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Refinery29
18-07-2025
- Business
- Refinery29
Money Diary: A Trainee Vascular Scientist On £47,286
Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We're asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last penny. Our Money Diaries submission process has changed. If you would like to submit a diary, please use our new form here. If you would rather email us, please send a bit of information about you and your financial situation to moneydiary@ We pay £100 for each published diary. This week:"I'm a 25-year-old trainee healthcare scientist in the NHS specialising in vascular diseases. I've been living in London for almost three years now and currently share a lovely flat with two other girls in a leafy part of the city. I secured this training position after I graduated from university and made the big move in late summer 2022. I didn't have enough money at the time to cover every aspect of the move myself, so I had to ask my mum if she would be okay with lending me the rest (about £1,500), which I gave back once I got paid. Earning this kind of money for the first time in my life felt quite strange at first, as I was making more than my parents ever had in their lifetime. It interestingly brought up a lot of money trauma from childhood to the point where I felt terribly guilty for spending money on basic needs and constantly feel the need to properly justify every purchase! I've since worked through a lot of these unhelpful behaviours by learning to reframe my approach and attitude towards money and becoming more financially literate. I'm quite an aggressive saver and always make sure I set aside money every month (which is a privilege itself nowadays). I'm a big believer in making money work for you and not the other way around, so I have been investing in S&S, allocating savings to a high-interest account and giving myself a monthly budget to stick to. I'm excited to see these grow over time and I'm proud of the financial foundation I've built for myself so far as it's all I have (literally)! I feel very grateful to have started out on this kind of salary at 22 (with a few pay increases in between) in a field that I genuinely enjoy (although very demanding) and will be getting a 20% salary increase when I fully qualify in the autumn." Occupation: Trainee vascular scientist Industry: Healthcare (NHS) Age: 25 Location: London Salary: £47,286 Joint income: N/A. Assets: £20,187 regular savings, £1,750 S&S, £2,046 high interest savings account. Debt: Student loan. Paycheque Amount: £2,680 Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Monthly Housing Costs: £1,150 rent. Utilities: £8 wifi, £15.67 water, £101.33 council tax, £60 gas and electric. Number of Housemates: Two (H and E). Monthly Loan Payments: £150 student loan. Pension: I contribute £360 a month and the NHS adds another 20% to that. However, no idea how much I've got. All Other Monthly Expenses: £40 gym, £7.99 phone. Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it? I did my undergraduate here and the tuition fees were covered by student loans. I didn't qualify for a maintenance loan at the time due to living abroad, so I had to cover my own living expenses (savings, summer/part-time jobs, grants/bursaries). I'm also finishing up my part-time master's, which has been fully funded by my employer. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances? Money was (and still is) a sensitive topic in our household. There were never any open conversations about it and I remember both my parents being quite secretive about it. We never went without the basics and they tried their best. I recall my mum encouraging my sister and I to save when we started working and learning to cover our own needs. What was your first job and why did you get it? I was a store assistant in a local clothes shop when I was 15. I was legally old enough to start working, so my mum encouraged me to find a summer job. Did you worry about money growing up? To an extent, yes. As a child, I don't think I had the awareness to really understand, but as I got older, I did start to worry. My mum became a lot more vocal about their financial struggles, which didn't help. Do you worry about money now? Yes and no. I do because I know what poor financial decisions can do to you (my parents are the perfect example) and I worry that could be me in the future (although I'm careful with my money). I also worry about how the cost of living will evolve over the next few years and how that may impact me, particularly if I choose to buy property or have a family. However, my relationship with money over the last few years has really improved and I've become more financially literate, which has helped ease my anxieties around money. So day to day, I don't worry about it as such, but I do for the future. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life? When I left home at 18 to go to university. I funded my living expenses through savings, summer/part-time jobs, bursaries/grants. