Amazon Big Spring Sale: 254,000+ shoppers have given these 'fantastic' sheets a 5-star review — and they're the lowest price we've ever seen
Are your sheets starting to look a little worse for wear? If you're looking to overhaul your bedroom (psst — you might want to give your mattress a deep clean while you're at it), Amazon Canada has a ton of bedding deals as part of their Big Spring Sale.
One deal we're eyeing? This extremely popular sheet set that has more than 354,000 customer reviews. It's currently marked down to $21. That's a whopping 68 per cent off — and the lowest price we've ever seen as expert price trackers. Previously, we've seen these sheets come in at up to 61 per cent off.
In the past month, more than 4,000 people have bought these sheets (seriously!). Keep scrolling to learn more about this "perfect" bedroom must-have — plus, explore 12 other bedding deals below.
The sheets are available in seven different sizes, ranging from twin to California king, and come in more than 40 different colours and patterns.The four-piece set comes with two pillowcases, a flat sheet and a fitted sheet that has 16-inch deep pockets that'll tuck under your mattress.
These cooling sheets have a 4.4-star rating on Amazon and more than 350,000 reviews.
The fabric is softer than Egyptian cotton as well as breathable and cool, so you won't be up all evening covered in sweat during hot nights.
The regular price of these sheets is $65, but right now, they're on sale for more than half off — ringing in at just $21.
⭐ 4.4/5 stars
🛍️ 353,000+ ratings
🏅"They're just perfect."
Two shoppers say that they love the sheets so much that they've repurchased them multiple times. They say that they "feel great to sleep on" and are "absolutely fantastic."
Another says they're the "softest sheets" they've ever bought, they keep their colour after being washed a few times, they don't wrinkle and that "they're just perfect."
If you tend to overheat while you sleep, these might be the sheets for you, as one shopper said they "kept me cool all night."
However, one shopper says these sheets are "thinner than expected," while another says that they're not exactly "hotel quality" because of how thin they are. Another expressed they wished the elastic on the fitted sheet was a bit thicker to keep it in place.
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Looking for new bed sheets? These sheets from the CGK Unlimited Store have more than 254,000 five-star reviews to back them. Although some people find these sheets to be thin, many others say they love them so much that they've bought them over and over again. Shoppers say they're great to sleep on, are soft, don't wrinkle and keep them cool at night. Seems like a win in our books!
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CNBC
an hour ago
- CNBC
CNBC's The China Connection newsletter: Chinese exporters increasingly need to build brands to survive
"Do you need a U.S. warehouse?" "Do you need a Mexico warehouse?" "Shipping to Europe?" Salespeople, speaking in Mandarin Chinese, weren't shy about pushing their logistics services when I attended the 10th Shenzhen International Cross-Border E-Commerce Expo this week. One logistics company even hired foreign-looking models in glittery silver dresses to parade around the venue. It's one of the biggest events of the year for companies selling from China to the U.S. and other countries via the internet. In the midst of a tepid truce in the U.S.-China tariff war, many companies appeared eager to enter the U.S. market. But the game to survive has changed. "The past 30 years have helped Chinese companies to become very mature in supply chain integration," Tina Hsu, partner at startup AIGC Empower, told me in Mandarin at the expo. "Today, if there is a tool that can help [businesses] tell a story better, resonate with users … they could go overseas with the identity of a brand to operate in a healthier manner that's longer term and with higher profits." AIGC Empower claims it has those tools. At a joint launch with Amazon and Wayfair in Zhuhai, China, last month, Hsu said AIGC introduced two generative AI-powered products: a system for quickly researching local markets to understand consumer needs, and a tool for producing images for product advertisement. The service starts at 10,000 yuan ($1,390) per product per year — and has already received around 100 orders, Hsu said. "To be honest, it's not every customer here who can appreciate the value" of our product and the need for branding, she said, noting it's Chinese entrepreneurs who studied abroad that understand it best. But she warned that without inherent differentiation, Chinese companies will find it hard to survive overseas in the next 30 years. While a few companies with Chinese roots such as Temu and Shein have grabbed the most attention when it comes to cross-border e-commerce, several smaller Chinese businesses have also