i have found in the couple of weeks i have been back from my holidays that i have been spending less than i did before i went on holidays.
it FEELS like my spending is out of control, but the expenditure log begs to differ.
other than the $180 dress i bought for the wedding, (which i had funds for anyway) my expenses each week are much less than what i have been earning, and much less than i was spending per week before my holiday.
and yet i have been going out for coffee a few times a week with friends, spending more on groceries, buying crap i don't need...
i have double checked the amounts, and every cent i have spent is there, listed. i have even paid for some costs that BF could have shared (like tea tree shampoo, a nail scrubber, some grocery costs i hadn't bothered to divide).

i have come to the conclusion that limiting the strictness of my budget, and relaxing a little on how i spend my money, is a good thing. it allows me to make decisions without feeling bad about it so much. i guess it's like a diet, if you control your eating so much you end up eating five tubs of icecream before too long. if i try too hard to limit my expenses i feel trapped and end up spending more.