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| £5 well spent on some spectacularly tacky sunglasses! |
These kind of posts are doing the rounds at the moment so I thought I'd do my own, mainly to track where my money goes (too many trips to Sainsbury's Local) and see where I can definitely cut back and try to put more into my savings/paying off my credit card.
This will be a weekly diary so starting from 05th September until 11th September. My rent, utility bills and direct debits come out of my account after the 1st of every month so some will feature. I have a handy little 'note' on my iPhone to tick off when each one has been withdrawn from my account. Not the most adult of ways of doing it, pretty sure I should have a detailed spread-sheet. However, as long as I'm not burying my head in the sand and praying to Jesus, Mary and Joseph when I hand my card over that it doesn't get declined, then it's OK right??
I live in London in a houseshare with three other girls. We each pay our own rent to the landlady and utilities are organised by ourselves. I have the water, Sky & Broadband and TV License in my name. We pay council tax directly to Lambeth Council and my housemate takes care of the cleaner and gas and electric. I don't have a car and have a monthly zone 1-3 travel card at £146.00 a month to get around.
Monday 05th September
I had the day booked off work. I've had a few busy weekends and needed an admin/cleaning day.
My housemate bought a new vacuum cleaner for the house at the weekend as ours had broken quite a long time ago. My share was £8.25 so I transferred her the money for that.
Brunch was scrambled eggs on toast from food I already had in the house.
Later, I went for a walk to the shops and did a grocery shop and picked up a few other bits.
I spent as follows;
£3.00 in Poundland on a pair of headphones that went straight in the bin - I wanted a temporary pair to last til I get some for my birthday at the end of the month, a Tupperware box for the soup I was planning to make, and a bag of mini Double Deckers.
£18 combined in Lidl and Iceland on food for the week. I got a load of salad stuff, fresh vegetables to make a soup, stocked up on tinned tomatoes and vegetables for adding to soups and stews, some sausages, fish, chicken and a few other bits to make up lunches and dinners for the week. I make up a batch of vegetable soup which does 04 portions and then two portions of couscous and feta salad one to eat for dinner and one to take for lunch the following day.
I also put £5 into the kitty for household cleaning products and miscellaneous items that we need.
Total: £34.25
Tuesday 06th September
Back to work... Journey is already paid for with my monthly travel card.
Breakfast was overnight oats with honey which I prepared with food I already had in the house.
Lunch is couscous and feta salad, again, prepared from food I already had at home. I bought a lot of breakfasts and lunches last week and am keener to be a bit more mindful in terms of money and what I am eating this week (even though I've got a multipack of Double Deckers in my drawer).
When I get home I go for a run and then have a portion of the soup I made the previous night with some bread followed by Ben & Jerry's which I had in the freezer whilst watching TV with one of my housemates.
The water direct debit came out of my account today. My share was £10.74.
Total: £10.74
Wednesday 07th September
I had overnight oats again for breakfast at my desk.
I brought my own lunch again which is another portion of the vegetable soup which I batch made on Monday. I was in a rush though so forgot to pack in some bread and a banana as an afternoon snack so I stop off at Sainsbury's on the way into work and pick up both for 50p. We also have lots of cake and snacks in the office at the moment so I pick at those throughout the day.
I'm training for the Royal Parks Half Marathon on the 9th October. My training plan is a 12km run today which is pretty much the distance from the office to home, so I fit it into my day by running home.... not a great time, not helped by the heat and getting poo-ed on by a bird (crying face emoji).
When I get home, I make a tomato and mozzarella pasta with food I already had in and also finish off the last of the Ben and Jerry's (I earned it haha) whilst watching Ex On The Beach.
Total: 50p
Thursday 08th September
I finish off the last of the yoghurt I have with overnight oats again for breakfast.
