I hope that whoever reads this latest personal challenges update – hello Rob – is having an awesome weekend. I’m acutely aware that I’ve been a little quiet recently, so quiet that people noticed that I’d disappeared. The truth is that I’ve been struggling quite a lot, so I decided to take a break from blogging and from social media. I’m starting to feel better; the return of parkrun last weekend definitely helped, so I’m aiming to publish on a more regular basis next month.

If you read the three personal challenge posts I published at the beginning of the year, you’ll be aware that I set myself some money-saving challenges for 2021.

[Source]

If you haven’t read these posts, please do check them out Challenge 1 | Challenge 2 | Challenge 3

Challenge 1: Will I be able to get through the year without buying any new clothes and shoes?

Although I rather spectacularly failed this challenge May, I decided to continue to share monthly updates. I’ve always been open and honest on my blog, and I have a theory that if I continue with the monthly updates, I’m more likely to avoid buying new clothes and shoes. I just need to stay away from TK Maxx and other tempting websites.

Like last month, although I did end up shopping online and purchasing some new clothes and shoes, these purchases were made on behalf of someone else. I think I’ve found the perfect solution to my slight shopping addiction; I can act as an online shopper for others. I mean, spending ages trying to track down extra wide men’s sandals wasn’t the highlight of the month, however, finding a pair of sandals my friend could actually wear was quite satisfying.

Challenge 2: Can this shopaholic get through the year without entering any races and without buying any more running clothes?

Last month, I was concerned about race related #FOMO. I was worried that as I reached the end of the Couch to 5k, race related #FOMO would increase. I have a feeling that I may well have cursed myself as I spent the majority of July with a sore left knee and only managed to complete three Couch to 5k training sessions. My niggly left knee eradicated any race related #FOMO as did something far more positive; the return of parkrun on July 24th.

Are you ready England? 👏 @coopuk wish you all a warm welcome back to parkrun & a massive well done – we made it! 💙

Here’s to your first volunteer, walk, jog or run back together 🧡
See you in the park! 🌳 @Jennifalconer @Konnie_Huq @VassosA

🌳 #loveparkrun #ItsWhatWeDo pic.twitter.com/UKZ9IptqN7

— parkrun UK (@parkrunUK) July 24, 2021

The Saturday parkrun returned was amazing and incredibly emotional. I enjoyed volunteering as a barcode scanner and catching up with loads of the Sutton Park parkrun regulars. While I have a feeling that my injury means that I’ll be volunteering for a while, it’s good to know that parkrun will be an option when I’m fit enough to run 5k.

[Photo: Nicola Baker]

I’ve always found the second aspect of this challenge more difficult than the first. Last month, thanks to the most amazing collaboration with a running brand, I was able to select several items of running gear to test out and to review on here. My knee injury meant that I unfortunately had to delay the review process by a few weeks. Now that *touch wood* my left knee is behaving itself, I’m looking forward to trying out everything this month.

Challenge 3: Can I make £2021 in 2021 through a selection of side hustles and other sources of income such as cashback websites?

And finally, how much money did I manage to make through my various side hustles and other sources of income during July? As in previous months, I’ve listed each side-hustle and source of income separately.

Selected side hustles

• Prolific Academic surveys – £20.33
• eBay sales – £90.58
• Facebook Marketplace sales – £152.41
• Sponsored blog posts – £0.00

 Other sources of income

• Overtime at work – £0.00
• Share dividends – £81.19
• Interest from bank accounts – £0.61
• TopCashback cashback – £0.00
• Vouchers from points and gift cards – £15.50
• Competition wins – £0.00
• Freebies – £0.00
• Roadkill finds – £1.10
• Random – £34.20

 July total: £395.92

 Rolling 2021 total: £2348.70

July was another good month, and I reached my £2021 target midway through the month. Now that I’ve reached the target I set myself at the start of the year, I need to look ahead to the final five months of the year and to set myself a new, more challenging target.

Prolific Academic was less prolific than in previous months as I invested more time listing and selling my unwanted ‘stuff’ on eBay and in Facebook selling groups. After a bit of stress – I’m still dealing with an item not received case – I managed to sell eight items including some DVDs and some used ink cartridges on eBay. I have a feeling that I would have sold more had I not managed to end a load of listings on a hot Sunday evening. Facebook was more successful, and I sold 13 items including five running books, a pair of Oofos, and the Hoka trainers I wore once. These sales added £242.99 to my July total.

As for my other sources of income, my share dividends were lower than in previous months but still added £81.19 to my July total. I’m not looking forward to the day I have to sell my shares. My regular saver building account matured yesterday; however, as I’m not sure how much interest will be added to the account, I’ll include this additional income in this month’s total. I redeemed some more of the points I’d collected on my Club Bistrot Pierre card. Let’s ignore the fact I spent a ridiculous amount in their Mere Green restaurant in June and was overcharged on one visit. I’m not sure when I’ll return to Bistrot Pierre as the summer menu is uninspiring.

And finally, what about the all important ‘random’ category? I’m still carless, so I decided to continue with my weekly(ish) Ocado food deliveries. This meant I was able to return £2.20 worth of carrier bags. As I couldn’t think of where else to include the sale of my unwanted and unloved Fetch gear, I included the £32 I made from selling three Fetch vests in the random category.

I don’t want to end this monthly update by sounding negative, but after two incredibly successful months, I’ve no idea what will happen during August. Now that I’ve met the target I set myself at the start of the year, I’m worried that my motivation will completely disappear. I’m not sure I want to spend a large proportion of my spare time taking photos, writing descriptions, and listing what’s left of my pile of unwanted running gear and books on Facebook. It feels like I’ve sold all the good stuff and I’m now left with the bits and pieces that I suspect will be harder to sell. I’m aiming to sell 15 items on Facebook in August but if I don’t meet this target, I won’t be too hard on myself.

And finally, I hope that you enjoyed reading this quick(ish) update as much as I enjoyed writing it 🙂

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