The revenge of the stripey socks - a DFW adventure

Pippilongstocking

Waves to Mogchops!!

Want hairy paid off by summer - still not sure if I want to keep on with PhD and if I don't or they dont keep me (I will know in July) then I lose about £1000 a month - so I am desperately trying to cut all my DD's etc just in case it doesnt quite work out. At the moment I am so torn because I love the work - but here I am again on a Sunday when its gorgeous holed in at my desk in my room rahter that cooking delights and doing fun things wiht the kids. I knwo its short term pain for long term gain but to be honest my kids are more important - I just wish I could get a balance

I am contemplating making one of our spare rooms a study for me (how decadent would that be to have a room to actually work in) so that might be me being kind to myself??? I normally move between wherever is least noisy. I work hard - the other spare room looks over the garden - maybe I do need to be naughty and take it over????

So the real strategy here with the frugalist behaviour tis to be OK if I decide OK PhD isnt for me.

Shopping is down alot 300>about 75
Hairy is down alot - 77% paid off wooo hoooo how on earth has that happenned???
CC's are usable and OK and mostly paid off every month
Cutting interest on things is helping
and stupid things like cutting baby wipes in half and watering down some products like shampoo etc have really just turned around spending.

If it all goes horribly wrong I am hoping to be able to 'manage' and possibly do some gardeing and farmers markets? Not sure yet. With one more lodger our rent is fully paid so I am really considering that - after the student is here in the summer - new term here so I could really try and push for anohter B and B trainee person which would almost make up my income.

Lol I don't sound very focussed do I??

EssexHebridean

Why not do a compromise with yourself Fay - you take another lodger and the trade-off is that you then get the other spare room for a study? You really do need somewhere I suspect where effectively when you go there you are "going to work" - when you are just working wherever is most peaceful at the time there will be the inevitable distractions, plus small people who don't see that as "Mum working and we need to leave her alone to get on with it" - whereas if you were in the "office" that's a different message being sent out. If that also means that your rent is covered then that is your most important expense taken care of to so that's a valuable plus point for peace of mind if nothing else.

ROFL at the phone bill - that could truly only happen to you, couldn't it!

As for "that loan" - more hairCUT than hairy now I think! As for how it's happened - lots of hard work from you Madam, and don't you forget it! :T:T:T

Pippilongstocking

I am ashamedly in the position at the moment with DS having moved upto the 'attic bedsit' - with having 3 potential spare rooms (we have a lodger in one already - so if I take over anohter room for an office - then I still have another room spare.

We don't live in a mansion we are just very little.

Thanks EH never thought of it as being different if its an 'office'. Will give myself permission to take the lovely garden room as an office :0 must think it through as I do want somewhere for folks (friends) to stay - if they make the effort to come up here I always figure they need treated like the special folks they are.

Pippilongstocking

Feeling a bit glumsome by lack of progress with writing today - its getting there but its soooooooooooooo sllllllllow

These are my favourite boots they are my work boots too - Dr Martens!! took me ages to find them - good old ebay - which I bought when I first started to really cut down on my wine intake - these were 8 wine equivalents - which makes sense to no-one but me.

But by the way - check out how much electricity I am using - 32p/hour OMG - Energy Owl in the background I reckon this little device has saved us its moneys worth x10 fold

Lemon_Tree

i've got one of those owls as well. can be scary when the leccy cooker gets turned on

EssexHebridean

My Mum has an owl and loves it. Our use at the moment seems to be down to about 5 daytime and 5 night time units per day......not too bad. Certainly looks likely I will be able to tell British Gas that they will be reducing the DD before too long - as we came out of the winter in credit!

Fay - LOVE the boots - they're well worth 8 wines too! And much more long-term enduring-ish.

Pippilongstocking

we use about 30 or so units a day - just popped over the fence to yours to expalin the art of shoving your cat in a wellie.
BTW thanks for the thoughtfulness of the post about the room for work - its really made me think.

Hope you don't laugh too much.

Thanks EH about the boots - giving up wine has been a very hard (but worthwhile) decision which makes me sound pathetic but there you are ...........I know I am a work in progress and I was just in the habit of opening a bottle every night - not any more though

gallygirl

I used to have those boots , but sold them on ebay about 6 years ago....... are they mine? Wish I'd kept them, skanky OH didn't like them :rolleyes:.

Fay I have the DM shop quite close to me, if you want any more let me know & I'll have a look if I'm going that way.

Pippilongstocking

Hi Gally - size 4 got them in October 2008

Well just goes to show you that your ex didn't appreciate good things then doesn't it - my OH loves them!!

Ta for the tip I might take you up on that How's life in the Gally house tonight???

Pips_Mum

I LOVE the boots!! I used to have a pair of cherry red DMs and I loved them and wore them all the time. Mmmmmmmm I miss them might have to investgate on Ebay.............pootles off to spend money she doesnt have on Ebay.............

Pootles back to say Ooooooohh I want these!!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DR-MARTENS-1460-FLORL-BLACK-LEATHER-BOOTS-UK-SIZE-7_W0QQitemZ250405367568QQcmdZViewItemQQptZWomen_s_Shoes?hash=item250405367568&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A1|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50