Hello Dear Reader,
It’s the first of the month and we’ve sat, as we always do and have allocated money for each and every purpose and have left ourselves just £50 spare for the month. I bought clothes yesterday, from money I had saved from all of the £50 a month spare that we hadn’t spent as we hadn’t needed to. The last thing we had to buy and that was a few months ago were new shoes for Dearly Beloved and now I’ve saved up for and bought a coat that I’ve been wanting for months. I got it in the sales and secured a good discount and used a free postage voucher code as well. Now I put money aside every month, being able to buy a new coat, without credit and without going without somewhere else feel incredible. In fact, being able to buy a new coat makes me feel like a millionaire. I could have any coat I wanted!
I’m taking part in a challenge by Money Supermarket called ‘What’s in your pocket?‘ to spend £20 creatively or in fact, any way I want. I bought everything I needed after work yesterday and set about a few hours of indulgence this morning. Being sent £20 is like finding the money, I didn’t know I had, in the pocket of a coat that I hadn’t worn in a while. They sent me the money and I could have banked it, I could have saved it towards a mortgage payment, but unusually for me, I decided to spend it on on a spa day.
I purposefully decided to bring my tea and breakfast back to bed and I watched the news on TV, to all intents and purposes, I could have been in a hotel. I got up much later than usual and had a very leisurely start to the day. After a very long and steamy shower, let’s not forget, there are no shower timers in a spa, I set off for the selection of beauty treatments I had chosen and booked for that morning. I started with a deep cleansing facial and used the new face pack I had bought with the money,followed by a trip to the hair salon. I used the colouring, that I’d treated myself to with the money I had been given and sat in the steam room (bathroom) and read a magazine whilst the colour worked for the next fifteen minutes.
After the hair dresser had rinsed and conditioned my hair, I went off for a pedicure. I soaked my feet, using the shower gel that I also bought for the bubbles and then had my toes nails shaped, filed and moisturised. My spa treatment was finished off with some new make up, which I bought from Superdrug, along with the other goodies, all with the money I had been given.
The hair colour, make up, face pack and shower gel cost just a little under £10, but most busy working women will tell you that spending this kind of money on just indulging ourselves along with the time of a spa day, is not an ordinary occurrence. Normally, if we find a spare £20, we take it to the supermarket and fill up the freezer, or buy diesel for the car, or do something sensible with it. I can’t remember the last time I had a spa day and had my hair done. It really felt incredibly indulgent. But, it’s not finished there!
As I said to you, I was sent £20 and only spent ten of that, so guess what! I’ve put £10 to one side and I’m going to have another spa day on next month’s pay day too! You see, when you are used to less, you can treat yourself with the smallest experience, such as an ice cream or a coffee on a day out and it seems so much more to you. Living with less and doing with less is all about celebrating life’s little wins. If by any chance, you find you have a tiny bit of extra money, I can recommend that you spend some of it on your self!
I hope my hair colour, new make up and huge smile shows how much I enjoyed my spa day. If you’re interested, I took it easy until eleven o clock this morning, when I would usually have cooked and laundered for the week and cleaned the house from top to bottom. I’m looking forward to 2nd of March, when I’ll do all this again and thanks to Money supermarket for selecting me to be part of this challenge.
Now, over to you. Firstly, thanks to everyone who has nominated me for a blog award and if you haven’t and you would like to, please click the link top right and follow the instructions to nominate me in a few of the categories. Now, if you found £20 in your pocket, what would you do with it? Would you be sensible, or like me, would you treat yourself? Did I do the right thing? If I didn’t, then I hope you don’t mind.
Until tomorrow,
Love Froogs xx
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You make a good point about how being frugal is not about constant denial. It's about being purposeful and giving thought to both our spending and saving. There is a time to save and there is a time to spend.
You were still quite frugal in your choice to spend. You bought home beauty care products, making your little windfall go farther. I think we need to do nice things for ourselves from time to time.
Honestly, I'm not sure if I would spend or save the money. It would all depend on my current goals and needs. A big part of me would say to save half of it, and be frivolous with the other half. That way I could spend without guilt.
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Oh my gosh Froogs I think you did the absolutely right thing. You deserve a break every once in awhile! You look gorgeous in the last photo. I wish I had your naturally rosy complexion.
