Money Diary: Birthday season, date night and no books
August is always an expensive month for me: countless family birthdays and the urge to go out and do more in case I waste the remnants of summer. This week captures that pretty well, I’d say! Needless to say, I was desperate for some quiet days at home after this particular week.
Thursday 7 August
It’s my third day in the office this week, and so I pack my bag and lunch bag to set myself up for a good day. Leftovers for lunch are key, people! The drive to work is easy – since it’s the school summer holidays – and my car is still at 89% charge, so I park up and head into the office with my homemade smoothie for breakfast.
What would you know? I need to chew something to feel properly full so, about an hour after logging on, I pop downstairs to the café with two colleagues to buy breakfast (£1).
At lunch, we walk over to the main restaurant and I reheat my leftovers for lunch. My team are going to the shop afterwards for a snack but I resist temptation and leave empty-handed. As we walk back to our desks, I spot a Substack payment come through (£32.08), as a reader recently upgraded their subscription to a yearly paid one.
With the work day over, I head home to get changed as I have a Reformer Pilates class at 5.20pm. I pay for my classes in blocks, which makes them cheaper, but it’s still £16 for the hour. After Pilates, I nip home to pick up a Vinted parcel that I need to send. I sold a winter coat for £18 last night! Since I’m lagging on my daily steps, I decide to walk 20 minutes to our nearest InPost locker. Pop into Sainsbury’s en route home to pick up some protein for tonight’s dinner. I opt for some tempeh (£3) and hope it works in my current exclusion diet – yep, more health issues prevail!
Once home, I make a tempeh wrap with some mango chutney, mayonnaise, caramelised red onions and sauerkraut. It’s delicious! I’m shattered from work, Reformer Pilates and the long walk so, once showered, I hop in bed with my gua sha and a book and get an early night.
In: £50.08
Out: £20
Friday 8 August
Grateful for a WFH day today. Our workload is much slower over the summer and so it’s nicer to work from home, where I can make use of any downtime to check off house jobs and squeeze in some reading. Today, I start things off with a weightlifting session at the gym and snag four PBs!
Home to shower, eat breakfast and log on for work at 9am. It’s definitely quieter today, and I read for my mid-morning tea break before logging on to an hour-and-a-half long meeting that runs over our wellness hour (supposedly named since we’re not supposed to join calls through this time). I rustle up a cheat’s pad kra pow for dinner with leftover rice, vegan mince, peas and all the usual seasonings, then head out for a walk with my reclaimed wellness hour. I wander to my Little Free Library and pick up a book, helping towards my book-buying ban (yes, I’m on another one!).
Once home, I reheat lunch and eat it while working through some project amends that’ve come through to me. I’ve hit my daily step goal now, so I feel some peace of mind for the rest of the day. There’s a couple of minor jobs to complete, so I check those off and read a little too.
After work, I get ready quickly as I have plans with my sister this evening. Work gifted me a pair of cinema tickets a few months ago, so I booked Freakier Friday for our sister date (£0). But first, dinner! We nip to wagamama since half of their menu is plant-based, and the restaurant is only over the road from the cinema (£32.96).
In: £0
Out: £32.96
Saturday 9 August
Our schedule is a little wonky today as Eddie worked overtime last night while I was out. This means I have a surprise morning to myself while he catches up on sleep! And, since I’m in my healthy girl era, that also means I’m going to make a nourishing breakfast before packing a bag and heading out for a long walk. I also have a Vinted order to send, so it’s a detour to the InPost locker (£8) before wandering to the park.
It’s beautifully sunny out, so I sit in the park for a spell, with my newest book in tow. Are You Mad at Me? is a non-fiction book about fawning and people-pleasing, and I’m really enjoying it.
Once home, I refuel with a FreeSoul cortisol supplement drink that I’ve been trying. It’s delicious, and I hope it works! Settle down on the sofa with my Nintendo Switch as my friend told me about a new cosy game last night, and it happens to be one I saw on the Indie World Direct. £17.99 goes straight to Nintendo eShop in exchange for Tiny Bookshop.
