Well here we go the first new in post of the year, the year where I said I would be saving a lot more than previous but as you will see in this post... that didn't quite go to plan in the first month. I set out with every intention of saving more than I spent during the month however, the sales and a few trips out got the better of me and I have spent a lot more money than I expected to. Some of the purchases have been totally random whilst some should actually help me saving money in the long run and even help me on my weight loss and fitness journey over time. So here is everything I picked up throughout the month of January...
This is definitely aimed at kids however, with it being reduced to just 50p I couldn't resist it. It is a well known fact now just how much I love women's football and with things becoming more available for the women's game I seem to be buying anything I set my eyes on. I have had a flick through this so far and I think I am going to enjoy this little book.
Oh look another women's football item and this is one I definitely wasn't leaving behind. I have been wanting a scarf to wear for the Man Utd matches for a while now however, they all seemed to just be generic men's ones apart from the Russo & Toone ones I already had. I love this one with this seasons squad on it and I am hoping this is only the start of more women's merchandise at games.
We had a trip to the seaside in January and I couldn't resist going on the claw machines in the arcades. I could spend a fortune on them however, normally I walk away empty handed this time though I seem to have got very lucky as just £1 later I was walking away with this Groot, a super cute addition to the games room.
Both me and Liam wanted the latest Pokemon games before Christmas, we just never seemed to get round to purchasing them until January. I ended up opting to buy Scarlet whilst Liam got a copy of Violet. I have a massive backlog of games to get through so this is just sat on the shelf at the moment but I am really looking forward to playing it when the time comes.
I love January as everyone jumps on the fitness trend and new products find their way into stores. I took full advantage of this happening in Home Bargains and ended up with a fair few new protein treats to try, they didn't last long though and I definitely found new favourites.
I have been taking EAA's for a while now to help with my post workout recovery so when I saw this for £6.99 in Home Bargains I knew I wasn't leaving without it as my MyProtein one was slowly running out. I am looking forward to seeing how this one compares and if it actually does the trick or not.
Now this was a bit of a random one but I am sick of my pre-workout not mixing properly so I have bought this in the hopes that it is going to make the mixing process smoother and a whole lot quicker. I am sure it will be used on my EAA's & Vitamin tablets too just to speed the whole process up.
I love the Pinch of Nom cookbooks so as soon as the latest was announced I knew I would be purchasing it. We are really trying to sort out what we are eating this year whilst also saving money on takeaways so this book is definitely going to be used a lot and I can't wait to see what we are going to make first.
As I said we are trying to save money so when I saw these flasks on offer at Tesco I thought I would treat myself in the hopes of cutting out those takeaway coffees that soon start to add up. This is going to be great to take out and about with me as we drive to the football a lot in Manchester and always fancy a coffee. It should keep my drink warm once I have finished playing too for the journey home.
We also picked up these food containers for the same reason as we got the flask... cutting out takeaways on days out. Rather than going to Tim Horton's after football and spending a fortune we could simply fill these with things like chilli or pasta and have a cheaper, healthier home cooked meal.
These little dishes were all over my Instagram at one point and thought they would be perfect for smaller portions of things like lasagna or even baked oats which I am wanting to start making. These were a few pounds each but are going to be used a lot as we have plenty of ideas of what to put in them.
We have been in our house 5 years in March and we are still using the knives from when we first moved in, an upgrade was definitely required. We got this Japanese set from our local Pro Cook shop and I can't wait to get using them as they look a lot better than our current ones.
We got a new dining set in January (forgot to take a picture) and we knew we wanted all matching so we ended up getting these pasta bowls to go with the rest of the set. I love the colour of this and I just think it looks so much better the set we have had since we moved in all those years ago.
I am making my lunches for work a lot more lately and it always involving coating some form of meat in seasoning so I picked up this pastry brush in hopes of making coating quicker and easier than it has been and hopefully making it less messy. Fingers crossed this does work as planned.
One of the only things I can cook is a chicken curry and for years I have looked at these dishes for our curry nights but have never actually bit the bullet and bought them as usually you have to buy them individually. When I saw a set of 2 in Asda I knew I wasn't leaving without them and I can't wait to have our first curry night with them.