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? Both my maternal and paternal grandparents opened a savings account for me and my sister when we were born. We were able to access it once we turned 18. I think there was around £3,000 in one and about £2,000 in the other (approx 2,500 euros). Both went towards funding my living expenses for uni. Day One 06:30 a.m. — Alarm goes off. Get straight into my morning routine (brush teeth, get dressed, skincare, make bed, put coffee on). Make breakfast, which is porridge, protein powder, mixed seeds and a lot (!) of peanut butter. See that I've been charged for yesterday's TfL journey, £5.80. 08:00 a.m. — Do my makeup and get ready to leave for work. My main hospital site is about a 40-minute walk, which I do most mornings. Such a good way to get steps in and some fresh air. 12:30 p.m. — Morning has flown by! Had some really lovely and interesting patients this morning! Scoff my lunch that I brought from home (veggies, smoked mackerel) and help myself to quite a few snacks from our designated snack table. 5:30 p.m. — Pack up from work and head home. Stop off at Aldi and Sainsbury's on my way home to top up some fridge bits (yoghurt, mangoes, chicken, cottage cheese) and chocolate, £11.05. 8:00 p.m. — Showered, skincare and have a very lazy dinner of mango, cottage cheese, granola and almonds. Send my friend £100 to cover my half for the Airbnb we're staying at for our upcoming trip to Paris! 11:00 p.m. — Have a very chilled evening of reading, watching a few episodes of Friends and replying to messages before falling asleep. Day Two 06:30 a.m. — Alarm goes off. Morning routine, breakfast (porridge again) and coffee. The sun is shining this morning, so I sit myself in the sun trap corner in my room for a bit. 08:00 a.m. — Makeup and head off to work. I also take the bins out on my way. 12:30 p.m. — Another busy morning! Working with my work BFF today which has been great as I haven't seen them for a couple of weeks. We grab lunch together from the hospital canteen. Spicy lentil soup and a roll, £1.59 (bargain!). 5:30 p.m. — Pack up and leave work. Drag myself to the gym for a lower body + core session. Really not in the mood for it, but I know I'll feel better for going. 7:00 p.m. — I actually feel so much better for going! Head home, shower, make some dinner consisting of chicken sausages, veggies, avocado. 9:00 p.m. — Snack on some chocolate, do a bit of admin work and read a bit of my book (it's getting interesting!) before calling it a night. Total: £1.59 Day Three 06:30 a.m. — Alarm goes off, morning routine and coffee. Breakfast today is Greek yoghurt, blueberries, mixed seeds, granola and a lot of peanut butter. Have a senior moment and decide to put the radio on. 08:15 a.m. — Do my makeup and hype myself up for a walk to work in the rain. 12:30 p.m. — Meet my aunt for a quick lunch at Joe & the Juice. I order their club sandwich and a flat white. Offer to pay for our lunch but my aunt insists on covering it, which was very kind of her to do so. 5:30 p.m. — Another very busy afternoon! It was just two of us today and there was not even time to go to the toilet! It was one of those afternoons, so safe to say I am knackered. Need to do another mini top up shop, so stop off at the supermarket on the way back and find some really good yellow sticker deals! I also buy some chocolate for one of my managers as they've been really supportive recently and want to show my appreciation, £11.44. 7:30 p.m. — Showered and in my PJs. Feel like having a self-care evening so decide to make myself a nice dinner (steak, veggies, potato, olive oil). 9:00 p.m. — Make myself a tea whilst watching Shrek 2 (suchhhh a comfort watch) and do some research for my upcoming trip to Paris. Total: £11.44 Day Four 06:00 a.m. — Earlier alarm as I'm at a different hospital today, which is further out, so a longer commute. Morning routine and coffee. Make myself breakfast consisting of eggs, yoghurt and granola (weird combo I know) as well as my packed lunch for later (wrap, cream cheese, avocado, chicken, tomato). 07:30 a.m. — Head to the Tube station to start the first leg of my journey. The commute is 90 minutes door to door, which I hate with a passion, but it's once a week, so I'll survive. Get a message from the head midway through my journey asking if I can go to one of the other sites instead due to colleague sickness. Head back in a bit of a rush! 12:30 p.m. — Mad morning! Absolutely ravenous and really looking forward to a nice lunch break with my colleagues after the pressure of managing a full morning list. I really enjoy my job but when you're down a team member, you really notice the absence of a second pair of hands. Devour my lunch and help myself to a few too many biscuits and a muffin on the snack table lol. 5:30 p.m. — Head to a pub with a couple of my colleagues after work. We have some nice chats and I love bonding with them outside of work. Makes you realise just how human we all are. My drink comes to £6.50. 8:30 p.m. — Shower and wash my hair. See that my sister has called me so I call her back. We chat for a bit about life updates and planning what we'll do together when I head back home next month (can't wait!). Make a pick and mix kind of dinner which is so underrated! Chop up some veggie sticks, cottage cheese, hummus, olives and sourdough bread. 