# 40 (2013) Social limitations

There is nothing more keenly felt when you're on a tight budget than the effect it has on your social life. For a while you might go out anyway and worry about the consequences later. But there does come a point when you find yourself having to say no to anything that might incur any sort of expenditure. And even if it's just popping round to a mate's with a bottle of wine for a chat and tv night the thought of buying that bottle of plonk might be enough to stress out both you and your bank balance.

Friends might think you are being tight. Truly, you are trying to survive. Be mindful that they may not understand the situation in the first place. If you haven't told them, how would they know?

There are ways of coping with being social on a tight budget. This link definitely has some useful advice from my experience on both cheap ways to see your friends and how to explain to them that the cash just isn't there to spend.

You have to be able to bite the bullet and tell people that costly evenings are out of the question without them thinking it's just because you don't want to see them. It may hurt your pride to tell people you're failing in the finances department but apparently they'll understand. Those that don't, don't matter. 

I guess a lot of it depends on your social circle. I have friends at both ends of the financial scale. I have those whose idea of a cheap night out is cocktails and a 3 course dinner and those who'd be just as happy to pop over for a cuppa and a natter and nothing more.

Blindly spending cash because you think you have to, isn't going to solve anything but the rewards when you realise you're living within your budget or paying off your debts can be far more rewarding than that night out that leaves you worrying where all the money went. 

# 39 (2013) Hindsight

Do you ever imagine being 10 or even 20 years younger than you are now and being told where you would be now. And if you heard it, would you believe it? Would you be happy with your current situation? Would you be disappointed or ashamed? Would it have made you work harder or would you have made better choices when you were younger? Would you have been as complacent growing up?

Or do you just accept that we all make mistakes and life is what it is. After all, there's no point in regretting what's already happened. You can't change it and you can't grab back time.

I guess we're all guilty at some point of sitting back and thinking we have plenty of time.

Even now do these concerns for the future spurn you on to make changes where you can and take every opportunity that comes your way.  Is it ever too late to start again, to make up for lost time?

If you could start again......

# 38 (2013) Superscrimper

Now that I have inadvertently found myself with a three bed house all to myself (thanks dude!) the gloves are finally off when it comes to saving money on bills.

I have only two months left on my tenancy before I move house and the aim is to leave owing nobody anything so that I can start afresh in May. With any luck I might even get a few rebates.

Several days ago I switched off the central heating. But as gas is far more expensive than electricity at the moment I am allowed a ration with my convector heater which is just as well as it's been snowing on and off for 24 hours and it's like an icebox in here.  Cold is the biggest torture for me. Anything else I can cope with but being cold makes me incredibly miserable. I have noone to blame but my ancestry.

I am already well versed in switching off lights (energy saving bulbs only), not leaving gadgets on standby and using the washing machine only when I really have to and I've just switched off the separate freezer since it's only me here (apparently I could save up to £4 a month on that). According to British Gas I use 90% of my electricity at night. Handy as I'm on a 2 tier rating.

There are plenty of places to get information on how much electricity is used by gadgets that sit idle all day. It's shocking how much money some of them gobble up.

Food wise I think I have finally gotten over the hill of feeling hungry a lot of the time and the food rations are lasting well. I bulk cook so that one session will last several meals and I still make my own bread which is a great fill in when other things are scarce or I need a 'food hit'. Carbs are my weakness. They make me happy.

I'm trying to pay off the last of my debts. My New Look store card which has been my clothing ration book for years hasn't been used since last October. I think I've done well.