The sneaky subscriptions draining your money!

We all want to save a bit of money in January, December is a whirlwind of spending, gifting, treating ourselves and accidentally signing up for things we don’t quite remember. By the time the new year rolls in half of us are staring at our bank statements wondering what has happened. So here's a reminder to have a little money tidy up, just a simple look at the subscriptions that are nibbling away at your cash every month. 

The mystery app you don’t remember downloading!

We’ve all got at least one of these lurking in the shadows. A random app offering premium features you’ve never used. Meditation apps, language apps, habit trackers and that random game you played once because an advert promised it would rewire your brain and boost your IQ. The worst part is these apps often cost a couple of pounds a month and we don’t notice.

Where to check:

If you’re on iPhone, go to Settings > Your Name > Subscriptions.

On Android, check Google Play > Payments & Subscriptions.

TV & streaming!

There are so many streaming apps now: Netflix, Disney+, Prime, Now, Paramount+, Apple TV and those are just the one's I can think of, there is probably more. We never watch all of them at once. January is a great time to ask yourself what you are actually watching! If you finished that big show on Netflix and haven’t touched it since, pause it. If Disney+ has been sitting there untouched except for that one time you rewatched Moana, pause it. None of them make you sign a contract for life so ditch what you’re not using and rotate through them when there’s something new you fancy.

The gym membership you’ve not seen since Autumn!

Gyms know exactly what they’re doing with those New Year, New You deals. They get you while you’re full of festive cheese and optimism but if your gym card hasn’t seen the light of day since the leaves turned orange maybe it’s time to be honest with yourself. Gym memberships can be pricey. If you love working out at home, switch to free YouTube workouts or a single, affordable fitness app you’ll actually use. If you prefer walking or running stick with that instead. Gyms often require 30 days notice so cancelling sooner rather than later helps.

Digital magazines & newspapers you forgot you signed up for!

These start out so innocently where you get 3 months for £1 and we think wow, what a bargain. Then January rolls around and suddenly it’s £9.99 a month for something you only read once because there was an interview with someone you vaguely recognised off Strictly. Take a little peek at your subscriptions and check if you’re still actually reading them. If not, wave them goodbye. You can always come back when there’s another cheeky £1 deal floating around, there usually is.

Those monthly little treat boxes!

Beauty boxes, snack boxes, craft boxes, stationery boxes, period boxes. There is a subscription box for absolutely everything and they’re fun! Opening a little parcel of goodies feels like Christmas every month but after a few months, the excitement fades and the products start piling up. Suddenly you’ve got six moisturisers still in their wrappers, enough fancy pens to start your own stationery shop and snacks you forgot to eat because you popped them in a drawer for later. If the box no longer gives you that excited little flutter when it arrives, it might be time to pause it.

Spotify Family!

The subscription we swear we needed because everyone in the house was going to use it. Cut to now and you're the only one actually listening, humming away in the kitchen while the rest of the family plan forgets it even exists. It’s such an easy one to overlook because it feels practical with six accounts and ad-free music but if you’re the only one logging in you’re paying premium prices for a party of one.

January is already a month of fresh starts, so trimming back the digital clutter fits right in. A simple sweep through the subscriptions you no longer use can make such a difference and it’s one of those jobs that feels good once it’s done. 

Do you have any forgotten things that you are paying for?

The Wednesday Hodgepodge #39

I hope you are all having a good week. It's Wednesday, which means it's time to join in with the Wednesday Hodgepodge with Joyce who blogs at From This Side of the Pond! Each week there are 6 questions, we answer and then link up. Simple!

1. Ice skating, skiing, sledding, snowshoeing, playing in the snow, or a snowy walk...which winter activity do you choose? Have you done any of these activities so far this winter?

It’s been a long time since I’ve done any of these things and it’s not even just because the girls are older now, though they definitely don’t need me to play in the snow any more. It’s mostly because we just haven’t had enough snow! The last proper snow day we had was back in 2021. We were all home because of the "virus" and being in lockdown, so the girls of course made a snowman!

For myself, I think I would choose ice skating! As a teenager, my friends and I would go to the local ice rink every Saturday where they would have a disco. It was such fun and I wasn't actually that bad at ice skating. I would like to give that a go again. In a dream world, I think Husky Sledding would be the ultimate experience. It looks like such an adventure, speeding through snowy landscapes with a team of huskies pulling you along!

2. Everyone is posting pictures from ten years ago on their social media sites so let's jump on the bandwagon too. Share one photo and one thought to go with said photo from the year 2016. And maybe everyone isn't doing this, but many are and we're going to be part of the fun.

