43 Days of walking to work and not spending money at work

Stats. 

So far I have walked 13 Mile in November 154 miles in total since starting this blog

I have stopped myself from spending £129 at work (£15 of which in November) on sweets and snacks, I don't really need.

Click this link to see how all the endeavours are helping to build towards the final goal. 

Thoughts

Well, everything is going in the right direction, as I keep on, keeping on. The wobble for yesterday is that I had a pound change in my pocket. Normally I don't take money with me to work, just have my cards. This way I can't be even more easily tempted than usual to spend money. I was heating up my chilli and rice, and stood there thinking should I get a plate of chips, rather than just ask for a plate for my food I was heating up. This debate raged until I got to the canteen. My mind declared that it would be still breaking the rules by spending a pound, I asked for a plate and hot tailed it back to the microwave as quick as I could. The chilli was lovely as it was 'our lasses' home made one, and although I could have eaten chips as well as the rice that I had brought with it. It wasn't really necessary, so another day another batch of unwanted food not eaten.

Whilst I was off I had the CNBC channel on, (I love the numbers, and they can talk passionately about naff all it seems, an entertainment in itself) anyways, an advert came up and this bloke was talking about how he doesn't buy coffee from the coffee shops. so rather than spending $2.50 he equates it to the 18c he spends on the coffee he makes himself and he invests the rest. So the strap line essentially being "Make it and invest the rest". Which could be counter intuitive as you best not buy shares in coffee shops then... But it made sense, as I went onto think about projects at home. The garage door broke recently as the cones and wires tangled and snapped after years of wear. I looked on YOUTUBE, and checked how much the parts were (£15) but bottled it at the last minute and called in a garage repair guy, ended up spending £85 for someone to bash and crash, leave a bit of wire up which I had to ask them to take off, and thinking to myself I should have had more faith in myself. So that is a plan I am going to take into the future. I have made a back garden gate, total cost £30 where as someone wanted to charge £180. I fixed the pond pump for a £5 which would have cost £80 getting someone in. So I may live to regret this but the next job which comes along, and if it is possible for me to do it I will do it myself and put the rest of the money away to the pot which I am saving.

Have you had projects which you have done, where you have been able to make it and then invest the rest?

I have also started finding cartoons and adding them to the posts, folks like visuals, what do you think?

42 Days of walking to work and not spending money at work

Stats. 

So far I have walked 10 Mile in November 151 miles in total since starting this blog

I have stopped myself from spending £126 at work (£12 of which in November) on sweets and snacks, I don't really need.

Click this link to see how all the endeavours are helping to build towards the final goal. 

Thoughts

Mondays are long days, 12 hour shift up at 5am to prepare for work and then the walk to work.
--

Less than 3 miles each way that is not much of an effort

— neil mclaughlin (@neilmclaughlin2) November 4, 2018

--
So it is funny when you put up your stats and someone says that a 3 miles walk isn't much of an effort. What constitutes an effort? I have a neighbour who gets in her car drives around to our local supermarket, the route is longer than the cut through you can walk along, and then she comes back, not normally with a weeks worth of shopping but normally one or two bags at most.

So to me any effort is good effort, I would / could walk to work and back but on long days it would mean leaving the house at 6.30am (I get up 5am just to give myself a slow lead into the day) then back at 9.30pm. So our lass picks me up. Now if our lass couldn't pick me up, it would have to walk back home, but this project is not about torturing myself it is about making little changes to improve myself.

I know I need to diet, but by cutting out the sweets and biscuits at work, I know I haven't added to what I eat at home. That is my next step, but everything is done step by step.

So now I have completed 42 days and I feel good. Not cost me anything, not damaged or harmed others, but it does give you that warm, and at times smug feeling inside. (we are indeed human). We all have our faults and mine is smugness in certain situations.

Anyway, who will be the first to dare to leave a comment? Will it be you?

41 Days of walking to work and not spending money at work

Stats. 

So far I have walked 7 Mile in November 148 miles in total since starting this blog

I have stopped myself from spending £123 at work (£9 of which in November) on sweets and snacks, I don't really need.

Click this link to see how all the endeavours are helping to build towards the final goal. 

Thoughts

I have played forge of empires on my mobile and PC for over 2 years now, I think a Simpsons game called tapped out I have played for 3 years but that I did take a break from. Playing those games for such a long period of time, is what gave me the idea for doing this blog, and the project which I am blogging about.

My thoughts were that if I could do something such as play a game for so long and build up a kingdom or town at level 137 why not build up my bank balance? So here we are 3 months in and around £800 saved one way or another and it feels good.

