Reflections on a Busy June and Aims for July

June has been an interesting month with lots of different things going on.  It took a while to get going as having come back from a lovely break in the Yorkshire Dales it was a bit of an effort getting back into a routine.

As the month went on so time speeded up.  I managed to keep on top of the allotment and we managed to finish all the pertinent garden tasks this month, which was probably our most significant achievement and I'm now starting to harvest various things from the allotment which will start to save a bit of money.

I paid reasonable sums off my credit cards again this month, but unfortunately I had to put a few extras on them such as the Wimbledon tickets and my new passport.  I will however pay these purchases off straight away next month.  I just about managed to stumble to the end of the month financially, but it was tight.  For the last week I did a very minimal food shop and tried to manage using what I had left in the freezer, fridge and cupboards.  It wasn't really a hardship at all as we were pretty well stocked.  I even managed to use some things that had found their way to the back of the cupboard which is always satisfying.

Our main indulgence this month was a day out at Wimbledon and it was a fabulous day that I don't regret for a minute.  Sometimes you just have to factor in a few treats to make life enjoyable.

I finished my Patchwork cushion this month which I was very pleased with, but apart from this I didn't get much further with the bedroom de-clutter as I am still trying to source a couple of storage solutions and clear some more clutter.  I also need to sift through my book collection.  I am having trouble reaching the top shelf in the bookcase as we no longer have any step ladders.  Excuses, excuses, I know. 

I have started on a new patchwork project in June which will be a throw or lap quilt I think.  I'm enjoying doing it as I watch Wimbledon.  I love to use up fabrics that I have collected over the months/years and this quilt is using up lots of different autumnal coloured fabrics, so I'm hoping to have it finished in time for snuggling under in the winter months, watching TV in front of the fire.  I am so enjoying hand sewn patchwork, rather than using a machine.

My other half has just told me that he wants to do some DIY work in our bedroom in the next few weeks to rectify a couple of problems in there, so this next month we are planning on a push towards properly finishing the bedroom and clearing out any clutter.  Having him on board with my project for the bedroom will make it so much easier to motivate myself, so I'll keep you posted on progress.

Financially, June has been expensive with Father's day, Wimbledon, new passport, etc. so I'm hoping July will be a bit kinder on my purse and I might manage my finances better, but I say this every month.  I intend to start as I mean to go on and keep things on a tightly controlled footing from the beginning of the month to the end.  I'm going to try to keep the food bill to an absolute minimum whilst not going without and cut down on any miscellaneous spending as much as possible in order to help me keep within my yearly targets.  In an attempt to aid this I placed an order with Approved Food at the end of the month which should arrive next week and will provide us with plenty of treats and other store cupboard food products to last the month.  I spent approximately £50 but this translated into well over £100 worth of groceries.

I am starting a new challenge this month that will last a year.  I will be posting about it very shortly and this too should help me cut down on expenditure in some areas.  I have also decided to stop getting books from the library for a while as I have a huge pile by my bed that need reading and I need to start working my way through them.  I am currently reading Gretchen Ruben's 'The Happier Home' and am enjoying it immensely.

July will be a busy time on the allotment and I will need to harvest food regularly, particularly broad beans, potatoes, strawberries, salad.  I have a few more plants to go in when I can make some space for them.  At home it will just be a case of keeping our garden looking tidy and planting out the few plants I bought at the school fete.  I can now start to just sit out there and enjoy it, although I must admit I don't do that too often.

I am still hoping to continue with the 5:2 fast diet which I started a few weeks ago.  I have to confess that I lapsed last week with all the busyness, but am hoping to get back on track this week and keep exercising to get into shape for our forthcoming main holiday in August.  We are planning a special trip this year which is quite exciting. I will post about this soon.

I am still calculating no-spend days and have achieved 45 so far this year out of the 50 I set myself in January.  As a result I have now decided that 75 is a more realistic figure and am now working toward this.

I also want to continue to donate to the local food bank by spending £5-£10 per month on food to donate.  This may not sound like much, but you can get a box full of store cupboard food for this amount if you shop carefully.  I use the inner cardboard boxes that Approved Food orders come in and when I have filled a box with food I take it to the food bank and then start again the next month.  Already after Monday's shop I have almost filled the box, which cost just over £6.  I will probably spend another couple of pounds and it will then be full.  I am planning a post this month about food bank donations for anyone interested.

Finally this month, I need to focus on buying bits of my daughter's school uniform in readiness for the new school year, as the children have to have some items of clothing with logos on them now and these need to be ordered or bought from the school before the end of term.  Other non-logo items I can leave until the summer holidays and buy them elsewhere.

Plenty of work to do and projects to continue with.  I like to keep busy.  Have you any plans for July?