Things I like to do to save time and money

Hello and welcome! thank you so far if you have been reading my blogs on this site. I do also write on Wordpress.com blog, and you can see all blogs and videos on my Pinterest site: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/thetypicalLondongal 

This blog is about things I do to save me money. 

So the first thing is on my bank cards and tend since Lockdown and Coronavirus is pay most things via debit, and so not carry too much cash but have some just as emergency, and set a budget on all items I buy or am willing to pay for an item. This to me is important because I find it disciplines me and helps me take charge over I buy and keeps me in control of my spending. 

When it comes to travel I tend to take buses rather than trains, and give myself plenty of time to get to wear I need to be, but then I will as a change get the train. If you do a lot of travel and have a Oyster card and do a lot of travel mainly buses you stop being charged. Those buses are TFL buses not country buses which many take cash and not card. 

I will use items I have washed on the draining board and not waste washing up other items to save on water. I will drink tap water and I will have one shower a day using the toilteries I have stocked on so I never run out of them. With toilteries I do have budget also. I use every bit of them, before replacing. 

Point cards of retailers I use regulary will use to save and use points on gifts or as a emergency. I buy items secondhand and welcome hand-me- downs which I think I have already blogged about, but great way to save and on items I know I am gonna use or wear. 

When I shopping in big large stores I will still make a list, and use it. If any items I forgot I jot it down as I shop. 

A list for me always required and ignore items near the checkouts. Do a price check on cost of items bought online and items sold in the stores and often it can be a saver to buy online and the other way around too. 

So I hope you find this blog interesting and helpful. 

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X  

Writing has filled up my life and so good I got back into it

On the bus today travelling back from looking after my son coming home from school, I read some of my current book and then came up with some more ideas for one of my books I am writing and I am so glad I got back into it, and is my life. 

Writing fulfills me as a person as it helps be in another world when I creating fictional books, and creating blogs and it has lead me to write a lot of books this year. Check them out on Amazon.com, and under my married name Carrie Challoner or maiden name Carrie Holmes or Carrie Lee Holmes. 

This isn't a plug, but just to let you know.

 

When it comes to writing it can be a long process but then when made into a book, it is so rewarding and I am thrilled that I still write since a kid and been like a secret best friend, as I would keep it quiet, until I discovered blogging and self publishing. 

My writing style is different and that what makes it personal and fulfilling. I not writing a bridget jones, its already been done, but used those books to inspire to tell my own stories. 

Finding your style is important and often I just write with no goal of how the book will finished, but again I find that energizing. It's my own work and if someone chooses it within the 1,000 of books out there, for me that is still a success and happy that someone has taken the time to read my books. 

There are parts where I don't like, such as editing, but I still get it done and I like to go through as I write and keep notes, and this helps me with that and I like writing blogs as it was through blog writing that I started writing stories and books again. I am sad that I lost a lot time when I stopped and now is a skill that pulls me through even tough days, So, if you want write the start as it is so uplifting when people start to notice your writing and follow you because of that. 

Many tbanks for reading, 

Carrie X

Living a more functional and flexible life

Hello and welcome! Please check out my site called Everyonecanbuildacastle.com 

Please check out my Youtube channel and watch my new Day In a life video: https://youtu.be/XDLQIcp6o2g

In this blog I am talking about Living a more functional life and I do that by making sure I take time out to be a mum, to exercise and manage my work so I don't get bogged down.

It can be an imbalance sometimes when I have a blog post idea, but then I am being asked by my 7 year old son to play downstairs and its like how can I get it all done? My answer I can't so I give him that time. Often though he will sit with me and just really wants me around him, meaning me to just be there.

Kids can be demanding, but usually it is acknowledgement that you are mum and so you should be there to be with them, and so I will wait until someone can take over caring for my son, obviously someone I trust, whilst I do a bit of work on my blogs, books and youtube content. 

I am not made to do so many things at a time so I no longer try. I will take the day as it unfolds and when I can be the "Content Creater" I will do just that. Then I will schedule time to have a dinner, go for a walk and do some errands. Evening it out is the key and going by segements of time helps too. 

For my Functional means finding a system in our life can is routine, but if I have to pick up my son from school when unwell I can, or I can take 5 minutes to clean part of my room. Its separating the To dos I want to do and need to do. 

