Your Spending Habits

Money may not make the world go round (that would be love), but it sure does help with the journey.

There is a question that many of us face each month when it comes to money. Despite our best efforts and forward planning, a week before pay day (or even sooner if you are me) the question shouted out across the country is "Where did my money go?"

The intentions always start so well.  You write down each of your bills, when they are due, figure out how much you can spend each week and yet somehow,  it disappears.

I blame the bank account fairy.

For me it has to be make up and beauty products. You know how it goes. You wander into +Superdrug looking to buy a £1 MUA blusher because you are oh so thrifty. Somehow, you walk out £30.00 lighter with make up and products that seem absolutely essential, right up until the point when you get home and wonder what the hell you have bought.

Legal & General recently created a handy little tool, a habit cost calculator to see just how much you really do spend on those items that you forget about.   Your weekly lottery, a coffee; half of the products in Superdrug, it all adds up.

I would say that I spend approximately £50.00 a month on makeup and beauty products. Let's see what that adds up to.

So, for the price I spend each month on makeup and beauty, I could buy a new laptop, go on holiday; put money towards a festival.  An extra £600.00 pound to play with at the end of the year sounds like a great idea, although maybe lets look at something smaller to cut out.

£2.00 a week on the lottery and £3.00 for your Monday morning coffee does not sound like a lot at all when you spend it.

Even the total cost of around £260.00 a year still doesn't seem so much when you weigh it all up.

When you look at the bigger picture however, cutting out these tiny luxuries starts to make more sense.

If I cut out my Monday morning coffee and stopped buying a lottery ticket, instead putting that money away, look at what you could buy.  Over the course of 15 years that money would send you on 9 holidays or get you a car deposit.  Hell, it could even buy you a car.

How is that morning coffee looking like now?

* In collaboration with Joes Bloggers

February WishList

Been a while since I did a wishlist post. Here are some of my current favourites.

ASOS Curve tall dress
asos.com

Evans black midi dress
houseoffraser.co.uk

Joe Browns floral empire waist dress
simplybe.co.uk

ASOS Curve off shoulder dress
asos.com

Summer boots
£17 - amazon.com

Pull&Bear cut out boots
pullandbear.com

Inspiration on your Wall

Sometimes we all need a bit of inspiration in our lives.  A reminder to live our lives the way that we want to, be who we want to be and embrace ourselves for who we are.

When I search for inspiration on the internet, the best quotes that I find are always more truth than inspiration.  They tell you what, in your heart, you already know.  You just have to sift through what society has indoctrinated you to think to find that truth.

My favourite quote, and one which I always remember is from Maya Angelou:

"If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be".

The reminder to yourself that the best version of yourself is being exactly who you are, without trying to change yourself to meet other's expectations.

I was recently contacted by StressFreePrint and was asked if I would like to create my own inspirational quote poster.  I wanted something simple that would give me inspiration when I first wake up in the morning.  I decided to go with this:

  For me this simple sentence says so much and has been inspiring my wake up in the morning since I first received it last week.  Now StressFreePrint have given me the opportunity to give someone else the chance to design their own inspirational poster.  

Enter below!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Letter to the 15 Year Old Me

Bit of a wordy one this. 

Your life is a journey that each of us takes.  The only certainties are the beginning and the end.  The path that takes you there differs for everyone and the path is of our own choosing. 

In many ways, that path starts in our teenage years.  The choices we make, the people who we decide to be and the influences around us all fit together to formulate the future person.

When I was a teenager, I was so worried about what people thought of me.  I wanted so desperately to fit in.  I would change myself in order to fit in with what was required.  I was convinced that I was not good enough as I was.

I have seen many people write letters to their former selves; giving tips and reassurances about the people that they will become.  Today I am writing that note to the past me, who still lingers in the halls of my memory.

To Me, Age 15

From Me, Age 35

You Don't Need to Change Yourself

One of the biggest lessons that you will learn is that is ok to be yourself.  As soon as you allow yourself to embrace who you are, happiness comes.  The people around you: your family, your friends, they already see the real you and they love you.

When you eventually let out that person who at the moment only exists in private, you will discover that people have been waiting for this to happen for years.

She will grow in so many ways once you let her out of the cupboard.  You will find it impossible to believe, but in twenty years time you will have a blog, you will write part time, you will be a feminist.  You will have opinions and be passionate about them.  You will be strong.  You will be happy.

You Will Still Be Fat (but you will be ok with that)

Will it destroy you to know that in twenty years you will still be fat?  At the moment you just want to fit in and be attractive to boys.  Underneath a lot of layers you don't, admit it, actually mind the way that you look, but you are too preoccupied with what other people are telling you that you should look like, that you are ignoring yourself.

One day you will realise that you like the way that you look.  That it does not matter what other people think.  You are going to run a plus size fashion blog one day.  You will be addicted to busy patterns and dresses.  Do not shake your head in disbelief, it is true.  You will be happy.

A Boy

One day, not too many years from now, you will meet a boy.   To be with him will feel like the sun is shining on you.  I have one word of advice.  Run.

You may think you are in the sunshine, but what you will realise when things end like the explosion of a bomb, is that you were not bathing in sunlight; you were deluded and hidden away in the shadows.  You deserve better than that.  You will move on and a lesson will have been learned.  You will be happy.

Things to Remember

You have a strong will, use it.  There is confidence in there, embrace it.  You can write, do it.  You deserve love.  Don't wait for x, y  and z to happen, just go out and live.  Say yes more.  Do not let fear concur you.  Buy those red shoes.

I will end this with a quote which means a lot to me these days.

"You are enough. 

Not because you not because you did or said or bought or thought

or became or created something special,

but because you always were."

You will be happy.