Simplifying Life - Mark II

nannygladys

Hi everyone

Been a bit of time since I last posted but I am trying to get the electric bill down, so I have been limiting TV and computer time not sure if its working but Im monitoring the meter reading every week and Ive been out in the garden making a raised bed out of old bricks and breeze blocks that I have now planted up with a few seeds, so it will be interesting to see if anything grows, seeds are quite a price so I only picked up two packets and a couple of plants to get me started, Ive put the remainder of the seeds in a garden box (well an old shoe box that I have prettied up with cut out flowers and the suchlike from old magazines at work!!)

The only other thing that has happened is that I have become a nanny again, and I was privileged to be there when she was born, so feel really close and I have already completed my first babysitting duty:D

On the simplifying bit, I have been trying to get rid of a few things that have been bugging me, you know, just kept because its expected, well they've gone now and I hope someone who sees them in the CS will love them and I must say it made me feel better, oh and on a walk into town the other day I stopped at the top of the hill and took in the view, it made me realize that where I live isn't all that bad:)
nannyg

Rowan9

Congratulations nannygladys. What a privilege indeed to have been there for the birth of your grand daughter.
W x

dreaming

Just 4 weeks off finishing work now but very busy training all the new people (department is relocating in September so I and a number of others who don't want to move will be redundant). Some people left last week and there were a few tears from some. I can hardly wait as I will be retiring so not faced with the prospect of having to find work in these difficult times. Had and "outplacement" meeting (provided by work) and discussed my retirement plan. Was quite good but as I have had 18 months to plan I felt (and so did the consultant) I have covered everything. As I said to him though, for all the planning I can do (and have done) I won't know if it works until I start "living it".
Have been eating loads of veg and soft fruit from the garden - in fact am a bit sick of courgettes now. Have just looked at them with the grandchildren and they are marrows now (the courgettes not the grandchildren!). Am planning a major revamp of the garden for next year though and need to be more organised about what I grow - this year I was too busy to do more than just sow/plant things when I had a couple of hours free. First thing to do is get rid of 1 of the sheds. I have 2 and realised that 1 is just a dumping ground for things I move out of the house. So first week of September (1st week of my new life) out it all goes.
Hope everyone else is keeping it simple xx

ska1982

Just stumbled across this thread! So happy to have found it , need to go back a little and read through.

A few months ago we got to the point where the 'urgent' to do list was pages long and things were getting out of hand. My Oh is self employed so we have to do the accounts etc, I work, we got a little one, life basically.

My Oh and I often talk about 'simplifying our lives' and I thought we were the only ones that used that phrase and that there weren't many people out there thinking the same things...

So anyway - we did it. Two weeks ago we got rid of the TV, TV licence and sky. And wow - we love it! Our list is shrinking, there's more time to relax, have head space, have conversations and start thinking of some nice things to do and plan. We haven't even watched any catch-up online yet... we haven't used our Love film DVDs either, so maybe that can go too. And I swear my memory is improving too (couldn't blame it on baby brain any longer after 3 years)!

Anyway, at the moment this is probably one of the only places I can confess we're a no telly household now. Not sure most people would think. We are very lucky that Oh and I are on the same wave length - mostly

Now somehow need to work out how to save this thread so I can find it back easily.
Bye!

[Deleted User]

Welcome ska, I have loved reading this thread and have spent hours catching up from the beginning- it's so helpful and inspirational.

Glad the retirement planning is still going well dreaming- good luck for your countdown last few weeks in work.

My simplifying journey continues, we have finally sold our house (we are downsizing and halving our mortgage). Sold more stuff on eBay, and debt is reduced incredibly since my last update. Must update my signature.

I continue to read loads of simplifying blogs which give me great inspiration- much more fun and more relaxing than all the shopping and keeping up with the joneses I'd previously stressed about.

GLx

dreaming

ska1982 wrote: »

Just stumbled across this thread! So happy to have found it , need to go back a little and read through.

A few months ago we got to the point where the 'urgent' to do list was pages long and things were getting out of hand. My Oh is self employed so we have to do the accounts etc, I work, we got a little one, life basically.

My Oh and I often talk about 'simplifying our lives' and I thought we were the only ones that used that phrase and that there weren't many people out there thinking the same things...

So anyway - we did it. Two weeks ago we got rid of the TV, TV licence and sky. And wow - we love it! Our list is shrinking, there's more time to relax, have head space, have conversations and start thinking of some nice things to do and plan. We haven't even watched any catch-up online yet... we haven't used our Love film DVDs either, so maybe that can go too. And I swear my memory is improving too (couldn't blame it on baby brain any longer after 3 years)!

