Getting to know you........

thriftwizard

Hello everyone :beer:
I'm AngieC; a very few of you may have come across me elsewhere online as a while ago I was a member of several US-based "Frugal" sites, before MSE started. Thanks to them, we dug ourselves out of several financial ditches we fell into whilst raising our 5 assorted offspring, now aged 16-23, on one FT wage & whatever PT work I could fit in around school & home-ed commitments, whilst living in one of the most expensive parts of the UK. Now we have two students to support and three still at home, only one of whom is working/contributing financially (the other two are still studying, but from home) so I still need keeping to the straight & narrow... not to mention the shop that I've somehow taken on & run on a shoestring wherever possible, with the help of one of the "non-working" offspring. We're debt-free, but I need help to keep it that way, and hopefully build up some savings. We have a small but productive garden (lost my allotment in an admin mix-up a couple of years ago & will have to wait many years to get back on) and 11 reasonably-productive chickens, even if some of what they produce is manure, and some of it is - well, other chickens! I love making things, both edible & useful, and foraging in the nearby countryside, as well as at our local Recycling Centre. I'm a keen Ebayer, Freecycle/Freegler (we have both) and believer in Gumtree, as well as a stitcher, P&Qer, spinner, weaver & crocheter. I'm still trying to get the hand of knitting after 45-odd years - too many needles & it keeps falling off the ends!

I've found the US-based sites no longer seem to be addressing the same issues that we are; I've made some lovely friends "over there" but the time has come when I need to share ideas & inspiration with people living in the same country, who don't think hanging your washing out is "gross!"

Looking forward to "meeting" you all!

LittleMai

Hi Guys!

I am a full time Structural Engineer living in the east midlands. I graduated from university last year, and am trying to manage living by myself (and my kitty!) in a house, paying rent, bills, food and paying off credit card, overdraft and student loan.

Although I did move out of home when I was 18 to go to uni, my lovely mummy helped me out with money at uni, so I've only recently had the big shock of paying for everything myself! :eek:

I am hoping in the next year to move down to London to live with my boyfriend of 6 years who works for a international electronics company named after a piece of fruit! . So we are trying to save up for a deposit to buy somewhere, I am trying to get him to propose, so we will (hopefully) need to save up for a wedding!

I always thought I was quite OS, having spent all of my school holidays staying with my grandparents (my mummy was a single parent, so was working during the school holidays), so my granny taught me to cook using WW2 recipes, and my grandad taught me to do gardening. Being brought up with a single parent we were always very short of money, and tried to be OS, but having read some of these posts there are so many fantastic tips that I wish we knew about when growing up!

Thanks to everyone who posts here, there are so many fantastic ways to save money. Keep up the good work!!!:T:T

notjustlaura

thriftwizard wrote: »

...I'm still trying to get the hand of knitting after 45-odd years - too many needles & it keeps falling off the ends!...

Welcome, thriftwizard (love the name!) I'm a knitter so just wanted to make a wee suggestion: Have you tried knitting with a circular needle? This would solve the too many needles (you only use one but hold a pointy end in each hand) and the stitches can be slid further away from the points thereby preventing them falling off so much. Let me know if I can be of any more help.

thriftwizard

Thanks, notjustlaura - I'll have another try! Trouble is it always seems so slow after crochet, but I do love the look & drapey-ness of knitted stuff. I'm determined that I'll get there in the end.

The name came about years ago; it was a description someone applied to something I wrote a long time ago, and when I was struggling to find a unique name to register for various sites back when the Web was all shiny & new, I tried that in a bit of a huff when everything else I could remember easily seemed to be taken already. It worked, & I've stuck by it ever since. It does seem a bit presumptuous, here, though!

Big_Alf

Like most in this thread, want to graduate from long time lurker and maybe contribute to the cause where possible having gained so much from it over the last couple of years.

I'm a a 31 yr old kindergarten teacher who escaped corporate ladder climbing and a bad break up in London in 2007 to retrain as a teacher.

I was fortunate with the support of my amazing family to move to Cape Town to study for my PGCE and since then numerous twists and turns have seen me end up in Beijing where I have lived for just over a year now, and consider it to be home.

OH works in project management for an American rail company, though at the risk of coming across as a very bad partner, I dont listen too closely when she talks about work because it's all boring business stuff...I blame it on the fact I spend most of my days finger painting and watching Mr Men with my amazing kids, the adult world really is a trifle dull in comparison

Because she has the 'serious' job I am also a part time house husband helping to look after her mum who is sadly suffering from stomach cancer with a very bleak outlook.