The walking is now totalling 148 miles, and it has stopped me from wasting money on taxis when I have been too lazy to walk, it has saved me eating sweets and biscuits I did not really need, although I was convincing myself it was getting me through the day. My weight maybe the same, but at least it hasn't ballooned and I have the money saved to one side as a benefit.

So the moral of these witterings? It is possible, just take it one day at a time and a few years down the line you will see your reward, and unlike the virtual level on a game, this will be real money in the bank.

30 Days of walking to work and not spending money at work

Stats. 

So far I have walked 23 Miles in October 116 miles in total since starting this blog

I have stopped myself from spending £90 at work (£27 of which in October) on sweets and snacks, I don't really need.

Click this link to see how all the endeavours are helping to build towards the final goal. 

Thoughts

Today I have gone back to my old blog post heading for these posts, I previously thought it a bit of mouthful, my other option was simply saying day 28, 29 and so on which sounded a bit like (and create your own Geordie accent) It's day 29 in the Big Brother house. The final nail in the coffin was today I am not actually at work, I have got restricted use of my voice, which can be a big of blow when you work taking and responding to calls.

The millage has been added because I will this afternoon go and walk to meet our lass when she finishes work. I don't like putting down for items not already done, but I really need to meet our lass when she leaves work as she needs the support today. Her first day back after a lot of stress from work.

As for the money, well I haven't been at work so haven't spent the money so will put another £3 in the pot.

Completed another yougov survey and so another 60p in the pot, as with lots of sayings, such as Q. How do you eat an Elephant? A. One mouthful at a time. or which would probably be more politically correct, How do you complete a 1,000 mile journey A. One step at a time. It may seem daft that I comment on 60p but they all add up and over 6 years it is £1,000 Which is something folks would not be so sniffy at. So today there will be a few more posts around things I have done, such as a book I have read, and the Yougov surveys why don't you try it as well?

If you have any thoughts on ways to make money, then feel free to comment.

26 days of walking to and not spending money at work

Stats. 

So far I have walked 15 Miles in October 108 miles in total since starting this blog

I have stopped myself from spending £78 at work (£15 of which in October) on sweets and snacks I don't really need.

Thoughts.

With a Monday being a 12 hour shift it always brings its own challenges, work can be depressing, a relentless "I want" not only from the customers but from your bosses. The customers want the best for less as they don't wish to spend much money, Your bosses want you to sell more for more and then see if the customer will take another, and if they don't somehow it is your fault as you couldn't have asked properly other wise the customer would have bought more.

This constant mental battle, can bring you into a place where you are looking for a place of solitude, a retreat from the mental storm you seem to be being pounded with. Now in the past, that rock would be a chocolate bar or a bag of crisps. Which in turn would only make the situation worse, it would mount up the money I felt like I had wasted at work, thinking that I could spending a day or twos pay on items to get me through the working day, so I might as well have not worked those two days. It also added to my unhealthiness and put a few more pounds on the bulk I already have.

So on Monday my rock was this blog, this scheme of trying to save money so I can retire at 50, the thoughts of ways to save money, how I had already walked over 100 miles, that I had not spent my own money for 26 days and it worked. I never thought it would but it was a great feeling to get to the end of the shift and have survived, it was like a night escaping the attacks of vampires and seeing the morning suns rays stream across the sky.

Now I know that other nights will be darker but I do feel my resolve will get even stronger.

25 days of walking to and not spending money at work

Stats. 

So far I have walked 12 Miles in October 105 miles in total since starting this blog

I have stopped myself from spending £75 at work (£12 of which in October) on sweets and snacks I don't really need.

Thoughts.

Why is it when you are away from a keyboard, pen and paper or any means of capturing thoughts you seem to have the most coherent philosophical ramblings? Yet I sit here now, and I can barely remember a thing. That is why I enjoy walking to work, because it opens up my mind to that theoretical thought process. I may well enjoy theoretical over practical, as theory you normally end up just thinking about and practical has to be done, and I am sure we are all inherently lazy to some form of degree.

Well today I am putting 3 days into one, as day one and two were taken up by the grand kids and day three just happened to be a cheeky 12 hours shift at work. Well I say 12 hours of work, but this is where I am writing this post now and mailing it to myself to post later. As noted above I will have lots of ideas, but by the time I am sat at home and opening new blog post, my mind will go a blank.