So getting that balance is the key. 

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X

Day in a life/Typical Saturday as a writer and mum

Hello and welcome! Here is a Day in a life video of a typical Friday, showing my books I am working on and I have a new book out called Mum&Me under my maiden name Carrie Holmes on Amazon.com 

I use the weekends to catch up and take you on my walk and it spend the evening with my son.

More to come in the week. 

Many thanks 

Carrie X

A New Day in a life video/Midweek/Outfit of the day/What I like to eat in a day

Hello and welcome! So in today's post I am going share my new Day in a life video from Wednesday where I showed my outfit of the day and what I like to eat in a day.

Like to have a good breakfast before I start the day and a cup of tea, and this is video I show that I love having porridge in the morning, with a few snacks, but I have lunch too and then dinner. 

It can be so easy to get stuck into doing my writing for the day, that I have often not taken a break, so now I do. 

I have also got into walking twice a day. The morning and afternoon.

So I hope you like these type of videos, given me some feedback if you will, you can leave a comment below.

Many thanks, 

Carrie X 

Shopping Ideas/Saving up/Quarterly shopping

So I have had my splurge for this part of the year I won't need anything else, but if you do then now is the time to spend money on clothes for the summer. I do like to limit it, and so that's what I'm gonna do. I don't need a load of shorts for example, just 4 pairs and that's it. 

Keep a list the same as a grocery list of clothes that have worn and need to be replaced, and going through items in your food or clothes you have never used, and can be given to a foodbank if the items is in date and not used. 

I don't need any more tops and dresses and wear what I have got and now gonna have no spending week again. Being in a mental health hospital kept my spending at bay, and I had a clear out of items I bought that I will never get around to wearing. So handed them down to family who would get some use out of them. 

When it comes to buying ask your self these: 

• Do I already have that?
• Does that item go with my current items I have? 
• How much am I willing to spend?
• If I have that item will I feel guilt?
• What I have plenty of?

I have always been sensible until now and so I am working to get myself on track and now not spend a penny again for this quarter and even not much during the next one. 

I like to have no spending weeks and have just gone through this quarter and I have set a goal of how much I want saved. 

To control your money here are things I do to stop me: 

• Break it down a bit at a time 
• When it comes to food do an inventory list 
• Set financial goals 
• Have an outside source to help manage your money 
• Keep tabs on bills to be paid 
• Go through finances each month and each quarter

Then it is saving for birthdays. Do I have items in my stash that could be used as a gift?

Can I make a gift? Can I make the birthday card?

Use points to build and use these to save on things you may need, find out if you can get cash back,

Save change and have some cash on you so you don't have to use debit or credit cards.

So, how are you going to save money? Do you have some tips on shopping ideas?

You can leave a comment below.

Thank you for reading, 

Carrie X  

How i like to spend my summer/Not going on holiday abroad and stay in the UK

Hello to another blog post. It is half term this week and time for some socialising at last, and it is important to our wellbeing that we interact with people and so why not make half term the time to do that. 

Of course if you don't have kids then you probably still be working but you can still even when working still spend time doing the things you enjoy. For me I love walking through different parks, sit and read my book by the river and sitting outside of a pub and having a few drinks with friends and family.

You do still have to wear masks, but even theme parks are open now too like Chessington, and I know these can be expensive then I would plan way ahead of the time and save for the particular activity and is great to do this time of the year. Bear in mind though they can get very busy so I would prebook the tickets and not just turn up, and remember Kellogg's and some newspapers can give you money off.

The other things to do is have some theme days in terms of having dinners. I love doing picky bits some times, where it is like a Buffet style and changes things up from the norm that you wouldn't get the time to do, due to kids going to school, but when they are at school why not invite now a friend over for a coffee.

I love going to the seaside and if you want a recommendation on visiting the coast then Bournemouth is a lovely place to go away too. I never really got to explore all of it, but when I went there we also visited Poole, in Dorset which has a lovely town full of shops and a market. 

Markets have always been in my life as we would regularly go to the one that used to be in Wembley and so why not venture out, and if Borough Market is on, one of my favourites, then take advantage as you can try out different foods and drinks, that you wouldn't get to try on the high street.

So why not make the most of the things whilst there is no more lockdown.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X