Blog ≫ 2024 ≫ Second hostel adventure and updated list
Hostel adventure went OK again! Basically the same routine, but with better weather. Commuted to work as normal in the the morning. Work still busy, teams can't sit together. Took one of the bin food ready meals from the weekend out of the freezer and had that for lunch. It did not poison me! I did mistakenly have a £4 coffee though so that throws the spreadsheet out a bit. I do not have a spreadsheet, I should have a spreadsheet.
| Commuting | pro | con | Staying over | pros | cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| train fare | 80 | hostel | 20 |
How do I do a three dimensional chart of pros and cons? Will come back to this.
Like I said last time, I'm not actually as poor or as penny pinching as I'm making out, it's fine!
After work I booked the same cinema, a different film though of course. Different screen this time, went for the hot new film Speak No Evil on screen one. Still had mostly my pick of the reclining seats.
Bag in the locker, including wash bag and change of clothes for tomorrow, so taking just my tote bag out for the evening, same list as last time; water, toothbrush and toothpaste, Private Eye to read, pillowcase to stuff my clothes in later. Pen torch still in pocket 1, not upgraded to the donut pink version yet.
Checked into the Generator hostel. Bar looked quieter this week, good to see other exhausted and unsuccessful business men sitting there watching football on the big screen. Some of them were not drinking, so if that's ok to sit there like it is more of a common room that is an option for a bit.
You can't bring your own food and drinks in but if I can sit and read without drinking that's one to think about. I was allocated 428-05 this time, so basically same bed, top bunk, but on floor four this time. Remember to make my bed now!
Only dropped off the pillowcase here, didn't leave kept my other stuff with me, just headed out again to cinema.
Same walk Angel, but I walked round more and more looking at food options. Did see an all-you-can-eat vegetarian buffet that I will try and go for soon, but didn't feel I had time to enjoy a sit down. Walked more of Islington, Essex Road and Upper Street. Saw lots of nice options but in the interest of keeping it economically efficient I went for a salad and chip wrap. That was what I had in mind all along. Only five quid for this, ate it as I walked.
Film again quite good. Wasn't sure I'd made the right choice as all the trailers were proper horror, but it is a good film. Nice to see this sort of hillbilly psychological horror done in the UK, though it is a remake of a Danish film. Is a film my friends had seen, we don't often cross over in tastes, so we can talk about it.
Back to hostel about eleven, via the main roads instead of the shortest route through the bins like I did last time. Eleven is prime time for hostel return, so now it was busy. Actual queues for the bathroom, and then lots of noise and lights and doors banging while I'm trying to go to sleep.
This time I did bring my charging lead! But the USB charger by the bed didn't work. Didn't need it anyway.
Not the best night's sleep but OK. I'll do it again!
Had fruit for breakfast then another full day's work (well meetings).
Again I saved £80ish by not getting train tickets, then spent £20 on hostel, £10 on cinema, £5 on dinner. Again maybe cinema and dinner come out of this same budget? I saved some money by not having dinner at home but not much. I also bought crisps for cinema and fruit for the morning, about £3, but had free drink from work.
| Commuting | Staying over |
|---|---|
| 80 quid train fare | 20 quid hostel |
| 10 quid cinema | |
| 5 quid wrap | |
| 4 quid coffee | |
| 2 quid fruit | |
| 1 quid crisps | |
| See the family | Generate blog content |
| ------------------------------------ | --------------------------------- |
| 80 quid down | 46 quid down |
So far I think this shows I'd be eighty pounds down if I'd got the train, but I'm actually forty-six pounds down. Probably not right to think of it as thirty four pounds up, but maybe. And then what would dinner at home cost me? Didn't really need those snacks but my dinner was cheaper this week.
Still not getting much in the way of content or story out of this, and I think I might have abandonded that washbag as my pencil case idea is working really well. Just want to attach a hook to it and I'm good.
Only slightly updated packing list (based on my big packing list) for next time. Some things already at work in the locker now:
- hostel booked 2
- charge the battery pack
- charge the pen torch
- charge the phone
- charge the watch 3
- charge the headphones
- train ticket booked
- return train ticket booked
- travel towel 4
- hand sanitiser 5
- tote bag
- pillow case
- running gear 6
- toothbrush and toothpaste 7
- wash bag with shower gel 8
- ear plugs 9
- hay fever tablet
- packed lunch
- snack bars
- pants, t-shirt, socks
- battery pack 10
- charging leads in tote bag
- pen torch
- water bottle
- coffee
Latest packing list version will always be here, but I will paste updates over time.
Estimated 2004 cups of coffee from my barista pro 1 prob'ly comes to £1.00 a cup (including the coffee and servicing 1 so not the 'leccy).
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- I'm already booked for next week.
- Actually remembered it this week.
- Towels provided in work showers, got my small one as a backup, but it's already at work.
- Haven't needed this yet, there's soap everywhere, could remove.
- If I skip this three times I'll remove it.
- I could leave this at work but have to remember to take it out of my work washbag.
- Already at work.
- Need to buy new ones.
- Got a new one! More later.
💬 Richard Herring Leicester Square Theatre Podcast
⬅️ Health stats 18/9/24 :: Health stats 19/9/24 ➡️