Today's Saturday and I feel rotten woke up with an absolutely stinking cold and have been sneezing all day. The good thing is it's juts a cold and not that hideous flu virus again - the bad thing is I look like Rudolph my nose and top lip is glowing and I sneezed the worlds largest ball of snot onto my laptop keyboard which was beyond gross and took like 30 minutes to clean off *yuck*
I can honestly say today I have done very little. I haven't left the house - I actually ordered pizza for tea as I couldn't face cooking and I had a 50% off coupon to use - got 2 medium pizzas, 2 x diet cokes, large chips and 2 x large garlic dips and delivery for £7 bargain that was tonight's dinner and tomorrows breakfast sorted!!!! The diet has gone out of the window today too - whenever I feel bleargh I comfort eat. Today I made a trifle it was out of date in fact it was dated as Nov 2014 but I think that's more of a suggested use by date. It came in a packet with strawberry jelly mix, custard mix, creamy whip mix sprinkles and sponge fingers. Put it all together and it was delicious me and my mam ate the whole thing and it was supposed to be enough for 4 oops.
So today's positive is a grateful one - today I am grateful I just have a cold and a snotty nose instead of full on flu again not much of positive but I am happy with that for my day today :)
Saturday, February 21, 2015
+ 365 Day 51
Today is Friday - it's also payday woohoo yippeee whoot and all that.
I'm not very good at budgeting in fact at one point I managed to get myself into around £22,000 worth of debt! That's a lot of money to owe and I wish I could say I did it through need but the fact is I got in that state by being irresponsible, not managing my money properly and not really thinking about it. It's taken me 2 years but I am now in a much better financial position I still owe around £5000 on cards and a loan but these are being paid off and I anticipate being completely debt free by mid 2016. I have learnt from this and now work to a budget. It's hard going but I actually love grabbing a bargain. I've pretty much managed to reduce my gift budget for family and friends down to under £5 per person. I've done this in a number of ways:
I'm a member of local freecycle groups - these groups are where people give items away for free to others - you can list any unwanted bits and someone who would like or need them can ask for them. It reduces household waste and stops items that could be used being binned. It also reduces the cost associated with getting rid of a bigger household item e.g. our local council charges £35 to take away an old bed!
So from the group I have had lots of stuff (I have given stuff too!) including some toys and clothes for my great nephew and niece. Drake got a fab remote control T-Rex for Xmas this year from me (it wasn't working but I took it apart and managed to fix it) which he loved, harmony got some Mickey mouse dvd's plus a Mickey & Minnie cuddly toy (both put through the wash) which she likes to play with.
I'm also a member of local selling groups on FB like bargain basement - again you can get all sorts of items for incredibly low prices from bundles of clothes at £2-£3 for a full black bad, to tech and other bits that people want to sell on quickly.
I also love browsing my local charity shops - I live in a kind of affluent area that borders other similar areas so the charity shops get some great stuff in them - my favourite one is Cancer Research Wales where trousers cost £1.50 - I bought a fab pair of Next trousers for work from there recently :D
I take lunch to work - I worked out I was spending nearly £80 a month buying lunch in work. I now buy 20 tins of different soups a month plus a bottle of squash and multi packs of snacks and take them to work each day - I spend around £20 a month now and I could probably cut that even more if I went for value range but I am not so keen on the taste of the value soups.
I walk more rather than driving which not only saves on petrol and parking but also fits in with the healthier me too
I dont use credit ever - all the cards I had before have long since been destroyed - my overdraft was paid off and removed from my account - now if I want something and I don't have the money I save for it. (The only difference being my holiday which I have paid off a bit at a time - currently £500 left to pay and it's due August but will be completely paid off by March payday)
Anyways it's lots and lots of little things which are adding up to me becoming more financially responsible and learning to manage my money better :) and that's a positive. If you are not used to having money when your suddenly offered credit cards, overdrafts, loans etc from every direction it's so easy to take them and see them as a quick fix - learning to work with a budget and within your financial constraints is a skill that really should be taught from a young age. According to the money charity the average debt per household excluding mortgages is £6016 in the UK with over 9 million people in 'serious debt'
I'm not very good at budgeting in fact at one point I managed to get myself into around £22,000 worth of debt! That's a lot of money to owe and I wish I could say I did it through need but the fact is I got in that state by being irresponsible, not managing my money properly and not really thinking about it. It's taken me 2 years but I am now in a much better financial position I still owe around £5000 on cards and a loan but these are being paid off and I anticipate being completely debt free by mid 2016. I have learnt from this and now work to a budget. It's hard going but I actually love grabbing a bargain. I've pretty much managed to reduce my gift budget for family and friends down to under £5 per person. I've done this in a number of ways:
I'm a member of local freecycle groups - these groups are where people give items away for free to others - you can list any unwanted bits and someone who would like or need them can ask for them. It reduces household waste and stops items that could be used being binned. It also reduces the cost associated with getting rid of a bigger household item e.g. our local council charges £35 to take away an old bed!
