I hope that everyone had a great weekend. Happy February 1st!  Despite the lockdown, it feels like January flew by. I’m so thankful I have a demanding full-time job and that I’m able to work from home.

If you read the three personal challenge posts I published at the beginning of last month, you’ll already be aware that I set myself some money-saving challenges for the year ahead. If you haven’t read these posts, please check them out here Challenge 1 | Challenge 2 | Challenge 3.

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

I know it’s only the start of February, but I’ve not even had the urge to buy new clothes and shoes. I guess the current lockdown situation helps as does the fact I rarely leave my house and can’t remember the last time I went near what I’d call a non-essential shop. Last month, I did spend a bit of time checking out TK Maxx online, but I wasn’t tempted to make any purchases.

I’m a little concerned that some of my ‘everyday’ clothes are starting to look a little bit frayed around the edges. When it warms up a little – I don’t fancy spending hours up in the loft at the moment as it’s so cold up there – I’m going to sort through all the clothes I’ve got in storage.

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

This challenge has been a little more difficult as I follow so many runners, race event organisers, and running brands on social media. I must admit that entering the Virtual London Marathon when entries open this month is very tempting. After what happened last year, I feel like I want a second chance at completing the marathon distance. I may see if someone wants to buy me an early birthday present.

Whenever I see photos of people wearing new trainers and running clothes, I do feel a bit envious. At the start of January, I had to unsubscribe from a few more mailing lists as I have such limited willpower.

I have a sneaky suspicion I’ll find this challenge even harder when I’m back up and running again.

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 did I manage to make through my various side hustles and other sources of income during January? To keep things simple, I’ve listed each side-hustle and source of income separately.

Selected side hustles

• Prolific Academic surveys – £41.94
• eBay sales – £0.00
• Facebook Marketplace sales – £0.00
• Sponsored blog posts – £0.00

Other sources of income

• Overtime at work – £0.00
• Share dividends – £101.61
• Interest from bank accounts – £0.59
• TopCashback cashback – £20.08
• Vouchers from points and gift cards – £45.00
• Competition wins – £21.60
• Freebies – £0.00
• Roadkill finds – £0.06

January total: £230.88

Rolling 2021 total: £230.88

So, all things considered, not a bad start to the third challenge. This time last week I was a concerned that I wouldn’t get anywhere near my monthly target, however, a good end to the month helped. I must thank Prolific Academic for the studies and TopCashBack. Getting some money back thanks to my online Christmas present shopping helped me out.

I suspect that unless I get brave enough to list and hopefully sell a few bits and pieces on eBay and Facebook, this month will be a little more challenging. I need to remember to enter competitions and to value my time as a blogger.

And finally, I hope that you’ve enjoyed reading this quick update 🙂