Track EVERYTHING I spend over the next month

But valuable work. I was pretty shocked how much I spent on clothes (although I secretly knew) and I spent almost as much on drinks as I did on groceries! That will change…guaranteed.

I feel like I have a solid basis for my budget now.

and just the logging of it is an achievement in itself!
I have a spreadsheet with the types of expenses all analysed (of course!) but it’s at work and I forgot to send it to myself. I have also used that spreadsheet to try and come up with ways to cut down next month – still trying to decide what to aim for. Will aim to update on this again later.

The thing that shocked me most is how much I spend on pre-prepared food (and food in general) – just those times when I can’t be bothered to make lunch or cook dinner… it mounts up so much and I am way shocked! So my biggest theme for next month will be trying to spend the same amount on ingredients every time I’m tempted to buy a packet or ready-made meal and that way I’ll have more things to use with for later meals as well.

(for example, for the price of an egg sandwich I could easily buy a loaf of bread and enough egg-mayo mix to make sandwiches for a week, so that’s what I should do!!)

There is hope. I was way out of control but I am determined to get back there. And there is something great about the whole exercise (must be the spreadsheets!)

Yesterday I put a fiver on the electric but that’s already included in bills, so…

Today:
Café – £2.60
Lunches (for the whole week hopefully) – £10.60
Spring rolls to go with dinner – £1.30

Picnic lunch – £3.70
Ice cream – £1.50 hehehe
Groceries – £5.90

Have a feeling I will forget something…

Lunch – £6.70
Various teas etc – £6
Wonderful thick tie-up black cardi from George – £10
Gym bag – £2
Swim suit – £6 (on sale so that was lucky!)
Lush thick black socks – £6
Kitchen roll – £1
Toilet roll – £3 (for 18 rolls! which was obviously the main object of my trip!)
Nibbles (fruit and nuts and stuff) – £5
Cinema – £7.40

Café – £3
Brownie ;) – £1
Dinner with work guys – £20

Café – £3
Lunch – £3.70
Dinner with H – £7.80

Also at some point last week I topped my phone up and forgot to write it down (this goal is so hard!!) – £10

Café – £2.60
Dinner with T – £8.40

Café – £2.60
Salad & fruit stuff (and marshmallows!!!!) – £7.70

Café – £5.30 but I was there for like 2 hours and very very happy!
Bogroll and extra trimmings for tea – £1.60