10:30 p.m. — Make a tea, read and watch Friends in bed before falling asleep. Total: £6.50 Day Five 08:30 a.m. — Alarm goes off. I'm working from home today so I always have a bit of a lie-in. See that I've been charged £2.10 for TfL for yesterday's journey (which normally costs £6.40). Notice that I've also been paid! Split my money across the different pots (rent and bills, fun money, S&S, day-to-day living, regular savings, high-interest savings account). Send my mum £20 to buy one of my dad's birthday presents from me. Roll out of bed, put the coffee on and make breakfast. 12:00 p.m. — Head off to the gym for a whole body workout. Drop off a bag of things at the charity shop on the way. Have a mooch around and they have some nice stuff but resist the urge to buy anything. 2:00 p.m. — Really good gym session! Properly felt the endorphins today! Pop into Waitrose on my way back to get some of my dad's favourite chocolate as it's currently on offer plus some cottage cheese, celery and bagels, £7.20. 5:00 p.m. — Have a really productive afternoon catching up on work admin, watching a couple of lectures, putting on a wash and other flat chores. Have a brief catch-up with one of my flatmates who is also working from home today. 8:30 p.m. — Wake up from my nap lol. Shower, make some dinner (sourdough, cottage cheese, honey, hummus, veggies) and watch a film with one of my flatmates before we both retire to bed. Total: £29.30 Day Six 08:00 a.m. — It's the weekend, but I still set my alarm quite early. I'm such a morning person, so it doesn't bother me. Have a bit of a lazy morning as I know I'll have quite a busy afternoon. Make a coffee, read my book in the sunshine and make some porridge for breakfast (with peanut butter ofc). 11:00 a.m. — Head out to meet my friend for a coffee and part two of our very informal Greek lesson. He kindly pays for my coffee and we have a good catch up before I throw him into the deep end with some of the Greek words! He's picking things up quickly so I must be a good teacher haha. 2:00 p.m. — Head back for a quick lunch before needing to head back out again later. Make myself a nice chicken sausage salad with celery, apple and hummus. Decide on some Paris stuff with my friend. 4:00 p.m. — Head off to meet another friend for some shopping. Have a look around the shops and there are definitely some nice things I want to try on but the changing room queue is enough to put both of us off. Forget just how busy London is at the weekend! Didn't end up buying anything but made a mental note to look up some of the things online later. 7:00 p.m. —We say our goodbyes and head back. I'm starving by the time I get home so make myself a bagel with a thick layer of cream cheese, eggs, sweet chilli sauce and carrot. 11:00 p.m. — Suddenly feel inspired to have a clear out in my room. Play some Ariana Grande in the background. I'm at it for a good hour before deciding I should probably get ready for bed. Watch a few episodes of Friends before turning off the lights. Day Seven 09:00 a.m. — Sleep through my alarm this morning, which rarely happens, but I feel so well rested! Read in bed for a bit before checking my phone and I can see I've been charged for yesterday's TfL journey, £4. Put the coffee on and make some breakfast which is Greek yoghurt, blueberries, chia seeds, honey and a very generous serving of peanut butter. 12:00 p.m. — Get changed and decide to head to the gym for an upper body and core session. It's not busy today, which is great! Meet a friend for a walk around Primrose Hill afterwards which was lovely despite the wind. 3:00 p.m. — Head home and I'm desperate to get out of my gym clothes. Shower, strip the bed and put on a wash, hoover my room and contemplate life for a moment on the settee. 6:00 p.m. — Decide to have an early dinner of chicken, veggies, olive oil and potato. Still hungry afterwards so snack on a mango. My dad calls me and we have a nice catch up. As much as I love my independence and living away from home, I do miss the familiarity and my parents so I definitely make more effort now to speak to them. 10:00 p.m. — Hang up my washing and fold the previous one away, make a tea and get ready for bed. Decide to watch Sex and the City in bed and to my surprise don't fall asleep until the end of the film, nearly two hours later! The Breakdown Conclusion "Apart from the £100 I sent to my friend and £20 to my mum, I'd say the rest is pretty representative of a spending week. I give myself a monthly budget to stick to rather than a weekly one, as I find it less rigid. Most of my money goes on food and transport, which is fine and I'm naturally more of a saver, but filling this out has made me realise that I don't actually use much from my fun money pot, even though that's what it's there for. I do love being outside and walking as do a lot of my friends so I naturally do a lot of 'free' things, but due to previous money trauma, I find it quite hard to treat myself sometimes. I also think because of my upcoming trip to Paris, I've been a bit more reserved in my spending as I would like to have a bit of a buffer when we go."
