Pearl Howie's Blog, page 15
February 24, 2015
Hitting Walls
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Hi guys,
I was reading a book recently and (paraphrasing massively) this is what it said about walls or barriers; "our walls are not consciously chosen, they are the protection we put up around ourselves when we have been wounded or hurt, when being open caused us pain or humiliation".
Sometimes the walls we encounter may seem obvious, not spending time with a particular person or not going to a restaurant or shop where we had a bad experience, but I'm writing this because I'm feeling a resistance at the moment in certain areas of my life and although it's not specific, it definitely feels like a wall.
I think it’s the kind of wall we all have, we go a certain way to getting fit and healthy, or getting our finances more organized, and at first the little gains, the improvements act as an incentive to move us forward, and then…
…we slip back a little, put on a pound, miss a class, spend a little…
…or we lose so much weight and then we take a look in the mirror and realise we're still a long, long way from where we want to be…
…it's the way I feel when I'm halfway up a hill on the bike.
It's so tempting to stop, get off, take a break, just a breather… and then think… well maybe there's an easier route, maybe that's far enough for today.
It's so tempting to give up and not push through the difficulty, isn't it? Especially when we've done so well, isn't it time for a little treat and a sit down?
Guess what! This boring, tired, crappy, exhausted, bored (again), urgh! moment is the most exciting moment of all, because this is it, this is the moment right before all the exciting, amazing, incredible stuff happens.
How do I know?
Because that's why it feels like this. Because we're scared of the fireworks and miracles just over the horizon. Because subconsciously (and maybe even a little bit consciously) we know that life is about to become exciting, extraordinary, more wonderful than we could imagine, we're about to hit the gold, strike it rich, because that's when we are most tempted to give up, just as the dawn is about to come.
We know we can do it. All we have to do is put one foot in front of the other, keep going. We know we can do it. So the negatives; the quicksand it feels like we are pulling through is just fear holding us back. And the only thing we have to fear is fear itself, right?
What if I'm wrong? I don't think I am. But even so, shouldn't we only ever give up on something important to us when we have done everything, tried every avenue, given it our best shot, rather than just because we couldn't be bothered?
Let's keep pushing. Keep going up that hill, keep getting fitter, healthier, richer, happier, more skilled, wiser, stronger, more loving, more beautiful? Because even if we fail at some point in the future, pushing through now means we will definitely become, if nothing else, braver.
Much love, Pearl x
Follow me on Twitter
Hi guys,
I was reading a book recently and (paraphrasing massively) this is what it said about walls or barriers; "our walls are not consciously chosen, they are the protection we put up around ourselves when we have been wounded or hurt, when being open caused us pain or humiliation".
Sometimes the walls we encounter may seem obvious, not spending time with a particular person or not going to a restaurant or shop where we had a bad experience, but I'm writing this because I'm feeling a resistance at the moment in certain areas of my life and although it's not specific, it definitely feels like a wall.
I think it’s the kind of wall we all have, we go a certain way to getting fit and healthy, or getting our finances more organized, and at first the little gains, the improvements act as an incentive to move us forward, and then…
…we slip back a little, put on a pound, miss a class, spend a little…
…or we lose so much weight and then we take a look in the mirror and realise we're still a long, long way from where we want to be…
…it's the way I feel when I'm halfway up a hill on the bike.
It's so tempting to stop, get off, take a break, just a breather… and then think… well maybe there's an easier route, maybe that's far enough for today.
It's so tempting to give up and not push through the difficulty, isn't it? Especially when we've done so well, isn't it time for a little treat and a sit down?
Guess what! This boring, tired, crappy, exhausted, bored (again), urgh! moment is the most exciting moment of all, because this is it, this is the moment right before all the exciting, amazing, incredible stuff happens.
How do I know?
Because that's why it feels like this. Because we're scared of the fireworks and miracles just over the horizon. Because subconsciously (and maybe even a little bit consciously) we know that life is about to become exciting, extraordinary, more wonderful than we could imagine, we're about to hit the gold, strike it rich, because that's when we are most tempted to give up, just as the dawn is about to come.
We know we can do it. All we have to do is put one foot in front of the other, keep going. We know we can do it. So the negatives; the quicksand it feels like we are pulling through is just fear holding us back. And the only thing we have to fear is fear itself, right?
What if I'm wrong? I don't think I am. But even so, shouldn't we only ever give up on something important to us when we have done everything, tried every avenue, given it our best shot, rather than just because we couldn't be bothered?
Let's keep pushing. Keep going up that hill, keep getting fitter, healthier, richer, happier, more skilled, wiser, stronger, more loving, more beautiful? Because even if we fail at some point in the future, pushing through now means we will definitely become, if nothing else, braver.
Much love, Pearl x
February 19, 2015
Weekly Newsletter - Happy Chinese New Year
Find me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Click to subscribe to my weekly class newsletter http://eepurl.com/U3C3T
Saturday 21st February 2015
Saturday
10 – 11am Zumba® Fitness Vestry Hall £5 prebooked £7 on the day
Please note the price of this class is changing.
Monday
12 - 12:45pm Zumba Gold® Wimbledon Park Hall £6
Please call to book - 5 spaces left
1 - 1:45pm Zumba Gold® chair class Wimbledon Park Hall £3
8:15pm - 9:15pm Zumba® Fitness Wimbledon Park Hall £7
Tuesday
12:30 - 1:15pm Zumba Gold® Wimbledon Park Hall £6
6 - 6:45pm Zumba Gold® Vestry Hall, London Rd, Mitcham, CR4 3UD £5 prebooked £6 on the day
Please note the price of this class is changing.
7:15 – 8:15pm Zumba® Fitness Vestry Hall £5 prebooked £7 on the day
Please note the price of this class is changing.
Wednesday
10:10 – 10:55am Zumba Gold® Acacia IGC, 230 Grove Road, Mitcham, CR4 1SD £5 prebooked £6 on the day
Please call to book - 5 spaces left
Please note the price of this class is changing.
11:30 – 12 noon Zumba Gold® chair Acacia IGC £2
Thursday
12 – 12:45pm Zumba Gold® Wimbledon Guild, Drake House, 44 St. George's Road, Wimbledon, SW19 4ED £3
7:15 - 8pm Zumba® Gold Wimbledon Park Hall £6
Please call to book - this class is often quite full!
8:15 - 9:15pm Zumba Fitness® Wimbledon Park Hall £7
Please note this class will be closing at the end of February 2015
Saturday
10 – 11am Zumba® Fitness Vestry Hall £5 prebooked £7 on the day
Please note the price of this class is changing.
Next week - all classes running as normal
Happy Chinese New Year!
As we head into a new Chinese Year - The Year of The Goat I hear that finances may be auspicious (or at least more auspicious than last year) but we must be more careful financially. This is not the reason that my prices are increasing exactly but I thought I would use the auspicious date to give us a few weeks to get used to the new system at Vestry Hall and Acacia, where you can prebook at the old price of £5 or pay the full price on the day. See more about Booking below.
Prices at Wimbledon Guild will also be going up from the beginning of March to £4 - please feel free to chat to me if you want any more information about prices.
Booking
All the details on how to book are here on my Booking page.
