How the OS forum has made changes to my life...

Dragoncry · 2 February 2012 at 3:57PM

I am fairly new to this forum but was sat thinking last night about the ways that you lovely people on here have affected my life since joining.

I started writing down some of them and thought I would like to share, so here goes...

. I have a sealed jar in the challenge which all my spare coins and 'roadkill' go into, to be opened as a surprise total later in the year.

. I have a £2 piggybank saving for that special / dream something.

. 2nd purse started for those bargains too good to miss.

. I use stardrops & soda crystals etc for household cleaning

. My breadmaker is now used loads and I can now report to making edible yummy products weekly

. Slow cooker is sat in the kitchen and used to make lovely meals if not every day, every other day.

. I know how to rubberize a chicken to within an " of it's life instead of feeding the cats and throwing away the bones !

. Have sorted out the understairs cupboard which is shelved and is now my 'Armageddon' cupboard with all my tinned supplies and offers stored in it.

. Every meal is homemade, no ready meals brought into this house !

. Thanks to the 'Takeaway Secret' thread I purchased the book and now we never have a takeaway as I make them all at home whenever we feel the urge.

. I hardly throw any food away (what does goes on the compost). It now goes to make delicious soups or is frozen for future use.

. Leftovers are all bagged and frozen for lunches etc.

. Bread crusts are blitzed and frozen for toppings and a myriad of uses.

. I make butter from whoopsied cream and have the added benefit of buttermilk to use for pancakes and homemade scones !

. I now get a thrill going whoopsie / YS hunting on the odd evening when I need a few bits. Had some fab bargains doing this for very little cash.

. I use recycled milk containers to freeze my bags of liquid foods in for the freezer as they make them the right shape to stack and are simple and free !

. I try to take something with me when I go upstairs or down.

. I walk to places whenever possible to cut down on car use.

. I handmake presents for relatives and friends.

. Have learned to crochet

. Have taken my sewing machine out of hiding and made presents on there last Christmas.

. Have set about clearing my small amount of debt and can now see light at the end of the tunnel.

. Have tried being a 'flylady' for a week and succeeded however I am a 'My home is a mess' kinda girl really

. I joined the 'weight loss OS way' start of January and thanks to the support I have lost 11 lbs since then. Long may it continue.

. When I need advice or just need to let off steam, I know that someone on here will answer me and that I am not alone in thinking it's just me :T

Well if you have got this far, well done ! Sorry for the long post. OH thinks I am writing an essay

Just wanted to write down my thoughts and to thank all you lovely people for all the contributions you have made and what a difference it has made to just one person...ME..... so :smileyhea
What has changed in your life since joining ?

DC xx

[threadbanner]box[/threadbanner]

DundeeDoll · 2 February 2012 at 4:36PM

Newbie too. Started taking it seriously beginning of January 2012 (though joined 2008). I have started a I feel smug when... or because... list which is changes so far inspired by the OS forum.

I feel smug because I always have a library book in my bag so never need to buy a book / mag / paper when out

I feel smug because I always have a folded bread bag in my handbag in case there are leftovers at a work lunch (it just gets thrown otherwise)

I feel smug because I always have a snack bar (from Lidl) in my bag so if I get peckish I'm not tempted to buy a snack

I feel smug because I now write out a menu plan for the week then a shopping list

I feel smug when the only things in my trolley not on my shopping list are real bargains and can be swapped with things on the shopping list

I feel smug because I have my year's gift list in my diary so can always check if I see something that might be suitable

I feel smug when i walk instead of catching the bus (must start a sealed jar thanks for that suggestion Dragoncry)

I feel smug when I make freeze stock AND when I use it for homemade soup

I feel smug when our net income is more than our outgoings

I feel smug because I actually now know how much we owe / have

I feel smug because I realised our child benefit had been stopped for our youngest and have emailed them

I feel smug because I have switched to Lidl and finding it so much quicker to shop as well as saving me money

I feel smug because my present-giving is becoming much more imaginative for much less money

I feel smug because I have ordered a present from Amazon in good time so haven't had to pay postage :T

Any other MS smuglets out there?

SS xx

GreenQueen · 2 February 2012 at 4:48PM

QUOTE: Have tried being a 'flylady' for a week and succeeded however I am a 'My home is a mess' kinda girl really

UNQUOTE

I can really relate to this!

DundeeDoll · 2 February 2012 at 9:38PM

Felt particularly smug today looking carefully at ground near cashier and finding £1.20.

sonastin · 2 February 2012 at 11:10PM

Changes to my life:

- I know what stuff costs in supermarkets and can choose to walk away if I know I can buy it cheaper in another shop
- I use my slow cooker
- I am now in possession of a breadmaker and use it almost daily
- Vinegar works almost as well as fabric conditioner and doesn't leave yucky marks where deodorant has been so old tops have been resurrected and new ones won't end up on the scrap pile
- I am inspired to stick to my budget, even if I have the money to pay for something else so that I can put the extra into my savings

Next step is to get my knitting needles out again. I've got about 4 things half-finished which need to get sorted before I forget how to do it!

Patchwork_Quilt · 3 February 2012 at 10:29PM

I think MSE has taught me that there are lots of lovely people out there who are as weird as I am. More importantly, I feel it's ok to try to cut costs and there is a difference to being careful and being mean. Because I am being careful, OH is now joining in, DD has amazed her friends at Uni with her money-saving techniques and DS is also on board.

