Weekly Spending Round Up

Last week the batteries in the Sky remote control and smoke alarm both went, I'd like to say I'm organised and had spares but I didn't!

Friday 3rd February
25p cake mix, Sainsburys (bit of cheat baking!)

Saturday 4th February
No spend day :)

Sunday 5th February
£24.31 food shopping, Sainsburys

Monday 6th February
No spend day :)

Tuesday 7th February
£1.99 batteries
35p chocolate (stress of no Sky TV!)
99p bread, all Lidl

Wednesday 8th February
No spend day :)

Thursday 9th February
£3.36 battery, Boots
£12.00 two bottles of perfumes heavily discounted picked up in Boots whilst looking for battery, there's no excuse, my shopping habits are hard to quash, in my defence I will be giving them both as gifts!
£1.75 ring, Peacocks (in the sale a little treat for me!)

Oh and what did I say about technology and me, it appears I have deleted my last Weekly Spending Round Up post?!

hAPPy

I think I'm a bit behind technology wise so when our laptop suffered a terrible fate last week I thought my blogging days would be over just as soon as they were getting started...until I found the blogger app on my phone, for free, marvellous!
I don't know if it will look any different and reckon that by typing it on my phone will ensure I don't ramble on!

Project Ten Pan Update

This morning I used up the last of the Next Pure perfume AND the CoverGirl Mascara, strangely very satisfying, so that's two down, eight to go!

American Studies

Getting to grips with American Culture might be a little more tricky than I thought. Last night my boyfriend & I stayed up to watch The Superbowl.

Me: How many quarters are there?
BF: Do you want to think about that?
Me: Er?!...
BF: Quarters?
Me: Oh 4?
BF: (peeing himself laughing) yes 4!!
Me: (trying to redeem myself) but there's only 2 halves in football?! (I swear the words just tumbled out my mouth before my brain caught up!)
BF: (still laughing uncontrolably) that has to be the stupidest thing you have ever said!

Fail. Must try harder :(

 P.S. Thought Madonna was ace though!

California Dreamin' on a Winter's Day

-9 & snowing here, a sunny 20 degrees in San Francisco, enough said!

Project Ten Pan

Trying to use up what you already have can turn into a bit of a chore so I really like the idea of Project/Product Ten Pan where you make a conscious effort to use up/hit pan on old products before using their replacements or buying new ones. Rightly or wrongly I am trying to use up my cheaper items and things I am not so keen on first. My logic for this is that using their replacements will feel much more like a treat.

Left to Right:

1. Bayliss & Harding Body Lotion: Part of a Christmas gift set nice enough scent, not a very thick consistency though, is getting used up quite quickly!
2. Gucci Guilty Perfume: Almost there on this one, love the scent but have lots of perfumes still that I want to use up before they start to go off.
3. Next Perfume: I always think they manage to do quite a good job of ripping off the major branded perfumes with both packaging and scent. This smells lovely but doesn't last so well, is a great everyday/work perfume so am getting through it pretty well.
4. Cowshed Hand Cream: Free with a magazine nice consistency but am not a fan of the scent I'm afraid.
5. Collection 2000 Face Powder: Actually a very nice product for the price, bought ages ago on a 3 for 2 offer with item 8.
6. Nails Inc Pink Nail Varnish: Great for everyday/work wear but would like to replace it with something a little lighter (particularly coveting Bourjois Rose Lounge Nail Lacquer at the moment)
7. CoverGirl Mascara: Got this in America just over a year ago. Stocked up on a few different CoverGirl mascaras after all the hype but must say was quite disappointed.
8. Collection 2000 Eye Shadow Trio: A real lazy choice with all three colours complimenting each other perfectly for a complete look. Impressive for the price.
9. Oriflame Concealer: Bought from a friend who hosted an event as she is an Oriflame (similar to Avon I believe) consultant. Is fine but I don't think it reduces dark circles as well as it claims.
10. No. 7 Eye Shadow duo: Again part of a Christmas gift set, two easy to wear colours which last pretty well, easy to wear for working day.

I can't wait to finish them all up as I find them quite messy now and have lots more cosmetics lined up in wait!

Fantasy Spending

If money were no object these Marc by Marc Jacobs Mouse Pumps would be mine!

Starting from around £160 for the basic elastic ones and going up to around £220 for the stud or glitter ones I doubt they will be mine any time soon. However I continue to justify their purchase to myself quite convincingly, so is it worth saving up for them, are they worth investing in?!...

Financial Order

Money is not something I am naturally good with. I am a spender for sure. This time last year I had...

• £1250 overdraft
• £1000 maxed out Christmas Credit Card
• £2000 balance transferred Credit Card

I also had absolutely zero savings and was about to find out that I'd been overpaid by £1400 from my previous job. It was around this time I started reading personal finance blogs and found the book 'In The Red' by Alexis Hall. Taking inspiration from these I am happy to say that this year I have...

• £0 overdarft
• £0 Christmas Credit Card
• £0 Balance Transfer Credit Card
• £3000 Emergency Savings Fund

The things I found most helpful seem so simple and obvious now but when you're caught up in spending habits common sense finds it hard to prevail!

On pay day I would immediately transfer debt payback money and savings money and then transfer a monthly 'allowance' into another card activated bank account that I had no overdraft facility on. I then did all my spending through this account leaving my regular account with money to cover all my direct debits and payback my overdraft. I took packed lunches to work. I meal planned and tried not to spend more than £30 a week on food, taking advantage of loyalty card offers and vouchers. I didn't buy any new cosmetics until they ran out, turns out my stock pile was so massive that I only ending up having to buy shampoo, toothpaste and foundation! I tried really hard to stop buying clothes but couldn't do it, what I did buy however I considered thoroughly before buying. I wrote down everything I spent on the notes facility on my phone and wherever possible only spent cash so I could keep track of what I had left.

Hardly revelationary I know but I think it might be helpful to know that I did it. I cleared over £4000 of debt and managed to build up an emergency savings fund and more importantly I still had a life.

So for the San Francisco fund I am hoping to save £20,000 and have about two and a half years to achieve this. I think this year however will be tougher than last as the debt is gone. As And Then She Saved found, it appears easier to be on a 'Saving Fast' than a 'Saving Diet'. Discipline is required (something else that I'm not so hot on!) so I am really hoping that this blog will help me that too, here goes....

Dreamer

So today the hoppity dreamer meets blogger...

....the aim being to focus my energy and document my journey.

Basically the dream is to move to San Francisco, California. To make that dream a reality I need to get organized and get busy. I guess I also need to make sure that it is not just a dream so there will be lots of questions to answer and research to do. Dull but necessary I suppose.

I love to daydream and make plans however I also believe all those corny clichés about life being what happens whilst you’re busy making other plans and that life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain. I don’t want to miss out so I’m hoping this blog will help. Am very happy for others to join me for the ride.

Thanks x