been tapping the internet to sell directly to overseas consumers, as competition at home has intensified. "The U.S. consumer market is still the world's largest, and the destination for most cross-border e-commerce sellers," said Li Xiaoming, distribution manager at Miao Shou, which sells software that allows merchants to analyze data from multiple e-commerce platforms in one place. That's according to a CNBC translation of his Mandarin-language remarks. Although companies have turned to other countries, they're still holding onto some resources for deploying into the U.S. market — if conditions improve in the next few months, he said. Regardless, Chinese sellers are piling into the cross-border e-commerce trend. Miao Shou claimed that it had a total of 800,000 customers as of June, with around 200,000 companies joining the platform in the past six months. Li said the company aims to double clients' sales transaction volume on its platform this year. To stand out in such a competitive environment, these companies need better branding and marketing, especially in the current trade climate. "We believe tariffs this time mark a process of complete market reshuffling," pushing out companies that previously only relied on price, not product quality, to compete, Bear Huo, China general manager at fintech startup FundPark, said in Mandarin, translated by CNBC. With $750 million in financing from Goldman Sachs and HSBC, FundPark lends money to smaller Chinese businesses selling their wares overseas. Huo, who used to work at Alibaba, said that the startup has become an official loan provider for certain Chinese sellers on Walmart, and aims to reach a similar partnership with sellers on Amazon later this year. Huo said FundPark is lending more to businesses for advertising as clients have ramped up their marketing spend to up to 20% of the product transaction value — a jump from 3% to 5% in 2023. While ad spending can lead to short-term spurts in sales, building a brand is a longer-term process, and a far more challenging task. Even advertising legend John Hegarty has described the difficulties of getting companies to make bold, transformational moves in order to stand out in the market. But if Chinese exporters are to compete globally, they need to focus on the hard task of building a brand. It's similar to what's playing out in China's cut-throat electric-car industry. Companies have been slashing prices and offering more high-tech features, but to stand out over the longer-term, they need to create brands that resonate with consumers. Some Chinese companies believe they already have what it takes to build a brand, but lack the legal resources to protect themselves — especially as market incumbents launch targeted lawsuits that can force a Chinese seller to go out of business. It's become such a pressing challenge that a group of Chinese merchants have backed a new platform that uses a low-cost insurance structure for litigation services that can otherwise be quite expensive, according to Jack Zhang, secretary-general at the Shenzhen Cross-Border E-Commerce Association's legal insurance division. He's leading the project with a team of about 30 people. His plan is to group lawsuits into the thousands or tens of thousands, thereby negotiating a lower rate with law firms in the U.S. or another market. It's far from an operating service, and Zhang hopes he can reach the 1,000-case threshold around this time next year. Several companies at the expo also advertised services from compliance to business registration — getting a U.S. trademark will cost the equivalent of $485, now available at a $150 discount, one flyer said. But as many of the vendors appeared to mimic each other's style, only attempting to undercut others on price, it's clear the concept of a brand has yet to take off. Xiaopeng He, founder of Xpeng, talks about pressures and competition in the Chinese EV market: over-capacity, price wars, and technological innovations. He says the Turing chip is a necessary invention to help Xpeng transition to a large tech company. Hong Hao, managing partner, at Lotus Asset Management, talks about where he's seeing opportunities in the China markets: biotech, bubble tea, and Pop Mart. Nicholas Burns, former ambassador to China, joins "Closing Bell Overtime" to talk the role China could play in the Iranian-Israel conflict. China's retail sales sharply beat expectations in May. Sales recorded their largest jump since December 2023, boosted by government subsidies and surging online shopping as a major e-commerce sales event started early. Industrial output and fixed-asset investment both saw growth soften from the prior month and missed expectations. U.S.