Spending Ban Progress & Some Tips!

I am now into my FOURTH month of my spending ban! I say spending ban, but I guess it is more of a conscious effort to save more! I thought I would share a few of the things that I have been doing that have really helped me work towards my savings goals. I'm no expert that is for sure, but I try my best!

• Sit down and work out exactly what bills/expenses you will have for each month. For me this includes things like petrol, phone bills, car insurance payments, CC payments, gym membership and personal training etc. If you pay something weekly work out the monthly amount. Deduct the total amount from your monthly income and you will get a rough idea of that amount left you have to play with. I then aim to save most of the excess!

• I withdraw cash for things like petrol and personal training and keep it in separate envelopes so the money isn't sitting in my account and is less likely to be spent on an impulse purchase.

• Open an online savings account with a high interest rate. I use UBank and I find it to be extremely useful. UBank have the option to set up financial goals and watching your savings progress is totally motivating. Each week on pay day I transfer what ever money I have left over to save straight away.

• Be realistic about setting aside some money for entertainment. I learnt early on that it is unreasonable to expect that I won't go out and about on the weekend and might get a coffee, or see a movie with my boyfriend. I put aside a small amount for this each week and leave it in my everyday account.

• Birthday presents have always been a source of weakness for me. I love love LOVE buying people presents and sometimes go overboard. Spending less on presents has been a real challenge for me and I still feel quite guilty about it but at the end of the day it has to be done.

• If you are an impulse purchaser, stay away from credit cards! My biggest regret was getting a credit card last year. Looking back at the statements it is obvious that I spent it up on clothes and other crap that I barely use now. It is a lot harder to pay it off than it is to spend it. My CC is currently covered in layers upon layers of sticky tape so I can't whip it out and use it!

• Bring your own lunch to work. Enough said. Have also stopped buying the shitty coffee from the closest shop as a pathetic attempt of a caffeine fix! Easy money!

• Have goals! My goal is to save as much money as I can for New York, pay off my small CC debt and start up solid savings in general. Without a goal things get wishy washy quite quickly and it is easy to loose track. Think of the thing you are most passionate about achieving financially and strive for it!

If all goes continues to go well I will be buying  delicious things like this Alexander Wang Deigo Bucket Bag when I am in New York. Come to mama. 

That’s about all I can think of for now, but if you have any savings tips I would love to hear them! Is anyone else on a spending ban?

Friday Blog Lovin'

Friday Friday gotta get down on Friday! Hahah I know that is so old hat now but it comes into my head every Friday morning now, and probably will FOREVER!

I thought I would share some of the blogs I have really enjoyed reading this week!

I just started reading this blog recently and I am loving it sick! It's a little bit of this, a little bit of that, just the kind of blog I love to read. I look forward to reading of her upcoming travel adventures.

A great mix of fashion and beauty, could it get any better? I think not! I want to buy a million new dresses every time I read. She also happens to share the best name in the world with me, winner!

If you are looking for great makeup tutorials then Emily is the girl for you. I am seriously in awe of her ability to make it all look so effortless, especially eye makeup which I struggle with. Her recent summer smoky eye post is definitely something I will be trying!

Hope you enjoy these blogs as much as I do.

So what have you got planned for the weekend? Anything you'd like to share?

ABC Of Me

The darling Jade of Jade Musing posted this recently and I decided to join in! Quick fact: Jade's blog was the first beauty blog I read and made me want to start my own, so I did! You can read my old Tumblr blog here if you wish.


A. Age: 21
B. Bed size: King single.... sad I know.
C. Chore you hate: Washing Tupperware or anything that can't go in a dishwasher.
D. Day: Saturday.
E. Essential start to your day: Pressing snooze, then checking my phone :/
F. Favourite colour: Green.
G. Gold or Silver: Silver
H. Height: 168cm I think. 
I. Instruments: Failed guitarist.
J. Job title: Secretary.
K. Kids: None
L. Live: Western Sydney.
M. Mum’s name: June.
N. Nicknames: Lila, Gill, Gillpill
O. Overnight hospital stays: None.
P. Pet peeve: People who turn the lights on when they get up at 5am in the morning and you're still asleep ( aimed directly at my BF hahah).
Q. Quote from a movie: Yipeee ki-ay motherfucker! Closet Die Hard fan right here.
R. Right or left handed: Left is best.
S. Siblings: Younger brother and sister.
T. Time you wake up: 6:50am
U. Underwear: Whatever I can find, usually Bonds.
V. Vegetables you dislike: Red capsicum...ergh. 
W. What makes you run late: Snoozing , blowdrying my hair, or trying to make something for lunch at the last minute. 
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Teeth, hand. 
Y. Yummy food you make: Polenta dishes, beef stroganoff, profiteroles. 
Z. Zoo: To be avoided during school holidays. 