Sticking with the wintery theme here, I’m sharing a photo from when we went to Disney On Ice back in 2016 when the theme was Frozen and we met the cast. I actually won a competition on a blog for VIP tickets and the prize included a limo to take us there and back. The girls still talk about it now as one of the absolute best nights of their lives! From the costumes to the skating, to the sheer joy on their faces. I will never forget it.

3. What's a trend you hope disappears in this new year?

Ohh! I have a list! Hehehe Clothes with fake pockets, overly loud hand dryers that scare the soul out of you, influencer morning routines starting at 4am, limited edition things that aren’t really limited, shopping apps sending notifications every 5 minutes, cushions with buttons that dig into your back, restaurants serving food on boards, slates or shovels, shoes with laces that never stay tied, instructions printed in a tiny font, supermarkets rearranging everything for no reason and anything described as quirky that’s just annoying!

4. 'They' say there's a day for everything and January 21st proves it. National Granola Bar Day. Do you like granola bars? How about just regular granola? Do you like bars of other kinds?

Granola bars are fine, especially when you’re busy and realise you haven’t eaten anything all morning. I definitely prefer the chewy kind, the ones that look healthy but are basically stuck together with honey. Granola in a bowl is not for me though. It's too crunchy, too dry and it rattles around in my mouth like a snack version of nails on a chalkboard. If we’re talking about bars of any kind, chocolate bars would still win every time for me but I think that’s not really the point here. I do like cereal bars, especially ones made from familiar cereals like Frosties, Coco Pops, or Rice Krispies.

5. A frozen lake, a trickling stream, a raging river, or a deep well...which one describes something about your life right now? Elaborate as much or as little as you like.

I’d say I feel like a trickling stream at the moment. Slowly moving, taking things at my own pace and not stressing about where I’m going. There’s a quiet flow and I’m happy with it. No drama, no sudden waves, just me moving along steadily and enjoying the little moments along the way. It feels nice to just plod along sometimes and accept that life doesn’t always have to be a roaring river.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

January can be a tricky month for me. Usually it feels like it drags on forever with the cold, dark days making everything feel slower and gloomier but this year has been completely different. It’s flying by! I think part of that is because I was under the weather recently and it forced me to slow down. I didn’t rush, I didn’t try to cram everything in and instead I’ve been taking things at a gentler pace. It’s funny how just slowing down a little can make everything feel so much more manageable, even with the rubbish weather. It’s a nice change and a reminder that sometimes we need to move like a trickling stream!

I didn’t approve of my daughter’s tattoo but I’m so glad she got it!

Just a little disclaimer, Ellie knows I have written this, called me a soft sod for getting all emotional in my writing and is happy for me to share this bit of her life. In fact she wanted me to share it to show how far she has came and how much she has changed. I think she also wanted it in writing that I don't absolutely hate tattoos. lol

If you’d told me a couple of years ago that my daughter, Ellie my 18 year old, my sweet 18 year old, still my baby Ellie would one day get a tattoo I probably would’ve laughed and said no, it's not happening, not on my watch. Tattoos were one of those things that made me twitchy, they're too permanent, too bold, too much. I always imagined my kids growing up and not walking around with pictures on their skin for life! So when Ellie told me she was getting a Medusa tattoo, I nearly spat out my tea. Medusa?! The woman with snakes for hair who could turn people to stone? I think I actually said why not a nice flower instead or a Disney character out of panic but once she explained why she’d chosen it my attitude started to shift.

I didn’t know much about Medusa beyond what I had learned in school. She was a monster with a head full of snakes and a bad temper but my daughter explained the deeper side of the story. Medusa wasn’t born a monster, she was a woman who was wronged, punished unfairly and transformed into a figure that people feared. Over time Medusa has become a symbol of female empowerment, strength and survival especially for women who’ve faced trauma or injustice. For many a Medusa tattoo represents the journey from victim to victor, the ability to overcome adversity and the courage to reclaim power after pain. She’s also seen as a protector: fierce, unapologetic and defiant. And for clarity, because people sometimes assume, Ellie's tattoo and it's meaning for her have nothing to do with sexual assault. This was about battling mental health struggles, self worth and finding her voice again. Her strength came from surviving herself and I think that’s incredibly powerful in its own right.