So from the group I have had lots of stuff (I have given stuff too!) including some toys and clothes for my great nephew and niece. Drake got a fab remote control T-Rex for Xmas this year from me (it wasn't working but I took it apart and managed to fix it) which he loved, harmony got some Mickey mouse dvd's plus a Mickey & Minnie cuddly toy (both put through the wash) which she likes to play with.
I'm also a member of local selling groups on FB like bargain basement - again you can get all sorts of items for incredibly low prices from bundles of clothes at £2-£3 for a full black bad, to tech and other bits that people want to sell on quickly.
I also love browsing my local charity shops - I live in a kind of affluent area that borders other similar areas so the charity shops get some great stuff in them - my favourite one is Cancer Research Wales where trousers cost £1.50 - I bought a fab pair of Next trousers for work from there recently :D
I take lunch to work - I worked out I was spending nearly £80 a month buying lunch in work. I now buy 20 tins of different soups a month plus a bottle of squash and multi packs of snacks and take them to work each day - I spend around £20 a month now and I could probably cut that even more if I went for value range but I am not so keen on the taste of the value soups.
I walk more rather than driving which not only saves on petrol and parking but also fits in with the healthier me too
I dont use credit ever - all the cards I had before have long since been destroyed - my overdraft was paid off and removed from my account - now if I want something and I don't have the money I save for it. (The only difference being my holiday which I have paid off a bit at a time - currently £500 left to pay and it's due August but will be completely paid off by March payday)
Anyways it's lots and lots of little things which are adding up to me becoming more financially responsible and learning to manage my money better :) and that's a positive. If you are not used to having money when your suddenly offered credit cards, overdrafts, loans etc from every direction it's so easy to take them and see them as a quick fix - learning to work with a budget and within your financial constraints is a skill that really should be taught from a young age. According to the money charity the average debt per household excluding mortgages is £6016 in the UK with over 9 million people in 'serious debt'
+ 365 DAY 50!!!!
Well I made it to day 50 - that's not bad going for an Oscar the grouch like me
Today is Thursday which is my Friday (until end of February)
Today's positive is not me basking me my own glory of making it this far you will be pleased to know.
Today's positive relates back to Monday's - since starting to lose weight and eating more sensibly there has been a knock on effect on my health. I am diabetic - I'm not a good diabetic - I love all sweet and sugary foods, I love my carbs and I dislike veggies, fish and other stuff thats good for you!
But since starting the health kick my diabetes control is way better - I actually think when I go for my next check - up they will be shocked! Normal blood glucose ranges between 4 - 6 (they recently changed the way they measure it but I'm still working on the old system) - my levels are normally between 12-15 so nearly 3 times what they should be - my last HbA1c test (this shows the average blood glucose level in the last 30-60 days) was 10 - they like it to be max of 7.
The last week when checking my bloods they have been between 6-8 so only just above normal. I am pretty sure when it come's to my next HbA1c test it's going to be down - I hope even as far as in the 6-7 range but more likely around 7-8.
It's actually really important to try and control your diabetes as if you don't there is so much long term damage that can be done - from going blind due to diabetic retinopathy (damage to the little blood vessels in the eyes) to actual amputations of limbs!
Short term damage can also include temporary blindness, loss of consciousness, blood poisoning, increased risk of infection & longer healing times, fatigue and lots of other nasties.
So today's positive is - Making one positive change in your life - leads to more positive changes occurring :)
Today is Thursday which is my Friday (until end of February)
Today's positive is not me basking me my own glory of making it this far you will be pleased to know.
Today's positive relates back to Monday's - since starting to lose weight and eating more sensibly there has been a knock on effect on my health. I am diabetic - I'm not a good diabetic - I love all sweet and sugary foods, I love my carbs and I dislike veggies, fish and other stuff thats good for you!
But since starting the health kick my diabetes control is way better - I actually think when I go for my next check - up they will be shocked! Normal blood glucose ranges between 4 - 6 (they recently changed the way they measure it but I'm still working on the old system) - my levels are normally between 12-15 so nearly 3 times what they should be - my last HbA1c test (this shows the average blood glucose level in the last 30-60 days) was 10 - they like it to be max of 7.