Man this week is going so sloooooow. Bring on Friday!


I am hating on this whole 'leaving work when it's dark' business. I'm blaming that for the lack of beauty swatches lately, I aim to rectify this soon !

Ode to Winter: I Hate You.

It's cold, it's windy. I'mma be getting up in winter's grill about how it's such a jerk! I know it's not even winter yet but from the day I have to begin a search for hole less stockings to wear to work , it all goes downhill for me. 

Am currently missing these sorts of views.

Fiji last year...wahhhhh.

And fun warm weather friendly activities.....such as KAYAKING!

I want to live on an islandddddd!

Quick breakdown of my hatred for the cold: You get rained on more often, it's dark when you finish work, winter clothes cost more, you need to wear MORE clothes, wearing more clothes makes you feel quite rotund, your feet get cold and no one wants to share a bed with you, salad for lunch suddenly become the WORST THING EVER, you fall asleep with your electric blanket on and sear off half your body etc etc etc. 

I could go on all day.

Are you a summer lover like me? Or do you get all freaky over winter? I'll promise not to judge any cold lovers out there....maybs.

Let's Hear It For......

I finally took the plunge and booked my flight to New York! SOLO!

I could have waited until my boyfriend had time off work, I could have waited until my bestie and I had the funds to spend a decent amount of time travelling through America, but in the end I would have been waiting and waiting forever! So I just did it, and in 3 and a half months I will be in the city that has been creeping into my dreams more and more often of late.

I'm not going to lie, it would be great to have someone to share the experience with, but I am strangely really looking forward to being able to do what I want, when I want, how I want! Strolling the streets, shopping, searching for the best spots to eat, taking in the atmosphere, visiting the museums, it all awaits me and I CANNOT WAIT!

Now to decide where to stay. My good friend spent some time in Williamsberg and has convinced me I should spend some time there. I know a few of you have been to NYC so please feel free to give me some tips, anything at all is appreciated!

Has anyone else got any travel plans coming up? Are you as excited as I am?

Lusting

My spending ban is going strong people! Since the beginning of March I have only brought a fairly cheap winter jumper from Dotti, some Lululemon running tights and these House of Harlow earrings:-

House of Harlow Pave Stargazer Earrings

It's been tough but I have been constantly reminding myself that (apparently) material things do not buy one happiness! I'm not going to lie though, I have spend A LOT of time stalking ShopBop, Net-A-Porter and Asos mwahaha.

There may be one paid of shoes that I am willing to cave in for....I mean they are only $83 dollars, black goes with everything, wedges are easier to walk in.....

Jeffrey Campbell Ninety Nine Wedge Booties

Justification of potential purchase skills, I have them. 

Frye Engineer 8R Boots

Am loving these boots to, I think they would keep my eternally cold feet a little warmer in winter. Ballet flat are not cutting it already! 

What have you been lusting over lately?

Bad Skin Month

I do apologise for my lack of posts lately! As the title of this post would suggest, I have been having a total bad skin month ( well more than a month now I think about it). Due to my current despair over my terrible skin I haven't been too interested in my beauty routine and haven't really tried any new products to review for ya'll. 

It all started with an annoying and stubborn dry patch on the left side of my forehead. No amount of exfoliating, moisturising, face masks etc would see it vacate the premises. 

I had area about the oil cleansing method online and decided to give it a go. If you haven't heard of the oil cleansing method, it is basically a form of facial cleansing using oils which in theory will dissolve hardened impurities in your pores without stripping your face of it's natural oils.  So off I went, all enthusiastic and brought some castor and grapeseed oil to give this method a try. 

At first I LOVED it. My face felt really soft , clean and moisturised! Sure it took longer, but it seemed worth the effort. After a few days that dry patch was gone....... and a few days after that all hell broke loose. 

Long story short, I ended up with an entire forehead of bumps, have had pimples coming up on one side of my jaw and a few on my cheeks, terrible congestion, which has left me with quite a bit of pigmentation. 

I gave up on the OCM after about two weeks of persistence in the hopes it would all pay off as I had read great things about it. My forehead has settled down significantly but is still a terrible sight, as its my jaw which I have never had problems with. 

To sum up my feelings towards my skin at the moment....

But hey, I don't know why I should worry so much. I mean it's not like my face is the first thing people who talk to me notice of anything, RIGHT, RIGHT?!?

Does anyone else find that when they read about some sort of miracle/rave product , they are the only person who it DOESN'T work for? Story of my life!