Business Wire
17-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
S&S Activewear Upgrades Technology Partnership with commonsku Platform
BOLINGBROOK, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- S&S Activewear, a leading technology-enabled distributor of apparel and accessories in North America, announced an upgraded partnership with commonsku, a comprehensive order management and e-commerce solution for promotional product professionals. Through S&S's Connected+ partner status, promotional product distributors and decorators now have real-time access to S&S's full inventory of leading brands and styles through their commonsku account. Users can also access current pricing and marketing assets—such as photography and product descriptions—while tracking order status automatically. This enhanced integration is designed to streamline S&S customers' business operations and marketing capabilities through commonsku's unified platform. 'Our expanded partnership with commonsku represents S&S's continued commitment to investing in innovative solutions that empower our customers with the data and assets they need to grow their businesses,' said Toby Whitmoyer, chief commercial officer at S&S Activewear. 'We understand how busy our customers can be and this integration helps take tasks off their plate. We're eager to roll out fresh features with the commonsku team and find new ways to streamline operations for our customers.' The commonsku platform combines industry-specific features, community engagement and collaboration between distributors, suppliers and end-clients to improve workflows. S&S plans to roll out additional integrations through commonsku this year, including electronic purchase orders. 'Working with forward-thinking partners like S&S means we can move faster, together,' said Catherine Graham, chief executive officer at commonsku. 'This integration removes friction and adds momentum, helping our customers turn great ideas into finished merch, faster than ever.' S&S CEO Frank Myers will participate in a panel keynote session at commonsku's sold-out Skucamp event in Scottsdale, Arizona in September 2025. For more information on S&S Activewear, visit About S&S Activewear Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Bolingbrook, Illinois, S&S Activewear is a leading technology-enabled distributor of apparel and accessories in the United States and Canada. S&S offers more than 100 brands, including basic garments to fashion-forward styles, with over 6 million square feet of warehouse space across North America. S&S services a broad range of customers through its nationwide network, including retail brands, e-commerce companies, garment decorators, promotional products distributors, entertainment merchandisers, lifestyle brands and web-based platforms for apparel customization. About commonsku commonsku is a software platform built specifically for the promotional products industry, empowering distributors and decorators to streamline their workflow from prospecting to invoicing. As a CRM, order management, and e-commerce solution, commonsku connects teams, suppliers, and end clients in one unified system. With a focus on innovation, education, and community, commonsku helps merch professionals grow their businesses and deliver seamless client experiences. Learn more at
Refinery29
13-06-2025
- Business
- Refinery29
Money Diary: A Compliance Officer On £85,000
Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We're asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last penny. Our Money Diaries submission process has changed. If you would like to submit a diary, please use our new form here. This week: " I am a born and raised Londoner who lives in North London with my husband T and my toddler J (I am also currently pregnant). Our financial set-up is considered unusual in that I pay for the mortgage and most of the bills. My husband covers our grocery shop and most of our joint social activities come out of that pot and he also pays into J's Junior Stocks and Shares ISA. My outlook on finances completely changed when I got engaged to T and we started to save more actively (in the end we only spent circa £6k on our wedding and honeymoon). I was very much a 'treat yourself' kind of person and used to spend frivolously but I never got into debt and still managed to save some money. I now have a collection of designer bags and shoes that are collecting dust as quite frankly I have nowhere appropriate to wear these things! We rarely get weekly takeaways and tend to shop in places like Lidl so we can do more experiences and go on holidays even if it is a cheap package deal. We are extremely lucky that we get a lot of childcare help from my mother for free (she wouldn't dream of accepting any money) and we also made the decision for T to drop to part-time work so we didn't have to send J to nursery straight after my maternity leave." Occupation: Compliance officer Industry: Financial services Age: 38 Location: London Salary: £85,000 Paycheque Amount: £4,700 Number of housemates: Two Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Housing costs: £1,300 Loan payments: None. Savings?: £20k in premium bonds (this will be used to partially fund my maternity leave), £20k S&S ISA (which I plan not to to cash out until I retire hopefully), £20k cash ISA — instead of overpaying my mortgage which currently has a low rate, I am keeping this aside to utilise the interest gained and then pay a chunk off the mortgage at my mortgage renewal next year. Pension? 