Cindy Crawford’s Tummy
It’s been interesting to see the furore over the untouched pictures of Cindy Crawford’s body - especially her tummy. Yes, there are a few stretch marks and it may not be as toned as when she was 22 but it’s not too shabby.
I wonder why we are so obsessed with having the perfect tummy - in class I regularly expose mine, it’s not perfect, but whose is? (Apparently not 40 something supermodel’s!)
In many cultures, Indian especially, traditional dress exposes the midriff so the whole family can see the reality of grandma’s tummy.
I particularly loved one recent holiday advert that had a 50-60 year old in a bikini looking real, a bit wrinkly but very happy.
This year it was a big deal for me to put the photos from my first ever professional photoshoot on my advertising - no retouching, but some great lighting and photographer - and I still get asked by people - “that’s not you is it?” some people think I look better in person, others in the photos. Ultimately, although it felt like a big deal to begin with, I’ve got used to it - and so it goes for any of us when we... shock horror... put on a bikini, expose our bingo wings or even go out without make up. For most of us who aren’t being featured on the pages of Vogue our friends, family and colleagues are not going to freak out because we have a few wrinkles, love handles, stretch marks, scars or a bad hair day!
It might sound wrong but I can also see why photos get retouched, for the same reason models spend hours in hair and make up, or for that matter a bride on a wedding day - it’s about creating a perfect image, a piece of art (I bet even Da Vinci got asked “make me look prettier” by Mona Lisa) it’s a fantasy. The problem comes when we believe the fantasy is real, when we spend our lives comparing ourselves to that perfect person in the photo - even if that was just ourselves, on a very, very good day!
MoveGB
You may notice that I mention on my Bookings page that you can book via Wahanda and MoveGB. Move GB is a new service in the London area which offers you the chance to create your own slate of activities, rather like a virtual gym, from independent classes in the area.
It’s fairly new and I am just getting my first bookings but it has been running in Bath and New York prior to London. It seems to be a great concept as I know that some people decide to increase the number of classes they are taking, so join a gym and then don’t have a choice about their classes and also lose out if they are not going enough times a month.
If you’ve been thinking about taking more classes and my times don’t work for you - or you even want to do so many classes that it’s not cost effective - then check out MoveGB to see if it would be a good fit for you.
There’s also Pay As U Gym where you can pay for a one off visit to a club, from as little as £3, so you can combine coming to my classes (directly - I am not on Pay As U Gym!) with a gym visit each week or month and just pay for exactly what you use!
Congratulations!
Congratulations to all you guys who completed reward cards recently!
Jane completed 5 classes, fabulous!
Teresa completed 5 classes, fanfare!
Julie completed 5 classes, feet of fire!
Christy completed 5 classes, funky diva!
Heather completed 10 classes, ta dah!
Ellie completed 10 classes, terrific!
Laura completed 20 classes, tango-tastic!
Audrey completed 50 classes, fit and fierce!
Betty completed 70 classes, sensational!
Grace completed 70 classes, salsa stunner!
Pearl’s Blog
One Month On From This...
Thank You...
...for always being so supportive. Since opening up on my blog about my debt situation I have been overwhelmed by kind words, help and advice. You are a wonderful community and I am so proud, honoured and blessed to teach you (and have you teach me!)
Much love, Pearl
Follow me on Twitter
Click to subscribe to my weekly class newsletter http://eepurl.com/U3C3T
Saturday 21st February 2015
Saturday
10 – 11am Zumba® Fitness Vestry Hall £5 prebooked £7 on the day
Please note the price of this class is changing.
Monday
12 - 12:45pm Zumba Gold® Wimbledon Park Hall £6
Please call to book - 5 spaces left
1 - 1:45pm Zumba Gold® chair class Wimbledon Park Hall £3
8:15pm - 9:15pm Zumba® Fitness Wimbledon Park Hall £7
Tuesday
12:30 - 1:15pm Zumba Gold® Wimbledon Park Hall £6
6 - 6:45pm Zumba Gold® Vestry Hall, London Rd, Mitcham, CR4 3UD £5 prebooked £6 on the day
Please note the price of this class is changing.
7:15 – 8:15pm Zumba® Fitness Vestry Hall £5 prebooked £7 on the day
Please note the price of this class is changing.
Wednesday
10:10 – 10:55am Zumba Gold® Acacia IGC, 230 Grove Road, Mitcham, CR4 1SD £5 prebooked £6 on the day
Please call to book - 5 spaces left
Please note the price of this class is changing.
11:30 – 12 noon Zumba Gold® chair Acacia IGC £2
Thursday
12 – 12:45pm Zumba Gold® Wimbledon Guild, Drake House, 44 St. George's Road, Wimbledon, SW19 4ED £3
7:15 - 8pm Zumba® Gold Wimbledon Park Hall £6
Please call to book - this class is often quite full!
8:15 - 9:15pm Zumba Fitness® Wimbledon Park Hall £7
Please note this class will be closing at the end of February 2015
Saturday
10 – 11am Zumba® Fitness Vestry Hall £5 prebooked £7 on the day
Please note the price of this class is changing.
Next week - all classes running as normal
Happy Chinese New Year!
As we head into a new Chinese Year - The Year of The Goat I hear that finances may be auspicious (or at least more auspicious than last year) but we must be more careful financially. This is not the reason that my prices are increasing exactly but I thought I would use the auspicious date to give us a few weeks to get used to the new system at Vestry Hall and Acacia, where you can prebook at the old price of £5 or pay the full price on the day. See more about Booking below.
Prices at Wimbledon Guild will also be going up from the beginning of March to £4 - please feel free to chat to me if you want any more information about prices.
Booking
All the details on how to book are here on my Booking page.
Cindy Crawford’s Tummy
It’s been interesting to see the furore over the untouched pictures of Cindy Crawford’s body - especially her tummy. Yes, there are a few stretch marks and it may not be as toned as when she was 22 but it’s not too shabby.
I wonder why we are so obsessed with having the perfect tummy - in class I regularly expose mine, it’s not perfect, but whose is? (Apparently not 40 something supermodel’s!)
In many cultures, Indian especially, traditional dress exposes the midriff so the whole family can see the reality of grandma’s tummy.
I particularly loved one recent holiday advert that had a 50-60 year old in a bikini looking real, a bit wrinkly but very happy.
This year it was a big deal for me to put the photos from my first ever professional photoshoot on my advertising - no retouching, but some great lighting and photographer - and I still get asked by people - “that’s not you is it?” some people think I look better in person, others in the photos. Ultimately, although it felt like a big deal to begin with, I’ve got used to it - and so it goes for any of us when we... shock horror... put on a bikini, expose our bingo wings or even go out without make up. For most of us who aren’t being featured on the pages of Vogue our friends, family and colleagues are not going to freak out because we have a few wrinkles, love handles, stretch marks, scars or a bad hair day!
It might sound wrong but I can also see why photos get retouched, for the same reason models spend hours in hair and make up, or for that matter a bride on a wedding day - it’s about creating a perfect image, a piece of art (I bet even Da Vinci got asked “make me look prettier” by Mona Lisa) it’s a fantasy. The problem comes when we believe the fantasy is real, when we spend our lives comparing ourselves to that perfect person in the photo - even if that was just ourselves, on a very, very good day!