-China renewed trade truce left military-grade rare-earth issue unresolved. That's according to a Reuters report, citing two people briefed on the London bilateral meeting. Beijing has yet to loosen its grip on exports of some specialized rare-earth magnets, while U.S. maintains curbs on exporting cutting-edge AI chips to China. China resumed Boeing's jet deliveries. Boeing delivered a new 787-9 aircraft to China's Juneyao Airlines on Saturday, months after Beijing had suspended the U.S. aerospace giant's deliveries amid tit-for-tat retaliation against Washington. That delivery comes after China agreed on dialing back some punitive measures against the U.S. with more trade negotiations and Hong Kong stocks fell early Wednesday amid mixed trading in the region, as escalating tensions between Israel and Iran weigh on investor sentiment. Mainland China's CSI 300 was down 0.18%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index — which includes major Chinese companies — had lost 1.7% as of 2:00 p.m. local time. June 18-19: Lujiazui Financial Forum in Shanghai June 19: Deadline for ByteDance to sell off TikTok U.S., likely to be extended June 24-26: World Economic Forum's "Summer Davos" in Tianjin; AIIB Annual Meeting in Beijing
Business Insider
2 hours ago
- Business Insider
Amazon's CEO told employees to get on board with AI. Career coaches and tech leaders agree: It's the only way forward.
Amazon's CEO told employees to get with the AI program on Tuesday, echoing advice from career experts and other tech leaders about the need to skill up, fast. "As we go through this transformation together, be curious about AI, educate yourself, attend workshops and take trainings, use and experiment with AI whenever you can," Andy Jassy wrote. "Participate in your team's brainstorms to figure out how to invent for our customers more quickly and expansively, and how to get more done with scrappier teams." When reached by Business Insider, an Amazon spokesperson declined to comment further on Jassy's remarks. Business Insider asked career coaches what they made of Jassy's advice — and what it means for workers navigating the AI revolution. Amazon CEO's advice is 'realistic' Career coaches said Jassy's advice isn't just an aspiration — it's realistic. "It's neither doom nor utopia," said Ryan Leak, an executive coach and the author of "How to Work With Complicated People." "The sooner people accept that reality, the sooner they can start adding even more value to their teams and organizations," he added. Leak also likened AI not to a passing wave, but a "tide that's shifting the entire shoreline of work." He said the most valuable workers going forward will not be the ones with the most experience but those who stay curious and learn quickly. "You can either be someone helping your company prepare for the future or someone hoping you still fit into it," he said. "Both paths take effort. Only one gives you agency." Marlo Lyons, a certified executive coach, agrees with Jassy "100%" and recommends that employees talk with their managers about how AI could be applied to their roles. "You have to learn AI at this point, because your job is changing," Lyons told BI. But there are still limits to what AI can do. Kathryn Landis, an executive coach and professor at NYU, said that "judgment, nuance, and institutional context" remain areas where AI often makes mistakes. "Make sure that you're studying something that you really gain those critical thinking skills, because that's what's not being replaced," she said. What tech leaders are saying Jassy isn't the only tech boss calling on employees to step up their AI game. LinkedIn's cofounder, Reid Hoffman, said AI should be baked into every team's day-to-day work, whether at a five-person startup or a giant company. To ensure AI integration happens, Hoffman recommended holding weekly or monthly meetings for everyone to share something new they've learned about using AI, he said on an episode of the podcast "Possible" in April. Shopify's CEO, Tobi Lütke, said in an internal memo in the same month that AI usage is "now a fundamental expectation of everyone at Shopify." "Before asking for more Headcount and resources, teams must demonstrate why they cannot get what they want done using AI," Lütke wrote in the memo, which he posted on X. "What would this area look like if autonomous AI agents were already part of the team? This question can lead to really fun discussions and projects." OpenAI's chief product officer, Kevin Weil, said on an episode of "Lenny's Podcast" published in April that the company's chief people officer "vibe coded" an internal tool. The executive used AI to rebuild a system she missed from a previous job. "If our chief people officer is doing it, we have no excuse," Weil said. Hilary Gridley, the head of core product at the wearables company Whoop, created "30 Days of GPT" to help her team form the habit of using AI, she said on a podcast published on Sunday. "I don't know anyone who has gone through this and not come out the other side feeling a hundred times more confident in their skills," she said on a podcast published on Sunday.