The last week when checking my bloods they have been between 6-8 so only just above normal. I am pretty sure when it come's to my next HbA1c test it's going to be down - I hope even as far as in the 6-7 range but more likely around 7-8.
It's actually really important to try and control your diabetes as if you don't there is so much long term damage that can be done - from going blind due to diabetic retinopathy (damage to the little blood vessels in the eyes) to actual amputations of limbs!
Short term damage can also include temporary blindness, loss of consciousness, blood poisoning, increased risk of infection & longer healing times, fatigue and lots of other nasties.
So today's positive is - Making one positive change in your life - leads to more positive changes occurring :)
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
+ 365 Day 49
OMG almost half a century! Can't believe I have made it this far!
Today's positive is really simple - I got complimented on my weight loss - several people have commented about how much slimmer I'm looking today including work colleagues, a friend and a family member! It's hard to see the weight loss myself because I see me every day and although my clothes feel looser and I know I have lost weight through weighing it's nice to know that other people can see a difference in me too :)
Today's positive is really simple - I got complimented on my weight loss - several people have commented about how much slimmer I'm looking today including work colleagues, a friend and a family member! It's hard to see the weight loss myself because I see me every day and although my clothes feel looser and I know I have lost weight through weighing it's nice to know that other people can see a difference in me too :)
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
+365 Day 48
Today's positive relates to Day 22 - basically I found a lump n my boob it didnt go away after 4 weeks so I went to the GP. I had been attacked and had had major bruising to my boob area so she agreed with me it was highly likely to be some tissue damage caused by that but did say if it didn't resolve within another 4-6 weeks then I would need a referral to the breast clinic.
Cancer is a big concern in my family my mum has had skin cancer 3 times the last time was pretty horrific the tumour grew downwards form the corner of her eye into her nose/nasal cavities. It took them 8 hours to remove it during which time she was wide awake and they went in through the corner of her eye to remove it. It has left her with a lot of scarring that she is very self conscious about and it made her very depressed afterwards too. They have said she is likely to get it again as she gets older but luckily its a very slow growing form of cancer - shes previously had it on other areas of her face where the tumours have been smaller. My one sister had cancerous cells removed from her womb and ovaries and is under 6 month review, my other sister had a cancerous tumour removed from her tongue, my nan died from tumours in her nasal cavity and brain and my uncle has just beaten prostate cancer.
Anyways because I was driving myself nuts doing the whole examining myself thing I decided I would only check that area once a week and today when I checked lump is almost gone :) I'm 100% sure that by time 6 weeks is up it will be gone completely yay.
Cancer is a big concern in my family my mum has had skin cancer 3 times the last time was pretty horrific the tumour grew downwards form the corner of her eye into her nose/nasal cavities. It took them 8 hours to remove it during which time she was wide awake and they went in through the corner of her eye to remove it. It has left her with a lot of scarring that she is very self conscious about and it made her very depressed afterwards too. They have said she is likely to get it again as she gets older but luckily its a very slow growing form of cancer - shes previously had it on other areas of her face where the tumours have been smaller. My one sister had cancerous cells removed from her womb and ovaries and is under 6 month review, my other sister had a cancerous tumour removed from her tongue, my nan died from tumours in her nasal cavity and brain and my uncle has just beaten prostate cancer.
Anyways because I was driving myself nuts doing the whole examining myself thing I decided I would only check that area once a week and today when I checked lump is almost gone :) I'm 100% sure that by time 6 weeks is up it will be gone completely yay.
Monday, February 16, 2015
+ 365 Day 47
Today was weigh-in day - I weigh at work using their scales so I know it's accurate :)
And whoop whoop another 600g lost
I now weigh 88.5kgs that's under 14 stone so still MAHOOSIVE but as I was over 15 stone to start I am happy.
Even more so my mum picked me up a pair of jeans in a charity shop today in size 16 and they fit!!!!
Lets be honest I am never gonna be a skinny Minnie but I would love to get down to a 16 on top and a 14 on bottom so am happy with my progress :)
So I hope most Monday positives will be another bit of weight loss but I know today's is :)
Also did a power walk today probably not the best idea in my heeled boots - have a large blister covering my paddy bit of my foot - must remember to take daps or trainers tomorrow :D But did a mile in just under 15 mins - not quite Usain Bolt but not so bad for a short fat welshy
Happy times
And whoop whoop another 600g lost
I now weigh 88.5kgs that's under 14 stone so still MAHOOSIVE but as I was over 15 stone to start I am happy.
Even more so my mum picked me up a pair of jeans in a charity shop today in size 16 and they fit!!!!
