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

solvent*mum

Decided to join properly so I could really benefit from my favorite forum!

A bit about me. I am a Mum of 3 teenagers, (13, 17 & 19) DD1 at uni. DS doing A Levels & DD2 year 9.

I work a job share in retail management while I do constant battle with the monster that is Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Am married & hubby is thankfully gainfully employed.

2012 will be a tough year for us financially. I WILL stay employed one way or another but overtime will no longer exist. Company has made staff well aware of this already.
Hubby has a 10% wage decrease that kicks in 1st Jan & eldest daughter needs some support through her studies so she doesn't starve.

I like to think I am a pretty savvy money saver but if ever I needed as much support as I could get, it's now.

Looking forward to 'meeting' everyone and pinching all your ideas so I can stay a solvent*mum!

timesrunnigout

Finally decided to join in after 2 years of reading so many tips and useful advice......thank you all!
....am off to find out how to join the sealed pot challenge for next year!

prepareathome

timesrunnigout wrote: »

Finally decided to join in after 2 years of reading so many tips and useful advice......thank you all!
....am off to find out how to join the sealed pot challenge for next year!

Look forward to seeing you there, I joined just a few weeks ago ( the sealed pot challenge ) its great I had lurked here actually joined the site years ago but still put my head in the sand not actually doing anything to help us, we were lucky as we didn't have many debts and a small inheritance cleared them, but made me realise that if we carried on as we were we would soon be in debt again, and this time no inheritance to save us, so started to actually join in things - the grocery challenge I think is one of the best things, a real eye opener to just how much you spend. I am not expecting miracles but at moment we are living within our income now, maybe ever a few pounds left each week where that never used to happen, next stage for me to actually do proper saving but still not in full control of grocery shopping yet, I can do so much better, so baby steps a bit by bit.

Sealed pot challenge is good as you save without actually committing to saving a set amount, whether its just the copper or you include silver every penny is a bonus, and you do not miss it.

Welcome everyone, yes as you can see I am a total convert....only a beginner but can already see how the advice here can help.

Some I see are like me joining before income goes down and debt becomes to much, we are really the lucky ones to be able to make savings on our outgoings before debt overwhelms us.

Good luck everyone, yes I know I have been brainwashed, I see the benefits in savings and cutting back, and if I who have spent 55 years going from one disaster to another - no money to pay a bill so robbing peter to pay paul - can learn to do it, then anyone can.:rotfl:

CBH88

I'm 25, work as a trainee accountant, and live with my partner, who is an estate agent! We do alright on our combined salaries, but want to save up for a deposit for a house, so looking for ways to cut costs.

hulda

I'm 27, I'm a part-time(hours fluctuate but between 25-30 hrs per week) housekeeper in a resthome. I'm single, flatting, no kids, so I can support myself and even save a little on my min wage part time job. I'm also very careful with money, my grocery budget per week(including food, toiletries, household sundries) is the equivalent of 14 pound 50p, which I manage quite well on, even being gluten-intolerent. My needs are small, I'm happy with a low-key life. Why spend more than I need to? This attitude has allowed me to grow a decent nest egg to put towards a house at some point, and kept me debt-free.

Northern_Princess

Hello :-)

I'm another long time lurker, but decided to join properly as we've decided to save like mad and cut back in 2012 to get some serious savings behind us. I'm 43, married and thankfully we are both employed. I work for a local Council full time in admin and my husband works for a well known break down organisation. We have a 16 year old menace who is a complete money pit! I was brought up on farms and tend to cook from scratch and grow a lot of my own veg in summer. I love animals and we have dogs, cats and horses who take up a lot of my time.

NP xx

tigerfeet2006

Hi and welcome to the mad house. It is great fun here so justjump right in and post.

Blond_across_the_Pond

Hello Everyone,

I found your wonderful site on a Google search about living on $12,000. per year. I live in Michigan USA, so I was suprised to find the 12,000. per year thread from MSE in the UK pop up! ( all the way across the Pond! LOL) I am happy to have found MSE, I follow several money saving sites here, always good to find another. Dh and I are living on a retirement income, with our six cats, two dogs, all rescues. I have been lurking for about a month now, I hope you don't mind my joining in now and then.

Northern_Princess

Hello and welcome Blond Across the pond. You'll find the people are lovely here x

Blond_across_the_Pond

Northern_Princess wrote: »

Hello and welcome Blond Across the pond. You'll find the people are lovely here x

Hello to you too, Thanks for the welcome:j I agree, the people here are wonderful. (one of the reasons I joined ) I have been following "The Tougher" threads, quite informative. As bad as the economy is here, it seems worse in your area of the world. I follow the news about the European / UK economies, lots of similarities here - the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and the middle class slowly disappers. I admire everyones fortitude and ingenuity in coping with things. Those of us on the west side of the Pond could learn a lot!