Broke Girl in the City’s Lockdown Diaries: Week 9
It’s the bank holiday weekend! As I write this, I have spent the day cleaning my room and on to the clean bedsheets, ready for a good night’s sleep. It’s my new ritual! It’s been a busy week, so I needed a long weekend to recuperate.
Yesterday we celebrated my niece’s birthday using Facebook Rooms for the first time. Much like Zoom, we connected family across France, Dublin, and England in one call, which was just lovely.
This weekend, I have also been catching up on my blog. After speaking to the BBC this week about the Wage Day Advance payout. I thought back on my career and time in London. Entertainment has always been a huge part of my life, from running a nightclub to working in TV & Film. In my blog, I focus on how to be smarter with money. This is also a time to discover new music and bond over shared experiences watching TV series like ‘Normal People’ or films. I am bringing Entertainment back.
#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek
It has been Mental Health Awareness Week, which is something I always actively support. Mental health is just as important as your physical health. I asked UK Money Bloggers for their Top Tips on how they have a good night’s sleep. I also interviewed Julie Wright, a sleep educator and ambassador whose mission is to help people live better lives by improving their sleep. Her motto is: “Sleep and your dreams will come true”—a fascinating read.
Kindness matters
At the beginning of the year, I appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live with Laura Whitmore following the tragic death of Caroline Flack. It was Random Acts of Kindness Day the next day, and we discussed the importance of being kind. We should all start by taking responsibility for ourselves and our sphere of influence. I see people attacking each other the most on social media, so I try not to react to any posts.
Be kind to yourself too.
It’s important to look out for others but also to look after ourselves. Many people have been struggling with anxiety. Money worries, being in isolation, on furlough, living without loved ones, even the easing of lockdown; all can harm our mental health. I have found it helpful to simplify my life and start little rituals where I look after myself. I splashed out on an indulgence Coco & Eve hair masque as I am using this time to restore my hair.
Little note from me: If you are struggling with your mental health, please do get help.
Interview with music artist Limahl
I was delighted to interview Limahl this week. Remember Neverending Story or Too Shy? If you didn’t know his music from the ’80s or are a fan of Stranger Things, you will have heard the song play out in the TV series. I couldn’t have interviewed a lovelier person, and can’t wait to share this interview with you all!
Wage Day Advance Payout!!
The highlight of my week was receiving the payout from Wage Day Advance Administrators in my bank account. The BBC featured me in their story this week. I was due £1,727.76, so it’s obviously disappointing not to get that final sum, but it was great to receive this before the end of the month as promised. I used the money to pay off one of my credit card payments before the start of next month.
My Top 3 Tips for Lockdown: Week 9
1. KEEP CHECKING YOUR BANK ACCOUNTS
I check my bank accounts on a weekly basis. I love to keep track of my outgoings and what I am spending. I update my spending app daily. Even under lockdown, it’s important to understand what’s leaving your account.
My penchant for signing up for 30-day trials and forgetting to cancel is a frustrating thing I still do. I managed to get a £50 refund on something I had signed up for but had forgotten to cancel. Always email as soon as you can. Finally, this month I received back my Wonga payout of £94.42 and WDA payout of £98.14. I also received a GoDaddy refund of £227.85, which I managed to rescue in time after seeing £302.26 leave my account at the beginning of the month. I received £277.85 in refunds and £192.56 in payday loan payouts.
2. A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP IS SO IMPORTANT
Sleep is so important. If I don’t get a good night’s sleep, I can’t function properly the next day. I have received some amazing top tips for a good night’s sleep from fellow UK Money Bloggers, who kindly sent me them when I did a shout-out for an article. Julie Wright is someone I met during my time working in TV, who is a sleep educator and ambassador. For some time, I have been fascinated by her new venture WeSleep, so this was a great opportunity to find out more! Recently I bought a pack of 4 Silentnight Anti-Allergy Pillows and a new Egyptian Cotton 300 Thread Count black duvet cover set. It’s part of my annual spring clean, but my bed has become too comfy to get out of in the mornings!
3. INVEST IN SOME HAIRBANDS
I have been dying my hair for years; blonde, brunette, black, orange, and green. Not all of those colours were optional, and caused me much distress when they went wrong. When I went into lockdown, I decided to give my hair a rest. I haven’t actually seen my natural hair colour in years! I didn’t realise I was quite the brunette. So, I have bought myself a range of hairbands. Bear with me. It started off as a joke to my housemate, but I have invested in some hairbands so that friends and colleagues cannot see my roots on any future Zooms/Facebook rooms/Google hangouts.
That concludes week 9 of my Lockdown Diaries!