Refinery29
2 hours ago
- Refinery29
Money Diary: A Head of Strategy On £112,000
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'm a 32-year-old professional working in Strategy & Transformation in the telecommunications industry, living in Greater Manchester. I moved to the Manchester area post-university and bought the house we live in now with my husband A, three years ago (selling the house we bought together when I was 25). He's 10 years older than me and also works in telecoms (spoiler: we met at work) but we no longer work at the same company. A has two teenagers from a previous relationship, who come to stay with us one night each week and every other weekend. I've worked for my current employer for six years and in that time, I've pretty much doubled my overall compensation package through a series of promotions and sideways moves to different departments. Also, in this time my employer generously supported my studying for an MBA which I completed at the end of 2023, so that has probably helped my career prospects too. When it comes to money, I would say I'm more of a saver than a spender, though when I do buy things I tend to buy decent quality. I'm quite low maintenance from a beauty perspective — no nails, lashes, tans, but last year when I was getting married and I spent a couple of hundred quid on nice Charlotte Tilbury makeup and splurged on some nice skincare at the start of the year.' Occupation: Head of Strategy Industry: Telecommunications Age: 32 Location: Greater Manchester Salary: £112k, with a £7k car allowance and a 25% bonus and a Long Term Incentive Plan (not vested yet). Paycheque Amount: £6,000 Number of housemates: Two — my husband A and dog Eddie (with two more, my stepkids M and J on a part-time basis). Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Housing costs: £2,265 between the two of us, which includes a £500 overpayment each month. We're on a fixed deal until January 2027. Loan payments: £0 Savings?: £29k Cash ISA, 2.5k Stocks and Shares ISA (pay in £250 monthly), £9.5k LISA (pay in £333 monthly to maximise £4k allowance), £6k Premium Bonds (adding £500 monthly), £6k joint savings for renovation (I put in £500 monthly, A pays in £100), £180 fun fund (we each pay in £50). I tend to top up the Cash ISA with any savings left from the end of the month. Pension? In various pots across my current and previous employers, I have about £130k. I contribute 10% and my employer matches that (the maximum they will match). I'm considering upping my contribution in the future for tax efficiency. Utilities: Jointly we pay £245 council tax, £235 gas and electric, £54 water, £64 pet insurance, £59 internet and TV, £29 life insurance, £29 home insurance, £15 TV license, £5.99 Netflix, £6.67 Amazon, £24 window cleaning, £11 Smol. I calculate our monthly expenditure on mortgage, joint savings, utilities, and groceries, regular payments e.g. dog walker, cleaning and we pay that into our joint account each month, in proportion to our earnings. All other monthly payments: £85 CrossFit, £60 gym and pool membership, £22.72 phone and £18 iPad, £0.99 iCloud storage, £50 regular donations to charity, £18 contact lenses, £16 Toastmasters. Subscriptions: £8.99 Apple TV, £4.95 local newspaper, £10 The Guardian, £7.99 Audible, £14.99 Spotify Duo. Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it? I did my undergraduate straight from school, funded by the standard mix of loans and grants. I went to Oxford and at the time (and probably still now) there were grants available to me which reduced the amount of maintenance loan I had to borrow. I was also lucky to be one of the last cohorts paying £3k a year in tuition fees. My parents separated when I was a child and my dad started giving me the money he had given to my mum when I was growing up which I think was about £200 a month, which also really helped. In 2021, I started an MBA which was 75% funded by my employer, 25% funded by myself from savings, which I completed after a tough three years of part-time study on top of a full-time job. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? As a young child, I don't remember going without, but neither were we flush with cash. We went camping rather than abroad for holidays, but my sister and I did all the hobbies and activities we wanted to. My parents divorced when I was around 9 or 10 and I learned much later that one of the many contributing factors to the end of their marriage was that when my dad was made redundant, he stopped paying the mortgage but didn't tell my mum. A few years later, my mum started a relationship with my stepdad, who was very comfortable and we moved in with him (and my mum stopped working). From that point on, I was very privileged in travelling to nice places and given a generous pocket money allowance. Reflecting on this later, I watched my mum lose her financial independence and I think this rubbed off on me — I always wanted to be able to pay my way and choose how to spend my money. If you have, when did you move out of your parents/guardians house? I went away to university at 18, but came home for holidays. I moved out properly when I was 22 when I started a graduate scheme after my final year of uni. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life? 22. I moved out into a flat on my own for my grad scheme job. Two years later, I moved in with my boyfriend (now husband) into his house, which he sold and we bought a house together when I was 25. By not paying rent to him for his mortgage (but splitting bills only) in that year I lived at his house, I was able to save for my contribution to the deposit. His contribution to the deposit on that first house was greater, so I like to think now I pay more, we're evening the score. What was your first job and why did you get it? When I was 16 I got a job at my local Starbucks — they were opening a branch in my town and were hiring loads of people. I was lucky to get a sweet eight-hour-a-week contract. I worked there until I went to university. I loved it — I didn't really spend much when I was that age, so the savings I had gave me a nice bit of buffer when I went to uni. Do you worry about money now? Yes and no. I mean I worry about a lot of things, but I'm super conscious that when we bought the house we live in now three years ago, we took all the equity out we could from the previous sale to fund extensive renovation work. Consequently, we have a massive mortgage, with about 27 years on the term. We still have renovations we want to finish on the house, mostly the garden, where the work required is not stuff we have the skills or time to complete. I am aware that I am earning extremely well (honestly, so much more than I ever expected). But I can't relax about it! Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? When I was about 23/24, my mum found an old savings account she'd set up when I was a baby, and there was a couple of thousand pounds in there which went in the house deposit fund. My parents and A's parents each gave us £1k as a wedding gift last year, which essentially funded a free bar at our reception. Day One 5:45 a.m. — Wake up before my alarm. Check the Premium Bonds prize checker app to see if I've won… I've not. I won £100 in February, but overall in the last year I've had a rubbish run of winnings. 6 a.m. — Go to the pool for a swim, get two kilometes done. Remember why I prefer swimming in the evening, which is not an option today, as it's always busier first thing in the morning. 8 a.m. — After showering, sticking a load of laundry on and putting the dishwasher on, I have a bowl of porridge. I also have the first of many cups of tea today, reading my book (We Are All Birds of Ugand a by Hafsa Zayyan). 8:30 a.m. — I log on to my work laptop. I mostly work from home, aside from when I have specific meetings. This week I've avoided having to travel to London, which I've had to do for a couple of days the last two weeks. Work covers my travel expenses and will put me up in a hotel, but being away from home is exhausting and I miss my husband and my doggo. 10 a.m. — I conduct a couple of interviews for a new role within my team. I am pretty pleased with the quality of the candidates, which is great as a couple of weeks ago I interviewed someone for a role and it was obvious within the first five minutes they weren't a fit, but I still had to progress with the whole interview. Only slight awkward moment was our dog walker arriving in the middle of one interview to pick up E for his weekly group dog walk. We have this booked in each week to cover travel but we leave it in even when I'm at home, as he loves it for the doggy socialising. I pay £13 for next week's walk now from the joint account. 