HOW TO MINIMISE SPENDING & SAVE MORE EFFECTIVELY

I'm very new to saving money and spending less. If you've been following my journey on Instagram or blog you'll already know that I'm not shy when it comes to spending money. In fact, I spend more than I earn - or at least I used to.
I kept a spending diary for a year which made me realise that I was spending way too much on things that I did not need. Did I need an extra coat this season? No. Did I buy one? Yes, I did.
After carefully calculating how much money I spend on unnecessary items I have decided that enough is enough and that I will minimise my spending to only things that I actually need.

As I work in the beauty industry I do get a fair amount of discount across many brands (most which I use). Occasionally, I receive free items from the brand that I work for as well as PR packages from some of my favourite brands. This puts me at an advantage to minimise my spending as I have heaps and heaps of makeup and skincare products laying around my house! So far, I haven't spent any money on makeup or skincare this year so I'm going strong 💪🏻

So far I have spent around £100 on necessities such as new tights, work uniform, toiletries etc. I have a holiday coming up and I have been very tempted to order new clothes specifically for the holiday - but why do I feel like I need a whole new wardrobe for a few days away? Instead, I have listed a lot of my old clothes that I haven't worn in a while online and whatever money I get from selling them I will allow myself to buy something new. My only rule is that if I really really want something, then I will treat myself to it as I do believe that we should award ourselves with nice things for working hard.

These are some of the things that I have done and that you can do to help you get better with money:
-> Open a savings account
-> Create a 'Save the Change' account
-> Declutter monthly - try and sell unwanted items
-> Cancel memberships you don't use/need
-> Recycle your old outfits
-> Use recycling programs to get free products - e.g. Back to Mac or Origins Recycling Program
-> Get insurance from Compare the Market to receive 2 for 1 cinema ticket and meal offers
-> Stock up on products you need when there are offers

I'm still learning how to become the best version of myself and to save up effectively. I want to have a constantly growing income, so I've started reading The Richest Man in Babylon. It's quite hard to read but the lessons it will teach you are very important.

Another thing I have started doing is buying multipacks of drinks, chocolate bars and crisps and keeping them in my locker at work. I don't always bring a packed lunch with me so this is a great way of trying not to overspend in shops when I'm hungry. On average I would spend around £5 on my lunch if I didn't bring one with me but now that I have snacks in my locker I will only spend £1.50 on a sandwich from the nearest supermarket. Still, the best option would be to make a packed lunch every day (it's best to use slow energy releasing carbohydrates as then you'll remain fuller for longer, but that's a lesson for another day haha 😂).

I hope you've enjoyed reading this post. Let me know in the comments section if there's anything you can relate to from this post 🥰

Do you have any tips on how to save money? Comment them down below for others to see! 

Lots of love,

Maya xo

2019 || JANUARY FAVOURITES

Origins Night-a-mins £32:

This is hands down my new favourite night cream. I used to really enjoy wearing Decleor Neroli Oil or Night Balm but I’ve been completely diverted. Night-a-mins has recently had its formula changed to fruit-derived acids to make it more effective as a treatment and more environmentally friendly. The cream consists of grape, apple and beetroot acids which help resurface the skin as well as peel the dead skin cells off overnight. It took me a couple of weeks to get used to this product as I found it a bit tightening at first which gave away an uncomfortable sensation on my cheeks, but now I use it daily and can’t imagine myself going back to anything else.

MAC 217s blending brush £21:

I don’t know what I did before I got this brush. It has honestly changed the way I apply my eyeshadow, making it so easy to blend any harsh lines or shadows together. I bought this brush exactly a year ago for my 22nd birthday and I got another for Christmas last year which will make my life much easier because I won’t have to wash the brush as often if I’m in a hurry (I try to wash my brushes at least once a week). Even though this brush is very expensive, it really is worth every penny. Especially now that the bristles are synthetic instead of real hair (much more environmentally friendly) it makes it a lot easier to blend all sorts of eyeshadows and it doesn’t shed at all. I think this is definitely a great brush to add to your collection and a staple in my daily routine.

Papier Disney dotted notebook £12.99:

I first came across this brand after seeing it on the Tribe app and once I saw that Papier sells Disney themed notebooks I had to get one. They offer quite a big variety of different styles and types of notebooks and diaries but for my first one, I picked this Alice in Wonderland one. I’ve been wanting to start a proper bullet journal for months now so when’s the best time for one if not now? I started filling this one out in the last week of December last year and I can’t seem to put it down. I also use another dated diary for everyday use but I enjoy the fact that I can customise my bullet journal to my needs. You can get £10 off your first order when using this link.

