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Hello it is Friday once again. I am full of cold, I thought it was Hayfever at first as I did keep getting itchy eyes. However I am so blocked up from the back of my throat (sorry for the TMI) to the front of my nose and it is so irritating.
If you read my blog on Monday Check-In. Sorry this is a mistake meant to say Blog Tuesday page I wrote about how I am really budgeting my money and was giving myself £10 a week to spend, and on myself I spent just £1.50, which was good. In total, on food for Henry, snacks, bread and milk total was £16.79 pence. Not bad. I need to buy more nappies but going to use my Boots points to pay for these. It has been £30 to £40, so has made a massive difference.
What it has really made me see is where most of my money goes. You may think well that's obvious, but sometimes we can be reckless and become unaware of how much we are spending a week. We become in denial at times, or think we have to reward ourselves as "We can't take it with us when we go" i.e: die. Sorry to being morbid, but how many of us have had that attitude or have said that. I can definitely put my hand up.
However when you have bought those pair of £60 shoes knowing you now going to go further into your overdraft or credit card, which is high anyway and got your childs nappies, food and baby wipes to buy, you have to think what is important?
Do you want to be paying this debt off for the rest of your life?
It has made me look at the little things we spend our money on. for example I could see that being more cautious with our money our food packaging draw has become less clogged up, and haven't got a food bag blocking us from opening it up, and we can see what we have got and what we needed to buy.
It made me think about alternatives on how we can still store our food without spending lots of money on food bags and packaging. We have plenty of plastic tubs so any leftovers can be stored in those in the fridge, so don't need clingfilm or a food bag for those. If it is a fruit or vegetable or cheese for example, then use up our blue freezer bags we already have got. They can be used for storing food in lunchboxes or in the freezer, so it made me see I don't need the fancy food bags with the zipper across. They are nice but do I really need them. NO.
It also made me address the cost of how much to spend on food packaging items and where. The Poundland shops are good on some items when it comes to spending and saving money, which is one of my joys, but it isn't if you go to the pound shop and still blow your budget for the week. It's defeating the object of saving. You can get items for lower cost in stores like Wilkos. So Instead of spending a pound each on Clingfilm, kitchen foil and food bags, why not go to Wilko's and purchase it for less than a pound. Ok you may not get as many bags, but I find at times, the more you have of something, the more you use. When you have less of somethings it makes you be more cautious on how much to use, to make it last longer.
Sometimes the "Less is more" approach does make sense on certain things.
I almost had an impulse buy in Wilko's, because as I approached the queue for the tills, I could see they were doing Nivea Shower Gels for 95p and I got that urge, "Ooh should I get some just in case it goes up in price?" I really had to hold myself back and think "No, use the ones I have".
It does take discipline, making the choice between need and want. There is a difference between the two. Do you need another pair of shoes to add to your 16 pairs you already have?
No, they are a want item.
Do you need to buy more nappies for your toddler?
Yes, if you are running low. I have found that bulk buying of nappies does save you a lot more, than buying them individually, but if you have a points card and have enough points to cover the cost of a packet then that is also a great way to save.
So when buying something, sometimes making association with if it is a need or a want item, can really help make that correct decision.
The difference between the girl who was a saver when she was a young girl to who I am today, was that with money I had a more respectful caring attitude towards it, and it was a good relationship. Then I began to choose between having a lot of clothes to having a lot of money, going out every night or weekend, to saving money and the relationship with money began to be a rollercoaster relationship, not being able to get to grips with it.
Attitude I have come to learn, now I am 37, going almost onto 38 years old, does make all the difference in relationships, whether they are with an object, lifestyle choice or with a person. Having respect and taking control, working on your own personal demons, why I couldn't get to grips with money, is the starting point for me to start building a good relationship with money again. I know this will be helpful to others, as sometimes you can fall out with money, but it is about having the right attitude to put right again.
No life isn't as, Jessie J, sings, all about the money, but having the right attitude does.
Here I have linked my two new Youtube videos which you can watch on my channel now.