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This post alone is worth a MAD nomination. You never cease to amaze me with your creativity.
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Love it!
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Every woman deserves a little special care from time to time. I love how you stretched yours out.
If I did my math right the equivalent in American dollars would be around $31.
I think I would use it for car gas, but for a trip to the beach complete with a home packed picnic.
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I'd buy a new bra as mine have all decided to give up the ghost recently; and apart from my recent eBay bargain bra I'm making do and mending LOL!
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What an excellent way of spending your winnings and a whole month to look forward to doing it all again…. how wonderful. You look stunning!!
Karen x
I did my first patchwork today, not perfect but I love it:-)
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I think spending half and saving half is very wise and I agree you look great. Btw do we get to see your new coat?
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Gorgeous photo of you Froogs- sadly I think it would take more than a tenner to make me look as ravishing! Enjoy your day of luxury!
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Fab post as always Froogs. You look radiant!
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I almost forgot. If I found a £20 note I didn't know I had I'd probably buy something for my new grandaughter, and a little something for my sweet grandson too of course. But if I am assured they have everything they need then I would certainly enjoy spending it just and you have(although I don't wear make up). I think you absolutely did the right thing and you deserve it. It's important to treat yourself now and then and as you say, it doesn't have to cost a lot.
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Froogs, as you've pointed out time and again, being frugal is not about deprivation.
I think the majority of us who read your blog daily will all agree, you earned and deserved this little splurge on yourself. Thanks for sharing. x
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You look absolutely gorgeous and although you are a natural beauty I think your inner gratefulness helps too. I always do my own colour. I suppose I should start calling myself 'the hairdresser'. lol Cherrie
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you look beautiful and glowing with radiance! i am as right now, facing major financial issues and it is such a joy reading your post this morning. takes my mind off the prob a lil bit.
so thanks, really.
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you look so pretty x
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Investing in yourself is always worthwhile!
For some folks it's spa time, for others a book or music - for me its paint 🙂 (I'm a painter)
£20 on your happy, from time to time - is as good as savings!
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I would probably spend it on yellow stickered food and fill the freezer. It's what I've been doing for months now, along with buying mostly 'value' products, and cooking from scratch, which why I've been able to afford the tablets that are keeping my dog comfortable and alive. Can't remember the last time I had a pampering session.
p.s. I've posted my own recipe for cooking Quorn fillets on my blog today.
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Rejuvination is a very good thing. You go Girl. Linda
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Money was very tight when I was growing up. In the early 1950s, when my dad got paid twice a month, my parents paid their bills and what was left-usually around $20-had to buy groceries for the next 15 days.
My mother once lost a $20 bill. Without a savings account, credit, or even relatives close by, she had to make do. My sister and I helped look for the $20, but she was afraid to tell my dad she had lost the money.
In those days, houses didn't have any room for food storage, so she really didn't have much to start with. Over the next two weeks, she cooked every morsel that was in the house-beans, homemade soup, hot biscuits (you would call them scones), potatoes every way they could be cooked. My dad worked for the milk company and our milk bill was automatically deducted from his paycheck, so she ordered cheese, orange juice, cottage cheese, etc., to fill out meals. My dad commented that she was doing a lot of cooking, but never noticed.
Six or 8 months later, Mom was rummaging in the back of the closet and found an apron she hadn't worn in months. When she washed it, she found a $20 bill in the pocket. She knew exactly where it came from.
I relate this story only because you asked what we would do with 20 pounds if we suddenly received it. My mother didn't do anything special with it…she just dribbled it out over the next few weeks to buy what we needed. She probably enjoyed having a little extra money. However, I thought you also might be interested in what someone did when she lost her entire grocery budget and had NO OPTIONS except to make do for two weeks.
My mother and sister and I laughed about this for years. Twenty years after the fact, we told my father. He was a cheerless man and did not see anything funny about it. Well, it wasn't funny at the time, but it still brings a smile to my face!
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Oops - sorry Noor - my comment was a general one and not a reply to yours - don't know how I managed to do that! Good luck with your situation and I hope things get better for you soon xx
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If I found £20 I would use it for what I needed at the time, if there was nothing I needed (or even wanted as a treat) I would save it until there was.
I think you used yours very wisely indeed 🙂
There's an award for your over at mine.
Sue xx
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