There was also another, quieter reason behind the tattoo, one that hits me right in the heart. My daughter has scars on her arm from a time when life felt too heavy for her. Scars from self harm that she’s lived with for a couple of years that have been a silent, constant reminder of pain. She told me she wanted to cover them with something meaningful. Something that would make her feel empowered instead of ashamed. The tattoo wasn’t just art, it was a way of reclaiming her body. Instead of hiding her scars she was transforming them into something powerful and beautiful. As a mum it’s hard to even write this without my throat tightening. We want to protect our kids from pain, from the world, from themselves and when we can’t, we carry that weight too. Seeing her take this step to turn her scars into a symbol of strength was something I never expected but deeply respect. She turned her story the hard and painful parts into something that reminds her every day that she’s still here.

I still don’t love tattoos. I’m a bit old school and the idea of something permanent like that on skin still makes me wince but I can see the beauty in this one and at the same time I’m proud. In a way prouder than if she’d chosen something I did approve of because this wasn’t a decision she made lightly. She researched it, thought about it, saved for it and she chose something personal, something that represents how far she’s come. Some of you know what Ellie’s been through these past few years and for those who don’t, trust me it has been a lot. There were days I wasn’t sure we’d get to this version of her, the strong, smiling, thriving young woman she has become but we did.

Now every time I see that Medusa on Ellie's arm I don’t see snakes or stone. I see survival, courage and I see my daughter, still my Ellie but standing tall and ready to take on the world! She’s not the same girl she once was. She’s stronger, bolder and more herself than ever and even though I didn’t approve of that tattoo at first I’m so, so glad she got it!

How do you feel about tattoos?

Our weekly meal plan! 19th - 25th January! #MealPlanningMonday

Last week was a really good one considering I had a cold. I am feeling much better now and it's a new week and I am raring to go! By now I am usually complaining about January lasting forever but to me, for once, it seems to be flying over and not dragging. I don't know if it's because I have kept myself busy, being kind to myself by resting when I didn't feel great but whatever it is, I feel like I'm enjoying January and the slow start to the year!

Last weeks meal plan went well. My favourite meal by far was the Marmite beef & onion pie. I keep saying I am not a fan of Marmite but when it comes as an ingredient in Gousto I always seem to enjoy whatever it goes into. The Panang curry was another hit. Peanut butter and coconut together is such a good combo and it felt indulgent without being too heavy. We also really enjoyed the homemade chips on Friday. There’s something about them that just feels like a treat and the Sausage and Red Onion Tart on Saturday was delicious too and the sort of meal that feels a bit fancy without being any effort at all.

This week is looking very quiet and I’m more than OK with that. I’ve got a few errands to run today with Stu and Becky has a full day at home tomorrow to catch up on bits she needs to do. Apart from that there’s not much in the diary. After feeling rough last week, I didn’t want to overdo it, so I deliberately kept things open.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Gousto Meal - Pepperoni Pizza Mac 'N' Cheese!

This one is very much for the rest of the family. They love mac and cheese in all its forms but I can happily take it or leave it. Cheesy pasta, mozzarella, little spicy bits of pepperoni and those tomatoey garlic and herb breadcrumbs on top sound pretty good, even to me.

Tuesday - Gousto Meal - Sticky Hoisin Sausage Traybake!

Traybakes are one of my favourite midweek dinners because you can just shove everything in the oven and get on with your life. This one is basically a fake away which always goes down well. Roasted sausages, potatoes and peppers coated in a sticky hoisin glaze, finished with a drizzle of sriracha mayo.

Wednesday - Gousto Meal - Classic Creamy Chicken Pie With Mash & Roast Carrots!

This is proper comfort food. Tender chicken, sweet leeks and creamy sauce wrapped in golden pastry. Served with mash because mash makes everything better and roasted carrots on the side.

Thursday - Pork stir fry!

I have pork strips in a Chinese-style marinade in the freezer, so I’ll fry them off, chuck in whatever veggies need using up, add some noodles and call it done. These kinds of meals are never exactly the same twice and that’s part of the fun.

Friday - Pizza!

I haven’t decided yet whether it’ll be homemade or straight from the freezer. It really depends on how the day goes and how much energy I have left at the end of it, as Fridays for me are always pretty busy.

Saturday - Gousto meal - Lemongrass & Sticky Onion Pork Burger With Warm Potato Salad!

This is a new recipe for us! Ciabatta filled with a pork and lemongrass burger, sticky soy onions and rocket for extra freshness. Served with a tangy slaw and buttery potatoes. I love trying new burger recipes at home, especially ones that feel a bit different from the usual.

Sunday - Breakfast for tea!

Sausages, bacon, eggs, hash browns, mushrooms, tomatoes, baked beans, black pudding and toast! Hopefully, Stu will be the one cooking!

What are you eating this week?