12:30 p.m. — Break for lunch, hang the washing out on the line in the beautiful sunshine and make a halloumi, avocado and rocket wrap. I order a new shed from B&Q as we're getting some garden work done in a few weeks' time and the landscaper has agreed to assemble it for us, £331. I pay for this for now, but add it to the tab for all the garden spending which we'll settle between us when it's all done. 5:30 p.m. — We have the kids tonight and it's J's birthday today so when they get home from school, we open presents. 6 p.m. — After an afternoon of back-to-back calls on a random variety of projects, we set off to the Manchester City match as a birthday treat. A has bought all the tickets and we get a KFC drive-thru on the way as food choice at the stadium is poor. A pays. 7:30 p.m. — Finally get to our seats after terrible traffic and purchase brews and Haribo ready for kick off. A pays. 10:30 p.m. — Home and straight to bed after a rather stultifying match, but at least City won. Day Two 3:30 a.m. — Hear the dog barking, he wants to go out for a poo in the middle of the night, probably because we didn't take him out for his usual pre-bed walk round the block. 5:30 a.m. — Alarm goes off to get me up in time for my CrossFit class. Today's focus is upper body gymnastics, so lots of flailing around trying and failing to do muscle-ups, but I practise my one strict pull-up that I achieved a few weeks ago. 7:30 a.m. — Back from the class and decide to roast some rhubarb I have in the air fryer with a little sugar to pep up my yoghurt and granola. I see that the tomato seeds that I sowed on Sunday have germinated, which is very exciting to me. 9:30 a.m. — Spend most of my morning working through the FTE forecasting for our department for our long-range plan. This means looking at the next five to 10 years, seeing how it will change with some operating model changes we're planning. 12 p.m. — Take the dog for a walk in the sunshine, then eat some leftover soup and fresh bread that A made last night in the bread machine (game changer). 1 p.m. — I interview another candidate for a role. It becomes depressingly obvious that they haven't done even the most cursory of research on the company. For a senior strategy role this is a no go. 5:45 p.m. — After an afternoon of more project calls and debriefs on interviews, I warm up some leftover curry and rice. We have a strong Thursday night freezer meal routine, as let's be honest by this time in the week we're generally bored of cooking. 6:45 p.m. — Get the tram into Manchester for my public speaking club. Last year I started attending to develop my confidence in speaking, as I'd moved into a new role at work where this would be expected more of me. I pay £16 a month which I think is great value for the 2-3 evenings a month I attend. Tram is £4.90 for a return. 6:45 p.m. — Feeling a bit peckish and tired as I get into town, so I pick up a tea and chocolate chip cookie from Pret, £5.60. 10 p.m. — Hop on the tram home after a successful evening. I gave my prepared five-minute speech tonight, talking about my mum who likes to tell embarrassing stories about me. I win the vote for best speech, which is a first for me, so I'm well chuffed. Day Three 3:30 a.m. — Woke up in a panic, realising I hadn't changed my alarm to get up in time for my 6 a.m. gym class. 6 a.m. — Attend my third CrossFit class of the week, my kind of movements today with a heavy two rep squat clean where I get a PB. 8 a.m. — My calls for today start early. Catching up on a few things and see that one my team is doing a sponsored walk for charity, donate £50. 12 p.m. — Take the doggo for a windy walk and warm up some leftover chickpea soup from the freezer with a frozen paratha. 1 p.m. — My Friday afternoon is 1:1s with my team members, giving me food for thought about my proposed team structure. I've only been managing this team for a few months and I feel like I'm only scratching the surface. 5:30 p.m. — Get the tram into town to meet an old friend for dinner. We tend to meet up every couple of months for food and a catch-up. Tonight we go to Australasia, which was oddly quiet. I benefit from this by the waitress essentially offering me a free wine tasting so I can choose what wine I want. It comes to £4.90 for the tram and £52 for my half of dinner. 