but we will be smart and house the set in the garage during the winter and when we aren't using it.
To complete the garden set I wanted to buy some bright seat cushions to make the set really stand out in the garden and I was originally looking for bright green cushions and then one day my mum found this crank handle parasol and cushions separately in our local B&M and rang me to tell me she had a surprise.
So herself and my dad came round one Friday with this parasol and cushions and set it all up for me ready for my party the following day and I think it looks banging all together.
This DIY job was incredibly cheap (for me hehe) since the vanish only cost £15.99 from B&M but I have found it cheaper on eBay and a parasol and cushions aren't a necessity for this garden set so the total for this DIY can be £15.99.
For reference the garden parasol was £29.99 and the cushions were £6.99 for a set of two. Trying to find anything you have bought from b&m on their website is a struggle so I have found some similar alternatives.
The total for this DIY project including the gifts from my parents totals at £59.96 which is still cheaper from most good garden tables right now so still a bargain of a DIY, especially when it means you have recycled something that would have just gone in the bin.
I recently felt like a robot living my life day by day and not enjoying my life. This has made me want to change my outlook on life and be more present in my everyday.
I am trying to stick to these 6 things that will help me be more positive.
1. Leave your phone alone
My old work had a number of group chats which all took over my life and pinged all day every day, I am learning to leave my phone in my bag while I'm out so I can enjoy what is happening around me. I was always getting told to put my phone away so now I don't let it rule my life. Its much more peaceful.
2. Look for the positives in things
I've been letting my bad mood ruin my days off and now I am starting to think positive about everything. Its easy to focus on the negatives in life but its more important to focus on the positives around us.
3. Make plans for something to look forward to
Being too busy to life your life is the worst. Making plans, catching up with friend and enjoying life is what it is all about.
4. Get out in the fresh air every day
I love going on walks in the summer and the winter, it calms and relaxes me and iis great to do with another person or by yourself. It gets you out of the house and into the sunshine and that can make all the difference.
5. Every day is a brand new beginning
It doesn't matter what has happened yesterday every day is a new day. We have a chance for a new start 365 times a year so take that chance and make each day count.
6. Watch the world around you
Magical things happen everyday and everywhere so take in what is happening around you and live in that moment.
Wasn't the royal wedding just gorgeous? It was better than I expected and everything I wanted it to be. I have to honest I wasn't the biggest fan of Meghan before the wedding but seeing them two together and looking so in love, I'm a big fan now. She looked absolutely flawless.
As soon as the wedding was announced 6 months ago I decided I wanted to have a wedding party at my house because I missed William and Kate's wedding because of work so nothing was making me miss this one. Callum did make fun of me for all the effort I put into the food but it was my first party in my new house!
For food I over bought and stocked up on savory and sweet snacks. My savory side of the table included sausage rolls, cocktails sausages, scotch eggs, bread sticks and dips, hot cross buns and cherry scones. All the good food you can imagine! Then on the sweet side included jam tarts, chocolate fingers, cherry bakewells, viennese whirls, jammy dodgers, short bread and party rings. I did over buy on the food but you never want to run out of food, Callum is very happy with the left overs he has now for lunch.
Before the wedding started I prepared all the food for 11 which was when everyone was arriving and I think my spread looked pretty impressive if I do say so myself. Once everything was ready for the party I finally got ready and dressed, probably too dressed up to watch a wedding on the tv round my own house but any excuse to get dress up am I right?
Then it was wedding time! The girls all came round for 11 so we could watch all the guests arrive at the church and boy was David Beckham representing. Both Callum and I have a crush on him but his is probably bigger than mine! The girls from the Suits cast looked absolutely amazing and even though I have never watched an episode in my life, I knew exactly which girls they were because of their amazing outfits and presence. My favourite outfit of the day has to be Amal Clooney in her amazing yellow Stella McCartney dress, she was the embodiment of class.
Another dress which caught my eyes straight away and was totally up my street was Abigail Spencer from Suits who looked stunning in her blue and white polka dot timeless dress by Alessandra Rich.