6% of my salary goes into my pension, my employer matches this. Utilities: £100 gas, £100 electricity, £50 water, £25 broadband, £210 council tax. All other monthly payments: £8 phone. Subscriptions: £40 Sky TV. Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it? I went to university back when fees were low and I was fortunate enough that my parents paid for fees and housing and some spending money. Whilst I am extremely lucky to have had parental help, this is considered pretty normal in our culture if the family has the financial means. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? My parents never really discussed money and all that I know about finances is through taking an interest on my own. Although my extended family owned a business, my parents were not paid a fair wage and would often send money overseas to their parents. Unknowingly to me, we actually were quite poor in my early childhood. I shared a bedroom with my parents until I was about four or five and we never went on holidays. Our only trip before things got financially better was to go to my grandfather's funeral in Asia. Things got a lot better when my father came into a substantial inheritance from an extended family member, which enabled us to move out of the flat above the family business into our own home. If you have, when did you move out of your parents/guardians house? I moved out for university but would come home for the holidays. Post university, I lived on and off at home and rented with friends. Whilst I was living at home, I would pay rent to my parents, but it was less than what the market rate would be. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life? I would say this was when I purchased my first flat. My parents helped with the stamp duty but apart from that, I self-funded everything else. I eventually sold my flat and purchased the house I am currently living in. What was your first job and why did you get it? My first job was helping at the family business. I don't recall getting paid for this, it was just expected. However, my parents did give me pocket money and gave me money when I was going out with friends. My first paid job was working for a clothes store during university. Quite frankly, I hated it and only did it for some extra fun money and to get a taste of working somewhere that was not family-connected. Do you worry about money now? I do and I don't, I'm pretty good with money and actively look for deals, I hate paying full price for anything! However, we will have to start paying for nursery for J soon and I will be going on maternity leave for a whole year again. I get six months full pay, which is great, but again is very standard within the finance industry. I know if things got very bad, we could sell the house and move in with family until we got back on our feet. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? I have not directly received any and do not envisage (fingers crossed) receiving any until I am very old. My parents had me at a very young age and I have told them to live their lives how they want and not to actively save for my future benefit. Again, it is a stereotypical mentality for I think Asian families from poor backgrounds to not want to spend and think of the financial well-being of their children rather than their own. Day One 3 a.m. — Crying from J, followed by a cute little voice saying 'toys'. T goes to his room to see to him and eventually ushers him back to sleep. 5 a.m. — 'Books! Toys!' followed by a giggle. J is now awake for the day and there is no coaxing him back to sleep. T, obeys the lord of the manor and takes him downstairs for books and toys. I stay in bed and try to go back to sleep. 6:20 a.m. — I wake up and shower and start to get ready for work. 7:30 a.m. — I prepare a rather uninspiring breakfast of plain Greek yoghurt for J and a bowl of supermarket-branded fake crunchy nut cereal for myself. 8:15 a.m. — I kiss the boys goodbye and head off to work. T will be dropping J off at my parents for my mother's usual day with him. 9:05 a.m. — Get into work and crack on with seeing if there are any last-minute meetings or emails that require immediate attention. 9:45 a.m. — Make a decaf coffee from the work coffee machine, using almond milk makes it just about palatable. 12 p.m. — I break for lunch and get a Tesco meal deal. Chicken salad sandwich, mango and passionfruit yoghurt and a coconut water, £3.40. I eat this at my desk whilst reading articles online. I supplement my Tesco lunch with a bag of Monster Munch I have in my locker. 5 p.m. — I leave work and make the journey home. 6 p.m. — Arrive back and hear 'Mummy, Mummy' as I step through the door. Give the little one a kiss and then change out of my work clothes. The idea of dirty train clothes touching the sofa that J often squishes his face against, grosses me out. 6:10 p.m. — Supper time, I reheat the spaghetti bolognese T had made earlier for himself and J. I'm usually famished when I get home, so I like to eat before we put J to sleep. 