MoveGB
You may notice that I mention on my Bookings page that you can book via Wahanda and MoveGB. Move GB is a new service in the London area which offers you the chance to create your own slate of activities, rather like a virtual gym, from independent classes in the area.
It’s fairly new and I am just getting my first bookings but it has been running in Bath and New York prior to London. It seems to be a great concept as I know that some people decide to increase the number of classes they are taking, so join a gym and then don’t have a choice about their classes and also lose out if they are not going enough times a month.
If you’ve been thinking about taking more classes and my times don’t work for you - or you even want to do so many classes that it’s not cost effective - then check out MoveGB to see if it would be a good fit for you.
There’s also Pay As U Gym where you can pay for a one off visit to a club, from as little as £3, so you can combine coming to my classes (directly - I am not on Pay As U Gym!) with a gym visit each week or month and just pay for exactly what you use!
Congratulations!
Congratulations to all you guys who completed reward cards recently!
Jane completed 5 classes, fabulous!
Teresa completed 5 classes, fanfare!
Julie completed 5 classes, feet of fire!
Christy completed 5 classes, funky diva!
Heather completed 10 classes, ta dah!
Ellie completed 10 classes, terrific!
Laura completed 20 classes, tango-tastic!
Audrey completed 50 classes, fit and fierce!
Betty completed 70 classes, sensational!
Grace completed 70 classes, salsa stunner!
Pearl’s Blog
One Month On From This...
Thank You...
...for always being so supportive. Since opening up on my blog about my debt situation I have been overwhelmed by kind words, help and advice. You are a wonderful community and I am so proud, honoured and blessed to teach you (and have you teach me!)
Much love, Pearl
One Month On From This…
Find me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Hi guys,
I’m Not Happy and I’m Ashamed
I said in my first blog post about my debts "hopefully this time next month (let alone next year) I will be a little less unhappy with the situation and, well, after sharing with you guys I definitely feel less ashamed…"
I was really touched by the immediate responses I had from people who read that post and I'm so thankful for the help and support that followed.
I really can't believe the difference a month has made, I've learnt so much and feel that I've made a massive dent already. On the downside I've learnt some more, courtesy of Money Saving Expert (MSE) and my own experiences about how messed up our financial situation is as a society (as well as my own personal financial situation!)
I've also learned that miracles do happen when you set your heart and mind to dealing with a problem, from the small everyday miracles to mighty ones. Magic is out there!
I've learned that you should never ever walk into a bank without a firm goal. If you go in for "financial advice", "a review of your accounts" or anything vague you may well end up saying yes to whatever they offer or walking out without cancelling that direct debit or changing your account (and getting rid of fees). It's so hard to break up with your bank that I feel there should be some kind of counselling offered to help you get through it.
My Brain Hurts!
Quick Tip – Call your credit card companies and ask them to lower your rate. I saved £250 for the year!
Quick Tip – You can get free tea or coffee (one a day) with a My Waitrose card.
Quick Tip – When you switch your Tesco Clubcard points to Virgin Atlantic airmiles you get 1,000 bonus miles.
Avoiding The Crash Diet
I believe that a financial diet needs to be sustainable just as a food diet, so I took some time to really consider what I spend and who I want to support with my spending – local businesses, charities and great massage places!
The Credit Card Shuffle
Altogether with credit card switches to 0% I have saved (or will when the cheque for my whiplash injury clears!!) a total of £169… a month! Yes a total of nearly £2,030 in interest a year!
Unfortunately I also got turned down for a new 0% credit card, but used the eligibility calculator on MSE which said I had a 70% chance – not infallible! I'm now setting my sights on a cashback card with a low APR.
Quick Tip – Keep checking your existing cards for offers. You can also ask when you call your credit card companies – sometimes they will increase your limit and offer you a 0% transfer deal but it's easier to check online.
I also decided to use a technique from the "4 Hour Work Week" book – dreamlining to use my dreams as targets for saving money. Saving £1800 is one thing, saving enough money to go to Vegas with the boyfriend is another!
Dreamlining
Quick Tip – go crazy listing your fantasies and budgeting for them. Many of mine are quite cheap and some of them are even profitable – teaching Aqua for example. Getting my eyelashes tinted was another thing that I just hadn't made time to do this year – just ticking off a goal off my list motivates me to keep going. I also put down 1-2 massages a month to keep my body stress free, and visited the Destinations Show to remind myself of my travel dreams that I've put on hold. (This is the body equivalent of checking out the clothes you've lusted after but thought, "I could never wear that.")
I discovered that I have become hopeless outdated with regards to finance.
The Big Energy Switch
I was against tarting around energy companies but saved £216 a year by switching provider.
I hated the idea of haggling for my broadband but…
Besting Broadband
…was very excited to save £196.80 by threatening to switch over to Virgin from BT. Then I also learned…
Quick Tip – don't trust a word BT say. Called back today to find that nobody knew what I was talking about, no order was put through and I'm still paying the same massive bill. There's going to be one more call to BT and then I'm off to Virgin! I save more money in the first year there (the last 6 months of an 18 month contract are more expensive but still cheaper and better service than BT). Alternatively I could always go sit in Starbucks and use their WiFi.
Sadly the need to adopt an aggressive attitude to haggling for energy, telephone service and even insurance mean that the most vulnerable people – elderly and disabled users are unlikely to get the best rates and deals – which to me is just downright wrong.
Another very important thing I learned this month was that I need to "man up" and make sure my prices rise in line with my costs and other factors, so some of my prices are going up from the Chinese New Year! So far so good.
Quick Tip - I also put my empty car parking space on JustPark – made £10 so far.
It's worth checking out the MSE list of how to earn more (asking for a pay rise is right up there at the top of the list) but as with saving money you do need to prioritise. I could be earning money right now by taking surveys on iPoll, but at 65p for a 20 minute survey I think my time is better spent developing new songs for class and advertising. I checked out several late flights I've had but they were not quite delayed enough for compensation (man it felt like they were but that's because of the chaos of arriving at 11:45pm instead of 9pm into Heathrow!)
Plus I saved half the cost of my buildings insurance, to do which I had to email my freeholder and check I was allowed to switch away from my broker – another £155 saved this year!
I also learned how to check my credit reports for free – it’s actually very simple and if you want to give it a go I'd recommend the free for life service (see MSE). It's not vastly different from Equifax and Experian, (which you have to order then cancel within the free month) but I have to sit down at some point and call them both to cancel, which I am not looking forward to. The big difference with Experian is that it tells you the relevance of the information i.e. as I'd been shopping around for insurance on comparison sites these showed up on my credit report, but they don't affect your rating – neither do searches from Vodafone etc. The big news from Experian is that in order to improve my credit score so that I can get better rates and 0% offers I need to pay off a lot of my debt. Wow, what genius thought up this system? Unfortunately like a lot of things it is a Catch 22.
Quick Tip - check your credit report quickly and for free - it’s nothing to be scared of!
I also remembered that money doesn’t buy you happiness. When things go wrong in your life having a great body or great finances aren’t going to be the thing that gets you through - what gets me through is great friends, great family and great classes! But it’s nice not to have to worry too much about your own health or money when other stuff is going on.