New Monthly Mother and Baby Chat Video
Charity Shop Monthly Challenge- May 2016
Days in a life Video- Saturday 20th May 2016
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
If you read my blog on Monday Check-In. Sorry this is a mistake meant to say Blog Tuesday page I wrote about how I am really budgeting my money and was giving myself £10 a week to spend, and on myself I spent just £1.50, which was good. In total, on food for Henry, snacks, bread and milk total was £16.79 pence. Not bad. I need to buy more nappies but going to use my Boots points to pay for these. It has been £30 to £40, so has made a massive difference.
What it has really made me see is where most of my money goes. You may think well that's obvious, but sometimes we can be reckless and become unaware of how much we are spending a week. We become in denial at times, or think we have to reward ourselves as "We can't take it with us when we go" i.e: die. Sorry to being morbid, but how many of us have had that attitude or have said that. I can definitely put my hand up.
However when you have bought those pair of £60 shoes knowing you now going to go further into your overdraft or credit card, which is high anyway and got your childs nappies, food and baby wipes to buy, you have to think what is important?
Do you want to be paying this debt off for the rest of your life?
It has made me look at the little things we spend our money on. for example I could see that being more cautious with our money our food packaging draw has become less clogged up, and haven't got a food bag blocking us from opening it up, and we can see what we have got and what we needed to buy.
It made me think about alternatives on how we can still store our food without spending lots of money on food bags and packaging. We have plenty of plastic tubs so any leftovers can be stored in those in the fridge, so don't need clingfilm or a food bag for those. If it is a fruit or vegetable or cheese for example, then use up our blue freezer bags we already have got. They can be used for storing food in lunchboxes or in the freezer, so it made me see I don't need the fancy food bags with the zipper across. They are nice but do I really need them. NO.
It also made me address the cost of how much to spend on food packaging items and where. The Poundland shops are good on some items when it comes to spending and saving money, which is one of my joys, but it isn't if you go to the pound shop and still blow your budget for the week. It's defeating the object of saving. You can get items for lower cost in stores like Wilkos. So Instead of spending a pound each on Clingfilm, kitchen foil and food bags, why not go to Wilko's and purchase it for less than a pound. Ok you may not get as many bags, but I find at times, the more you have of something, the more you use. When you have less of somethings it makes you be more cautious on how much to use, to make it last longer.
Sometimes the "Less is more" approach does make sense on certain things.
I almost had an impulse buy in Wilko's, because as I approached the queue for the tills, I could see they were doing Nivea Shower Gels for 95p and I got that urge, "Ooh should I get some just in case it goes up in price?" I really had to hold myself back and think "No, use the ones I have".
It does take discipline, making the choice between need and want. There is a difference between the two. Do you need another pair of shoes to add to your 16 pairs you already have?
No, they are a want item.
Do you need to buy more nappies for your toddler?
Yes, if you are running low. I have found that bulk buying of nappies does save you a lot more, than buying them individually, but if you have a points card and have enough points to cover the cost of a packet then that is also a great way to save.
So when buying something, sometimes making association with if it is a need or a want item, can really help make that correct decision.
The difference between the girl who was a saver when she was a young girl to who I am today, was that with money I had a more respectful caring attitude towards it, and it was a good relationship. Then I began to choose between having a lot of clothes to having a lot of money, going out every night or weekend, to saving money and the relationship with money began to be a rollercoaster relationship, not being able to get to grips with it.
Attitude I have come to learn, now I am 37, going almost onto 38 years old, does make all the difference in relationships, whether they are with an object, lifestyle choice or with a person. Having respect and taking control, working on your own personal demons, why I couldn't get to grips with money, is the starting point for me to start building a good relationship with money again. I know this will be helpful to others, as sometimes you can fall out with money, but it is about having the right attitude to put right again.
No life isn't as, Jessie J, sings, all about the money, but having the right attitude does.
Here I have linked my two new Youtube videos which you can watch on my channel now.
New Monthly Mother and Baby Chat Video
Charity Shop Monthly Challenge- May 2016
Days in a life Video- Saturday 20th May 2016
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
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