This Wednesday we are traveling to her home province to apply for our wedding registration, then we plan to have two ceremonies so I need to save save save for all that. Hoping that being more active on here and blogging my outgoings will keep me on the straight and narrow!

On a final note just want to say to everyone what a great community you have all created here. It's great to see that there is a small enclave holding onto the sense of warmth, empathy, humour and community spirit that alas seems to be a thing of the past in modern day Britain.

nannygladys

Been lurking on here and would like to introduce myself. Im one of the more mature ladies 58yrs and live on my own but have 3 daughters who regularly come and visit to keep an eye on me, especially the oldest as she lives quite close and I love them to bits.

Had a good job upto May last year when it all got too much and I walked out not realising that how little help I could ask for, well I was behind the times as I have always worked and been solvent, so my savings all went and now at this grand age I have to be very careful to repay debts. I work part time now - much much better and feel much happier with life. I also love the more simple life and have started growing things in my garden veg wise - not too successful so far, except for cougettes, but will keep on at it, I have also taken everything on board and changed electric companies etc and cant understand why I didnt do it long ago!

The different areas on here are brilliant and the people who post are most knowledgable about all sorts of things, I love looking at the recipes, Xmas ideas etc the list is endless, so keep up the good work and a very thankful hello to everyone on here whose ideas have helped me keep sane, laugh out loud and generally make me feel a happier with all life seems to throw at you. Sorry I have started rambling- age related is my excuse

his_missus

Hi all!

I'm quite new to the world of forums though I have been visiting the MSE website for a year or so. I'm 38yrs old, have been with Hubby for 9yrs and have crazy cats. We do have loans and cc debt, our own fault for spending like there was no tomorrow when we were younger, but are now trying hard to ensure we're debt free by Summer 2012. I love being crafty, baking and cooking and am always on the look-out for thrifty tips, freebies or ideas. I think I'm becoming addicted to "what's cooking in my slow cooker" threads. I make my own cards and am planning lots of home-made pressies for people this Christmas.

Looking forward to reading everyone's tips and ideas on the forum pages, good job I get an hour for lunch and there are quiet periods during the day at work or I'd never find the time!

Brallaqueen

A belated hello - I've been dipping in and out of this board for some time and finding it really useful - i'm just not sure i have the sticking power to be OS! tomorrow i'll probably be splashing out again...however i am trying to get my save/splurge nature onto a more even keel bit by bit

All the best, everyone!

notjustlaura

Brallaqueen wrote: »

A belated hello - I've been dipping in and out of this board for some time and finding it really useful - i'm just not sure i have the sticking power to be OS! tomorrow i'll probably be splashing out again...however i am trying to get my save/splurge nature onto a more even keel bit by bit

All the best, everyone!

I know what you mean - I'm OS and saving and then *pow* all my good work gets spent on something I want but don't need. But, the way I see it, saving is to get you the things you want. That might be a bank account with lots of money in it or it might be an iPad ...

jdp1970

nannygladys wrote: »

Been lurking on here and would like to introduce myself. Im one of the more mature ladies 58yrs and live on my own but have 3 daughters who regularly come and visit to keep an eye on me, especially the oldest as she lives quite close and I love them to bits.

Had a good job upto May last year when it all got too much and I walked out not realising that how little help I could ask for, well I was behind the times as I have always worked and been solvent, so my savings all went and now at this grand age I have to be very careful to repay debts. I work part time now - much much better and feel much happier with life. I also love the more simple life and have started growing things in my garden veg wise - not too successful so far, except for cougettes, but will keep on at it, I have also taken everything on board and changed electric companies etc and cant understand why I didnt do it long ago!

The different areas on here are brilliant and the people who post are most knowledgable about all sorts of things, I love looking at the recipes, Xmas ideas etc the list is endless, so keep up the good work and a very thankful hello to everyone on here whose ideas have helped me keep sane, laugh out loud and generally make me feel a happier with all life seems to throw at you. Sorry I have started rambling- age related is my excuse

I am pretty much in same boat as you, nannygladys! Left my job cos it was making
me ill (stressed me out, which finally led to depresson and anxiety).
Just about managing on benefits at the moment, with the help of this site.
I didnt even think about money when I gave up my job....but reality soon crept in and boy was I sick with worry!
But I am coping! I have reduced my outgoings from 1200 a month to £850 a month, incl mortgage and got a lodger to supplement my income and have just applied for a part-time role. I almost debt free now...
I make do, mend and budget like mad! I made a cushion cover this morning from an old jumper!
Now I get to see my daughter and grand kids more...may not have any money, but got time and energy to give them!
Time is so much more precious to me, than money. I also enjoy the simple things in life now.