My Life Makeover

Change of Web Address

2008-08-11T20:30:00.002+01:00

Just to let you know that I am moving my blog to Wordpress:

http://mylifemakeoverjourney.wordpress.com/

Everyone is welcome!

Also, if you have me on your blogroll I would appreciate it if you could change the link to my new address.

See you over at the new site!

Windermere

2008-08-10T14:48:00.004+01:00

This is a photo taken on a boat ride across Lake Windermere in the Lake District on our honeymoon.

This Weeks Round Up

2008-08-08T21:05:00.002+01:00

As I haven't got the energy to write a long post tonight, and I haven't posted for a while, I have I thought I'd list my progress this week:

I've walked home from work (about 1.5 miles) 4 times this week
I've done overtime in my lunch break 3 days this week
I've taken a packed lunch to work with me all but one day this week (instead of buying)
I've sourced a cosmetic product line in Boots which has less harmful chemicals in it
Above line was on BOGOF so I got 2 intensive hair treatments, a shampoo and some hand cream, which were all paid for using my Boots Advantage card and not pennies from my purse (BOGOF deals still work when you use your points so make sure you make the most of your points!)
I tried my hand at making a pasta bake from scratch
Went to my WeightWatchers class after accidentally missing last week's meeting and was pleased to learn i've only put on half a pound
I've switched our electric to an online account which costs less
I bought an oven top steamer from Tesco so that I can cook several items using only one ring on the cooker saving electricity.

Actually, I'm quite pleased with myself! I didn't think there would be much to list!

Safe Cosmetics...

2008-08-05T19:39:00.003+01:00

After my post a few days ago about chemicals in cosmetics, I popped into Boots in my lunch break today to have a look if they stocked safer products.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting to find anything but I came across a brand called Naked:

www.nakedbodycare.co.uk

The store stocked several shampoos and conditioners and also some bodycare products. What is better they are also on buy one get one free at the moment!

I have treated myself to a couple of sachets of their intensive hair treatment (£1.29 each usually) and plan on going back and getting the shampoo (£3.99) another day. (These will be courtesy of my Advantage Card).

Honister Pass

2008-08-05T07:30:00.001+01:00

Another lazy post from me today!

Here is a photo I took of Honister Pass in the Lake District - I love it as it looks so atmospheric!

My First Home Made Pasta Bake!

2008-08-04T19:43:00.002+01:00

...wasn't much of a success!

To be honest, it wasn't awful but I'll definately need to improve the recipe and my cooking methods for next time!

The recipe called for a tin or plum tomatoes, but since I was given a load of free salad tomatoes yesterday, I used those instead. Next time I think I'll use tinned tomoatoes but maybe add some fresh to too as the dish didn't taste very tomatoey!

Also, in a bid to use less electric I always keep the lids on pans when I'm cooking to retain the heat. I think I should have left it off to allow the veg to reduce and for some of the liquid to evaporate as what I poured into the pasta before it went into the oven was very watery.

Chemicals in Cosmetics

2008-08-04T19:33:00.003+01:00

I found a really interesting article on the Daily Mail website today regarding chemicals in cosmetics:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1041224/Dying-beautiful-Are-beauty-products-killing-In-new-book-Kate-Lock-reveals-whats-really-bottles.html

This might sound naive but this isn't something I have thought about much in the past. Even reading people's blogs saying that they are trying natural alternatives, I haven't really paid much attention.

Whilst I cannot afford to throw away all the shampoos, conditioners, moisturisers and cosmetics I have managed to stockpile, I will start using what I have more sparingly and look into alternatives for when my supply runs out. Maybe testing some of the natural alternatives before I switch over.

Cooking...

2008-08-04T06:15:00.000+01:00

As part of my lifestyle change I want to start making more meals from scratch. There are a couple of recipes (casserole or spag bol anyone?) which I already use but my knowledge base is very small and I tend to rely on frozen foods and jars.

This weekend I set about searching for the recipes for a few of our favourite meals - this week I plan on trying vegetable pasta bake and a lasagne.

I'm also trying to keep our food spending as small as possible this month and fortunately will only need to buy lasagne sheets for these recipes as I already have most of the ingredients in my cupboards and freezer and my Dad has kindly given us quite a good selection from his allotment.

Whilst searching the net for cooking tips I also found the following site:

http://www.studentcook.co.uk/CookingBasicsCategory.html

It is a great site with lots of useful information, particularly for those who aren't used to cooking that much!

Whilst a lot of the information is probably common knowledge, it's great for those questions which you feel to embarrassed to ask as you don't want to sound thick!

