No-Spend March

I'm challenging myself!

I'm going to cut my spending through March - this mean no more cheeky coffees, or anything else for that matter. I am on a spending ban - other than necessary items like food and petrol. My rules are below, join me if you fancy it!

Rules:
Only buy what you need to live - food and petrol.
No more coffees or lunchtime food trips
Use as much food as you can from what is already in the cupboards/freezer
Use spare time to go through clutter and chuck/keep/sell things

I know full well I am going to find this difficult, especially as I tend to bulk buy food and binge eat. So I have a couple of techniques to help me along the way...
1. Go for walks at lunchtime instead of driving anywhere (saving in petrol and reducing temptation to buy things!)
2. Don't bring my purse out with me
3. When tempted to spend, set a 15 minute timer and do something else that will occupy my attention, when the timer goes off re-evaluate how tempting it is. If youare still likely to spend, set the timer again and distract self - repeat until able to resist! PS - this works for food cravings too...

I'm tracking spending in my Bullet Journal (more on this later) so I'm holding myself accountable! I'll let you know how I get on with this...

Happy March everyone! 

#BLOGTOBER - Day 12

Day 12

Best Advice I've Ever Been Given

Don't eat yellow snow?

Sorry, that joke was in bad taste... See what I did there?

I genuinely don't know what the best advice I've ever been given is. I guess a lot of the advice I received from my mum growing up was invaluable - if only I had listened at the time...

It's important to listen to advice from others. Especially from someone who has been through whatever it is they are advising you on. On the flip side of that, your decisions on big things should always be what is best for you.

Leading on from that, the best advice I have to give - which I have received in the past - is:

Sometimes you have to be a little bit selfish and think about yourself and what you need.

You can't always live for other people and for making other people happy, it doesn't work. You end up exhausting yourself and having zero energy to give. Occasionally taking that step back and asking yourself 'Actually, is this what's best for me and my needs?' is absolutely necessary.

I have a tendency to go along with whatever other people want, and to let them make decisions. I am working on speaking up and expressing my needs and wants in my relationships. A big part of this is saying no to social events that revolve around food. I am a bit of a food addict, so I really struggle with saying no when there are options to eat the unhealthy foods I love in front of me. And no, it isn't as easy as 'just order a salad/fish/[insert healthy option here]' because that option is not always available. This is an area in which I am trying to improve by following the advice above, and suggesting other things to do instead of going for a meal or having a BBQ.

An example of following this advice, I cancelled plans to see Mandrew this weekend because I'm so ill I can barely move. I haven't been this ill in a while and I hate it! Painful throat & chest & head, and zero energy. It's helping me to stay at home and get better, but also helping him by not subjecting him to my germs.

On the plus side of having this bug, I have plenty of time to blog and read blogs...

Tomorrow's prompt: 

Favourite Fall Recipe

Link up here