8:30 p.m. — Because we are old, rather than go on somewhere for more drinks, we go for a coffee afterwards at Haunt MCR (where have an even more middle-aged peppermint tea). My friend pays for the hot drinks, as I got the drinks last time. 9:30 p.m. — I head home on the tram not long afterwards, getting an Uber from the tram stop to home, £4.97. Day Four 8:30 a.m. — Wake up with no alarm, bliss. Enjoy a Saturday morning roll around with my husband. Afterwards, we go down for breakfast and do the weekly meal plan. We've been doing this for years now, as we do most of our fresh food shopping at our local covered market. It sounds a lot more bougie than it is — it's 80% old ladies coming in to buy a single slice of ham, but I love doing the shopping here rather than the supermarket. A goes this morning as he wants to nip into our local town to return something to a shop. £34 at the greengrocer, £27 at the butchers, £15 fishmongers, £12 deli. 10:30 a.m. — I walk the dog and do a few small jobs in the garden when I get back while the sun shines. 12 p.m. — Lunch of lasagne that I missed by being out for tea last night. A and I head over to a large garden centre where they have a greenhouse showroom. For my 30th birthday a few years back, my parents gave me £1k towards a greenhouse but we've only been able to afford to do the garden landscaping required this year after three years of house renovation. We wander round all the options and settle on a middle-range, beautiful greenhouse, which still feels extravagant. We get home, double-check the measurements and order online, £2,559 to be added to the garden reno tab, I pay. 5:30 p.m. — We're headed back to central Manchester tonight for a special family meal at Hawksmoor, an amazing steak place. My parents gave us vouchers for a meal and we decided to use it for a joint birthday celebration for J and A. We have sharing steaks and all the sides and it is delicious. I also enjoy spotting a few celebs there too (James Nesbitt). The total bill was £424 for the four of us, but with the vouchers comes down to £224. We have a 'fun fund' that A and I pay £50 each a month into, which we'll rinse to pay for this. Total: £2,871 Day Five 7 a.m. — Woke up naturally but feeling a bit anxious (wine with dinner?). Every month I do a goal reflection across different areas of my life: relationships, health, finances, and projects like my home, garden and allotment. They reflect on the prior month and set goals for the coming one. I do this with a brew and breakfast in bed this morning. 10:30 a.m. — I go to my group PT session with my gym friends. We've done this for the last couple of months and it's a really affordable way to get some more personalised coaching on things we're all working on like pull-ups, handstands and double unders. I have a breakthrough today with my first-ever headstand (I normally freak out a bit being upside down). I pay £45 for the three sessions we have planned. 12:30 p.m. — Come home to a roast chicken dinner lovingly prepared by A. Sit with a coffee for a bit before heading down to my allotment. I've had my plot for three years and I love it — it's about a five-minute drive from my house and I've spent a lot of time renovating the beds, putting new paths in and putting up a new shed. I spend about four hours here, as the weather is so lovely, building out beds, re-laying paving slabs for paths and planting out my seed potatoes. 6 p.m. — I log on to my work laptop for an hour or so to prepare for tomorrow and send an email to my manager about some reflections I have after my 1:1s on Friday afternoon. It's been on my mind all weekend so I feel better after setting it out in writing. 8 p.m. — A and I sit and finish off some cheese and crackers for tea, finishing off some pieces of lovely cheese we bought a couple of weeks ago. Perfect picky tea after a massive roast dinner earlier. 9:30 p.m. — Off to bed and read my book. Total: £45 Day Six 5:30 a.m. — Wake up for my gym class after tossing and turning, with work issues churning around my brain. I know this is as a result of logging on in the evening. Normally, if I weekend work, I try to do Sunday morning so at least I have the rest of the day to switch off! My class is okay, max height box jumps and a gross workout of medicine ball cleans. Some days you got it, some days you don't. 8 a.m. — Log on for my weekly planning session before the work week begins. 9 a.m. — Today's the day we communicate more broadly about the rollout of a project I've been working on for the last 12 months. Feels pretty momentous! Lots of large briefing calls and comms going out which is a bit nerve-wracking. 