Sunday, April 24, 2011

Spending for week 16 and holiday plans

For as long as I manage to keep up daily tracking, I'm just going to go ahead and post a summary each week. But without reasons or justifications or excuses. Sometimes I'll spend money I shouldn't on things I don't need and I'm not looking for comments on on silly that is, believe me, I already know.

Food necessities = ordinary food, essentially three meals a day kind of stuff
Food luxuries = anything not really necessary to keep me fed, mostly junk like chocolate, crisps etc.
Canteen food = eating out or getting something delivered if I don't bring lunch to work
Transport = anything above and beyond my monthly ticket.

  • Transport 7.00
  • Food necessities 24.45
  • Food luxuries 37.79
  • Canteen food 6.80
  • Toiletries 0.00
  • Gifts (incl. postage) 0.00 
  • Clothes 0.00
  • House/garden 1.93
  • Medical 0.00
  • Other 8.90
Total spend this week: 86.87
Total spend this month to date: 325.59

Another very spendy week although most of that is actually next week's budget and was spent yesterday on groceries.  I treated myself to a trip to the English shop because I had a craving for mini-eggs and the mark-up on stuff there is just ridiculous.  It'd be cheaper to fly to England every couple of months and stock up, which is why I only go there once or twice a year (well, I've been there three times so far since I moved here nearly three years ago - generally a taste of what I think I'm missing at exhorbitant prices is enough to convince me I don't really miss it that much - a sample price I noticed that most people can compare, I think, is Arm and Hammer bread soda, a 454g/1lb box costs €2.60/US$3.80).

I did bring my lunch in to work every day except the one day a week that I meet some of the other secretaries for lunch in the canteen.  And I ate dinner at home every day too - as well as lunch on the holiday and weekend.  Had a real craving for pizza yesterday, which I kept at bay by remembering first of all that I already had the last portion of bean casserole in the fridge to be eaten and secondly, by heading to Aldi to buy flour and deciding while there to get a frozen pizza.  In the end I decided on these small pizza baguettes, six in a box for €1.79.  They don't taste great but are alright.  Next time I'll add a bit of cheese (cheddar from the English shop) and they'll be fine. 

I have the next week off work and have a few things planned that will need money so it's not good that I've already spent most of the budget.  I was hoping to not spend the entire refund from the health insurance but will break into the rest of that to pay for what's happening this week - need to go to the launderette and get the duvet cleaned and badly need to do the couch cover as well (it has only been spot-cleaned so far - it's nearly three years later and past time).  And I need to send my sister her (January!) birthday present.  Things like that.  I should send my sister in France the christmas box I put together as well but it's kind of heavy so I've already told her I'm not going to and will put the money towards a ticket to go and visit them at the end of June.

Now if could just shake off this horrible depression and get moving on some things.  I have a document I promised to proofread for a friend at the beginning of the month but all the crap that has been happening in work (not to mention working every day until after eight) has sent me off in a tizzy again and I am having difficulty coping.  My plan for the week's holiday was to spend an hour before breakfast every day completing one task (finished in less than an hour okay, not finished then quit after one hour regardless).  Then a nice sit down breakfast with a pot of tea followed by an hour or so sitting in the armchair listening to the radio, some music and/or reading.  Spend half an hour on the phone to employment agencies to find out what the job market is like and/or preparing CV etc.  Maybe a short walk before lunch and then spend the afternoon out and about, going to museums or parks or whatever takes my fancy.  On Tuesday evening I'm meeting a friend at the cinema for an anti-nuclear film and talk.  On Wednesday afternoon I have an appointment with the renter's association to check my annual charges bill and then in the evening it's book club.  Now just need to find the will to actually get out of bed every day.

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