Lets be honest I am never gonna be a skinny Minnie but I would love to get down to a 16 on top and a 14 on bottom so am happy with my progress :)
So I hope most Monday positives will be another bit of weight loss but I know today's is :)
Also did a power walk today probably not the best idea in my heeled boots - have a large blister covering my paddy bit of my foot - must remember to take daps or trainers tomorrow :D But did a mile in just under 15 mins - not quite Usain Bolt but not so bad for a short fat welshy
Happy times
Sunday, February 15, 2015
+ 365 Day 44, 45 & 46
Day 44 - Friday
Today's post is late due to my internet being down ... again (thanks sky!)
Today's positive was tat I have managed to raise in last couple of days over £50 for the kitty rescue selling some donated items whoop whoop.
Vale Cat Rescue is really important to me - it's the rescue I got my beautiful Lady cat from and it has a no kill policy. Being small and independent it relies entirely on donations and the fundraising efforts of volunteers. It's vet bills run into the thousands each year and its always a struggle to bring them down but it's worth it. Small rescues like this one are doing a damn sight more to help animals in need on their low budgets than the bigger well known rescues - VCR has helped animals when the RSPCA have refused to help - RSPCA have even suggested putting down some of the animals as it's cheaper than the vet bills to help them. DISGUSTING!
But anyways yay for the kindness of people and the money coming in to help the rescue - £50 may not seem much but thats 2 lots of vaccinations plus food for a few days!
Day 45 - Saturday
Today's post was delayed due to the sky once again not working.
Today's positive is chocolate - Today is Valentine's Day - now being single it's not a big day for me buuuttttt I went to Morrisons and they had loads of chocolate reduced YES! Score!!!
So I ended up eating a whole bag of Minstrels whilst watching the voice oops not good for my diet but oh so yummy.
I am most definitely a comfort eater - eating nice food makes me feel good - unfortunately all the food I like isn't so healthy so I am trying and mostly sticking to my diet to eat healthier and lose weight
After tonight no more chocolate for me for at least 3 days and then only a small amount no more over-indulging!
Day 46 - Sunday
We have recently been worried about one of the snakes - Morfa - hasn't eaten for 2 weeks which is very unusual - she normally eats once a week. She's also been very still and inactive. I was worried she might have a blockage - happily today she shedded - I think it must have been a difficult shed for her as she spent a while in the water bath and shedded in it. Since shedding she has been dancing about in her viv, flicking her tongue and generally making feed me gestures.
I'm very happy she's okay as there isnt a great deal you can do with sick snakes - very few vets deal with them and it's super expensive to see one who does.
Today's post is late due to my internet being down ... again (thanks sky!)
Today's positive was tat I have managed to raise in last couple of days over £50 for the kitty rescue selling some donated items whoop whoop.
Vale Cat Rescue is really important to me - it's the rescue I got my beautiful Lady cat from and it has a no kill policy. Being small and independent it relies entirely on donations and the fundraising efforts of volunteers. It's vet bills run into the thousands each year and its always a struggle to bring them down but it's worth it. Small rescues like this one are doing a damn sight more to help animals in need on their low budgets than the bigger well known rescues - VCR has helped animals when the RSPCA have refused to help - RSPCA have even suggested putting down some of the animals as it's cheaper than the vet bills to help them. DISGUSTING!
But anyways yay for the kindness of people and the money coming in to help the rescue - £50 may not seem much but thats 2 lots of vaccinations plus food for a few days!
Day 45 - Saturday
Today's post was delayed due to the sky once again not working.
Today's positive is chocolate - Today is Valentine's Day - now being single it's not a big day for me buuuttttt I went to Morrisons and they had loads of chocolate reduced YES! Score!!!
So I ended up eating a whole bag of Minstrels whilst watching the voice oops not good for my diet but oh so yummy.
I am most definitely a comfort eater - eating nice food makes me feel good - unfortunately all the food I like isn't so healthy so I am trying and mostly sticking to my diet to eat healthier and lose weight
After tonight no more chocolate for me for at least 3 days and then only a small amount no more over-indulging!
Day 46 - Sunday
We have recently been worried about one of the snakes - Morfa - hasn't eaten for 2 weeks which is very unusual - she normally eats once a week. She's also been very still and inactive. I was worried she might have a blockage - happily today she shedded - I think it must have been a difficult shed for her as she spent a while in the water bath and shedded in it. Since shedding she has been dancing about in her viv, flicking her tongue and generally making feed me gestures.
I'm very happy she's okay as there isnt a great deal you can do with sick snakes - very few vets deal with them and it's super expensive to see one who does.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)