11:30 a.m. — Nip out to walk the dog in the sunshine as I've got a call at 12:30 p.m. Make a sandwich with leftover roast chicken and the lonely avocado that has been hanging about in the fridge for the last two weeks. 12 p.m. — Our cleaner arrives. Okay, it's completely a luxury, but A and I find that this is the way to save me having to constantly remind him when it was his turn to clean the bathrooms, which I hated. The house is spotless after a three hour clean, which we get fortnightly. I transfer £54. 2 p.m. — I Monzo my friend £40 for a wine tasting event she's booking us onto in a couple of weeks' time. 5:30 p.m. — A and I head down to the allotment so he can help me move the new shed into place, which he built last week. He picked up some guttering at B&Q for me this afternoon so we attach that and set up the water (but I already have to collect rainwater off the roof). The new shed is one of the final pieces of the puzzle for the allotment renovation I've been working on for pretty much the last two years so I am very excited. I transfer A £55 for the B&Q shop. 6:30 p.m. — Get home to find an unexpected parcel on the doorstep. It's a hamper from my manager as a thank you for my work on the project we were communicating about today, which is super nice. It includes a couple of bottles of wine and some snacky bits, which I stash for a future occasion. I cook some roasted vegetable pasta in the air fryer and enjoy a Becks Blue; the sunshine always makes me want a cold beer so this is a good substitute! 7:30 p.m. — Eat our tea on the sofa watching an episode of 1923 on Paramount as we have a free trial. We've binged all the Yellowstone series over the last few months! 9:30 p.m. — Head to bed to try and finish my book before sleep. Total: £149 Day Seven 5:30 a.m. — Wake up for my 6 a.m. class. It's bench press and upper body today. Feeling a bit weary — think I need to eat something before these classes! 8 a.m. — Sit with my porridge and cup of tea and start my new book. A asks me to transfer him my half of the holiday we're going on in June — we are headed for a week's all-inclusive to Marrakech. Send him £1,000. 8:30 a.m. — My morning starts by dialling into a customer meeting that my boss is attending in person in London. I feel slightly bad for a minute that I'm not there in person, but to be there for what ends up being a 70 minute meeting I would have had to stay over last night. 12 p.m. — As usual, walk the dog listening to a podcast. When I get back, I finish the rest of the chicken/avocado combo from yesterday and read Gardeners World. I think it's the nice weather and finally feeling like my allotment is in good shape, so I spend yet MORE money on garden stuff. I order asparagus crowns, raspberry canes, chilli and aubergine plants and a mystery veg plant selection. I promise myself that next spring when I have my greenhouse up and running, I'll be growing from seed, £76 including delivery. 5 p.m. — After an afternoon full of project calls, I leave my last call 10 minutes early to take the dog back for his checkup at the vet. A few weeks back, his recurring skin allergy issues flared up and he was on meds. Due to a significant error on our part a couple of years ago when we changed insurers, this condition is not covered by insurance. I'm working on how to resolve this, but for now I pay the £80 for the appointment and prescription fees (I will order his medication at an online pharmacy as it's much cheaper). 7 p.m. — Cook a delicious tofu and lemongrass larb with lettuce cups and sticky rice (the first time we've cooked this recipe and it's a definite do again). Call my parents for a catch up, then tootle off to bed with my book for an early night. The Breakdown Conclusion "Ouch! This was not a typical week in terms of expenditure, as I had a couple of unusual purchases that will be a once every 20 years kind of spend. I just received my annual bonus, which was pretty much on target for last year and we've been saving for our garden renovation for the last year or so. Likewise, this is the only holiday payment that I had left to make this year – the rest of our holiday travel and accommodation for 2025 breaks are already paid. Food and drink was a bit spendy, it's pretty rare I'd be out two nights on the trot but it's great to be able to celebrate special occasions with family. I enjoyed writing the diary, it does make me wonder if I should reclassify myself as a spender though!"
