I had mentioned in a previous post that I was going to keep a track on how much I was spending on groceries. In January, I kept a balance of everything I spent which included all money spent in the supermarkets on food, drink, cat food and litter, detergents, toilet paper, magazines and just about anything else that is a household item that I buy from a supermarket. I was absolutely horrified to find it was over £600 in one month for just the two of us. It was exactly £606.14.
I buy many items reduced and had a quite a few money off vouchers that I used too, so it beggars belief how much it would have cost if I was paying full price. I was planning my menus for the week and threw very little food away. Just keeping a check on one month's spending has really opened my eyes. I am going to keep a check for the month of February and see how much I spend this month with an eye to reducing the £600 considerably.
I am continuing to list items on eBay and am trying out the idea of listing items as "buy it now" rather than auction. I have also been offering free postage with some items by just upping the price to take into account the cost of postage and some of these items have sold already. I am not making a fortune but am getting a steady trickle of money coming in and am enjoying freeing up space in the house that was taken with up with items we did not use.
I bought 3 bags off one lady at a carboot sale in the Lake District a year ago. They cost 50p each and I thought they would be great little bags for carrying my lunch in. None were used and after a year of being in my bedroom cupboard I decided to sell them. They sold for £17.39 in total which is a good return on a £1.50 layout. I don't think I will be giving up the day job but the funds will come in handy to cover that enormous grocery budget.
It has been another busy week where both David and I feel like we are hamsters on a wheel running to stand still. We have both been working long hours and have had full evenings.
I buy many items reduced and had a quite a few money off vouchers that I used too, so it beggars belief how much it would have cost if I was paying full price. I was planning my menus for the week and threw very little food away. Just keeping a check on one month's spending has really opened my eyes. I am going to keep a check for the month of February and see how much I spend this month with an eye to reducing the £600 considerably.
I am continuing to list items on eBay and am trying out the idea of listing items as "buy it now" rather than auction. I have also been offering free postage with some items by just upping the price to take into account the cost of postage and some of these items have sold already. I am not making a fortune but am getting a steady trickle of money coming in and am enjoying freeing up space in the house that was taken with up with items we did not use.
I bought 3 bags off one lady at a carboot sale in the Lake District a year ago. They cost 50p each and I thought they would be great little bags for carrying my lunch in. None were used and after a year of being in my bedroom cupboard I decided to sell them. They sold for £17.39 in total which is a good return on a £1.50 layout. I don't think I will be giving up the day job but the funds will come in handy to cover that enormous grocery budget.
It has been another busy week where both David and I feel like we are hamsters on a wheel running to stand still. We have both been working long hours and have had full evenings.
I started work at 7.45am on Wednesday after leaving home at 7am and driving my horrid journey across Manchester city centre. I had numerous meetings (there have been 11 meetings scheduled in my diary this week) and finished work at 5pm when I met a colleague in the office reception to catch a taxi into Manchester so that we could meet up with two other work colleagues for drinks and a meal. I just can't explain how great a night out I have with these three ladies who I meet up with every few months or so. Our backgrounds are so diverse, we do not all work together but in different departments but our paths have crossed over the years and we found we just "click".
I cried laughing so much that I had eye make-up smeared across my cheeks where I had been wiping away the tears. I drank too much wine for a weekday evening - about a bottle - as I had 5 glasses in total and felt a little merry. We started off in one of the bars and then headed for a favourite Chinese restaurant for a sharing choice of dim sum and main course dishes. I caught the tram home and David picked me up at the tram station about a mile away from where we live to drive me home. By the time I got to bed it was 11.30pm and I was up and out dropping David off at the tram stop before 7am the next day so that he could get across to the opposite side of Manchester for a training course. I drove the journey wearing a smart work coat and shoes complete with my pyjamas! I prayed that I didn't have an accident in this bizarre outfit.
Back home I started work before 8am and worked until 12noon and then set off for two meetings in the office at 1pm and 2pm. I finished work at 4pm and drove towards home stopping off at the little Co-op store near the tram stop to pick up fresh bread and reduced sandwiches for David to take to work for lunch. I picked David up from the tram stop and then back home for around 5.30pm. Off out again for David so he could get his hair cut. When he had left, I got straight into my pyjamas and loved having a lazy evening catching up on TV via the iplayer.
I am counting my blessings on working from home today which means no travelling and peace and quiet to concentrate on two reports that I need to write and reading all the documents that I need to so that I am prepared for next week's redundancy announcements. I find out my fate and then meet individually with the 5 managers who work for me to let them know how they have faired. They then have to meet with their staff to let them know their outcomes. My philosophy is that it is out of our control so it is wasted energy worrying about it. The outcomes in the past for me have led to new roles and new work which has kept me fresh and newly challenged. Financially it is a worry but I know we can cut back (£600 grocery budget!!) and we will cope.
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