Great Ideas - Bags/Packaging

2008-08-03T22:29:00.003+01:00

APieceOfWoods blog gave a link to a great site today:

http://www.onyabags.co.uk/index.php

I particularly like the Wrap and Mat and think it would be really useful for taking my lunch to work:

http://www.onyabags.co.uk/index.php?crn=213

Focus on Electricity

2008-08-02T10:42:00.003+01:00

It's difficult to miss all the coverage in the media on the rising cost of gas and electricity at the moment.

We recieved our electric bill yesterday (we are a completely electric household) after I went online last week and entered our correct meter reading. For the last three months we have been paying a monthly direct debit of £61.50 and we are only £7.76 in credit.

Last night I went back online and looked at our consumption history for the last last 2 years (as long as it goes back). Our electric usage (average units used per day) seems to follow a strict pattern:

April - July: 13 Units
July - October: 14 Units
October - January: 21 Units
January to April: 23 Units

I am not sure if this is good or bad (we live in a rented one bedroom apartment without central heating or double glazing) but it is definately something I feel we need to work on.

I have lots of ideas but need to get them sorted out before I put together a post.

In the meantime, here is a link which shows the cost of a few everyday activities:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/gallery/2008/aug/01/energy.householdbills?picture=336141277

August Already!

2008-08-01T20:59:00.005+01:00

I can't believe it's August already!

Although I have made a few changes since starting this blog, I don't feel like I have made enough progress. Also, everything seems so vague. So, with this in mind, I am going to set myself some homework this weekend.

I plan at looking at where I/we would like to be in 5 years time and then work our way backwards from this, setting goals and timelines.

Although I do believe that this journey isn't about setting strict deadlines, etc, I feel that a bit of structure will help me move in the right direction.

Scarborough

2008-07-28T22:09:00.005+01:00

I haven't got the energy to write a blog tonight and but want to keep in the habit of posting so instead I'm going to share a picture of one of my favourite places - Scarborough.

Points and Credits

2008-07-27T09:00:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I decided to look at my online accounts and store loyalty cards to see how much 'credit' I have stored up:

Loyalty Cards

Tesco Clubard Points - £12.30 - I should receive the statement and vouchers next month and plan on using these vouchers for a years subscription to Prima Magazine at £7.20. I always try and boost my points by buying my petrol from here and have joined all the clubs I am able to so I get points vouchers sent to me which I use if it is an item I would use anyway. Sometimes you get points vouchers at the checkout too - every now and again I get a voucher for £1.50 in points if I top up my mobile there.
Boots Advantage Card - £20.54 - I don't tend to shop here as much as I used to but I always check out the Advantage Kiosk when I'm instore to see if there are any ways to boost my points - I also top up my mobile here (4op in points for each £10.00 top up). These points will either be used to treat myself or maybe at Christmas towards presents.

Online

www.Pigsback.co.uk - 1060 points for my account and 704 points for OH's account- I'm planning on saving these up for Boots vouchers (1150 for a £10.00 voucher) to be spent on Christmas presents. Last year I managed to build up £30.00 worth of vouchers which I used on 3 for 2 presents at the Boots Christmas Points event where you get an extra £10.00 in points on your Advantage Card if you spend over £50.00.
www.Juicybrainspanel.co.uk - £8.25 - These can be exchanged for £5.00 Amazon evouchers each time you get up to £5.00. I'm saving these for when I need something from Amazon. These take a long time to build up but I like Juicy brains as you still get a small amount of points even if you are not suitable for the survey.
www.Yougov.com - £1.50 - I have only been a member for a couple of weeks and have only received one survey. Once you reach £50.00 I believe you can request the money.

I'm quite please with the outcome of this as there's quite a bit of money there for not a lot of effort!

How Being Disorganised Has Cost Me Money

2008-07-25T21:58:00.003+01:00

During my life one trait has always been there - being disorganised! (My parents will also say untidiness, and I'd agree, but that's a whole other blog entry!)

I remember being at school one day and yet again there was no pen in my bag and I had to borrow one from my friend, on this particular day she said: 'Don't you get your bag ready the night before you come to school?'. I remember looking at her and thinking: 'What a good idea. I never thought of that'.

After that I went the other way and, rather than being organised and packing my bag each night, I carried around a huge bag with just about everything I would ever need, I just never emptied it apart from for doing homework and taking out my gym kit!