6:50 p.m. — Start the bedtime routine for J and he is asleep by 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. — Watch an episode of Mobland, I'm not quite convinced by Pierce Brosman and Helen Mirren in their roles, but it's an easy watch. 9 p.m. — Start getting ready for bed. This is the parent life, especially when you have a toddler who doesn't really like to sleep in. 9:45 p.m. — Lights out. Day Two 4 a.m. — 'Books'… 6 a.m. — 'Toys'… T starts the usual morning routine of play and reading with the little lord. 7:30 a.m. — Same breakfast as yesterday for both J and me. 9:05 a.m. — TFL travel charge from yesterday is £9.20. Get into work and prepare my coffee before a series of Zoom calls. I eat my second breakfast of a blueberry cereal bar that I have stashed in my locker during the calls. Being pregnant, I often have two breakfasts each day. I seem to have a bottomless pit of hunger that can't be satisfied…. 12 p.m. — Break for lunch, a Tesco meal deal is not going to cut it today, so I decide to treat myself to a pizza from Pizza Express, using an O2 priority perk, £8 including a small tip. 1 p.m. — Get back to work and it's a series of dealing with email queries, ongoing project work or having Zoom meetings. 5 p.m. — Leave work and watch a bit of Love is Blind on the train. Since having J, I am very strict with myself to leave at 5 p.m., so I can spend a tiny bit of time with J before his bedtime. 6 p.m. — Arrive home and play with J until we start his usual bedtime routine. 7:30 p.m. — Dinner of roast chicken and vegetables that T had made earlier. We chat whilst I eat about plans for the weekend and also start going through baby names. J was just called baby for a good month before we agreed on a name and I would like not to do this again! 9 p.m. — Start getting ready for bed. My skincare routine is pretty basic on weeknights. I double cleanse using Elemis cleansing balm and then CeraVe face wash followed by some sort of face cream. 9:45 p.m. — Bed and lights out. Total £17.20 Day Three 5 a.m. — The little lord is shouting 'gup-up', his version of get up. 7:15 a.m. — I have fake Country Crisp granola and Greek yoghurt, J has a banana and plays around with the yoghurt he is given. I also make a quick chicken stir fry noodle using up leftover chicken from last night to take to work. 9:05 a.m. — TFL travel charge from yesterday is £9.20. Get into work and again see to emails but also chat to colleagues as I have a morning of no Zoom calls for once. 12 p.m. — Break for lunch and heat up my chicken noodles to have at my desk. I pop out afterwards to go to M&S to buy the usual low salt bread we give J, £0.75. 4:50 p.m. — Leave work a little early today and pick up a Tesco meal deal on the way to my school governors meeting, £3.40. I know I won't last until after the meeting to have my dinner, so I eat my meal deal in shame on the train. 6 p.m. — Arrive at the meeting and realise that they have supplied pizza tonight. I take a slice or two despite having just had my meal deal. I'm literally stretching the eating for two mentality as far as I can. Disappointingly, I found out during my first pregnancy that the whole eating for two is a myth and you only really need about 200 extra calories a day. That's basically two slices of bread or a packet of packet of crisps and a biscuit… 8 p.m. — Meeting has finished and I head home. I'm still pretty new to the world of being a school governor, but I am finding it extremely interesting and something a bit different to do away from my usual work. 8:15 p.m. — Get home and chat with T and he tells me about the shenanigans him and J got up to today. 9:45 p.m. — Lights out and bed. Total: 13.35 Day Four 7 a.m. — TFL travel charge from yesterday is £9.20. It's WFH today, so I go downstairs and let T go and have a little nap until he drops J off at my parents' place later. As I am pregnant, T has taken to dealing with J's middle-of-the-night wake-ups and general early wake-ups so I can rest. So, on the days I WFH and the weekends, I try and let T have a morning nap. 8:45 a.m. — Say goodbye to J and T and take my breakfast of granola and Greek yogurt and a matcha latte to have at my desk whilst I log onto work. 12 p.m. — Break for lunch and prepare myself some udon noodle soup using an instant miso soup sachet, with some spinach and a fried egg. This is a typical wfh lunch for me as it's quick to make. I have my lunch at my desk whilst watching some YouTube videos and then get back to work. 3:45 p.m. — After having a productive day of doing hours of regulation mapping, I stop to do some quick dinner prep and chuck all the ingredients into the rice cooker. 4:30 p.m. — I hear J and T come in and they come upstairs to say hello. 5 p.m. — Log off from work and head downstairs and plate up a supper of steamed rice and chicken and peas. Rice cooker meals are a game changer for those too tired or lazy to cook! J's version is plain, whilst I add a quick sauce of soy sauce, honey and sesame oil to mine and T's. 6 p.m. — T heads off to play his weekly football with his friends. Whilst I spend the rest of the evening playing and reading with J. 7:30 p.m. — I take the opportunity whilst T is out to watch an episode of 911 and start an episode of Dr Odessey. I have to say Dr Odessy really is ultimate trash TV but I'm here for Joshua Jackson. 