May: No Spend Review

I’m not gonna lie, as things have started opening up I have allowed myself a few extras and treats to compensate for the year without. This kind of feels like a backwards step, but I also think life is for living and I want to be out and about seeing friends and visiting new places.

Whilst I was hopeful that I would spend less on the food budget this month, I spent exactly the same. This £232 for the month. It feels really steep for me, but I am still getting my head around gluten free eating, as well as additional food treats. However, I feel like I am in a position now to be able to move forward in a more constructive way with meal planning. I am thankful that Aldi have an extensive list of gluten free products on their website which is making this easier to navigate. I know have a range of meals that are gluten free, as well as knowing how to be cost effective when finding gluten free alternatives. I am thinking of setting a target of no more that £200 for food.

Now on to the nitty gritty of my personal spend. This includes things that are not budgeted, such as treats, gifts and days out. I did have other spend to account for this month, such as preparing for my son’s birthday next month, but I had already allocated money for this in my budget rather than including this in my ‘spend amount’.

• chalk £2.00
• gift £10
• gift £10
• dress £6.30
• gift for my son for his bday (curtains) £20.00
• gifts £28.50
• postage £5.95
• gifts £35.50
• flowers for a friend £8.75
• meal out £57.25

Total was £184.25. I will now budget myself £100 a month spend to allow for more activities.

Rachel, That 30 something life x