As I went through all these different steps I realised that I had tried a lot of them before; tried to speak to my bank and been intimidated when they suggested they might get rid of my overdraft if I requested to extend it, been told to get lost by a debt helpline because part of my debt is business related, I've made small in roads into my debt and then put it back on again, but this time I feel empowered, more in control, less willing to take no for an answer and determined and motivated to keep on keeping on.
As we say with Zumba, everything works when it comes to fitness, but it's making the class fun as well as effective that makes it work. Saving £20 a month is not going to get me out of the hole I'm in, but £20 + £20 + £20…. Means I'll be able to get back into my financial bikini, maybe even THIS summer!!!
Much love, Pearl x
Follow me on Twitter
Hi guys,
I’m Not Happy and I’m Ashamed
I said in my first blog post about my debts "hopefully this time next month (let alone next year) I will be a little less unhappy with the situation and, well, after sharing with you guys I definitely feel less ashamed…"
I was really touched by the immediate responses I had from people who read that post and I'm so thankful for the help and support that followed.
I really can't believe the difference a month has made, I've learnt so much and feel that I've made a massive dent already. On the downside I've learnt some more, courtesy of Money Saving Expert (MSE) and my own experiences about how messed up our financial situation is as a society (as well as my own personal financial situation!)
I've also learned that miracles do happen when you set your heart and mind to dealing with a problem, from the small everyday miracles to mighty ones. Magic is out there!
I've learned that you should never ever walk into a bank without a firm goal. If you go in for "financial advice", "a review of your accounts" or anything vague you may well end up saying yes to whatever they offer or walking out without cancelling that direct debit or changing your account (and getting rid of fees). It's so hard to break up with your bank that I feel there should be some kind of counselling offered to help you get through it.
My Brain Hurts!
Quick Tip – Call your credit card companies and ask them to lower your rate. I saved £250 for the year!
Quick Tip – You can get free tea or coffee (one a day) with a My Waitrose card.
Quick Tip – When you switch your Tesco Clubcard points to Virgin Atlantic airmiles you get 1,000 bonus miles.
Avoiding The Crash Diet
I believe that a financial diet needs to be sustainable just as a food diet, so I took some time to really consider what I spend and who I want to support with my spending – local businesses, charities and great massage places!
The Credit Card Shuffle
Altogether with credit card switches to 0% I have saved (or will when the cheque for my whiplash injury clears!!) a total of £169… a month! Yes a total of nearly £2,030 in interest a year!
Unfortunately I also got turned down for a new 0% credit card, but used the eligibility calculator on MSE which said I had a 70% chance – not infallible! I'm now setting my sights on a cashback card with a low APR.
Quick Tip – Keep checking your existing cards for offers. You can also ask when you call your credit card companies – sometimes they will increase your limit and offer you a 0% transfer deal but it's easier to check online.
I also decided to use a technique from the "4 Hour Work Week" book – dreamlining to use my dreams as targets for saving money. Saving £1800 is one thing, saving enough money to go to Vegas with the boyfriend is another!
Dreamlining
Quick Tip – go crazy listing your fantasies and budgeting for them. Many of mine are quite cheap and some of them are even profitable – teaching Aqua for example. Getting my eyelashes tinted was another thing that I just hadn't made time to do this year – just ticking off a goal off my list motivates me to keep going. I also put down 1-2 massages a month to keep my body stress free, and visited the Destinations Show to remind myself of my travel dreams that I've put on hold. (This is the body equivalent of checking out the clothes you've lusted after but thought, "I could never wear that.")
I discovered that I have become hopeless outdated with regards to finance.
The Big Energy Switch
I was against tarting around energy companies but saved £216 a year by switching provider.
I hated the idea of haggling for my broadband but…
Besting Broadband
…was very excited to save £196.80 by threatening to switch over to Virgin from BT. Then I also learned…
Quick Tip – don't trust a word BT say. Called back today to find that nobody knew what I was talking about, no order was put through and I'm still paying the same massive bill. There's going to be one more call to BT and then I'm off to Virgin! I save more money in the first year there (the last 6 months of an 18 month contract are more expensive but still cheaper and better service than BT). Alternatively I could always go sit in Starbucks and use their WiFi.
Sadly the need to adopt an aggressive attitude to haggling for energy, telephone service and even insurance mean that the most vulnerable people – elderly and disabled users are unlikely to get the best rates and deals – which to me is just downright wrong.
Another very important thing I learned this month was that I need to "man up" and make sure my prices rise in line with my costs and other factors, so some of my prices are going up from the Chinese New Year! So far so good.
Quick Tip - I also put my empty car parking space on JustPark – made £10 so far.
It's worth checking out the MSE list of how to earn more (asking for a pay rise is right up there at the top of the list) but as with saving money you do need to prioritise. I could be earning money right now by taking surveys on iPoll, but at 65p for a 20 minute survey I think my time is better spent developing new songs for class and advertising. I checked out several late flights I've had but they were not quite delayed enough for compensation (man it felt like they were but that's because of the chaos of arriving at 11:45pm instead of 9pm into Heathrow!)
Plus I saved half the cost of my buildings insurance, to do which I had to email my freeholder and check I was allowed to switch away from my broker – another £155 saved this year!
I also learned how to check my credit reports for free – it’s actually very simple and if you want to give it a go I'd recommend the free for life service (see MSE). It's not vastly different from Equifax and Experian, (which you have to order then cancel within the free month) but I have to sit down at some point and call them both to cancel, which I am not looking forward to. The big difference with Experian is that it tells you the relevance of the information i.e. as I'd been shopping around for insurance on comparison sites these showed up on my credit report, but they don't affect your rating – neither do searches from Vodafone etc. The big news from Experian is that in order to improve my credit score so that I can get better rates and 0% offers I need to pay off a lot of my debt. Wow, what genius thought up this system? Unfortunately like a lot of things it is a Catch 22.
Quick Tip - check your credit report quickly and for free - it’s nothing to be scared of!
I also remembered that money doesn’t buy you happiness. When things go wrong in your life having a great body or great finances aren’t going to be the thing that gets you through - what gets me through is great friends, great family and great classes! But it’s nice not to have to worry too much about your own health or money when other stuff is going on.
As I went through all these different steps I realised that I had tried a lot of them before; tried to speak to my bank and been intimidated when they suggested they might get rid of my overdraft if I requested to extend it, been told to get lost by a debt helpline because part of my debt is business related, I've made small in roads into my debt and then put it back on again, but this time I feel empowered, more in control, less willing to take no for an answer and determined and motivated to keep on keeping on.
As we say with Zumba, everything works when it comes to fitness, but it's making the class fun as well as effective that makes it work. Saving £20 a month is not going to get me out of the hole I'm in, but £20 + £20 + £20…. Means I'll be able to get back into my financial bikini, maybe even THIS summer!!!
