Back in January I shared What I Spent In January: The Disposable Income Money Diary. And my plan was to do a money diary each or every second month. But then everything went a little bit crazy in March. Days and months blurred into one and it was July before I knew it. So I wanted to share a lockdown money diary with you, particularly as I have no urge to start going back out for anything other than essentials.
The whole point, in me tracking and sharing what I spent each month, was to see which areas I was overspending in. And just to be more accountable about what I was buying and why. As someone who's self employed, with no two months being the same wage-wise, I really wanted to save more and spend less. But lockdown has upped the "I'm not making/saving enough" anxiety to new levels.
SHOP THE POST
Even though I'm not spending anything on public transport, dining out or browsing the shops, my earnings have been severely impacted by coronavirus. And as a result, I haven't had the greatest desire to shop during lockdown. But I have made the odd purchase over the past 100 or so days. And here they are;
Fashion
H&M Palm Leaves Crinkled Cotton Dress (£19.99 - bought for £14.99 with H&M member discount code)
If you know me, you know just how much I love palm print. I have several prints dotted around my house, bedding, pyjamas, a backpack and quite a few bits of clothing with it on it. So when I saw this dress on Instagram I knew that it had to mine.
It took quite a lot of page refreshing to get my size. And I definitely stepped outside my comfort zone when I ordered this. But I am absolutely head over heels in love with how easy and chic this looks. I don't have anything like it in my wardrobe, as I thought that everything had to nip in at my waist to be flattering. Which is why I'm also seriously tempted to also get it in black. I can see it being a must-pack holiday dress for me for years to come.
New Look Black Square Neck Belted Midi Dress Dress (£25.99 - bought for £19.49 with 25% off discount code)
I'd had this dress in my New Look favourites tab for months now but finally took the plunge when they had 25% off their entire site a few weeks ago. This is just such a classic piece and I love the belt and square neck detailing. It's also that little bit fancier, that it doesn't just look like a Summer dress, which I love.
Total £34.48
Beauty
Glow Recipe My Glow Vanity Kit (£41 - bought for £31 with Cult Beauty referral code)
I've really been trying to curb my spending on beauty. To the point that I haven't purchased any since January, which is a big deal for a beauty obsessive like me. After trying the Banana Soufflé Moisture Cream at the start of 2020, I was keen to try more from the brand. And this gift set was just too good to resist.
It seems to have sold out on the Cult Beauty site. But you get a full size Watermelon Glow Mist and great travel sizes of the iconic Watermelon Sleeping Mask and Moisture Cream. Considering the Glow Mist is £25 alone, I was really happy to get this set for just £6 more.
Glow Recipe 30ml Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser (£10)
To get free shipping, which does seem counterproductive when you're trying to save money, I had to spend £9. So I took that as a sign to try another Glow Recipe product; their Bounce Cleanser. And I'll definitely be taking this with me when I next travel, whenever that date becomes a reality.
Glow Recipe 30ml Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask (Cult Beauty free gift - should have been £20.50)
By spending £40 or more on Glow Recipe, Cult Beauty were running a promotion where you got a mini Sleeping Mask for free. Which just sweetened the deal for me. It didn't specify the size, so I was over the moon when a 30ml (worth £20.50) arrived with my order. And after trying it a few times now, I totally get why it is as hyped as it.
Let me know if you'd like to see a full blog post dedicated to what I thought of what I've tried from Glow Recipe so far.
Total £41
Entertainment
I've made it a goal of mine not to buy any physical books, if I can, for the rest of the year. It's so easy to spend £8 here or to pick up several paperbacks at Tesco or Asda. And if you saw my Kindle Paperwhite review, you will know that actually now prefer reading on my Kindle. Plus, if you time it right, you can read all the books on your To Be Read list for just 99p each. Which is what happened with these three;
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley (99p Kindle deal)
After reading The Guest List, which I really enjoyed (see my full review here), I was keen to finally read The Hunting Party. I have heard mixed reviews. But I can't wait to start reading this ASAP.
The Two Lives Of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver (99p Kindle deal)
I'd heard pretty positive reviews, likening this to PS I Love You and Me Before You. So again, I took the plunge and bought this. I do tend to like to sandwich books like these in between my usual mysteries and thrillers to break things up a bit. And I'm looking forward to reading this soon.
My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (99p Kindle deal)
I feel like the only person who hasn't read this, so I took it being 99p on the Kindle store as the final push I needed.
Total £2.97
Miscellaneous
Case-Mate Rose Gold Carat iPhone SE Case (£11.90 - £6.90 with eBay £5 off £10 spend code)
Having an iPhone SE (aka. the only phone small enough for my tiny hands), makes it incredibly difficult to find new phone cases for it. Back in February, for my birthday, I treated myself to a tortoiseshell Case-Mate case for just over £10. And I've been so impressed with it, that when I saw this one on eBay, I just had to press buy.
I probably won't be using it any time soon. But to know that I have another phone case to alternate with, definitely makes it worth the purchase. And it was a nice little treat.
Accessorize Leopard Face Covering (£5)
Who would have ever thought that we would be talking about buying face masks (not the usual skincare ones) in Summer 2020?
Face coverings are now mandatory in Scotland. And since the only places that I've been going to, other than my daily walks near home, are shops, I added this one from Accessorize to my basket when they became available.
Total £11.90
Lockdown Total (so far) £90.35
So there's my lockdown money diary.
How have you been coping during the last few months? Have you been buying more or less? And have you read any of the books that I added to my Kindle this month?
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