Heather Morris’ The Tattooist of Auschwitz £4:

I bought this book back in October and attempted to read it twice but couldn’t really bring myself to sitting down and focusing on a book due to some personal issues I was going through. Now that I have finally made time for myself I managed to finish this book in a couple of weeks time and wow, it is bloody brilliant. The writing is phenomenal and the way that Heather described Lale’s story is so personal and made me feel all the emotions in the world! If you haven’t read this already, please do - you won’t regret it.

Soap & Glory The Scrub of Your Life £7:
This is a gem that I re-discovered at Christmas when I received a large Soap & Glory set from my partner. I forgot just how good this smells and makes my skin feel after cleansing. Thankfully, the brand has stopped using microbeads in their products in 2014 (according to their Twitter account) which is why I was happy to start using this product again. I find that the product works well on its own, however, I prefer to use it with exfoliating gloves for a super smooth effect on my skin. If you haven't already tried this scrub then I suggest you do as it smells great and will make your skin feel brand new!

What have you loved this January?

*This post includes affiliate links.

Lots of love,

Maya xo

2019 || NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS

So here it is, 2019 has finally arrived and I couldn’t be happier to say ‘goodbye’ (and fuck you) to the previous year. 2018 was honestly one of the worst years of my life, even though I still made some amazing memories. In this post I will share my highs and some of my lows of 2018, as well as my aspirations and goals for 2019.

2018:

January - I turned 22 and celebrated my birthday with my friends and boyfriend.

- I travelled to Birmingham for work by myself.

February - I went to the re-launch of Las Iguanas in Nottingham with my boyfriend.

- I celebrated my friend's engagement party.

March - I had my first freelance job in months and modelled for a new brand.

April - I handed my dissertation in - a whole lot of words that I now have forgotten.

- I attended a fashion show and met lots of lovely bloggers thanks to Judi from Gemini.

May - I handed my last bits of coursework for my final year of uni.

June - I and my other half went on a fabulous holiday in Majorca.

July - I started a new job at Origins.

- I graduated from the University of Nottingham with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Criminology and Social Policy.

- I injured myself in the second week of my new job which resulted in some time off.

- I moved to a new house with my boyfriend.

August - I found out that my Master's application was unsuccessful.

September - I worked with one of my favourite brands (Sanctuary Spa).

- I travelled to London for the first time ever (by myself) and got lost on my way to the building and also lost my train ticket for the journey back.

October - I travelled to London again for work, this time with a colleague and I loved every minute of it.

- One of my closest friends at work handed her notice in :(

- I and my partner hosted our first Halloween party at our new house.

November - I found out I was going to lose my job (a job I really love) because the department store I work at is closing down.

December - I met some more gorgeous girls at a blogging event (Thanks to Judi).

- I celebrated being with my boyfriend for 6 years.

- Got spoiled at Christmas with lots of presents, but also had my mood spoiled.

- Celebrated NYE by staying in and ordering a takeaway with my best friend.

So, as you can see my year was full of surprises - from graduating to losing my job. Like I’ve said I mentioned all the highs but only some lows as they are too difficult and painful to talk about at this moment. I am very grateful for everyone who made 2018 special but also glad that I cut out toxic people out of my life. There is nothing worse you can do to yourself than keeping nasty people in your life.

Moving on, here are my goals and aspirations for 2019:

1) Get a graduate job

2) Start doing yoga daily

3) Eat well

4) Go to Paris

5) Start saving up for a house

6) Start driving lessons

7) Stop eating dairy

8) Eat less meat

9) Visit the Harry Potter Studio Tour

10) Reach 10K followers on Instagram

11) Re-launch my blog

12) Read at least one book a month

13) Start writing a novel

14) Educate myself on SEO and web design

15) Drink more water

16) Go on a summer holiday

I think that’s pretty much it for now, I will probably add a few more goals to my list as I tick off the others (finger’s crossed). I just really hope that 2019 will be my best year yet and I cannot wait to share my journey with you all.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE ❤️

What are your goals and aspirations for 2019? What did you do for NYE?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

TOP HOLIDAY MOVIES AND TV SHOWS TO GET YOU IN THE FESTIVE SPIRIT | AD

Can you actually believe that we’re already in December?! I’m sure it was July not long ago? This year has definitely been full of surprises. I graduated from university, moved to a new house with my boyfriend and started a new job which I absolutely love! Anyway, with December having approached us so quickly it only means one thing - Christmas is just around the corner in precisely 23 days!!! I’m so excited to finally be in my own house for Christmas this year and am very excited for next year. There is one thing that I always look forward to during this festive season - watching Christmas movies and tv shows. Surely I can't be the only one who constantly googles 'top Christmas movies' or 'what to watch in December'? This made me want to create my own list of festive shows and movies to share with you all, whether you celebrate Christmas or not I'm sure you will enjoy at least one of my choices!

Talking about Christmas movies, what do you watch yours on? Laptop? Tablet? TV? Because if you're after a new screen then I would highly recommend looking at 4K LED TV by Panasonic which can be found for as little as £660! I've been lusting over a new telly for a couple of years now and I'm hoping that my boyfriend will finally decide on which one to get!