Much love, Pearl x
February 13, 2015
Weekly Newsletter - Happy Valentine's Day
Find me on Facebook
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Click to subscribe to my weekly class newsletter http://eepurl.com/U3C3T
Saturday 14th February 2015
Saturday
10 – 11am Zumba® Fitness Vestry Hall £5
Monday
12 - 12:45pm Zumba Gold® Wimbledon Park Hall £6
Please call to book - 2 spaces left
1 - 1:45pm Zumba Gold® chair class Wimbledon Park Hall £3
8:15pm - 9:15pm Zumba® Fitness Wimbledon Park Hall £7
Tuesday
12:30 - 1:15pm Zumba Gold® Wimbledon Park Hall £6
6 - 6:45pm Zumba Gold® Vestry Hall, London Rd, Mitcham, CR4 3UD £5 prebooked £6 on the day
Please note the price of this class is changing.
7:15 – 8:15pm Zumba® Fitness Vestry Hall £5 prebooked £7 on the day
Please note the price of this class is changing.
Wednesday
10:10 – 10:55am Zumba Gold® Acacia IGC, 230 Grove Road, Mitcham, CR4 1SD £5 prebooked £6 on the day
Please call to book - 5 spaces left
Please note the price of this class is changing.
11:30 – 12 noon Zumba Gold® chair Acacia IGC £2
Thursday
12 – 12:45pm Zumba Gold® Wimbledon Guild, Drake House, 44 St. George's Road, Wimbledon, SW19 4ED £3
7:15 - 8pm Zumba® Gold Wimbledon Park Hall £6
Please call to book - this class is often quite full!
8:15 - 9:15pm Zumba Fitness® Wimbledon Park Hall £7
Please note this class will be closing at the end of February 2015
Saturday
10 – 11am Zumba® Fitness Vestry Hall £5 prebooked £7 on the day
Please note the price of this class is changing.
Next week - all classes running as normal
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Valentine’s Day is another one of those celebrations that we might put off if we could until everything felt a little bit happier. The concept is that we need something to brighten up the cold winter, but I also think wouldn’t it be nice if Valentine’s Day was in the middle of summer with picnics by a lake or on a beach?
When I was single I used to love making Valentine’s Day all about expressing my love for friends and family and hijacking coupley ideas... I mean why not give your mum a bunch of flowers or tell your friends how special they are? But this year that all feels a bit hollow because every time I look or see anything to do with V Day it just comes back to this - I am not going to be with the guy I love on Valentine’s Day and no matter how you cut it that sucks.
I’m sure we’ll try and do something, the internet is a wonderful thing, but just for this year my heart is with everyone who is missing a loved one. Everyone who has someone in the military or serving somehow elsewhere in the world, who has a loved one who can’t get time off work, everyone who misses a loved one who is no longer with us, or sick or suffering and hope these few lines from “The Prophet” help.
“...could you keep your heart in wonder at the daily miracles of your life, your pain would not seem less wondrous than your joy;”
“When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find that it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful, look again in your heart and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.”
So maybe when I see couples and all the V Day stuff perhaps I can remember that this is the joy... that I’ve already experienced and am missing and hopefully the joy to come.
Singing In The Rain
We’ve been doing this song for a while in my chair class and we were talking about the versions we’ve loved... so here are some for you to enjoy!
Congratulations!
Congratulations to all you guys who completed reward cards recently!
Mahe completed 5 classes, feet of fire!
Viv completed 5 classes, fabulous!
Marie completed 5 classes, fit and fierce!
Charo completed 10 classes, ta dah!
David completed 10 classes, terrific!
Jenny completed 15 classes, fanfare!
Gabriela completed 5 classes, funky diva!
Heather completed 15 classes, fantastic!
Niamh completed 20 classes, triumphant!
Marie-Claire completed 30 classes, that’s awesome!
Pam completed 50 classes, fast and furious!
Pearl’s Blog
Udvartana
Besting Broadband
Thank You...
...for always being so supportive. Since opening up on my blog about my debt situation I have been overwhelmed by kind words, help and advice. You are a wonderful community and I am so proud, honoured and blessed to teach you (and have you teach me!)
Much love, Pearl
Follow me on Twitter
Click to subscribe to my weekly class newsletter http://eepurl.com/U3C3T
Saturday 14th February 2015
Saturday
10 – 11am Zumba® Fitness Vestry Hall £5
Monday
12 - 12:45pm Zumba Gold® Wimbledon Park Hall £6
Please call to book - 2 spaces left
1 - 1:45pm Zumba Gold® chair class Wimbledon Park Hall £3
8:15pm - 9:15pm Zumba® Fitness Wimbledon Park Hall £7
Tuesday
12:30 - 1:15pm Zumba Gold® Wimbledon Park Hall £6
6 - 6:45pm Zumba Gold® Vestry Hall, London Rd, Mitcham, CR4 3UD £5 prebooked £6 on the day
Please note the price of this class is changing.
7:15 – 8:15pm Zumba® Fitness Vestry Hall £5 prebooked £7 on the day
Please note the price of this class is changing.
Wednesday
10:10 – 10:55am Zumba Gold® Acacia IGC, 230 Grove Road, Mitcham, CR4 1SD £5 prebooked £6 on the day
Please call to book - 5 spaces left
Please note the price of this class is changing.
11:30 – 12 noon Zumba Gold® chair Acacia IGC £2
Thursday
12 – 12:45pm Zumba Gold® Wimbledon Guild, Drake House, 44 St. George's Road, Wimbledon, SW19 4ED £3
7:15 - 8pm Zumba® Gold Wimbledon Park Hall £6
Please call to book - this class is often quite full!
8:15 - 9:15pm Zumba Fitness® Wimbledon Park Hall £7
Please note this class will be closing at the end of February 2015
Saturday
10 – 11am Zumba® Fitness Vestry Hall £5 prebooked £7 on the day
Please note the price of this class is changing.
Next week - all classes running as normal
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Valentine’s Day is another one of those celebrations that we might put off if we could until everything felt a little bit happier. The concept is that we need something to brighten up the cold winter, but I also think wouldn’t it be nice if Valentine’s Day was in the middle of summer with picnics by a lake or on a beach?
When I was single I used to love making Valentine’s Day all about expressing my love for friends and family and hijacking coupley ideas... I mean why not give your mum a bunch of flowers or tell your friends how special they are? But this year that all feels a bit hollow because every time I look or see anything to do with V Day it just comes back to this - I am not going to be with the guy I love on Valentine’s Day and no matter how you cut it that sucks.
I’m sure we’ll try and do something, the internet is a wonderful thing, but just for this year my heart is with everyone who is missing a loved one. Everyone who has someone in the military or serving somehow elsewhere in the world, who has a loved one who can’t get time off work, everyone who misses a loved one who is no longer with us, or sick or suffering and hope these few lines from “The Prophet” help.
“...could you keep your heart in wonder at the daily miracles of your life, your pain would not seem less wondrous than your joy;”
“When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find that it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful, look again in your heart and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.”
So maybe when I see couples and all the V Day stuff perhaps I can remember that this is the joy... that I’ve already experienced and am missing and hopefully the joy to come.
Singing In The Rain
We’ve been doing this song for a while in my chair class and we were talking about the versions we’ve loved... so here are some for you to enjoy!
Congratulations!
Congratulations to all you guys who completed reward cards recently!
Mahe completed 5 classes, feet of fire!
Viv completed 5 classes, fabulous!
Marie completed 5 classes, fit and fierce!
Charo completed 10 classes, ta dah!
David completed 10 classes, terrific!
Jenny completed 15 classes, fanfare!