25 days of walking to work which means I have reached a milestone, of completing over the 100 mile mark, and money wise I would have not spent £75, which I know people may scoff and think it is small fry, but a wall is made up of a collection of bricks, to lay that wall you have to put one brick down at a time. So these reports of 1 day, 2 day, 3 days etc of walking to and not spending money at work. May seem why are you going on about it, but it is me discussing the placing of each brick. It helps build the mindset, and on more than one occasion it has stopped me from slipping into spending money on snacks I really didn’t need. So it is worth it.

Does what I am going on about make sense? Will anyone ever read this? Whats the point? Lots of questions go through my mind, but then again I have lots of thoughts go through my mind as I walk from point A to point B, and I never remember them all but they are all part of the journey and help me reach a destination, my destination is to hit the goal of £50,000 and each of these bricks, whether it be £3 a day or the share scheme, it all helps reach that goal. So if no one ever sees me reaching the goal, as long as I reach it, I can easily bask in the glory of getting there all by myself.

22 days of walking to and not spending money at work

Stats. 

So far I have walked 3 Miles in October 96 miles in total since starting this blog

I have stopped myself from spending £66 at work (£3 of which in October) on sweets and snacks I don't really need.

Thoughts.

Back to work, and it's a matter of getting back in to the swing of things. 12 hour shift and I resisted the temptation, and a good walk to work with several laps of the place at break time and dinner. All very much needed as I had been very sedentary whilst off, which means the weight had crept up. Need to make a lot of #Gotober.

September walking summary so far.

62 miles in August and 31 miles in September 93 miles in total.

September has been light due to the two week holiday, I had hoped to fit some walks in when we were off, but it has been fraught so have put it on the back burner. As I am back to work on the 1st October, that is when I will get back into my stride (pardon the pun)

So for the moment I am just totalising ready for then.

21 days of walking to and not spending money at work

Stats. 

So far in September I have walked 31 miles which is 93 miles in total since starting this blog

I have stopped myself from spending £63 at work (£27 of which in Sept) on sweets and snacks I don't really need.

Thoughts.

This Saturday is the last day of September of which I was going to be at work, it is not until the 1st October to which I return to work. I will however still be walking so when we are on holiday I will be monitoring how far we walk and add that to the total above. So should easily smash through the 100 mile mark whilst off.

As for saving? Well I won't have the £3 a day to put away but I will have my Supercharged 1p challenge <<< click the link to read more, which I have found a way of boosting. Which is going to be what my next blog post will be all about. 

Happy with 15 days away from work, and happy I have completed 21 days unbroken walking and not spending money at work. Onwards and upwards.

20 days of walking to and not spending money at work

Stats. 

So far in September I have walked 28 miles which is 90 miles in total since starting this blog

I have stopped myself from spending £60 at work (£24 of which in Sept) on sweets and snacks I don't really need.

Thoughts.

The reason why I think I will do well at this project above all other projects in the past, is down to simply taking things one step at a time and getting into the routine. Before you know it, you are 2 years in and have saved a good amount of money, hopefully a lot fitter as well.

I have played games on my phone for years, so why not do this project. What is the worst that can happen? If I don't do as well I will only have saved a little bit and potentially stayed the same, in fitness and weight levels. But if I do nothing, then I have the same amount if not less money and be the same level of fitness or more than likely even less fit and unhealthy.

It seems a win, win. Can't say I am one for motivational stuff. But, plan for failure and that is what you get, and I feel sitting around and doing nothing would have only have led to that conclusion.

Soon me and our lass will be on holiday, so fitness up but saving down all that we will be saving is the Supercharged 1p challenge <<< click the link to read more. Plus the money I put away for the share plan. So one more day of walk to work and not spending money on sweets, and then into freestyle mode. Be interesting to see what crops up.

19 days of walking to and not spending money at work

Stats. 

So far in September I have walked 25 miles which is 87 miles in total since starting this blog

I have stopped myself from spending £57 at work (£21 of which in Sept) on sweets and snacks I don't really need.

Thoughts.

People look at various tasks, and find them impossible to do, they see a huge mountain in front of them and wonder how are they going to scale it? The answer, one step at a time.

I have started then put away lots of projects, but noticed I had played certain games for years. That got me to thinking, that if I can play a game on my phone for years. Forge of Empires (2 years and counting) Simpsons-Tapped out (3 years and counting). Then why can't I be more productive.

This is why I am excited about the Supercharged 1p challenge <<< click the link to read more.

It will then add to the goal of saving money for when I am 50. If you say that I will save £50,000 in 6 years. You would say that, it is very difficult if not impossible, and bring out every reason to support the fact, the 6 years would fly by and you would be in the same position, wishing you had been able to save £50k.