Here are a few ways in which my disorganisation has ended up costing me money:

I have been known on long rides out to fill my car up with bottled mineral water as I haven't checked before setting off that it needed refilling and had no refill in my car - I now have a bottle of concentrated screenwash which I keep in the kitchen and a 2.5 litre bottle which I refill with part screenwash and part water and keep in the boot of my car, refilling each time the large bottle is emptied.
Food shopping - I am lost without a list. Many is the time I have come home with a shopping trolley full of groceries but not enough of the right kinds of food to put a meal together. Also, buying too much veg which ends up going off. I now always try and take a shopping list with me each time I go shopping.
Forgetting to put together a packed lunch for work, not leaving enough time in the morning to make it or accidentally leaving it on the kitchen table/in the fridge which means I have to buy something, costing me much more than a home made lunch - I have to admit this is something I still need to work on, although I am much better now and manage this most of the time.
Buying duplicates - last year I had a declutter in our bedroom (needs doing again!) and, among other things, found 5 bottles of Oil of Olay (2 kinds - with sun protection and without), 4 pairs of tweezers, 3 watches and a staggering 12 notepads. Duplicates of these had been bought for various reasons including - thought item was lost, had packed for holiday in a rush and not packed the 'essentials', gone to work, not had in handbag and bought new item as it wasn't that expensive(!), etc.
Library fines when at university.
Leaving renewing car insurance and breakdown recovery until the last minute and then paying over the odds.
Being late setting off for work and forgetting to put my makeup in my bag and buying some from Boots so that I look ok for work. (Not the works though just my usual foundation (Max Factor Facefinity Powder foundation - it doesn't spill when I'm in a rush)!

I must admit it is embarrassing to list the above and I know there are many other ways being disorganised has costed me too. I feel slightly ashamed of these too as all could easily have been avoided.

Although I have already made improvement is this area it is something I will always need to be mindful of and work on.

I would also like to add that although my personal life suffers from this I am always very careful to make sure that my work doesn't suffer in my professional life.

Useful Websites

2008-07-24T18:30:00.001+01:00

Hi

A very quick post from me today!

Some one had left their copy of the Mirror in the tea room at work today and it had a feature on 40 money saving websites. Once home I quickly checked the internet and have found the article online:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/2008/07/24/the-top-40-money-saving-websites-115875-20668928/

I haven't looked through properly yet but I hope this will be of use to someone!

Weight Watchers Week 2 Result

2008-07-23T16:48:00.002+01:00

I stayed the same this week but I am happy with that. I know the reasons why and as long as my weight is going down and not up again I am a happy bunny!

Money Saving Expert - Old Style

2008-07-22T16:30:00.000+01:00

No, that's not me!

I have to admit that I love reading the Money Saving Expert site (http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/). I don't think there is anyone who could not learn from this site. I truly believe that Martin Lewis has created one of the most useful, important websites there is. I can't say I believe in Knighthoods and honours but if anyone deserves it he does!

My absolute favourite is the Old Style Board:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.html?s=&daysprune=-1&f=33

Here are the threads which I closely follow at the minute:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=643755

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=826963

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=147067

These threads were started some time ago but there is regular activity on all.

I have a few more threads bookmarked which have not been updated for a while - I will list these links in a future blog.

Getting Down to It!

2008-07-21T19:34:00.005+01:00

It seems such a mammoth task that I have ahead of me with the changes I plan to make. I have come to the conclusion that I'm going to have to break each area into small chunks and just work my way through it - this isn't an overnight thing I'm planning, it is a lifestyle change.

For this week I have set myself the following goals:

Stick to Points plan for the week
Mealplan meals (a, to help with 1 and b, so I don't waste any food.)
To keep a spending journal
To declutter and thoroughly clean one particular area of my home - this week it will be the kitchen cupboard under the sink - a wasteland of pots, pans, plates, bowls, mugs, cleaning products and plastic storage boxes.
To continue my research on the internet into this new lifestyle and also look into ways of cutting electricity costs this winter. (MSE Old Style Board here I come!)
Make sure everything that can be recycled is and that all veg peel and waste is stored to take to my Dad's for composting.
Walk home from work for the rest of the week (I usually catch the bus to and from work).

Although this may not seem like much, I am trying to set goals which are achievable, rather than overwhelm myself with tasks.

The World of Blogging

2008-07-20T12:21:00.002+01:00

I'm still getting used to the world of blogging. I've been reading blogs for a long time now starting off with blogs on weight loss, cross stitching, crafting and more recently have been reading about downshifting, simple living and thrifty living.

It was the writer of 'A Piece of Wood' who convinced me to start blogging. This isn't my first blog but the others never got very far, one covering my efforts at weight loss and another covering my cross stitch, but that particular blog was doomed to failure as it takes me ages to complete any work and so there were hardly ever any updates!