When Meghan arrived she looked absolutely stunning and seeing her looking so beautiful and elegant made me fall in love with her. Her dress was so simple yet elegant and stunning at the same time, perfect for her. The ceremony was just absolutely perfect (except for the super long speech from the american priest) and I loved how untraditional it was. Watching the way Harry looked at Meghan throughout the whole thing was so spell bounding you could tell how in love they both are and it is so romantic.
Once the wedding was over it was time to get my shorts on and get them sun rays from my garden. We all ended up having a sun bathing sess in my garden and continued pigging out on food.
I am so happy for the couple and seeing their wedding is making me so excited to plan mine and Callum's big day whenever we end up having it.
Previous wedding posts
This summer I am planning on overhauling my life and basically sorting my shit out. This year has taken me on a roller coaster and it is only the fourth month in so I am expecting big changes this summer and I will make them happen.
# Get a new job
My work life has changed dramatically this year as you all know now and not for the good so my main aim this summer is to get a new job. As much as I love retail I really do think I need a change of environment and surroundings. Something closer to home with less stress would be the ideal situations so fingers cross something that ticks them boxes comes up.
# Become more fit
I don't really care about losing weight and going on a diet, my plan is to tone my body and become more fit in general. Although since moving out my eating has become so much better and I am learning to cook something new everyday, I still have weeks where my eating is terrible especially if I am working long hours. I am planning to join the local gym with Cal in the next month or so which will be really good for me, I used to go gym nearly every day when I first left school as a hobby so I can see myself getting really into it again.
# Grow my hair
I have had short hair since 2015 now and I think it is about time I went the other direction and grew my hair (if I can) I have been trying to grow my hair since I was 16 and it would never grow past my boobs so I ended up giving up and going for the chop. Now I am ready to try again and hopefully grow my hair long and put more bleach in the ends so my dip dye starts higher in my hair. This is how I hope to have my hair soon...
# Finish off the bedrooms
We are nearing a year in our house now and we still haven't finished everything we would like to because we aren't made of money and life gets in the way. We still need to get built in wardrobes in the master bedroom and once that is done we can get rid of all the rails of clothes in my little room and turn it into my blogging/beauty room. Once that is complete I think my blogging game will become stronger and more routined.
# Fill up my cooking book with recipes
Like I said my cooking skills are getting better with every Mary Berry cookbook I read (she is my gal) and everything that I really like to make I write up in my own little cooking diary. It has four different colours on the pages so I can separate my cooking lists, slow cooker recipes, recipes for dinner and baking recipes. I love filling in this book (because I have no life apparently) and get wait for it to be full.
# Get the garden started
My garden is a blank space at the minute and I really want to make the space into something beautiful and relaxing so in the summer I can sit in my quite place and read a book or do some gardening. I plan to dig out all the plants in my front garden and start from scratch and decide what me and cal want to have.
# Visit another country
Lastly I really want to go on a holiday aboard this year and get out of England. I have some ideas in the pipe line with my family to have a big group holiday but if that doesn't work out, Cal and I will definitely go somewhere by ourselves. Maybe a weekend in a city or a week by a pool in a cheap hotel in Spain. My ideal holiday would be Benidorm but no one shares my love of it :(
I never talk about anything too heavy on my blog because I want this space to be filled with happy content, nobody likes a debbie downer do they. This is how I have been living my life recently, going along with the bad stuff and hoping it will work out in the end so that my life doesn't look like a pile of rubbish to anyone on the outside.
I should have known I would crack after a while. I lasted a good month of ignoring the bad and focusing in on the good areas of my life. Then the bad started to effect my home life and that's when it all had to stop.
I made the biggest decision of my life this week and took redundancy from my job. It was a hard decision to make and it took a lot for me to finally do it. If I didn't have the support of Callum or my family I wouldn't have had the courage to it.
A lot has changed in my work life in the last 6-8 months, some for the good some for the bad and it has taken a lot out of me. I have always been a laid back person who just got on with life and had fun doing it, recently I became emotional about the smallest of things and wasn't myself anymore. My work life took over my home life and I wasn't okay with that. It also didn’t help that my new store was an hour away from my home so it made my days even longer and when I did 12 hours days, I just became a zombie.