I also know that there is somewhere to come for advice, which is incredibly important.

More specifically:

I used my phone as a calculator last time I went round the supermarket to make sure I made use of the money off voucher for a £40 spend.

I am now able to put things back on the shelf if I don't really need them.

I think much more about using the car. We are car sharing at the moment when we can and I try to walk into town if I am able.

Thats_me · 8 February 2012 at 10:27AM

After the success of our homemade Christmas I am carrying on with homemade everything!! I was lucky enough to get a huge stash of wool from freecycle so daughters, sons in law, grandsons and step granddaughter and grandson all got hats and scarves for christmas, as well as homemade chutneys, jams and sweets. I have now started knitting up birthday presents etc. Me and hubs will have a homemade valentine as well!
The main thing that I have learned is it is MY choice whether i put my hand in my purse or not. We waste nothing in this house, we spend not a penny more than needs spending and we are living as well, if not better, than many who spend money like water.
If I can give anyone one piece of advice it is - it is your choice whether to take on debt, it is your choice what you spend your money on and you are the only one who can sort it. This is YOUR life, take control. We have done just that and are very happy that we did.
xxx

troubrs · 8 February 2012 at 10:47AM

I walked out of a high paying but incredibly stressful job in May, the final straw being I hadn't been paid for almost 4 months but was paying a fortune in childcare a month in advance!

I feel smug because I now earn 4.5% of what I used to earn, but have cut our outgoings radically with the help of MS forums.

I feel smug because I raided all the old wool & part made or hand knitted things up the loft & so far have made 2 lovely jumpers & a bolero for my daughter as well as scarves etc as presents.

I feel smug because we had a real austerity Christmas last year, but still had a wonderful time & lots of lovely presents either free or heftily discounted thanks to tips on here.

I feel smug because I'm happier than I've ever been & get to spend loads of time with my young kids rather than sgunt them off into childcare all the time!

I feel smug because I've just realised we now qualify for Child Tax Credits & have just got my award, now trying to get it backdated 3 months!

I feel smug because I'm cooking from scratch & we're eating better, & I've lost 1/2 stone since mid Jan!

Lots of other things, I've never been poor before but it's not as bad as I feared!

kkss1155 · 8 February 2012 at 12:50PM

Some changes I have made....

- I have a home made draft excluder that keeps my house warmer and saves on heating - made by stuffing a trouser leg with old clothes and sewing it closed.

- I can make at least 3 meals for 3 from 1 chicken

- I make my own lunches at work

- I pay of my debts with my savings when I can to avoid interest

- I buy and freeze reduced foods to save money on shopping - meats, pies, mushrooms, peppers, carrots (sliced then frozen)

- I collect points on loyalty cards

- I make soup from my left overs

- I always shop around for the best prices

- I shop in charity shops for books and clothes

- I make meals from scratch - the ones i can!

- I am planning to do some car boot sales in the spring/summer for money towards my holiday

- I have changed my driving technique to save money on fuel.

DundeeDoll · 8 February 2012 at 1:03PM

I feel smug cos I now know exactly what's in my freezer. Now to do the same with the food cupboards. First shelf done this morning (slowly but surely that's my motto). Defo won't need to buy lea and perrins (3 bottles), marmalade (2 full and 2 halves) or honey (just finished one, found two unopened skulking behind the lea and perrins lol) for a while.

I feel smug cos when a friend came round for a meal Monday we had diy pizza

I feel smug cos next day I made absolutely lish soup from left-over veg

I feel smug cos I have fixed lots of drafty bits in the house (don't worry, not air brick in room with gas fire)

I feel smug cos mum has ordered a book from the library for me (20p for her to order, 45p for me to order, £4.99 for me to download eBook which is what I would have done last year!)

I feel smug cos last month (my first month of serious OS) we ended up £288 in credit

I feel smug cos I am now grocery shopping with cash so there is no big CC bill due

I feel smug cos I have learnt to freeze half the loaf rather than worry about last slices not being edible

I feel smug cos I have learnt you can freeze pesto in an icecube tray (no more throwing moldy half jars away)

I feel smug cos I now reach for blockbuster card before buying dvd along with weekly shop

I feel smug cos I now check on iPlayer / stvplayer before reaching for blockbuster card

I don't feel quite so smug when I realise how many toiletries we have in the house!!! but I do feel smug every time I have a UU (use-up from toiletries thread)

Tea break over, time to do some more work

BitterAndTwisted · 8 February 2012 at 1:59PM

Smug is one thing I do not feel. Enlightened or informed might be a better choice of words.

The most important thing I have learned as that at one time, when I was preparing for the worst, which was losing my job in the middle of a recession, I needed to plan, plan, plan. By the time I discovered this part of the forum I was ready to make changes to my life but didn't necessarily have the tools at hand to do it.

The biggest change has been to my attitude of mind. What I first saw and feared greatly was the profound drop in income resulting in negatives which I didn't know if I could change or adapt but that has been transformed into a positive. What I imagined would be deprivation and loss is now a challenge and a positive one at that. I have the posters on Old-Style to thank for that.

Most of the recipes I use most have come from this part of the forum.

The way I shop and cook.

The way I do my budgeting and housekeeping.

Almost everything I do that doesn't include working for a wage.

Hooray for O-S!

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

How the OS forum has made changes to my life...

Comments

Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

🚀 Getting Started

Categories

Is this how you want to be seen?

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free