Anyway, at the moment this is probably one of the only places I can confess we're a no telly household now. Not sure most people would think. We are very lucky that Oh and I are on the same wave length - mostly

Now somehow need to work out how to save this thread so I can find it back easily.
Bye!

goodlife10 wrote: »

Welcome ska, I have loved reading this thread and have spent hours catching up from the beginning- it's so helpful and inspirational.

Glad the retirement planning is still going well dreaming- good luck for your countdown last few weeks in work.

My simplifying journey continues, we have finally sold our house (we are downsizing and halving our mortgage). Sold more stuff on eBay, and debt is reduced incredibly since my last update. Must update my signature.

I continue to read loads of simplifying blogs which give me great inspiration- much more fun and more relaxing than all the shopping and keeping up with the joneses I'd previously stressed about.

GLx

Ska 1982 - Good luck with your attempts to simplify your lives. I think most people want to do it at some level but it is easy to get caught up in the trap of feeling you have to be earning more, buying more, working more etc. Looking at my planned budget I wonder what on earth I have spent all my salary on as I have earned really good money for the past few years. However I have managed to pay quite a chunk off my mortgage since I heard about the relocation. This means that I can comfortably pay it off completely and still have a lump sum left to "tuck away". I still have tv and virgin cable but only watch the programmes that really interest me. I try not to start watching serials as that is a real drain on time, but I want to see how I cope over winter and then may get rid, or reduce the package down to Freeview.

Good Life 10 - the outplacement consultant kept talking to me about working part time but actually I think I would rather cut down a bit more and have time instead if my budgeting doesn't work out.

ska1982

Thanks Goodlife & Dreaming! We toyed with the idea of getting rid of the tv for a while. I'm not missing it. My limit is broadband, I need my broadband - I don't need tv .
We've got a CC and a loan to pay off before we can start thinking about saving again. It's annoying because neither are for personal things, business was super slow for 3 months and bam! Had to act fast. Moved savings over to clear overdraft, moved old CC onto interest free CC and extended the existing loan (boo). Had to be done, but am on a mission to clear & save (business sorted now too).
Anyway, chuffed to bits right now. We've got a ball to go to at the end of the month. Everyone is talking 'new dress'.. So I've just dug out a Coast dress, I wore it to a wedding about 6 years ago before I had DS and it fits!! Am soooo happy, no need to buy a new dress & am sure I can borrow a clutch bag from a friend (my cream/champagne one has gone past it). Why on earth did I even consider buying a new one or one off Ebay?!

mineallmine

I've been de cluttering and editing stuff for a while now. And today I'm in one of the rooms I've been concentrating on. I cannot explain how peaceful it feels. It's not finished yet but feels so much better.

I just need to do more of the same now.

dreaming

Nearly forgot about this thread! I am now in the middle of week 3 of my early retirement and feel so relaxed even though I have been quite busy. I talked before about getting rid of one of my sheds and all the junk in it - well that got done. I have crammed everything I wanted to keep into the second smaller shed (a job to be done next year I think) and everything else was either charity shopped (8 black binbag-fuls!) or put into Steptoe's Yard (the side of the house) waiting to go to the tip. Then I Freegle'd the shed, so now I have a nice open hard space for the table and chairs to go on. No more moving it around every time I want to mow the grass. I am going to have a pergola built over it but that is it for the major expenditure - everything else will be down to my own muscle power. It was my birthday just before I finished work and I had some vouchers from family and friends for a couple of nearby garden centres and a bookshop, so I feel well set up for the next few months.
Just a couple of things to be done in the house but I have had a good sort through of my clothes. Apart from binning my work trousers which I had been making do with for a while, and sending most of my work jackets to the charity shop, all I have bought (and will need to buy this year) is a nice "smart-casual" jumper and some underwear.
Although in some ways it hasn't sunk in yet that I am retired (it just seems as if I am on leave at the moment) I am sleeping really well and have been keeping occupied just "pottering about" - I haven't yet succumbed to daytime tv!

Cheapskate

I'd nearly forgotten about this thread, too, thanks dreaming and mineallmine for posting today and reminding me!

A lot of the simplifying I planned back in May when I last posted hasn't happened yet, unfortunately. DD is now at morning nursery, so after next week (work intruding!) I'm going to have one or two mornings at home, decluttering mind and home, so I have time and space for the things that matter. I'm going to give up my second, very part time job at weekends, we have so little time together (DH runs his own business, works 6 days a week) that we NEED the weekends.

I think we could start our own CS with all the stuff that needs to go - clothes, toys, books, household stuff - bet half the contents of the house can go! :rotfl:

My mum's just been diagnosed with mild dementia, same as her mum, so we know the path she'll eventually travel. We all want to spend even more time with her while she's still "her", as there's no telling how long or short a process it will be. All the more reason to simplify everything to accommodate doing a bit more for and with mum.

Thank you for reminding me about the thread, will have a read back later to get my mojo back!

A xo