It all came to a head when I visited an old friend of mine who I used to work with, this person had help me get to where I wanted to be before it all went wrong. I got so emotional talking to this person about how I was feeling, this was the wake up call I needed to get out.
Luckily because I was in a new role I still had the opportunity to take redundancy, I now have time to properly look for a new job that makes me happy and gives me a decent work/life balance.
I haven't seen my friends or spent time with my family in what feels like months and I'm sad that I let it get to that stage. I was too wrapped up in trying to sort out my work life that I ignored my personal life, I couldn't split myself enough to be everywhere I wanted.
I have been working since I was 16 and worked so hard to climb the ladder at work to become management, so talking about taking redundancy was a no brainier for me. I love to work and with a new house to pay for I wasn't going to let myself be jobless for any amount of time but I have had to be a little selfish and put my happiness first this time around.
Right now I am enjoying the sunshine, spending time with friends and family and doing things that I enjoy. I have dug out my book I kept putting off finishing because I didn't have any time and I am full of ideas for my blog because my head is free.
I am on every job site that exists right now and I am going to go to my local agency to meet with recruiters who might have a new path for me to down. I have loads of experience in retail management but I think I want to move into office work now with a Monday to Friday week so I can spend proper time with Cal and my family who all work Monday to Friday.
While I am looking for my new job I am going to spend a lot of time getting myself back on track and try to figure out what I want to do with my life. I've never felt so unimportant and unaccomplished in my life but I did what I had to do and I already feel so much better.
Now I've had my rabble and got my feelings out it time to get back to happy posts! I have a lot planned in the next few weeks which I'm excited about including a Royal Wedding party at my house next Saturday!
I should have known I would crack after a while. I lasted a good month of ignoring the bad and focusing in on the good areas of my life. Then the bad started to effect my home life and that's when it all had to stop.
I made the biggest decision of my life this week and took redundancy from my job. It was a hard decision to make and it took a lot for me to finally do it. If I didn't have the support of Callum or my family I wouldn't have had the courage to it.
A lot has changed in my work life in the last 6-8 months, some for the good some for the bad and it has taken a lot out of me. I have always been a laid back person who just got on with life and had fun doing it, recently I became emotional about the smallest of things and wasn't myself anymore. My work life took over my home life and I wasn't okay with that. It also didn’t help that my new store was an hour away from my home so it made my days even longer and when I did 12 hours days, I just became a zombie.
It all came to a head when I visited an old friend of mine who I used to work with, this person had help me get to where I wanted to be before it all went wrong. I got so emotional talking to this person about how I was feeling, this was the wake up call I needed to get out.
Luckily because I was in a new role I still had the opportunity to take redundancy, I now have time to properly look for a new job that makes me happy and gives me a decent work/life balance.
I haven't seen my friends or spent time with my family in what feels like months and I'm sad that I let it get to that stage. I was too wrapped up in trying to sort out my work life that I ignored my personal life, I couldn't split myself enough to be everywhere I wanted.
I have been working since I was 16 and worked so hard to climb the ladder at work to become management, so talking about taking redundancy was a no brainier for me. I love to work and with a new house to pay for I wasn't going to let myself be jobless for any amount of time but I have had to be a little selfish and put my happiness first this time around.
Right now I am enjoying the sunshine, spending time with friends and family and doing things that I enjoy. I have dug out my book I kept putting off finishing because I didn't have any time and I am full of ideas for my blog because my head is free.
I am on every job site that exists right now and I am going to go to my local agency to meet with recruiters who might have a new path for me to down. I have loads of experience in retail management but I think I want to move into office work now with a Monday to Friday week so I can spend proper time with Cal and my family who all work Monday to Friday.
While I am looking for my new job I am going to spend a lot of time getting myself back on track and try to figure out what I want to do with my life. I've never felt so unimportant and unaccomplished in my life but I did what I had to do and I already feel so much better.
Now I've had my rabble and got my feelings out it time to get back to happy posts! I have a lot planned in the next few weeks which I'm excited about including a Royal Wedding party at my house next Saturday!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
