Tuesday 18 March 2014

March 2014 Hair Update


Well that month went quickly!
I am now into my 3rd month of washing my hair every other day. I never thought that would happen.
As I mentioned in my previous post I have been alternating between washing and using a dry shampoo/style extender in the form of Bumble & Bumble pret a powder.
Here is my 2nd day hair in all its glory.

This pot of wonderfullness is worth every penny. A little has gone a very long way and leaves no residue. I think this could easily last 6 months at the amount I am using.
I am starting to prefer day 2 hair (shock horror). My hair has more bounce and volume and my natural wave is more defined but with a bit of frizz.
It was 6 months since my last cut. I can now scrape it back into a pony but still a long way from the desired top knot. However there were signs that breakage was on the horizon so I bit the bullet and had a trim. Normally a trip to the hairdressers for me would be a drastic change in style that warranted the price tag of £27.50. I know £27.50! I will say it again £27.50 for nothing more than a trim.
Alas that equates to £4.58 a month so not all bad in the scheme of things and even better as I had been putting said amount away in another account for this day. So all accounted for! It was worth every penny. For that hour I felt pampered and it has given my hair some direction.
Growing out an inverted bob can be hard work when the style warrants an upkeep of a trim every 6-8 weeks.
It is now less inverted and getting to one length.
My ends are feeling a little dry so on the 2nd day I have been applying a cheap hair oil mask that I picked up from the local B & M store. For £1.99 this adds a bit more moisture.
Another dilemma I am having is the appearance of a few grey hairs. Having not dyed my hair for 4 months they are rearing their heads. At the moment it is not enough to reach for the dye but I am hoping with summer on its way a bit of sun will disguise any more that may decide to come through. I am 33, not old by any means but I don't want to look older than I am, but want to age gracefully and with minimal future upkeep on colour. This is a wait and see issue I think.
This month I picked up this to banish the frizz and tame those dry ends.

This is John Frieda Frizz Ease Nourishing Oil Elixir £6.99 from Superdrug. In one pump of oil this claims to nourish and block frizz for 50% smoother healthier hair.
Watch this space for an update at the end of the month.
Do you suffer from frizz? How do you achieve glossy hair?





Friday 14 March 2014

Budget update March 2014

The budgets have been drawn up and spending is planned and allowed for. I came in £4.72 under target in the food spend for February which I am very happy about. I was determined to hit this target. Come the last few days there were a couple raised eyebrows on what was served up for dinner from the other half. I simply said it's ifits. If it's there we are eating it! 
March has started rather nicely and calmly. I have discovered the Money Hub app from Yourwealth.co.uk. This is an app that does it all. It allows you to budget your spend on each area of your spends and allows you to link these budgets to your bank and savings accounts. It also enables you to do some future financial planning such as setting savings and debt goal and works out your financial worth taking into consideration what your assets and liabilities are. 
It updates regularly so takes out the hard work of updating budget spreadsheets, but it costs £9.99 a year. This is worth it in my eyes there is no excuse of not having enough time to update as it is all done automatically. Therefore I have no excuse not to know what I have left to spend and where I have to make cutbacks.
A great app to have for on the go financial management.


Now back to business...
We are nearly half way into the month and I am on track to come in under budget for everything. I have had to move some budgets around though. There was some body lotion on offer at superdrug that I needed and wanted to take advantage of a buy 1 get 1 half price deal. Therefore I have decided to cut my fuel budget as this is way there is the most scope for change. Easy enough as I was under last month. I find it so liberating to be able to chop and change my budgets according to the current months requirement. There is simply no point in beating myself up about going over on one element. This is not set in stone and should be flexible within reason.
Do you change around your budget? 

Friday 7 March 2014

Is it worth skimping?

During my family's quest to get more for our money it goes hand in hand that you try to get the same things you always have but for cheaper.
This for everyone is trial and error and before you realise you have trialed a dozen varieties and are still none the wiser and perhaps out of pocket after ditching the cheaper alternative.
A few items come to mind:
Ah black bags! The pain in the proverbial in our household. The cheap and overfilled ones that end up all over the floor caused by the slightest jagged edge. No one wants to pay more than you have to for these but at the same time you don't want to end up on your hands and knees retrieving mouldy bags and banana skins.


Coffee yum yum! A good cup of this can make or break my day. I tend to only buy branded coffee as I just cannot find a good value brand anywhere. If you know where let me know as I have given up looking. I am a definite snob on the coffee front I will not drink it for the sake of it especially if it's bad and will go so far as to snub a local coffee shop if they serve a latte from a machine. I mean how hard is it to froth some milk and add a shot?! A latte in a coffee shop nowadays is a treat so therefore it has to be good.
Clothes and shoes need to be good quality in order to last. I am by no means disputing that you can't get good quality items of clothes for cheap. For items like coats and boots I prefer to pay more. These are items that are likely to be worn for many years and are classic in style to take me from season to season, are functional and built to last such as a brown winter boot, waterproof coat and flip flops. I do skimp on seasonal fashion that updates my wardrobe that will either only be in for one season or what I know will not be my taste as I get older. I do like to peruse the online auction sites such as eBay for these items. More often than not getting good quality used items for a fraction of the price of what it would have been had I bought it on the high street. There is no better feeling than someone saying how much they love your dress and being able to proudly state you got it on ebay or from a charity shop for £5.