dance of a painted lady: frugal is fun

...and the Pounds will take care of themselves.

My Nana always said this. And like many of the things she said, it still echoes in my head. I hope to discover that it's true.

I celebrated the end of my diet detox with a delicious pizza on Friday evening and although I've been working most of the weekend, I've enjoyed taking breaks for meals that have included dairy and carbohydrates galore. During these breaks I've also been putting together the plan for my next detox, which starts today. A detox of my spending habits.

I have a few extra projects to fund this year - trips I'd like to take, courses I'd like to attend, things I'd like to buy... and some. I'm also starting to put things in place for a sabbatical I'm hoping to take next year. In order to do any of this I need to save and although I do not live lavishly, I could do with being even more conscious about what I spend and where. So this plan starts with the tried and tested "write every expenditure down" technique, so that I can establish where savings can be made, and then put in place a few controls.

I'm not a great believer in depriving oneself entirely. I've always found that for me anyway, it leads to binge spending. So it's about making small consistent savings across the board. I've drawn up what I think is a fairly tight but realistic budget but am still looking for ways to improve on it. I already know some areas that will need a bit of additional discipline applied. For example, in the same way that some people eat when they are bored, I buy books. Lots of books. I do sometimes think I keep Amazon.co.uk in business single-handedly. So as of today, I've disabled my OneClick button and resolved to put everything I fancy on my wishlist instead. If at the end of the month I still want them, I'll buy a maximum of five and leave the rest on the list.

Window shopping will still be allowed but I'm going to limit the time I spend in shops (both real and online) so's not to be led into temptation, and I'm going to try to be more creative with satisfying the urge to splurge. A few little treats will remain - fresh flowers, for example - 'cause a girl needs some things just because they make her heart smile. What I'll try to do though is buy longer lasting blooms and the occasional flowering potplant to cut down on how often I need to replenish them. Taking care of the pennies...

And why am I putting this out here? Not because I think it makes for riveting reading but because I want to hold myself openly accountable. It helps. And it makes it more fun. More like an adventure than a regimen.

I'm going to chart and celebrate my progress here occasionally (just the highlights, have no fear) and I'd also be very keen to hear any tips or tricks you might have for making everyday savings (anything, anywhere at all). I'm open to any ideas.

I'm heading North for work again today and will be there most of the week, so wherever you are and whatever you're up to, I wish you a very happy Monday!

♥

P.S. the lovely little purse above was a Birthday gift last year and is now what I use when I travel. It'll act as a useful reminder, when I'm out and about, to stick to my programme. Check out the rest of the cute range here. Wish I'd thought to buy a few more bits before the detox... {*smile*}