If you’re struggling with finding what to watch this season, then go ahead and take a look at my choices down below:

MOVIES:
1. Home Alone
2. Home Alone 2
3. Home Alone 3
4. Home Alone 4
5. Elf
6. The Holiday
7. Love Actually
8. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
9. The Grinch
10. Arthur Christmas
11. Polar Express
12. The Nightmare Before Christmas
13. A Christmas Carol
14. Gremlins
15. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
16. A Christmas Story
17. The Family Stone
18. A Family Man
19. Jingle All the Way
20. Jack Frost
21. The Princess Switch
22. The Nutcracker
23. The Muppet Christmas Carol
24. Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas
25. Miracle on 34th Street

TV SHOWS:
1. Gilmore Girls
2. Friends
3. Vampire Diaries
4. The Office
5. Once Upon A Time
6. Sherlock
7. Gavin & Stacey
8. That 70's Show
9. Gossip Girl
10. Miranda
11. Anne with an E
12. A Series of Unfortunate Events
13. Doctor Who
14. Good Witch
15. Gilmore Girls - A Year In The Life

I hope that this post has helped inspire you this festive season movie and tv show-wise. I’ve already started my day by watching an episode of Friends and will definitely finish it by watching one of the movies I’ve mentioned above 🎄

*This post is a collaboration with Panasonic and is sponsored. All opinions are my own as always.

Lots of love,

Maya xo

WHAT'S IT REALLY LIKE FOR ME TO STUDY, WORK AND BLOG ALL AT ONCE?

Not many of you will know this but I’ve been blogging since around the age of 9-10 when I was going through a hard time due to personal reasons and found that it made me feel invincible. I had my first blog at that age and it was a creative writing and art website (it’s been deleted years ago, but I really enjoyed writing it and creating original images using Photoshop and other software). To say that I did all that at such a young age is crazy, but that’s when I knew it was definitely something I’d want to pursue further as a teenager as I felt that I wasn’t old enough to put myself on the Internet - my blog at the time was anonymous. 

My current blog, my little baby, has actually turned 5 years old this month and I’m very excited to start sharing some more content with you all. After being absent for over a month, I feel like I need to get back into the game and I’m sorry for that, but I will explain what’s been going on with my life for me to not engage fully with my blog and audience.

Let’s be honest, blogging isn’t an easy job to do. I love it, but having to stay on top of my social media accounts, engage in group chats, schedule posts, and reply to all emails is getting a bit too much for me to handle. I’m a third-year university student so you can only imagine the ton of work I’ve got to do this upcoming semester. The blogging community is also not what it was last year, I mean I’ve made a lot of friends but I have also come across many bitter people who see everything as a competition rather than a hobby. Blogging for me is a hobby and something I’d love to do full time if it paid enough, but it seems like so many people join this creative community to get free stuff and bring others down...

I recently left my job at the Disney store and moved onto something bigger - a job in makeup. My new job suits me very well and I love it, I love making others feel beautiful in their own skin and other perks that come with the job, such as the clientele, colleagues and discounts of course. But since starting my new job I feel like I’ve fallen behind on my blogging, not only because I’ve been away on training or had to learn a lot of things, but also because I see beauty at work so don’t want to talk about it all the time on my blog too... hence why I’ve decided to create more fashion content this year as these posts seem to go down very well with you all. I will by no means neglect the beauty side of my blog, I will continue to do product reviews etc. But I will also share makeup looks on my YouTube channel to which you can subscribe here. 

Being a third-year student, I find it really difficult to manage my time especially as my work rota constantly changes making it even harder for me to plan out my days. I would ideally like to do at least 20 extra hours a week of uni work as well as post 3 times a week on my blog, and daily on Instagram and twitter but I don’t see that happening anytime soon... I also recently decided to change my diet completely and slowly transition to being vegan which I’m very excited about and cannot wait to make lots of delicious recipes from The Little Blog Of Vegan. 

With my poor spending habits, I have bought many notepads including a daily diary which will help me manage my time better. I have one for normal everyday tasks and a separate one for my uni work. I also bought a budget planner which I find very useful because it does help me with my spending a lot, and even though I have treated myself a lot this month as it was my birthday recently, I have saved more money than ever and I couldn’t be prouder of myself. This has actually helped with my mental health and I feel a lot more in control of my mind and what goes through it. No more overthinking, and no more letting little things bring me down.

As I have neglected my blog, I will try to write more now that I’m getting back on track with my life, however I find it difficult to schedule posts on time with all the work I have got to do, so please bear with me and I promise I will reward you with a giveaway soon. But for now, I will work my butt off to produce the best content ever for you as well as try to engage myself in more Twitter chats, Instagram stories and posts.

Lots of love,

Maya xo