I think maybe I thought that no-one would ever read this (apart from the person who encouraged me to start it in the first place!) and so I was amazed earlier this week when I received a comment from the writer of 'Move to Portugal' - a blog I have been enjoying reading so some time now!

I still find it strange that I have an audience to my babble but flattering too.

With this attention I will actually have to start making some progress in my journey!

Must Start Making Changes

2008-07-16T21:45:00.002+01:00

Since starting this blog it has not escaped my attention that I haven't actually got around to making any changes, well, apart from joining Weight Watchers and losing 3lb!

Now that we have the legal situation sorted I feel that I can now devote more of my attention to this.

Kath Kidson Bags From Tesco

2008-07-16T21:39:00.002+01:00

We popped into Tesco earlier today and I snapped up one of the gorgeous bags from Tesco in the Cath Kidson range. Each bag is made from 9 recycled 500ml plastic bottles!

http://www.tesco.com/greenerliving/what_we_are_doing/cath_kidston_bags.page

I have picked the flowered design and will be using it to keep my cross stitch in - I am currently working on a large project and the frames keeps tearing any bags I put it in put this one is really strong and hardwearing!

A future post may even include a photo!

Further to You Never Know Whats Around The Corner

2008-07-15T20:01:00.001+01:00

We have had a victory of sorts.

We have recieved a letter saying that if our name comes up again they will not hesitate to take action and that we need to improve our internet security. The same standard letter I have seen posted across the internet which other people have received, which paid no attention to any of the points in the letter which we sent to them.

As we never did anything in the first place, this doesn't feel much like a victory but at least we can now put this to the back of our minds.

One last word on this though - we do not and have not ever done anything illegal over the internet and it really annoys me that we were innocent victims in this while there's loads of people out there downloading films and selling them to their mates for a couple of quid while we go to Blockbusters to rent films at around £4.00 a go for a treat, and buy any games over the counter.

Rant over!

Weight Watchers Result - Week One

2008-07-15T19:59:00.003+01:00

Yay! I'm really pleased to announce that I lost 3 pounds this week!

After recieving some good news I now feel confident that I can have a totally focused week 2 on plan and hopefully be as successful next week!

Where does your yogurt come from?!

2008-07-13T13:57:00.004+01:00

I'm just sat here eating my healthy low fat Black Cherry yogurt and my attention has been drawn to the label - produced in Germany.

Why on earth does a yogurt have to be shipped in from Germany? Surely the supermarket chain could have sourced the product from somewhere locally - at least from this country!

Who would have thought that even a yogurt could have a such a high carbon footprint?

Week One of Weight Watchers So Far

2008-07-13T13:50:00.002+01:00

Well, apart from getting up the nerve to join it has been an absolute disaster!

No fault of the plan though, just been too stressed with this week's bad news that I couldn't even tell you what I've eaten this week, never mind point it!

Anyway, now I have got over the shock, I'm not going to let my diet go to the wall. I went to Tesco yesterday and have stocked up on lots of healthy food which I am formulating into a meal plan at the moment.

Almost forgot to tell you - My start weight is 14 Stone 10.5. Eek!

You Never Know What's Around The Corner...

2008-07-13T13:24:00.004+01:00

Well, you make the positive decision to start changing your life to a healthier, thriftier, greener life, you even decide to write a blog about it, and then right out of leftfield comes a corker which throws you totally off track.

My OH and I have been accused of illegally filesharing games we have never heard of over the internet and have been requested to pay a large sum of money or face court action. This is something we simply have not done (or would know how to do) and we have even had our PC checked by my OH's IT department to see if we have done this by accident and none of the software has been found on our PC.

This is not something I will go into detail on in future blogs but going by my research over the last few days this isn't something that is going to be resolved any time soon.

We have made the conscious decision not to let this get in the way of our everyday life and although we can't help looking up info on the net, we are not letting this control us and, as such, I am back to the makeover.

The Week Ahead

2008-07-06T16:31:00.004+01:00

Just a quick post before the weekend ends!

Well, the decision has been made and I will be joining Weight Watchers on Tuesday. I have transferred what was left of my Online membership to a monthly pass and so hopefully will get some kind of refund.

Tomorrow, I am going to start keeping a spending diary to keep track of what I spend during the week - it's those little spends that seem to add up without you realising! This should make interesting reading as I'm planning to keep it up for at least a month!

I'm also going to try mealplanning - I have found this really useful in the past for making sure that food gets used up and not wasted and also for when I've been losing weight but I'll cover this another time in more depth.

