When Budget Met Crisis: Part Two

Hello friends

I am sad to report that this challenge is not going well!

The first two weeks I managed to keep in budget perfectly, despite the loss of all of my Tupperware.
Week three, however, has not been so successful.

It started well. I went out for a brunch meal with my cast and managed to only spend three pounds. My top tip for eating out on a budget, eat something before you go and then you won't be tempted by the big stuff, something small and cheap will do you fine and you get to spend some time with your friends.

Then the weekend rolled along and I made the executive decision to break the terms of my challenge, spending 15 pounds on a train ticket so that I could visit my Grandma. It was something my family had arranged, and there was no way I was going to let this challenge stop me from going. I don't see her very much, and it's important to take as many opportunities to do so that I can.

So I did that, leaving me with two pounds for the rest of the week, which obviously wasn't going to work out very well, seeing as I hadn't even done my food shop yet.

Then Crisis Number Two hit me.

And this is much bigger than Lost Tupperware.

Lost Phone and Lost Bus Pass.

I'd like to make it known here that I have never lost anything as important or significant as my thermos, phone, and bus pass. So this has been a very bad month for me.

It's felt a bit like this

So I had to get a new phone, and replace my bus pass of course. Now there was no way I was going to do this and stick to the terms of my challenge, so I took the opportunity to buy a phone I actually wanted (and was going to purchase with this months savings anyway) So I am now the proud owner of a windows smartphone - which, with the credit and charger, cost me £85. I also had to spend £5 on bus tickets (which I am sneakily reusing everyday until they notice and make me buy a new one) and £25 on a new pass, which should hopefully arrive in the next week.

Overall this crisis cost me: £115

Which I should have managed to save this month anyway - so that actually works out quite well (seeing as I probably would have lost these things whether I was budgeting or not!)

So technically, I have failed the challenge, by a long way, but I decided to just wipe the 'crisis money' off the slate and carry on as if nothing had happened.

And it's still not going very well.

For two weeks, turning down invitations out was not a problem, I was busy anyway, and committed to the challenge. But the more time goes by, the more depressing it becomes. I like being social and doing social things! So I had an invitation to go clubbing last night, which I haven't done in a long time, and I couldn't resist.

Club fee: £5. Taxi £3.

I've also done an £11 pound food shop this week, and had to put £3 on my printing account at uni so that is a grand total of...

£40 this week. When I should have spent just £20

So I've reached the end of the budget really, with nine days to go.

So Ashamed

So what now?

I suppose the challenge was kind of bound to fail the moment I spent £15 on a train ticket, when I only had £17 that week and hadn't yet bought any food. But I don't regret the decision. In my head, I had already saved a hundred pounds and I wanted to put that money to use right away in visiting my grandma.

So if that's the line of thinking I'm going with, that the fifteen pounds came out of my savings, then I suppose I can subtract that as well. Meaning I have spent £25 this week. This is still over budget, but next weeks budget was £21. If I take five away from that that leaves £16 from now until the 27th of February.

£16 in nine days.

Let's do it.