After several hours of gameplay immersion, Eddie is awake and we run a few errands together. Fabric recycling, a trip to the tip, a charity shop run… Yes, we’re still trying to get on top of house ‘stuff’. Pop to B&Q for a final paint browse to no avail. It’s date night tonight, so we make our way home and get ready.
Eddie’s surprised me with tickets to the Sundown Cinema! It’s at a local lavender farm and we’re seeing one of my favourite films! So, I treat us to dinner at one of our favourite local independent restaurants, who’ve just reopened after a redecoration hiatus. There’s a discount since it’s their opening night (£30).
In: £8
Out: £30
Sunday 10 August
Today, Mum, Louise and I are going to London for Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical! But first, Eddie and I are hitting the gym together. Since I’ve already smashed my planned workouts for the week, I’m adding in a bonus upper body session with a focus on back, triceps and rear delts. After the gym, I grab my weekly shop at the supermarket (£18.16).
Once home, I cook some dumplings for breakfast and then shower and get dressed in my red and white Rydell High garb. Mum’s picking me up at 11.45am, so I have a little time to play Tiny Bookshop and even read a chapter or two of my book.
Our drive to London is smooth and I’ve read a big chunk of my current book, Every Version of You by Grace Chan. My brother has kindly ordered us lunch to his place and, of course, it’s Roti King – our family go-to. My nasi goreng is delicious! We hang out at his place for a few hours before walking to Battersea Park for the Secret Cinema experience.
Firstly, I really recommend Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical! It was so much fun! Secondly, pack a fan because we didn’t and I relied on endless fizzy drinks to keep me cool. We ate beforehand, so there’s no need for expensive London food truck burgers, but I spend a fair amount on a few drinks for the three of us (£16).
In: £0
Out: £24.16
Monday 11 August
Back to work and I’m working from home. I am exhausted from being on my feet all day at Grease, but head to the gym anyway for a heavy lower body lifting session. Eddie and I pop to the supermarket to pick up some paint and pasta (£4.48).
Once home, I shower and prepare breakfast. I spot a Substack payment whizz in (£3.50) which puts a pep in my step. Start work at 9am and pray that I’m not feeling spendy.
It’s a pretty relaxed day at work. My cousin messages me at lunchtime to ask if we can hang out after work (she’s eight!), and I only have laundry on the agenda so I oblige. I charge my car (£3.84) then pick her up for a visit to the park, then to The Range. Since Eddie is sleeping ahead of his night shift, I do the grown-up thing of taking us all back to my parents for dinner. A cheap evening out indeed!
In: £3.50
Out: £8.32
Tuesday 12 August
I’m in the office today, but the heat means I’m up early and have time to read with breakfast, instead of rushing around the house like a headless chicken. I devour a few pages of Oxford Soju Club, then make a matcha for my drive to work and pack my lunch away into my lunch bag.
Work is fairly uneventful and I resist the temptation to pick up coffee or snacks from the shop. Instead, I eat my packed snacks and leftovers for lunch, then mosey off on time. After my drive home, I spot two more Substack payments arrive in my account.
Eddie and I make smoothies with frozen fruit and coconut water, then I make a roasted garlic cauliflower with crispy potatoes for dinner. It’s delicious and it’s made four portions – dreamy!
In: £7.84
Out: £0
Wednesday 13 August
It’s another office day for me. I make my usual breakfast of yogurt, granola and berries, then drive to the office. Since I have an appointment in another town tomorrow evening, I decide it’s best to charge my car at work.
Head to the InPost locker on campus to send my Vinted parcel (£4) and avoid the café en route back to my desk. Work is quiet again, so I tinker away at my work objectives and then head for lunch with my colleagues. Surprise surprise, lunch is last night’s leftovers. This is my ultimate daily no-spend hack. In the main building, a few brands are giving away samples of upcoming launches, so we head back to our desks with hot sauces, iced coffee and Mexican seasoning sachets.
My friends and I have plans tonight! After saying it for months, we’re going for a catch-up over dinner at Nando’s. I’ve got a few Chillis on my Nando’s Rewards app, so my meal ends up being free! Once I’m home, I finally order our guest room curtains and bedding (£99.50)
