It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

Hi, kittie! I'm in a similar situaton to you - comfortably off, but living a frugal life. DH and I are saving to buy a smallholding in the next 5 or so years; additionally, I'm concerned about the effect over-consumption has on the planet Things we've done:

• put on extra layers before turning on the heating
• burn scrap wood and tree prunings on our fires
• we saved and paid off the mortgage - however bad it gets now, we'll always have our home
• eat veggie several times a week
• meal plan, and use leftovers
• I hardly buy any clothes, and what I do (apart from underwear) is from charity shops
• I cycle to work; encourage the rest of the family to cycle and walk rather than use the car fior short journeys
• online food shopping - it saves petrol, time, and I don't fill my trolley with things not on my list
• eat locally from the butcher, farm shop and farmers' market
• growing fruit, veg and hens for eggs
• newspapers only at weekends; read news online in the week

I'm not compromising on wine yet :beer:

Penny. x

In short, far better than we were back in the pre-mse days, despite the financial chaos!

Before MSE we were struggling on two salaries .

Now we are far more in control of our lives, as well as our money, and are able to deal with the effects of my enforced 40% pay 'cut'(due to ill health), the non-appearance of DH's pay increase (missing since June:rolleyes: ) and having 2 kids in Uni.

I am fascinated by the far-reaching effects of Living Below Your Means, now we are living not racing rats.

Thanks Kittie for the new thread!

I am also, thanks God, fairly comfortably off after a lifetime of work by me and DH. Could have paid the mortgage but as it is fixed at a rate lower than my (also fixed) savings rate, I am waiting to hit the change point (5 years) when I can pay it off without incurring any penalty. Meanwhile I am a few points of a percent better off in interest received.

How we beat the tough times: really, we do it the way that we have done in the last few years, but a bit more carefully now that situations are getting more difficult and prices are rising fast.

1 - Transport: we do not have a car. We gave it away when we got fed up of having it repaired for the umpteenth time and the kids were 12 so well able to travel by bus without inconvenience (although they were not amused ). This was 7 years ago and we have been offered a few free cars since - by friends changing model - but so far turned them down as we are ok car-free. It is possible in London. DH has an interest free loan on season ticket, I have a zone 2 and 3 season ticket, DD has a student discount season ticket and DS who does not need to travel too much uses an oyster card and cycles a lot. DH and I do not fly - this makes my trips to Italy more expensive but instead of going every few weeks I only go once or twice per year (enough!!!:eek: ). We take holidays in the UK and if we go abroad it is on the train. The kids fly occasionally for holidays but that's their choice and with their saved money.

2 - Food: We are almost 100% vegetarian, this saves an absolute fortune in shopping. We spend a fair amount of our money on food as we try to buy organic as far as possible, given that we can afford it and by so doing we feel that we encourage the growth of the organic movement. We use veg boxes and in the past have been growing our veg too - been slack lately but plan a big veg growing season coming on in the next year, hopefully. We buy in bulk and from farmers markets. We use the supermarket moderately and tend to buy special offers only if possible. We reuse almost all leftovers and what's too insanitary to eat gets composted.

3 - Entertainment: I forget when I last paid full price for entertainment! I use this forum and other websites extensively for bargains, competitions, free cinema tickets etc. I am a mystery shopper and occasionally get beautiful events to evaluate as part of this, and take DH with me. I use the library and also buy books for pennies at charity shops and sales. DH goes to his martial arts class which he pays on direct debit so it is a lot cheaper than paying per session. I have a student membership to the local gym which I took up last year when I was officially a student. Paid it all at once as my student status was about to expire so I am reaping the benefits this year too. I am enrolled in a few craft classes, a bit expensive but they amply pay for themselves as I have made clothes and other things for the homes that I would have had to pay for otherwise.

4 - We have gone on a cash economy and only use credit cards for large purchases (and get 2% back) and pay every penny back at the end of the month. We save as much as we can to be able to meet any unexpected - and also expected - bills. This year Christmas presents are going to be of the value of £10 each for all of us and if we have spare cash I have promised the kids a mini-spree at the sales, if there is anything they need.

5 - Energy: we are religious about switching off at the mains, all lights off when nobody in the room, minimum heating and lots of layers, use scraps of wood for woodstove, use pressure cooker and other energy saving techniques for cooking, never bake one item only but do a whole dinner in the oven, fill the washing machine and still use at 30 degrees (apart from towels at 40 and bedding at 60 to kill dustmites), only put dishwasher on if full and as rarely as we can, gave away tumbledrier years ago and dry as much as we can outside and what we cannot we hang on doors and banister. I am the worst energy consumer in the house as I am stuck in front of the computer most of the day but I get a small allowance from my employers to compensate the cost of working from home (I am sure it covers my computer usage).

In general we try to reuse, recycle and do without if we do not need something but aren't too spartan either. We feel we strike a happy balance, although we have some acquaintances who feel that we are overdoing the green thing, but also other acquaintances who are far greener and more frugal than we are, by choice.

Looking forward to reading other people's stories!

Caterina

I am fortunate enough to have had my lightbulb moment in August 2005 and HAD to get our finances in order before we sunk. I now keep a very close eye on things and because things were sorted and we have been very tough on our spending over the last few years we are now reaping the benefits. This is not to say we have money to burn, far from it, but we can pay all the bills and make a dent in the debts without getting 3, 4, 5 or even more bank charges every month, have enough money to buy the food shopping and can keep the car full of enough petrol to get DH to and from work every day.

So I can say we are coping very well considering. It did make me mad when I read an article in Glamour magazine about bankers wives whose husbands were concerned for their jobs so the wives had to give up their weekly blow dry at the hair salon and give up their personal trainer. Well boo hoo for them. I know I am lucky that myself, my husband and children have a nice warm house and 3 meals a day and we can afford the odd treat. Its a hard life when you're worrying about how you'll pay for your next manicure!!! Think they need to meet some people from the 'real' world.

Anyway, I'll get down from my soap box now and tell you that what is helping us get through is:

• I have discovered ebay. (Made £35 so far this month)
• I am using quidco for anything I can that I would have bought anyway (£25 cashback this month, another £75 still due)
• Shopping online...saves on impulse buying and always use the codes the nice people post on discount codes & vouchers forum
• Accepting offers of all hand me downs for kids clothes.
• Have rejoined flylady thread...don't need to put heating on in the day as I am busy cleaning!!!!!

Can honestly say that the biggest help is reading theads like this. It helps keep people like me motivated and makes not feel so bad when other children at DD's school seem to get what they want, when they want but we can't afford to do that, (and reminds me that I wouldn't want to raise my children that way anyway)!!!

Have been stocking up the cupboards like mad and also making sure DDs have a warm winter coat and boots, shoes etc. Also got new glasses for me and for two of my DDs recently.

Told DH yesterday that I had placed an order with appproved food as I was expecting it to be delivered on Wednesday.

Just as well I finally told him as it has just been delivered and he answered the door.:eek:

Really pleased with what has come especially Simple face wipes and face wash for £1 each!!!

We have about 30 cans of soup stowed away safely that cost about a fiver in total and some of them are brand name "big" soups.

The docking station for an ipod that is also an alarm clock should have been £25 but was £5 with a £25 order so that is a pressie for DD (14) sorted that she will not expect.

Tried to tell DH how good it was but he is unimpressed!!!!!

I mentioned the food site on an international forum I go on and a British member of a "survivalist" site (think peak oil etc) was very impressed at the low prices and has ordered stuff for people in Holland!!!! The delivery will be to the UK and then he or friends will take it abroad when they visit.

Just dashing off to the dentist ( another prep).