All my jeans are getting too big but I am currently in between two sizes so I don't want to be buying new just yet plus I am trying to make do with the clothes I have got rather than buying new all the time but more on that another day. I finally picked up a new set of belts from Primark just to keep me going, these last me a while and are pretty cheap so will do the trick for now and keep me in the jeans I currently have.
I am trying to experiment with my wardrobe a bit and also getting items when I see them rather than missing them especially when I have seen things in Primark. For just £6 I have treated myself to a pair of leggings and a pair of cycle shorts ready for playing around with items in my wardrobe. These are simple items which as my style is changing could soon become essential items in my wardrobe.
Oh look more essentials and these are going to come in super handy as we transition from winter into spring. These long sleeved plain t-shirts from Primark are always available in my wardrobe and I have plenty in black so I have picked up a few in white & grey just to keep me going. These are great for layering and will be worn a lot over the next few months.
I am trying to smarten myself up a bit for work so I am getting items to suit that style in a size smaller than I currently am to make sure I am not wasting the money and have a start to a smaller wardrobe. I picked up this shirt from Primark in a 14-16 in the hopes of fitting in it in spring yet it is a little on the big side already so I guess I might need to purchase another size down by then. I love this shirt though and think it will go great with the sort of style I want to aim for in the long run but again more on that another day.
I love the Primark Chicago bulls items so when I saw this on sale for £5 I knew it was coming straight home with me, it is just going to be so easy to style and even as I lose more weight and it gets baggier it should look great in and over-sized look. This should look great layered up in the spring too and I can't wait to get wearing it.
This is another Primark sale find that I am loving and will be styling on social media very soon if all goes to plan. Again this was only £5 and is nice and lightweight so should be great from the transitioning weather we will be up against soon. I can honestly see this becoming one of my most worn items.
The boots were reduced down to just £10 each in Primark and ticked all the boxes for the type of boots I have been wanting for a while now. I love the colour of these and the sole of them just make them that bit different. They were a lot cheaper than the Timberlands I had been loving at too so have saved me quite a bit of money.
I am trying to be more confident in my body and when I saw these shorts for £4.50 each I knew I needed to pick some up for my home workouts. Again though I got these in a size smaller than usual so they should fit me for that little bit longer and hopefully they will just help me continue to build up the confidence.
I wanted to treat myself to some new workout clothes out of my Christmas money and I had a few ideas in mind of exactly what I wanted. I knew a few Under Armour t-shirts were at the top of the list as they currently fit me the best. In the end I got a dark grey one from our local outlet and this bright orange one from JD Sports. These fit me perfectly and are super comfy when working out too.
Whilst doing some outlet shopping I found these shorts in the Champion store. Shorts are an area in my wardrobe that is really lacking so I wasn't leaving without them, no doubt they will be put through plenty of boxing and home workout sessions. They will be perfect for lounging in during the better weather too.
It was freezing in January and my poor legs were feeling it at football so I decided to finally purchase some compression leggings for training and games in the hopes that it will just add an extra layer for warmth. I am hoping these will keep me warm but also help me with my knee issue as the compression should be a relief for it but I guess we will see over time.
I wanted some new shoes for boxing, home workouts and eventually for when I get running so I got these Puma ones from the Puma outlet as they were only £30 and really supportive and comfortable when I tried them on. I love bright stand out colours for sports and workouts so these were perfect for me.
I have wanted a Jordan Nobbs shirt for the longest time but held off getting an Arsenal one, I guess I did right as she was transferred to Aston Villa in January. Of course once the move was announced I ordered my shirt and I love it. Finally I have my favourite players shirt in my collection.
Finally we have another football shirt and this was actually my first purchase of the year. This England remake shirt was just £28 and it is based off one of my favourite England shirts so I wasn't planning on leaving this behind. The retro style makes it perfect for styling up and wearing day to day so I can't wait to get styling this and no doubt over the warmer months I will be leaving in it.
So there you go it was definitely an expensive month but I got sucked into the sales so fingers crossed February is a bit of a better month. We are saving for something pretty exciting whilst also saving for jobs around the house so we need to try save as much as possible in February so fingers crossed February's new in post will be much smaller because it definitely needs to be but I guess only time will tell.
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