Our Local Library

2008-07-06T11:12:00.004+01:00

I have recently joined the library. I am lucky enough to work about 5 minutes from the main library in our town so it couldn't be more convenient!

Whilst I have quite a few novels on my shelves waiting to be read (usually bought at the supermarket), I'm currently thirsty for books about thrifty and simple living and where better to look for these than the local library for free?

I have to say I find the library quite daunting as it really is huge but I soon discovered that you can search the library and place orders for books from across the region online to be delivered to your library of choice. With that I ordered three books and a few days later received an email saying the books were ready and waiting for me.

So now, whenever I hear or see someone mention a book which might me of interest to me, I write it down to look it up later.

My Weight

2008-07-05T19:50:00.002+01:00

Well, as promised I had my weigh in this morning - 14 stone 7 (203 pounds). I'm aiming for 10 stone (140 pounds) so that's 4 stone 7 or 63 pounds to lose!

I nearly joined a Weight Watchers meeting earlier this week. There is one near my office on a Tuesday lunch time and I even even walked past the door and nearly went in but chickened out at the last minute! Anyway, I'm not sure if it's a coincidence or whether the leader saw me through the window, but this morning a card came through the door for her meeting!

I know whatever I decide I will use the Weight Watchers Points system principles as I know they work and portion size is definately something I need to keep an eye on - just healthy eating doesn't work for me! (See www.weightwatchers.co.uk for more details on their plans).

I feel going to a meeting would be beneficial as when I do it on my own, as soon as I hit a hard patch I just give up and say I'll start fresh the next day or week and then gorge myself silly until that point. Just recently this seems to be happening practically every day. With meetings I'd have the accountability of going to the meeting each week. But then again I have been a member countless times before and never reached goal.

The other consideration is the money aspect - meetings cost £17.95 a month, whereas joining WW Online would be £9.95 a month and on my own would be free. Going to meeting does not fit in with my thrifty ideals but then it would be worth it if it helped me get down to a healthy weight.

The thing is, I have to take control of this - my weight is getting higher and higher. I am currently 4 stone over being a healthy weight and it's now not a matter of vanity, it's a matter of my health.

I've got until Tuesday lunch time to decide - for the time being though I'm within my points allowance for today.

The Diet Starts Tomorrow!

2008-07-04T22:03:00.002+01:00

This time it really does!

Tomorrow morning, first thing, I will get weighed and then take my bodily measurements.

My diet of choice will be the Weight Watchers Points plan - I know this works as I have had success in the past - my only problem is sticking with it! Not that this diet involves any real deprivation - it is just my greed that gets in the way!

Luckily my Dad has been generous enough to supply us with lots of lovely fresh salad and veg from his allotment recently so these healthy foods can only help!

This Weekend...

2008-07-04T21:47:00.004+01:00

This weekend I plan to start decluttering one of my bookcases in the living room. This particular shelving unit doesn't just contain books-it also houses a hamster cage (and hamster), lots of magazines plus various bits and pieces which have been deposited there over time.

I have already started the decluttering by giving 4 books to my sister-in-law earlier today. I plan on sorting out which books are to stay, which would be suitable to sell and those which I can take to a charity shop. I can drop off the charity shop books in my lunchbreak on Monday. Once I've made some space I can then start moving the books in the bedroom to the living room!

The magazines will need to be dealt with at a later date as most of them are my cross stitch mags and I need to go through and remove the patterns I'd like to keep before recycling the remains.

Aims

2008-07-04T19:53:00.003+01:00

Rather than give a big long list of goals I though it would be a better idea to give a list of my main aims:

To live a greener life.
To become healthier by losing weight and becoming more active.
To become more thrifty and financially savvy and to become less of a consumer.
To make our home more comfortable by decluttering, rearranging and keeping on top of housework.

The First Post

2008-07-01T21:31:00.002+01:00

Argh, the first post!

Sounds silly but I've put off writing the first post of my blog for a few days now because I wasn't sure whether I should write out a list of all my goals, or write an introduction, similar to the beginning of a book or whether I should just get on and write a post! Anyway, I think it best that I give a brief outline and then I can go into detail as I go along.

I supose my main reason for starting this blog is to chart the progress as I give my life a makeover. I have recently started reading a number of blogs about simple living and these have really had an effect on me and made me think about what I would like from life. I discovered these blogs whilst looking for info on cutting back on spending and through links from the Old Style Board on MSE(www.moneysavingexpert.com). Don't get me wrong though, this isn't just about me becoming a 'better person', I although plan on giving the physical me a makeover too as I have around 5 stone in excess weight which needs to be taken in hand!