How has it been another month already? It seems only yesterday I was writing June’s update and here we are almost a week into August. So, I guess it’s time for my July spending update.

Saving money on purchases is still proving a challenge. But, these posts are helping me hold myself more accountable and focusing my mind. Hopefully, they make an interesting read too – even if it’s just out of curiosity!

Here’s my July spending update. I’d love to here how your month was, so let me know in the comments below.

In this post I’ll cover:

• The past month
• Work update
• Freelancing update
• Saving challenge

The past month

It seems I’m saying this all the time now, but it’s been a very busy month. The combination of work, exercising and everything opening up is making for a hectic schedule.

In some ways it’s been a good month. I’ve enjoyed socialising with friends a bit more again and was very excited about the return of parkrun! Somehow, I’ve also managed to keep my head above water with work and even make some improvements in that regard. More on that later…

But, to be honest, I found parts of this month really tough. Rising Covid-19 cases at the start, coupled with an easing of restrictions, made me very anxious. Having suffered, and still suffering to an extent, with chronic fatigue, the prospect of Long Covid particularly scares me.

The world still feels like it’s stuck in limbo. Working out what I’m comfortable doing without missing out on another year of my (relative) youth is tricky. Sadly, I don’t think these issues are going away in the near future. But, hopefully it will become easier to navigate as we get more used to it.

Work update

My job has been busy, but I’ve still been enjoying it. There’s also a new challenge to get stuck into, which is something I relish.

I’ve also started venturing back into the City every now and then for some meetings. I haven’t missed the hour+ commute, but it is refreshing to finally see people face to face and benefit from greater collaboration.

A lot of people presume I’m desperate to be back in the office full time as I’m young, which certainly isn’t the case. I never worked full time in the office even before the pandemic. Personally, I enjoy a balance and the flexibility of working from home is something I place a lot of value on. Plus, it means I get to spend more time with my dog!

Freelancing update

Freelancing continues to be going well. July wasn’t another four-figure month like June, but it was my second most successful month to date.

The biggest success of the past month was landing a new client. I’m really excited to get properly started and hopefully write some great content for them. I’ll share these articles with you on social media once they’re published.

Here’s one of my favourite freelance pieces from the month. It’s about Love Island!

In terms of blogging, I’ve been a bit lax with new posts. This isn’t because I’ve lost my mojo! I’ve just been working away in the background on SEO and a potential makeover for The Twenty Percent.

The aim is still to make the blog as successful and useful as possible. But, combining blogging with a full-time job and freelancing means I can’t always focus on all aspects at once. Different tasks have to take priority sometimes. I’m sure I’m not the only one that struggles to let things slide sometimes. But, we all need to sleep, eat and relax – so something has to give from time to time!

I’m hoping to get back to more regular posts within the next couple of weeks. Do hold me accountable if I don’t manage this!

Saving challenge

This probably won’t come as a surprise, but I’m still struggling a bit with my savings challenge. Although, I do feel like I’ve made some progress this month.

Even with more socialising and some vet bills – thankfully only annual booster jabs – I managed to spend around £200 less than last month overall.

The main change is that I’ve actively started looking for offers and deals when I’m out. I’ve started spotting items on offer and choosing brands that are discounted. This may only save 50p or a £1 at any one time, but it all adds up. Even £10 a month can make a difference to your savings or help pay an important bill.

By biggest saving ‘win’ this month was with my hair. I received 25% off a cut and colour from the salon I usually go to. I haven’t actually had the cut yet, but it’s booked in, so I’m counting it as a July win! With women’s hair cuts being so expensive, a 25% cost reduction will make a big difference.

What still needs work

It hasn’t all been plain sailing, however. It would make a pretty boring July spending update if I just said everything is great, right?

I am still spending more than I would like going out for food and drinks. My next aim is to start looking for deals and vouchers to help make these evenings more affordable.

I also made one fairly stupid mistake. Last weekend, I went to Brighton with some friends, and I forgot my 16-25 railcard. This meant I couldn’t benefit for a third of my ticket. This meant I had to pay full price. Trains are so expensive – even just from London to Brighton – making this very annoying.

Let’s wait and see what August has in store…

If you enjoyed this post, please like and share it across social media or with your friends! I’d also love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Did you enjoy this July Spending update? How did your month go? What are your top money saving tips? Please do share them below – I need all the help I can get!

Don’t forget to follow me on social media @Katie20Percent to keep up to date with all my latest posts.