My direct debit of £18 for contact lenses has come out of my bank account. I have a scheme through Specsavers. I probably could find a cheaper deal but I like the ease of this being delivered to my door and all the eye care such as check-ups, eye tests and free pair of glasses is included too so it's not all bad. I did use to pay £15 a month but eyes used to get so irritated and dry that I upgraded.
I'm really bad for falling prey to promotional emails and as I quickly check my mail before leaving work, I end up buying a Kindle download for 99p.
I need to pick up a few bits so call at Tesco on my way home. I only needed toilet paper and moisturiser but end up buying a skirt and another book too. Totally, it only came to £19.45 though so I don't feel too bad.
I made dinner again from food I already in - a cauliflower cheese bake with asparagus and potatoes.
Total: £38.44
Friday 09th September
I had intended to get up early and have breakfast at home instead of the usual at my desk. However, I didn't sleep that great and ended up pressing snooze a couple of times. I popped into Pret on the way into work and picked up a coffee and a croissant for £3.45. Once a week, it's an OK treat I guess!
My lunch was the same tomato and mozzarella pasta that I made double of on Wednesday night so no money spent there.
I left work early at 15:15 as my mum and dad were in London for the weekend. I went over to their hotel in Canary Wharf to meet them for the evening. We had a look round the shops and at the Cross Rail rood gardens. I had dinner and a few drinks with them there before heading home. My mum paid for my dinner and I bought one round of drinks for £11.80.
Total: £15.25
Saturday 10th September
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| PSL like the basic I am! |
I met my parents in central London at lunch time after going for a morning run and having breakfast at home. We had a wander down Oxford Street but I didn't buy anything. We stopped for a coffee and sandwich in Starbucks which my mum again paid for.
As the weather was dreadful, we headed over to Kensington and visited the V&A museum. We looked round the main, free exhibitions so that didn't cost anything. We also paid a visit to Harrods so my mum could pick up souvenir teddies for my niece and nephew and to have a look at their Christmas World! I love looking at the decorations, even though I could never afford to decorate a tree solely in Harrods decorations!
I went back again with them to the hotel for dinner and a few drinks in the hotel bar. I paid for my self and a round of drinks this time which was £31.35.
Total: £31.35
Sunday 11th September
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I meet my mum and dad again up in East London for a morning round Brick Lane and Spitalfields markets. I buy a bottle of Lucozade and a packet of chewing gum before getting on the tube for £1.45. I was looking for some vintage Levi Mom Jeans but didn't see any that grabbed me. We stopped off for a coffee/tea at the Hip Hop Café which has brilliant Beyoncé slogan cups "I woke up like this". Mum paid for mine. In the markets I picked up a wooden coaster with a painted M on it for £3 and a pair of sunglasses for £5.
I also bought a birthday present for a friend. Her birthday isn't until November but it was a case of seeing something that was perfect and it doesn't hurt to be a bit prepared! I also pay 30p to use the toilets at Liverpool Street Station.... So glamorous!
After the markets we headed over to the southbank for some lunch and a wander. We get food from a street market stall. I pay £2 for some chips (they were £3 but I only had £2 in change so mum donated a £1). Afterwards, we head up to the South Bank Centre Roof Garden and have a drink. My dad gets this round and I get a round later at a pub near Westminster Abbey which was £13.00.
At around 5:30pm, we go our separate ways and I eat a pizza at home in between re-charging my phone and a quick shower and change of clothess. We meet back up later in Covent Garden for a stroll and a few more drinks, I get a round in at £17.15.
Total: £59.90
TOTAL: £190.43
My parents visit rounded off a summer of fun things, a hen do in Marbs, various people visiting, birthdays, SW4 festival, a hen do in Yorkshire and many al-fresco drinks. I spent way more than I should've done but looking back, I've had a great summer and full of memories and experiences. Time now to hibernate a bit (well, after a couple more days of high 20s temperatures), save some money and knuckle down with trying to beat my PB in the Royal Parks Half Marathon. Roll on autumn.
