Things I don’t buy anymore…

These days I am more conscious of my spending habits. I want to make each purchase a useful one that I will love. Regrettably, I have spent things that do not fall into this category and I am now wary of making purchases like these again…

Subscription boxes – I did go through a subscription phase a few years ago. I like the idea that you receive a monthly surprise package through the post where items have been collected for you. However, in practice, only a small proportion of items I really liked or used. There was often things that didn’t suit me, and it made me think that rather than paying for a subscription box of mixed items, I could just buy only the items that I found useful myself.

Beauty products and make-up – there were times when I would buy make up and beauty products because it was the “new it” thing or a “good” brand that I wanted to try, or it was on offer. I have ended up with multiple of items that I still haven’t used. I look to give these items to loved ones who will find them useful or try to use them myself before purchasing more.

Clothes – similar to above, I have bought clothes because I like the fashion or it looks good on the model in the photo. However, after having bought it, I don’t always reach for these pieces and they are hung up in the wardrobe unworn. I do try to only buy clothes that I really need to save wasting money on clothes.

Magazines – I like the idea of sitting down with a cup of tea/coffee, a slice of cake and a magazine as an afternoon treat. Magazines are always increasing in price and whilst they may only be a few pounds at most, if you constantly buy them, the spend adds up. Luckily, I can get free magazines through my library – they use the RB Digital app that allows you to borrow and download as many magazines as you like (and it is the ones that I read before!). I haven’t purchased a magazine in a long time!

Things on sale – yes it seems like a good deal and I thought I would use it at the time…but I never got around to it and it sits in its box or in the cupboard unused. Something you buy should be something you love and use – I now try to follow this.

Books and DVDs – usually I would only read/watch once and then never pick up again. With websites like Netflix and using the local library, I have to access to books, tv shows and movies that I don’t feel the need to buy the physical book and dvd/cd version.

What I have been doing during Lockdown

At the start of lockdown, I did feel at a loss. It has been hard not being able to meet friends and family, and coping with the change, as well as trying not to be worried by the news and social media reactions. There came a point where I was determined to use the free time to distract myself and keep positive. This included:

  • Exercise – I don’t really exercise at all, but the weather has been really nice and there is a local walking/cycling path nearby. Having an hour’s walk in the sunshine and fresh air, with lovely riverside views and flowers and trees around, helps uplift the mood!

  • Dalgona coffee – I have seen this everywhere on Youtube. 2 tbsp instant coffee, 2tbsp sugar, 2tbsp water – whisk until it forms a light brown cream and float this on milk in a glass. It has become a lockdown favourite due to the amount of time you have to spend hand whisking (takes up free time if you are feeling bored), and if you do decide to hand whisk, it takes a very long time! First attempt took very long to make, and didn’t actually create that much cream in the end (I had some issue mixing the sugar in which created a big sugar lump)…was it worth it, all my tiring efforts?…nope. Second attempt had more amount but was very runny. Drinking it with milk made me very awake (think how strong coffee wise it is!). Third attempt…there was no third attempt. I have given up.
  • Learning Korean – using Korean from Zero’s website, I have attempted to learn Hangul. The writing system is very easy to pick up, although there are many sound change rules that I need to get to grips with.
  • Learning Japanese – I am really interested in going to Japan within the next few years and would really like to be able to speak a little Japanese. I started off with Busuu and whilst it taught hiragana and katakana well, and key phrases, the grammar lessons you have to pay for. I have managed to be able to remember and read kana and am now moving on to textbook to build my grammar building blocks.
  • Binge-watching TV – at the moment, I am watching Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist on All4, South Park on NOW TV and Dead To Me on Netflix.
  • Clear out – I am wanting to downsize and clear out the things I do not want to need. I am aiming to reorganise the house to make things feel less cluttered. Concentrating on the office at the moment and trying to gain inspiration from Youtube and Instagram.
  • Keeping in touch with family and friends – whilst recent events have made travelling impossible, thankfully phones and internet make it easier to keep in touch with everyone!
  • Sleeping 🙂

Wicked, Apollo Victoria Theatre

One of the things that most people recommend when you visit London to see a West End play. On past visits, I never had the time, but in May, I went to see Wicked.

Would I recommend it? I really enjoyed the play! I was sat at the front of the Upper Circle, which is priced cheaper. Apart from one tall man sometimes blocking my view, I could generally see the whole stage. Watch out for drinks – they are expensive and the queues are always busy!

The theatre is very close to Victoria Station and easy to get to. After the play finished, it was dark outside. What a view!

Tavistock Hotel, London

Tavistock Hotel is an easy walk from London Kings Cross station. The outside could do with some love (at night, the letters are missing) but inside, it looks nicer. The room rates are on the cheaper side for London, and there is the option of the breakfast buffet included. When booking, we also received a voucher for a 3 course meal on the first night in the hotel restaurant, which could be a good idea if you are looking to save and dine out.

The room is fairly small and contains all of the main amenities that you expect a room should have. The beds are oddly low to the ground and have plastic sheeting underneath, which can be very noisy if you tend to move around in your sleep. The bathroom is small but the shower works well. The TV didn’t really work – although you don’t expect to watch much TV if you are on holiday, it would be a nice feature to have. The rooms are generally clean.

The breakfast buffet is good value and there is plenty on offer – just avoid the tea and coffee!

I didn’t really love the room, but for somewhere cheap and in a good location, this is a good option. It is a basic room, you do get what you pay for, but it can be hard to find cheap accommodation in London, and it leaves more money for your holiday!

Amenities included – TV, shower gel, soap, body lotion and shampoo, towels, tea, coffee, kettle, hairdryer.

Kuku and Lisbon, Plymouth 

This month, I went to Plymouth. We had dinner at Kuku, a Japanese restaurant on Princes Street. It has a lot of good reviews on TripAdvisor, which swayed our decision making.

For starters, we had the Maki Platter, which had three types of sushi. I found the decoration a little over-the-top, especially the California Roll (not one I would try again). The other types tasted good and were well-made.

Alongside the sushi, we also had the scallops, which come with a ginger and yuzu dressing. These were delicious, and pretty big in size!

For mains, my partner had the sirloin steak with vegetables.

I went for Yaki Udon. This was delicious, and the sauce was lovely. Again, a generous portion, I was very full at the end!

All in all, a great meal. The service was professional, and they explained the menu to us. The restaurant itself is nice, although it did look like there was a sauce (?) splashed on the wall next to us that hadn’t been cleaned properly. The menus are bits of paper attached to each other; a little sticky and crumpled, but hey, you don’t visit for the menus, you visit for the food.

Earlier on in the day, we also visited Lisbon, a Portuguese cafe and restaurant. I was attracted by the pictures at the front of the building as we exited the car park. There is so much to choose from! I settled for some Portuguese tarts (probably the best I have tasted so far) and a Portuguese muffin. The prices are quite cheap for takeaway too which is another bonus. Delicious, and when I come back to Plymouth, I would definitely make a return visit!