Where as if you take it one step at a time, 1 penny at a time slowly building up, bringing what ever else you have to it as well, and see that momentum grow, and with it the sum of money, which in itself will gain more money via interest. Then even if I don't get the £50,000 I will be somewhere very close to it, but much further forward than if I had done nothing.

Well that's my thoughts, would love to read yours. Plus any ideas you have as well.

18 days of walking to and not spending money at work

Stats. 

So far in September I have walked 18 miles which is 80 miles in total since starting this blog

I have stopped myself from spending £54 at work (£18 of which in Sept) on sweets and snacks I don't really need.

Thoughts.

This may well be me just talking to myself, as I am still to see if anyone else had come and read the blog. But it has been a very useful resource. It has kept me strong. I have mentioned before because of the time I have spent doing this, I have not wanted to be weak, and then have to start all over again.

On Monday afternoon the strength of how long I had been doing this project really helped. my lunch had been at 1pm and I had eaten my sandwiches. come 6pm I was wanting a nibble, the day itself had not been great and I was convincing myself that a snack would perk me up. But that internal battle of look at what you would lose out on, won out. So now here I write about 18 days and counting, Quite proud in myself, which is better than a feeling from any packet of crisps I would have had.

17 days of walking to and not spending money at work

Stats. 

After completing the day of work on Saturday, this September I have walked 15 miles which is 77 miles in total since starting this blog and I have stopped myself from spending £51 at work (£15 of which in Sept) on sweets and snacks I don't really need.

Now the task is getting harder, why? Due to the fact that I no longer have the opportunity to win lunch vouchers. So yesterday was a day reliant on sandwiches and the day before left over cottage pie. My resolved was held together by free coffee and pints of water. But mostly by the fact that I have done it for such a length of time that I don't want to go back and start again.

It would have been so easy to pay for a chocolate bar from the sweet machine using my contactless card. Before I could escape the challenges of not spending money, by simply not having cash on me. Nowadays everything is contactless, everything is within reach.

I stayed strong though, and to reward my fortitude, I have put the £51 pounds to one side, in it's own savings account so I can reap the rewards for my efforts. 

I feel good, and I say to you "Give it a go, you will see the rewards as well" do a little each day and you can climb your mountain.

15 days of walking to and not spending money at work

First the stats. After completing the day of work on Thursday, this September I have walked 9 miles which is 71 miles in total since starting this blog and I have stopped myself from spending £45 at work (£9 of which in Sept) on sweets and snacks I don't really need.

Now this may start looking repetitive, logging each day, as I do my walk, and not spend my money. But it helps to reinforce what I am doing and lets me physically see the progress I am making. It has helped a couple of times when I have felt weak. Also when my food vouchers run out, which have been filling the gaps and making it easier to not spend my own money. I can say to myself "You really don't want to spoil all the good work do you? Do you really want to start from the beginning again?"

So it might not make for entertaining blogging, but it is helping me to reinforce my thoughts of "Keep on going!"

Latest scales and I have lost a pound

Not money but weight. slowly but surely but it is in the right direction.

#WednesdayMotivation might be only a pound lighter than last week but as @Tesco would say "Every little helps" pic.twitter.com/NGYTJLa0wa

— retireatfifty (@retireatfifty) September 5, 2018

14 days of walking to and not spending money at work

First the stats. After completing the day of work on Monday, this September I have walked 6 miles which is 68 miles in total since starting this blog and I have stopped myself from spending £42 at work on sweets and snacks I don't really need.

Now to the thoughts. Monday had been the most stressful to date. I had taken a lunch which consisted of a tupper ware box of stew. But had been expecting to get another lunch voucher I had won at work, this didn't materialise so it left me with just the stew and a 12 hour shift. Before starting this project I would have walked across to the canteen and purchased a plate of chips to go with the stew. Then more than likely through the day, a packet of biscuits, a bag of crisps or a bar of chocolate. All of which no good for my body and would just leave a whole list of transactions on my bank account.

Whilst in the break room with my box of stew, feeling a bit down, and trying to stay strong, a work colleague came in with a big bag of crisps and a chocolate bar. I said "That's a healthy lunch" and we got talking to how I was trying to get fitter and spend less and they mentioned without prompting the same issues I had noticed. That when looking at their bank account they would see numerous transactions for the canteen at work, and feel the clothes getting tighter and tighter.

It made me feel good, to be able to wax lyrical about how I had been able to start this project, and was now 14 days in and although small amounts they all added up. It also gave me the uplift to just go back to work and not give into temptation.