8:30 p.m. — T arrives home and jumps straight into the shower. It's always a bit of a Russian roulette whether J wakes up from this as his bedroom is next to the bathroom. 9:45 p.m. — Lights out and bed. Total: £9.20 Day Five 8:45 a.m. — I wave T and J off as they head out for the day and put on a load of washing. I have the same breakfast as yesterday at my desk as I log into work. 10 a.m. — Take the washing out and put on another load. I don't feel guilty doing quick little chores like this during work hours as its not realistic to be working every single minute of the day. If I was in the office, people would be popping out to get coffee, chatting to colleagues etc. 12 p.m. — Break for lunch and today I have a fish finger sandwich and crisps. I decide as it's a nice day to take a little stroll around the park. 1:15 p.m. — Back to work and I do some prep work before I give a training session over Zoom. The training I am giving is to multiple locations and it seems to have gone well. I ask the attendees to email me any feedback they may have. 3:45 p.m. — Prep dinner by chucking all the ingredients into the rice cooker. Since having J and being pregnant, I just do not have the energy to cook anything elaborate. As T does all the meals on my in-office days, I try to do the meals when I am wfh and we tend to split the cooking duties during the weekend. 5 p.m. — I log off work and the boys are home shortly after. I plate up our suppers and tonight we are having steamed rice, salmon and peas and some salad. Again, J has his plain minus the salad and I make the same sauce as yesterday to drizzle on mine and T's. 7:20 p.m. — We start and watch the movie Twisters. In theory, we should be able to get through the whole film, but T has an annoying habit of always pausing here and there to get a drink, snack etc. 9:45 p.m. — Same as usual, lights out and bedtime. Day Six 9 a.m. — We all head out into central London to meet some friends and their toddler who is the same age as J at the Natural History Museum. As I suspect, J is scared of the animatronic dinosaurs. 11:30 a.m. — We leave the museum and walk around Hyde Park to try and get the kiddos to fall asleep for their naps. In the meantime, we get a coffee each and a cake to share from the overpriced park café, £12.20. 1:30 p.m. — Arrive at the Italian restaurant near the museum that I booked for the group. We let J stay asleep until the food arrives. Starter of garlic bread and cheese for the adults. For mains, I have a seafood spaghetti, T has carbonara and J has spaghetti bolognese. Our share comes to £54 including service (this amount comes out of the grocery shop pot that T funds, same with the coffee). 3 p.m. — Decide to head back to Hyde Park en route home and let the kids have a run around. The weather is gorgeous today and it feels like summer. 5:30 p.m. — We arrive home and I make a quick supper (if you can call it that) of peanut butter on toast and sliced apple for J. I feel a bit guilty when I serve toast for supper but anything else would take too long. 7:30 p.m. — With J asleep, we continue and finish Twisters whilst we eat a supermarket Hawaiian pizza we had in the fridge. T complains how awful the movie was, but I really was not expecting much. It's an easy watch and is exactly what I expect from a blockbuster type of movie. Day Seven 10 a.m. — TFL charge for yesterday £6.80. We head out and go to my parents' to spend part of the day. My parents have been in Asia for the last month and it's the first opportunity for me to catch up with them. 11:30 a.m. — We settle down to an early feast of a lunch, comprising of salt and pepper squid, Singapore noodles, steamed fish with ginger and spring onion, stir fried choi sum, steamed prawns with a chili soy sauce and steamed rice. These are some of my favourite dishes that my mother makes, and I have to say, I have yet to have a Singapore fried noodles that is better than the one my mother makes. J has his own special bowl of chicken congee. 12:54 p.m. — T takes J out in the pram around the local park to get J to nap. We have gotten into a habit where he doesn't really nap in a cot anymore. I am dreading the thought that we will have to take chilly winter walks to get him to sleep but maybe him going to nursery soon will solve this problem… 5 p.m. — We head home and take leftovers with us, my mother has the tendency to cook for double the amount of people she needs to feed. 9:45 p.m. — Lights out and bed. The Breakdown Conclusion "Although this is a very low spend for a week, my monthly expenses, e.g. rent bills etc, are quite high. For the time being, this would be a typical spending week, 2-3 weeks of the month. On a week where I socialise on my own, need to buy toiletries/clothes etc, then it would be up to £100ish more. Since I have been back to work, I do not tend to go out with friends during the working week, as I won't get much time to spend with J otherwise. Before J hit 18 months, T and I would have more frequent date nights. However, as J seems to be going through a long phase of not sleeping well, we are both too tired to want to do anything in the evenings, which is disappointing, but I see it as just a phase (hopefully!)".