Gabriela completed 5 classes, funky diva!
Heather completed 15 classes, fantastic!
Niamh completed 20 classes, triumphant!
Marie-Claire completed 30 classes, that’s awesome!
Pam completed 50 classes, fast and furious!
Pearl’s Blog
Udvartana
Besting Broadband
Thank You...
...for always being so supportive. Since opening up on my blog about my debt situation I have been overwhelmed by kind words, help and advice. You are a wonderful community and I am so proud, honoured and blessed to teach you (and have you teach me!)
Much love, Pearl
February 10, 2015
Udvartana
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Hi guys,
I feel good, I feel really good and I smell fantastic! Although this wasn't one of my favourite ever massages during, it's quickly turning into a top one for the after glow.
Having to finish my massage by stepping into the shower to wash off the gritty powder made me feel less immediately relaxed (and that stuff is hard to get off!) but now I feel invigorated, my skin is smooth, and the extra rubbing in of ILA body lotion didn't hurt. The dark brown powder has left me with a little tinge (free fake tan) and what looks like the biggest reduction in cellulite from one massage I've ever seen. Forget liposuction, this is the way to go!
Jivita Ayurveda is a special place for massage as it is treatment rooms rather than a spa and the treatments are some of the best in London (it features many of the same treatments as Ananda in the Himalayas - one of my dream destinations). This means that sometimes the noise levels leave something to be desired but I've had the same issues in many 5 star spas and this time I only became aware of noise when the CD ran out.
This massage starts on your thighs, presumably so the powder has the most time to handle your cellulite, then legs and back, before you turn over for legs, body, boobs, arms, finished off with an oily (no powder thank goodness) facial massage which seriously uses pressure points. There were a few moments when the pressure was almost more than I could handle!
During the massage I questioned my choice as it feels like a combination of a body scrub and massage together and wasn't as pleasurable as the oily Ayurvedic massages I've had here, but the massage technique itself, especially hitting the pressure points was wonderful as always.
It's done wonders for my mood, taking me from February blues to celebrating life and ready again to sing the praises of international spas and massages in London (it's hard to think of a time of year when we need them more), left me with smooth, cellulite free tinted skin and relaxed muscles and above all a renewed sense of energy, hope, passion and general goodwill to all man.
And it was 20% off for February!
Much love, Pearl x
Follow me on Twitter
Hi guys,
I feel good, I feel really good and I smell fantastic! Although this wasn't one of my favourite ever massages during, it's quickly turning into a top one for the after glow.
Having to finish my massage by stepping into the shower to wash off the gritty powder made me feel less immediately relaxed (and that stuff is hard to get off!) but now I feel invigorated, my skin is smooth, and the extra rubbing in of ILA body lotion didn't hurt. The dark brown powder has left me with a little tinge (free fake tan) and what looks like the biggest reduction in cellulite from one massage I've ever seen. Forget liposuction, this is the way to go!
Jivita Ayurveda is a special place for massage as it is treatment rooms rather than a spa and the treatments are some of the best in London (it features many of the same treatments as Ananda in the Himalayas - one of my dream destinations). This means that sometimes the noise levels leave something to be desired but I've had the same issues in many 5 star spas and this time I only became aware of noise when the CD ran out.
This massage starts on your thighs, presumably so the powder has the most time to handle your cellulite, then legs and back, before you turn over for legs, body, boobs, arms, finished off with an oily (no powder thank goodness) facial massage which seriously uses pressure points. There were a few moments when the pressure was almost more than I could handle!
During the massage I questioned my choice as it feels like a combination of a body scrub and massage together and wasn't as pleasurable as the oily Ayurvedic massages I've had here, but the massage technique itself, especially hitting the pressure points was wonderful as always.
It's done wonders for my mood, taking me from February blues to celebrating life and ready again to sing the praises of international spas and massages in London (it's hard to think of a time of year when we need them more), left me with smooth, cellulite free tinted skin and relaxed muscles and above all a renewed sense of energy, hope, passion and general goodwill to all man.
And it was 20% off for February!
Much love, Pearl x
February 6, 2015
Besting Broadband
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Hi guys,
After the heady one click success of switching and saving half my energy bill (The Big Energy Switch) I was gung ho about my broadband which was now more expensive than my energy! That is until I started trying to actually compare on compare the market or check the sell by dates on money supermarket. Then I thought I’d ring BT (my current provider) just to get some sense of what I was doing. After they hung up on me and their useful website told me “Congratulations we will send you your online registration within the week” I was ready to abandon ship. (At this point the plumber and his mate were back in my bathroom replacing my dripping 30 year old taps, I was washing my new white duvet that I’d just dropped beetroot on - this is not how I had envisioned my “relaxing” Friday.)
About to lose it I thought I’d call the Money Supermarket Broadband Helpline - 0333 123 6379. No numbers to press, no stress, no fuss, just a very helpful lady asking “what do you have now?” “what do you want?” and offering me an even better deal with Virgin than on the site! Around half the cost of my current plan with faster speed and unlimited broadband (real unlimited not BT 40G unlimited). Yep! Now that’s more like it.
So I called BT to cancel. They really don’t help their cause when they put you on a helpline that says loudly as you wait “You owe us £many hundreds of pounds...” but ultimately I got through, and I was 100% serious when I said I want to cancel... Guess what, after a chat with her manager the lady at the end of the line offered me an unlimited deal that just beat Virgin by pennies, yes please. Unfortunately I’ve already paid my bill for the quarter, but it means that my May bill will be practically nothing so not bad for one (sorry two) phone calls.
Saving - £196.80 per year and I get truly unlimited broadband. That’s more than a night at the Mandarin Oriental or Bellagio Vegas!
Oh and the taps are done and the beetroot washed out! Happy Friday!
Much love, Pearl x
Follow me on Twitter
Hi guys,
After the heady one click success of switching and saving half my energy bill (The Big Energy Switch) I was gung ho about my broadband which was now more expensive than my energy! That is until I started trying to actually compare on compare the market or check the sell by dates on money supermarket. Then I thought I’d ring BT (my current provider) just to get some sense of what I was doing. After they hung up on me and their useful website told me “Congratulations we will send you your online registration within the week” I was ready to abandon ship. (At this point the plumber and his mate were back in my bathroom replacing my dripping 30 year old taps, I was washing my new white duvet that I’d just dropped beetroot on - this is not how I had envisioned my “relaxing” Friday.)
About to lose it I thought I’d call the Money Supermarket Broadband Helpline - 0333 123 6379. No numbers to press, no stress, no fuss, just a very helpful lady asking “what do you have now?” “what do you want?” and offering me an even better deal with Virgin than on the site! Around half the cost of my current plan with faster speed and unlimited broadband (real unlimited not BT 40G unlimited). Yep! Now that’s more like it.
So I called BT to cancel. They really don’t help their cause when they put you on a helpline that says loudly as you wait “You owe us £many hundreds of pounds...” but ultimately I got through, and I was 100% serious when I said I want to cancel... Guess what, after a chat with her manager the lady at the end of the line offered me an unlimited deal that just beat Virgin by pennies, yes please. Unfortunately I’ve already paid my bill for the quarter, but it means that my May bill will be practically nothing so not bad for one (sorry two) phone calls.