The moral of the story? Keep strong and don't give in as you will be rewarded, this is a long term fix so don't give in for short term pleasure.

13 days of walking to and not spending money at work

Number 13, they say unlucky for some. Well I would have wrote about day 12 but on Saturday the Internet was down, so we have skipped to 13. Saturday has probably been the most trying day yet. Took a dinner to work, but still felt hungry before and felt tempted afterwards. It was when I first failed on the NO ADDED SUGAR quest. So that didn't make it passed 2 days. I wasn't going to buy sweets but I did need a shot of coffee. Was like a junky needing their fix, got craggy and restless, not sure if it is a pattern you get into so its something you get used to doing, so breaking that pattern and replacing it with another activity will make it better or I really did need a shot of caffeine?

But I did do another 3 miles of walking which means 65 miles in total since starting this and that was the first 3 miles of September I have 62 miles to beat from August. Here >>> August in stats a link to the month in stats, not bad for a full month.

As for not spending money at work. that totals £39 now of which £3 is for September, that was the opportunity cost for me going in my head, do I get a free coffee to relieve the pangs or buy some sweets? the NO ADDED SUGAR was a shorter term risk so I kept the longer running not spending money. But I need to get back on track for the diet, and my own well being. A slimmer, fitter me will enjoy retirement longer, will enjoy life more and our lass will be happier and not worry about my size.

Well, onwards and upwards.

Day 2 of no added sugar complete.

Now for some folks, and our lass would be one of them, they would a lot more stringent on criteria and the like. For me it is making those little changes to make big long term gains.

I used to have 6 weetabix each morning put half a pint of milk on them and then sprinkle sugar over several tea spoons, even equate to several desert spoons. I then cut down to four, and now I have cut down to buttering them. So now no milk, no sugar added. I am sure someone will tell me about the evils of butter.

As for tea consumption, that would be several a day, 6 or more if off work at least 4 if at work and then coffees at work from the free vending machine with the sugar dosage put up high. Yesterday was the first day at work with this regime, so no coffee was taken, I swapped it for water having took a pint glass.

I did last night have one mug of tea. It is the exception for the day. Our lass made it, so it would have at least half the sugar I would have normally put in it. and it is the joker I will play each day, I hope to get through days without playing the joker, But one mug of tea is a lot better than 4 or more.

Funnily enough last night was the first time for a while I haven't had to trott to the toilet in the night.

Anyways, I am 2 days in, hoping to make it a lot longer and also to have an effect on the scales next week..

11 days of walking too and not spending money at work

Well we are getting close to the end of the month, and I have now completed 59 miles and we still have today to be added, but as always with blog posts I will blog about it once I have completed it.

Have I done anything special, well walked to work rather than be lazy and take taxis. I did do my Half Marathon and a a couple of cheeky 5 and 6 mile walks, So as a start it is going well, to start pushing the scales in the right direction though, I need to make a success of NO ADD SUGAR. Which I will blog about next and the 2 days of success so far.

On the spending front, or shall we say none spending front. I now have £33 which I wouldn't have if I had continued like I had done before and just bought snacks and sweets. I would have been a few pounds heavier as well.

So yes I am happy, I could be happier but still happiness comes in all forms.

#FridayFeeling #PositiveTwitterDay pic.twitter.com/XZO4KxdQul

— retireatfifty (@retireatfifty) August 31, 2018

Day 1 of no added sugar complete

I have mentioned on previous posts, I want to report on what I have done, not what I hope to do. Hopes have a knack of not being completed, so I stay with what has happened and not what with what could.

What is No Added Sugar? I do get through quite a bit of sugar, either with breakfast or with large cups of tea or with cups of coffee at work.. This adds to any other intake during the day, So If I were able to cut this out, it should have the kicker to help in the weight loss, as I have been doing the exercise (another 5 miles yesterday that is 56 miles in total for the month so far now) but standing still with the weight.

So yesterday was the first day of buttered weetabix, no tea (max allowed is 1 per day) no coffee at work (which was easy yesterday as I wasn't at work)

Now the results should be clear in a week, if I last the week that is, because taking sugar out of the diet has always been the hardest thing to do. I hope to reporting next week on 7 solid days of good news, and who knows it might have a good progress on the scales.

Day 1 of no added sugar. Had been 26st 2 then went to 26st 6 now back to where I started. pic.twitter.com/XMnaNlWLZh

— retireatfifty (@retireatfifty) August 29, 2018