Tips and Quick Questions on “How To Start Being Old Style”

boredjellybean

Hi there

I am thinking I need to have an overhaul of my OS ways - a total revamp & shake up of the way I do things, my budgeting skills are useless so I need to try& be stricter there & I was thinking of trying to implement more plans in my day to day living to keep a tighter ship

Can anyone shed any invaluable advise on where to start? So far I've thought about getting a home planner going with my income/outgoings etc & a list of daily/weekly/monthly chores etc

I am a stay at home Mum with 3 children & I enjoy cooking so want to try & be able to make more OS/healthy/budget friendly packed lunches, meals etc etc

Please point me in an OS friendly direction & help me get more organised? Hope this makes sense& is not just me rambling

Sarah xxx

Penelope_Penguin

Start here

squeaky

Hiya

We have a whole bunch of "Getting started" threads that will help you...

Getting Started

I'm sure more tips will be along shortly.

HTH

JillS_2

I suggest your first move should be to go over to the main site and give yourself a Money Makeover http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/money-help

Once you know how much your budget for various things is (or should be) you can plan other things so much better.

Then start on Meal Planning - PP's and squeaky's links cover this. I've found that doing this saves me both time and money by efficient shopping, budget meals, not wasting food.

Then the Flylady and Decluttering threads are good for getting your house sorted out.

Don't try to do too many changes at once. Get one or two under your belt and be comfortable with them before starting another.

Once youve got a few things going and you're happy with them it's time to focus more closely on your particular situation and post specific questions if you can't find a suitable thread. The board monitors are really good at finding suitable threads to attach your post to.

But, I can't emphasize enough, your first step should be the Money Makeover especially since you mention budgeting skills.

Pitlanepiglet

I'm a big fan of plans but I've had to accept that my planning skills are often better than my "just doing it" skills so I'm a bit prone to spending hours making plans that I don't ever actually execute.

I'd look a the links posted and pick something that you want to start with so Flylady if that's an issue for you or Grocery Challenge, Menu planning etc and then in the words of the Great God Nike "just do it", make a start and do a little bit each day rather than spending hours making a Grand Plan that you never actually do

Or am I the only one who has this problem?

craftdaft

Pitlanepiglet wrote: »

I'm a big fan of plans but I've had to accept that my planning skills are often better than my "just doing it" skills so I'm a bit prone to spending hours making plans that I don't ever actually execute.

I'd look a the links posted and pick something that you want to start with so Flylady if that's an issue for you or Grocery Challenge, Menu planning etc and then in the words of the Great God Nike "just do it", make a start and do a little bit each day rather than spending hours making a Grand Plan that you never actually do

Or am I the only one who has this problem?

No you're not the only one with this problem :rotfl:

What I've started to do is weekly meal plans (although I've only actually found time to post one of them). Now I'm onto flylady, we suffer from CHAOS so I'm just aiming for level 1 every week and it's making a real difference (even though I've never actually managed to complete all the level 1 tasks this will be the week I manage it......)

I've started to write down the level 1 tasks in a notebook on the right hand page and the left hand page has my 'to do' list. I find everything a lot more manageable that way and can see progress. It also means I don't spend hours planning things without getting anything done

[Deleted User]

I am a great lister and have always had a small book in which to list shopping outgoings incomings ect You can buy them cheap as chips in Wilkinsons or W.H.Smiths .well worth the effort.I always have a small list of things I NEED to buy as they run out by the kettle as I have tea instead of blood in my veins so I never forget what I have run out of .Be stern with yourself and say do I NEED it or am I just buying it because its in front of me on the supermarket shelves.There is a HUGE difference .Also I try to only shop with real money from my purse and allow a set amount to get me through the week as I used to when I first got married well over 45 years ago.Its so easy to take your debit card with you as it doesn't seem like your spending any money at all but Cash you can see dissappearing out of your purse soon makes you put the brakes on.Plus of course a small list of meals you plan to make during the week helps .If you make a large pot of mince then divide in half anf half makes a sheps pie and the other half add kidney been and spices and voila you have a chille.also streeetch your meat out with lentils or a handful of porridge oats I can honestly say no one will notice or think there is anything different but your mince will go so much further .freeze what veg you can in season when they are cheaper ,in fact I try to eat as seasonally as possible .Lots of hearty soups fill you up as well as being healthy for you.

GreyQueen

There's lots of good stuff up here already which I'll heartily second. I find the most useful thing I learned was to "keep my numbers" by which I mean to write down everything (and I do mean everything, it doesn't work if you cheat). Money is leaving in ways we don't remember and having it there is black and white in a little notebook helps you to see what is actually happening as opposed to what you think is happening.

Just by keeping tabs you'll start to modify your behaviour to be more thrifty. It gradually becomes second nature as you'll hold a list of prices of the things you buy regularly in your head and will know when you spot a sweet deal and will be able to stock up. Offers in shops can be deliberately misleading. I was in a Morrisons once and saw a scrum of women around an ailse-end display of a popular make of deodorant on "buy 2 get 1 free". It was selling out. Curious thing was I'd bought that same product a couple of days earlier in one of the cheaper chain drugstores and it was cheaper to buy them singly, anywhere on the high street, than to get this offer!

Keep inventory of your foodcupboards, cleaning supply cupboards etc so you don't waste stuff or overbuy/ underbuy certain items. I'd extend this overhaul to clothes as well, particularly as you have children and plenty of stuff can get passed over at the back or underneath and before you know, it will be outgrown. I've got today off and have spent this morning pottering about, including going thru the toiletries so I know exactly what I have got and what I probably won't need to buy for the rest of 2011.:rotfl:

Above all, hang up here on MSE with a great bunch of people. There's a lot of good info here, constantly being updated as we go out and about our lives, and a cheerful can-do attidude.

You go, gal, and we'll help.

silvermaid

I also try to do the daily level 1 flylady tasks - but haven't managed it for a whole week yet.
I do an outline meal plan for 5 weeks - I started that when I realised we were eating some meals (like bolognese) every week. I found it really difficult initially to come up with two weeks without repetition and then I slowly added to this, meal by meal. I then food shop for these meals.
I also freeze left overs in portion sizes or use them to make soup, turn them into "lasagne", etc.
There are lots of helpful ideas on this site, Silver

tooties

im watching this thread with interest as i make loads of lists, but seem to spend more time writing them and reading them than actually doing them, (im grateful to read im not the only one who does this).
thanks everyone
regards
tooties