Saving - £196.80 per year and I get truly unlimited broadband. That’s more than a night at the Mandarin Oriental or Bellagio Vegas!
Oh and the taps are done and the beetroot washed out! Happy Friday!
Much love, Pearl x
February 5, 2015
Weekly Newsletter - We Kicked January's Bottom!
Find me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Click to subscribe to my weekly class newsletter http://eepurl.com/U3C3T
Saturday 7th February 2015
Saturday
10 – 11am Zumba® Fitness Vestry Hall £5
Monday
12 - 12:45pm Zumba Gold® Wimbledon Park Hall £6
Please call to book - 6 spaces left
1 - 1:45pm Zumba Gold® chair class Wimbledon Park Hall £3
8:15pm - 9:15pm Zumba® Fitness Wimbledon Park Hall £7
Tuesday
12:30 - 1:15pm Zumba Gold® Wimbledon Park Hall £6
6 - 6:45pm Zumba Gold® Vestry Hall, London Rd, Mitcham, CR4 3UD £5
7:15 – 8:15pm Zumba® Fitness Vestry Hall £5
Wednesday
10:10 – 10:55am Zumba Gold® Acacia IGC, 230 Grove Road, Mitcham, CR4 1SD £5
Please call to book - 5 spaces left
11:30 – 12 noon Zumba Gold® chair Acacia IGC £2
Thursday
12 – 12:45pm Zumba Gold® Wimbledon Guild, Drake House, 44 St. George's Road, Wimbledon, SW19 4ED £3
7:15 - 8pm Zumba® Gold Wimbledon Park Hall £6
Please call to book - this class is almost full!
8:15 - 9:15pm Zumba Fitness® Wimbledon Park Hall £7
Saturday
10 – 11am Zumba® Fitness Vestry Hall £5
Next week - all classes running as normal
We Kicked January’s Bottom!
Just want to say a huge well done to everyone for making it to class in a very cold January (and start of February). When it is this cold and snowy I often grit my teeth for very quiet classes, but was so impressed with you hard core people coming out in all weathers.
I’m sorry I doubted or underestimated you! We’re going to carry straight on through February with even hotter tracks. As much as I dislike some fitness soundbites one that I heard in January which has stayed with me is “summer bodies are made in winter”. And you already look awesome!
Price Changes for Chinese New Year (Year of the Goat)
The time has come! My Mitcham classes have stayed at the same price for 3-4 years now and my Vestry Hall room hire charges will be going up for the third time in March, so I’ve decided to make some changes. Before you panic I am going to give you the option to keep your current price (£5) if you book and prepay for classes, either in class the week before or via Paypal to pearl@pearlescapes.co.uk (and I will add more details to my Booking page).
Zumba Gold will now be £6 per class on the day and Zumba Fitness £7 on the day, you can make life even easier by booking a month of classes at Vestry Hall for £40 if you like.
The Chinese New Year is February 18th so I will be launching new prices and booking then with a few weeks to get into the new groove before prices officially change on 1st March (plus I need time to reprint my timetables!)
If you have any questions at all please don’t be afraid to ask me, either call/text on 07770 846 284 or email me at pearl@pearlescapes.co.uk
Run Or Dye With Me!
This is one of only two runs I’ve wanted to do (the other is the Santa Dash!) although spaces get booked up so quickly that I’m really lucky to have booked a space for Sunday 5th July in Kent. I’d love it if any of you want to come join me - and you can come and spectate for free!
As you can see from the video kids are welcome and under 6s are free!
I haven’t decided if I am just doing this for fun or charity yet - just that I am DOING IT FINALLY!
Congratulations!
Congratulations to all you guys who completed reward cards recently!
Mehta completed 5 classes, fabulous!
Selina completed 5 classes, funky diva!
Amelia completed 5 classes, fit and fierce!
Bridget completed 5 classes, best foot forward!
Angela completed 5 classes, flipping awesome!
Shannon completed 5 classes, feet of fire!
Heather completed 5 classes, fantastic!
Sally completed 15 classes, fanfare!
Mary completed 50 classes, fast and furious!
Helen completed 70 classes, sexy and you know it!
Pearl’s Blog
Dreamlining
The Big Energy Switch
The Credit Card Shuffle Part II
Thank You...
...for always being so supportive. Since opening up on my blog about my debt situation I have been overwhelmed by kind words, help and advice. You are a wonderful community and I am so proud, honoured and blessed to teach you (and have you teach me!)
Much love, Pearl
Follow me on Twitter
Click to subscribe to my weekly class newsletter http://eepurl.com/U3C3T
Saturday 7th February 2015
Saturday
10 – 11am Zumba® Fitness Vestry Hall £5
Monday
12 - 12:45pm Zumba Gold® Wimbledon Park Hall £6
Please call to book - 6 spaces left
1 - 1:45pm Zumba Gold® chair class Wimbledon Park Hall £3
8:15pm - 9:15pm Zumba® Fitness Wimbledon Park Hall £7
Tuesday
12:30 - 1:15pm Zumba Gold® Wimbledon Park Hall £6
6 - 6:45pm Zumba Gold® Vestry Hall, London Rd, Mitcham, CR4 3UD £5
7:15 – 8:15pm Zumba® Fitness Vestry Hall £5
Wednesday
10:10 – 10:55am Zumba Gold® Acacia IGC, 230 Grove Road, Mitcham, CR4 1SD £5
Please call to book - 5 spaces left
11:30 – 12 noon Zumba Gold® chair Acacia IGC £2
Thursday
12 – 12:45pm Zumba Gold® Wimbledon Guild, Drake House, 44 St. George's Road, Wimbledon, SW19 4ED £3
7:15 - 8pm Zumba® Gold Wimbledon Park Hall £6
Please call to book - this class is almost full!
8:15 - 9:15pm Zumba Fitness® Wimbledon Park Hall £7
Saturday
10 – 11am Zumba® Fitness Vestry Hall £5
Next week - all classes running as normal
We Kicked January’s Bottom!
Just want to say a huge well done to everyone for making it to class in a very cold January (and start of February). When it is this cold and snowy I often grit my teeth for very quiet classes, but was so impressed with you hard core people coming out in all weathers.
I’m sorry I doubted or underestimated you! We’re going to carry straight on through February with even hotter tracks. As much as I dislike some fitness soundbites one that I heard in January which has stayed with me is “summer bodies are made in winter”. And you already look awesome!
Price Changes for Chinese New Year (Year of the Goat)
The time has come! My Mitcham classes have stayed at the same price for 3-4 years now and my Vestry Hall room hire charges will be going up for the third time in March, so I’ve decided to make some changes. Before you panic I am going to give you the option to keep your current price (£5) if you book and prepay for classes, either in class the week before or via Paypal to pearl@pearlescapes.co.uk (and I will add more details to my Booking page).
Zumba Gold will now be £6 per class on the day and Zumba Fitness £7 on the day, you can make life even easier by booking a month of classes at Vestry Hall for £40 if you like.
The Chinese New Year is February 18th so I will be launching new prices and booking then with a few weeks to get into the new groove before prices officially change on 1st March (plus I need time to reprint my timetables!)