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New era ahead for Capri Lanes: Property sold, improvements planned
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — After being placed on the market for sale just a few weeks ago, a well-known bowling alley in Kettering is now under new ownership. Capri Lanes, located at 2727 S. Dixie Drive in Kettering, is expected to reopen under new ownership on June 17. Phillip M. Cox, director of revenue at Strike & Spare Family Entertainment, LLC. confirmed to the company purchased Capri Lanes. Over the next few months, S&S will work to add 12 lanes to the building to reintroduce a 36-lane bowling center. Improvements to food, paint and seats at the business are also anticipated to also occur. Cox said how customers are charged for bowling will likely also change. 'We will be changing the open play price structure to offer bowl by the game and by the hour pricing and there will also be daily and nightly bowling specials to allow everyone to experience what we have to offer here at Capri Lanes,' said Cox. According to Cox, the company is grateful to now be a part of the Miami Valley community. 'We are incredibly proud and honored to be a part of the rich history of Capri Lanes and the amazing bowling community of Dayton,' said Cox. 'As soon as we heard of the possibility, we wasted no time in coming to meet with Arthur and making a deal.' S&S did not reveal the sale price to but rather thanked Arthur Fertel, the previous owner, for his assistance in working with his company to complete the sale. Strike & Spare owns and operates several bowling alleys across Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee. The nearest other location S&S owns is Western Bowl, just northwest of Cincinnati's Western Hills neighborhood. Until the end of October, parents can sign-up their kids under age 15 to bowl for free, which is a part of the Kids Bowl Free initiative. Kids will receive two games free each day through the program. You can click here to register. The bowling center is currently hiring. To fill out an application, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Business Wire
12-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
S&S Activewear Strengthens Canadian Presence with Deeper Product Availability, Faster Delivery of Key Styles
VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- S&S Activewear, a leading technology-enabled distributor of apparel and accessories in North America, today announced the expansion of its product availability across Canada, with a particular focus on strengthening inventory depth at its Vancouver distribution center. The initiative ensures cross-country Canadian customers maintain consistent access to their preferred styles and brands with faster delivery times and reduced freight costs. "Our customers depend on us for consistent product availability and this enhanced inventory strategy in Vancouver demonstrates our commitment to meeting that expectation," said Craig Ryan, VP of commercial Canada at S&S Activewear. "We're providing the reliability and faster shipping that decorators and promotional product distributors need to serve their own customers effectively." S&S Activewear's Vancouver facility serves as a critical distribution hub for western Canada, complementing the company's Toronto operations to provide comprehensive coverage across the Canadian market. The facility will now stock popular owned brands and various private label collections favored by promotional product decorators and screen printers—including Team 365, CORE365, Harriton, Devon & Jones and North End—with delivery times dropping dramatically to western Canadian customers. The announcement comes as part of S&S Activewear's broader commitment to adding more brands and inventory to its western distribution centers in 2025. The company's proactive inventory management approach includes strategic transfers between distribution centers and careful demand forecasting to minimize disruptions, reduce delivery times and decrease freight costs. "When our customers need it, we have it locally. That's the S&S advantage in action," Ryan added. For more information on S&S Activewear, visit About S&S Activewear Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Bolingbrook, Illinois, S&S Activewear is a leading technology-enabled distributor of apparel and accessories in the United States and Canada. S&S offers more than 100 brands, including basic garments to fashion-forward styles, with over 6 million square feet of warehouse space across North America. S&S services a broad range of customers through its nationwide network, including retail brands, e-commerce companies, garment decorators, promotional products distributors, entertainment merchandisers, lifestyle brands and web-based platforms for apparel customization.
