I am on the road to better Financial Health. I am not a particularly financially unhealthy person, but I lack discipline, have never been diligent with saving, and make superfluous spends, a 'treat', an everyday occurrence. I want to have better financial habits, and I am starting today. 

I am a PhD student, with funding. That means I have a stipend which is tax free. I also earn a bit from side projects (and let's not forget my ceilidh band income!). 

It is a modest income, many working-age people might find the total amount minuscule, but the truth is that after several years post-graduation of struggling to find a permanent, well-paid job, having a quarterly chunk of money go into my account is a huge relief that I can barely describe. 

Plus, I am hope that having a PhD will make it a bit easier to find a good job. I really crave stability.

I am hoping to do the best to maximise my savings, starting with building my emergency fund and cutting excess purchases.

So, to get the ball rolling I am going on a Shopping Diet. For one whole year, yes, 12 months, I am going to be resisting the urge to buy clothes, new frivolous cosmetics/toiletries, cake and coffee 'just because I can', and any other intermittent spends that can, and should, be avoided. 

I will write a post detailing exactly where and when I'll be saving shortly. 

I'll be writing a monthly update on my progress on the 1st of the month (and will write my first one, one week in, this coming Monday).

Let's go.