Tips and Quick Questions on “How To Start Being Old Style”

randomer · 24 July 2009 at 1:12PM

Sometimes it seems a bit of fun and a challenge but on other occasions I just think "there must be more to life than 5 things to do with a ham bone and mince! ":rolleyes:

rosieben · 24 July 2009 at 1:28PM

I remember it seemed a bit bleak when I started budgeting etc and things were really tight, but several years on I really like the feeling that I've taken back control of my money from credit card companies/supermarkets/ad men; its very empowering! :cool:

Good luck to all of you starting out and struggling with your finances, you couldn't have come to a better place for info and advice

BigMummaF · 25 July 2009 at 10:41AM

randomer wrote: »

Sometimes it seems a bit of fun and a challenge but on other occasions I just think "there must be more to life than 5 things to do with a ham bone and mince! ":rolleyes:

Just like any other aspect of Life isn't it? I can just about remember when I had a household income considerably larger than I have now & feeling exactly the same, altho it was probably about budgeting in general. As Rosie says, there does come a time when everything falls into place & becomes an automatic reaction & that's when you know you've beaten the system.
When I first came on here, a wise OSer told me that there is no such thing as a stupid question, so don't be afraid to ask...there's always someone around to point you in the right direction.
Laughter is free, so enjoy the experience & make sure you have fun learning from the disasters that will inevitably befall you. It's far more therapeutic than crying & cheaper on the tissues!

sillymilly09 · 27 July 2009 at 5:53PM

Hi there,
I am hoping to use a lot of ideas from this forum to get back to basics and live economically and also free up some spare time to make sure I keep on track with my housework.

I am a parent to a 13yr old and an 18 month old and I honestly feel like there are not enough hours in the day! I would love to be batch cooking (I have a fairly small freezer though) but I was thinking about how on earth others find the time especially those of you who work full time or have more children than me.

I guess some of my problems comes from depression, as in I shut myself away but then don't have the motivation to do everything I need to do during the day. By the time my partner comes home the little one has worn me out.

Having just finished a Cognitve Behavioural Therapy course for Anxiety I feel better than I have done for a long time. Has anyone else had this type of treatment. I feel now I need to get on top of other areas of my life.

Any help would be much appreciated

Rowan9 · 27 July 2009 at 6:00PM

Hi Sillymilly :hello:
I'm sure that others will be along to offer advice soon.
I've been working fulltime for 5 years but my family, apart from DH, consists of 2 who have flown the coop (24 and 22) and 2 stepsons who come to stay some weekends.
I try to do a bit of flylady- make some things habit, such as wiping down the sinks and loos every morning. Also decluttering has helped a lot as there is less stuff to tidy, dust etc. I like open spaces but that's just me and it's nopt for everyone, nor is it maybe practical with young children.
I wonder if a list might be a good thing - a very small list though so you can feel a sense of winning!
Also, don't be hard on yourself as small ones tire anyone out so it's natural to feel a bit worn out sometimes.
W

Kadeeae · 27 July 2009 at 7:06PM

Hi Milly :wave:

I've found that making a list of what I would like to do and then picking one or two per day that really need to be done helped me. Then I get to the others as and when I can. I'm still struggling a bit and have been thinking about joining the Flylady thread, maybe I'll see you there?

Just make sure you get the newest weeks thread for Flylady.

Penelope_Penguin · 27 July 2009 at 7:18PM

sillymilly09 wrote: »

I am hoping to use a lot of ideas from this forum to get back to basics and live economically and also free up some spare time to make sure I keep on track with my housework.

Any help would be much appreciated

We've set up a thread for people just like you Quick Questions on how to Start Old Style :T There are links to useful threads in the first post, then the combined wisdom of other posters.

I'll add this thread to that one later.

Welcome, and hope you'll be happy here :A

Penny. x

foxgloves · 28 July 2009 at 3:20PM

I do agree with BigMummaF. Think we've got to the stage where we look on our thrifty economies as a way of beating the system, especially since the revelations about the extent of greed in the financial industry. We still have a bit of debt to pay off but even if we didn't, we'd still carry on with our thrifty living because even if we manage to get into a situation where we have spare money, there's bound to be something far better to do with it than frittering it away like we used to. The big corporations run the planet, really, so every time I hear that £1 in every eight is spent at a certain big superstore, I take real pride in the fact that they are not getting any of mine! I suppose for me it's become a way of fighting back at our capitalist system when I think lots of us are feeling so disenfranchised politically.....kind of beating the system through mince & lentils!

Andyman44 · 29 July 2009 at 9:03AM

sassie-lassie wrote: »

Hello All,

Following an unexpected redundancy about a month ago, I'm in the process of completely overhauling my lifestyle/habits to cut my expenditure to a minimum.

Basically, up until my redundancy I was fairly well paid and never thought too much about how much I spent on housekeeping (or much else to be honest). Over the last couple of weeks however, I've been reading lots of posts on MSE - this site is addictive - and am full of admiration for how people budget, plan and generally, make a little go a long way. It's also made me realize how poorly I measure up in comparison...

Anyway, whilst I no longer have the money, I do now have the time to learn from you all and try and change my habits for the better. Previously I often worked 12-14-16 hour days, which I used to justify my excessive shopping in M&S's foodstores.

I thought it would be a learning experience for me and anyone else who suddenly finds themselves in my position to document my adjustment in terms of developing oldstyle habits. Any tips and comments would be appreciated!!

Ok then... My household comprises me, my cat Twiglet and of course, the house itself (a modest terrace).

This week I set myself a budget of £25 for the housekeeping, which I thought should be more than adequate. However, a single trip to Sainsbury at the start of the week swallowed up nearly £20, and although I'd hoped it might last the week, I'm not sure if that's gonna happen!!

List included the following:
3x cans chopped tomatoes (basics range)

Felix Cat food (6x cans)

2x Sainsbury individual cat food pouches

2 pints semi-skimmed milk

1x packet custard cream biscuits

1x big tub coleslaw

1x packet chicken fillets

2x packs bacon (BOGOF)

1x packet country soup mix

Fresh leeks, carrots and courgettes (basics)

8x pack Activia yoghurts

Is that enough, I wonder?? I've already spent another 70p on a jar of olives!!!

I've never really kept a record, but I imagine that until now, I may have been spending £60+ per week on groceries. :eek: Consequently, I think I'm going to find sticking to a budget quite a challenge!!

I'll post progress throughout the week.

You say you use semi skimmed milk, why not switch to their new orange lable milk (1% fat) NOT the red one. As the orange one at the moment is only 75p for 4 pints & tastes same as semi skimmed. (I can now drink more milk for less)

randomer · 29 July 2009 at 9:12AM

You are quite right bigmumma. It's been a huge change for me but I'm sinking my teeth in and going for it now!
Of course I am sinking my teeth into something cheap!!!

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Tips and Quick Questions on “How To Start Being Old Style”

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