Spending and saving, I need a plan

Ever since I started studying full time again last year I had to learn how to live on a tight budget pretty quickly since now real income was coming in.

Now that I am working full time again, I have this sweet little thing called a 'salary' coming in to my bank account every week that makes me feel happy, and burns a hole in my pocket.

The thing is, we all like to think that if we were earning more money we would be saving more right? WRONG! Sooo wrong! I find that the more money I earn, the more my 'wish list' of awesome clothes and accessories and cute housey stuff grows.

I need to learn how to save again, without making myself feel like I'm earning peanuts and can't afford a few luxuries here and there.

To be honest, with the amount of rent that I am paying I'm not exactly on a 'fabulous' wicket if you get what I mean, so saving is high on the priority list, I just need to get that message across to the shop-aholic diva inside of me!

Today I sat down and wrote out everything I had spent my money on in the past week. I had another bill come in last night, so the thought of doing a spot of online shopping this afternoon was crushed pretty quickly.

I decided that if I sat down and wrote out all of my expenses and could actually see where I had gone wrong on the spending front, I would be more likely to watch this for next weeks pay.

Do you do this?

The biggest thing I have found that has taken a few pennies from my pockets over the last week was buying my lunch and buying coffees. (That's right, I have hopped on the coffee drinking band wagon and I'm feeling a little low about it. I have always been against drinking coffee but now and then I don't mind a caramel latte of a morning.)

There is no reason why I should be buying my lunch more than once a week. Preparation is key and I notice that the days that I do end up buying my lunch is due to the fact that I was running late for work that morning and had no other choice but to buy. Not this week! I am going to make a conscious effort to pack my lunch every day! This way I'll most likely eat healthier too!

As for the coffees, at anywhere from $5-$8 a pop its way too expensive to keep buying them! I can by a whole packet of sachet lattes for roughly $6 that will last me for more than a week! Thinking smart people!

In light of all of this 'organisational' money-speak, I have found some cute stuff online (to buy... doh) that can help keep everything in order if you're like me and need a good boot in the bum.

1. 'My Bills' organiser by Kikki K 

2. Expense tracker, instant down loadable PDF by Printable Wisdom on Etsy

3. 2014 Diary by Handmade Books on Etsy

4. 'Budget book' by Kikki K

Tell me your saving secrets! I want to know how you save, and any tips and tricks if you have them!

E, x

When life gets in the way + recent buys

Hiya!

I cannot believe that it has been over a month since I last blogged. I think it has almost been two months!! A lot has changed since I last blogged. And I mean A L O T.

For starters, I got offered a full time job as a sub editor with Fairfax Media at The Land newspaper! (For all of you 'city' folk out there, The Land is the rural peeps go-to weekly newspaper about all things... well... rural).

{N.B Sub-editing involves laying out the design on the newspaper pages, spell checking, grammar checking, fact checking etc etc.}

I was insanely excited when I found out! I had a spare-of-the-moment decision to first apply for the job when a good friend text me about the position, and since she knows me so well and knows that reporting about rural things is right up my alley being the country-bumpkin that I am, I had to apply!

After the interview my mind went into melt down and the 'what if's' started.

'What if I get the job?' 'What if they thought I was a complete looney?!' 'What if they want me to move right away?'

And so on. Until I got that call that they wanted me to relocate to western Sydney in two weeks. I had a mad rush to sort out my life, starting with moving out of my rental in Wagga Wagga, locating a new rental in Sydney and sorting out my uni enrolment to now be studying by distance education for the remainder of my degree.

Ok, take a breath!

This all happened about a month a go and I am now blogging from my new apartment in Western Sydney suburbia and LOVING IT.

Learning a new job whilst in the midst of a chaotic relocation and juggle of university work has proved to be HECTIC to say the least, and I will be honest and say there have been days where the good old tears have come out, but today I can report that I am happy, settling into my new job and life (so to speak).

Things seem to be finally slowing down, and I am slowly getting into this new routine!

Besides all of this hulla-bulloo, I haven't been doing a great deal so there isn't a lot to report on. So I thought I'd put together a quick 'recent purchases' post inspired by starting a new office job.

Since we don't have an official uniform at The Land, I have been trying to gradually buy office inspired pieces for work in the attempt that I'll stop wearing my good outfits to work. Slowly happening, still a WIP.

Here are a few office-attire purchases I have nabbed up lately:

1. Witchery shirt (bought on sale - colour is currently not available online but style still is)

2. Witchery hammered tear-drop earrings (current) 

3. Cue side panel pant (current)

4. Cue pleat front shirt (purchased on sale in store, also available online)

5. Witchery scarf (current)

I'm still working on getting a few more pieces because even though I work in an office, it doesn't mean I need to look boring!! Although, with the season changing I am holding off a bit on purchases so as to not 'stock up' on winter items when the heat will be here soon enough!!

Anyhow, I promise more blogging will be happening soon!
Take care,

E, x