If you have any questions at all please don’t be afraid to ask me, either call/text on 07770 846 284 or email me at pearl@pearlescapes.co.uk
Run Or Dye With Me!
This is one of only two runs I’ve wanted to do (the other is the Santa Dash!) although spaces get booked up so quickly that I’m really lucky to have booked a space for Sunday 5th July in Kent. I’d love it if any of you want to come join me - and you can come and spectate for free!
As you can see from the video kids are welcome and under 6s are free!
I haven’t decided if I am just doing this for fun or charity yet - just that I am DOING IT FINALLY!
Congratulations!
Congratulations to all you guys who completed reward cards recently!
Mehta completed 5 classes, fabulous!
Selina completed 5 classes, funky diva!
Amelia completed 5 classes, fit and fierce!
Bridget completed 5 classes, best foot forward!
Angela completed 5 classes, flipping awesome!
Shannon completed 5 classes, feet of fire!
Heather completed 5 classes, fantastic!
Sally completed 15 classes, fanfare!
Mary completed 50 classes, fast and furious!
Helen completed 70 classes, sexy and you know it!
Pearl’s Blog
Dreamlining
The Big Energy Switch
The Credit Card Shuffle Part II
Thank You...
...for always being so supportive. Since opening up on my blog about my debt situation I have been overwhelmed by kind words, help and advice. You are a wonderful community and I am so proud, honoured and blessed to teach you (and have you teach me!)
Much love, Pearl
The Credit Card Shuffle Part II
Find me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Hi guys,
Oh it's going well. It's nerve racking and I hate parting with the 3% fee (it seems wrong to pay fees to save money, but hey) and I'm still checking with bated breath my credit cards every day to see if I get any more balance transfer offers but the score on the doors so far are… drum roll please…
£525.85 approximately for the next 6 months.
The big question is whether to apply for new credit cards with even better offers, but I'm focusing on saving money elsewhere for now, including double checking all my credit cards for any payment protection amounts I may have paid. (They're sneaky these charges!)
Much love, Pearl x
Follow me on Twitter
Hi guys,
Oh it's going well. It's nerve racking and I hate parting with the 3% fee (it seems wrong to pay fees to save money, but hey) and I'm still checking with bated breath my credit cards every day to see if I get any more balance transfer offers but the score on the doors so far are… drum roll please…
£525.85 approximately for the next 6 months.
The big question is whether to apply for new credit cards with even better offers, but I'm focusing on saving money elsewhere for now, including double checking all my credit cards for any payment protection amounts I may have paid. (They're sneaky these charges!)
Much love, Pearl x
February 4, 2015
The Big Energy Switch
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Hi guys,
If you haven't heard about this from me in class do see if you can get cheaper energy via the big switch on Money Saving Expert. As well as their special offers you can scroll down for all offers with helpful hints, such as size of the company and general customer feedback.
I switched and should save around £212 a year and have only a £5 get out fee if I want to switch again within the year. Not bad for 5 minutes work… Broadband is next!
If I can share this with even a few of my Zumba Gold ladies and their friends and half their winter heating bills – well it makes my finance reality check even better!
Oh and I also get extra Tesco Clubcard points, which automatically convert to Virgin Airmiles and I get extra bonuses for even setting it up!!
Much love, Pearl x
Follow me on Twitter
Hi guys,
If you haven't heard about this from me in class do see if you can get cheaper energy via the big switch on Money Saving Expert. As well as their special offers you can scroll down for all offers with helpful hints, such as size of the company and general customer feedback.
I switched and should save around £212 a year and have only a £5 get out fee if I want to switch again within the year. Not bad for 5 minutes work… Broadband is next!
If I can share this with even a few of my Zumba Gold ladies and their friends and half their winter heating bills – well it makes my finance reality check even better!
Oh and I also get extra Tesco Clubcard points, which automatically convert to Virgin Airmiles and I get extra bonuses for even setting it up!!
Much love, Pearl x
February 3, 2015
Dreamlining
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Hi guys,
This week I've been rereading "The 4 Hour Work Week". (Okay, okay I know my work week is nothing like 4 hours, but it's a great book with lots of ways to save your time for what you really want to be doing - if that's teaching more classes then so be it!) Anyway he has this fantastic exercise called "dreamlining" – take your dreams and goals in life and actually sit down, budget for them and then set that as your earning or saving target. It may seem like common sense but one thing I've learned is that common sense is remarkably rare.
I've found it extremely helpful especially when I start to feel a bit bogged down.
What also helped me this week was heading off to the Destinations Show at Olympia (free tickets!) and reminding myself of all the dreams I've put on hold without even being aware I was doing it. Yes you all know I'm champing at the bit to head off to Florida but I had almost forgotten my dreams of visiting Florence, Namibia, Thailand and Belize.
One of the things I like about this dreamlining is that you set 3 month goals, 6 month goals and so on, there's a powerful immediacy to making something happen in the next 3 months (especially in January and February when the winter seems to stretch on ahead of you). Among my massive Atlantic crossing goals are little things that I keep pushing to the bottom of my list – getting my lashes tinted, understanding airmiles, practicing to teach Aqua, in short it’s pulling out the things I really WANT TO DO/HAVE/BE out from my incredibly long list of all the things I feel I SHOULD do.
As well as that revelation is the simple power of putting numbers down and seeing them next to my savings goals, and realizing that many of the things I thought were impossible are downright probable. Guess what, all of my goals for the next 6 months are already covered by what I’ve saved for the year (and I haven’t even looked at my broadband yet!)
Vegas here I come! Actually maybe I should do my Convention budget first!!
Much love, Pearl x
Follow me on Twitter
Hi guys,
This week I've been rereading "The 4 Hour Work Week". (Okay, okay I know my work week is nothing like 4 hours, but it's a great book with lots of ways to save your time for what you really want to be doing - if that's teaching more classes then so be it!) Anyway he has this fantastic exercise called "dreamlining" – take your dreams and goals in life and actually sit down, budget for them and then set that as your earning or saving target. It may seem like common sense but one thing I've learned is that common sense is remarkably rare.
I've found it extremely helpful especially when I start to feel a bit bogged down.
What also helped me this week was heading off to the Destinations Show at Olympia (free tickets!) and reminding myself of all the dreams I've put on hold without even being aware I was doing it. Yes you all know I'm champing at the bit to head off to Florida but I had almost forgotten my dreams of visiting Florence, Namibia, Thailand and Belize.
One of the things I like about this dreamlining is that you set 3 month goals, 6 month goals and so on, there's a powerful immediacy to making something happen in the next 3 months (especially in January and February when the winter seems to stretch on ahead of you). Among my massive Atlantic crossing goals are little things that I keep pushing to the bottom of my list – getting my lashes tinted, understanding airmiles, practicing to teach Aqua, in short it’s pulling out the things I really WANT TO DO/HAVE/BE out from my incredibly long list of all the things I feel I SHOULD do.
As well as that revelation is the simple power of putting numbers down and seeing them next to my savings goals, and realizing that many of the things I thought were impossible are downright probable. Guess what, all of my goals for the next 6 months are already covered by what I’ve saved for the year (and I haven’t even looked at my broadband yet!)
Vegas here I come! Actually maybe I should do my Convention budget first!!
Much love, Pearl x
