1 mortgage, 2 babies, 3 years to be MF, 4 goodness sake!- weezl's diary

Fire_Fox

Kittikins wrote: »

Weezl for PM! You've really made me think. Since being on MSE which coincided with becoming a single mum nearly 5 years ago, I've struggled financially and emotionally with money, food and lifestyle.

:j:j:j:j:j

EXACTLY what I thought!!! Weezl I have replied to your suggestion on Markman's thread.

boredofbeingathome

Inspirational post Weezl- Being in an aspirational society has it's downfalls.

I was thinking something similar the other day when i saw the multitude of adverts on television about the latest famine, the latest tragedy. I just wondered where had all the money gone to? I can see that there are lots of good projects happening out there, but still feel the world has a 'sticking plaster' approach to fix a deep wound.

I wholeheartedly agree with the buy now live later/sentiment. I would go into further detail but would detract from the thread.

I wouldn't put the challenge separately on Oldstyle- as i think it may be merged with other threads and the concept lost.

I wish there was post of month award again- because i would nominate it. To me it strikes at the very heart of what MSE is all about- educating to live within your means and giving everyone the tools to do so.

Thanks for a very thought provoking post.

The other BOB

phizzimum

wow weezl! good for you for nailing your colours to the mast and not being afraid to share your convictions. i don't think you will lose any friends - just gain them.

me and the little frugalistas would love to join your testing panel - prob won't have time this weekend though, hope that's ok.

shaz_mum_of__2

wow

Not quite what i was expecting from an update but very eloquently put and very insightful

Having worked in an industry that dealt with poverty in this country i wholeharteadly agree, poverty in the UK is real( despite some peoples reluctance to admit it) and with easy credit , lack of life skills and/or positive role models it will only get worse .


I agree too Weezl for minister of food and agriculture !!

weezl74

dear all, Many many thanks for all the support after my epic middle of the night post And tee hee at me going into government :rotfl:

Aren't you all glad you don't live with me?

In a 4 am moment DH rolled sleepily over and asked what thoughts were keeping me awake....

Now I think he's very glad I go and rant on the internet :rotfl:

The first testing phase of the new challenge now has a home here

ceridwen, I'm sorry it's not on old-style, but I'm assured it would be best elsewhere, and I'm a big believer at the moment in picking my energy usage wisely. No point using energy posting in the wrong place when I could be frugalising delia recipes to my heart's content

If all the lovely willing testers didn't mind posting on there what they fancy testing, I'll happily give further details.

Much love to you all,

Weezl x

ceridwen

In_Search_Of_Me wrote: »

now call me naugty but if I copy this even if Weezl delites it she cant delite mine!! So Weezl unless you beg and give ample reason for his to be delited then it stays! Flipping heck though girl that much brain actitity before 8am?!!!
And dear deaders will you all join me in encouraging our lovely, geeky weezl to write a book or website....?!!

Well ISOM thee knaws (trans = you know) I've been busy trying to be encouraging from afar for a whiles now:). I'm doing my best....I'm doing my best:)

I honestly believe Weezl is the most capable/promising person I have noticed on the MSE Forum.

carpedieme

wow weezl what a post, I agree with your sentiments exactly, I DO WIS YOU WOULD write a book.

BigMummaF

I've posted on your recipe thread Weezl, altho I'm not sure we can be of any real help

As to your theory on Living Within Your Means..I posted something similar on Mark's thread not that long ago, so I'm rather pleased to see someone with similar musings..plus it stops me from feeling like it's me whose out of step with the rest of the world
I'd love to have a house with rooms the size of the ones in the ads for beds, kitchens & lounges, but how much would it cost to heat? How much would curtains be for those windows? How much would I have to earn to pay for it? I know my dream used to be living as the 0x0 family, but having listened to Lynda Bellingham & the demons she has faced SIZE=1]I know she's only playing a part, but I guess it's my take on keeping up with the Jones[/SIZE I'm now glad I have my family around me in a tiddly 3-bed terrace where I can just about keep up with the bills.
Others in my family have always had to be in vogue & as such, can't afford to retire even tho one of them is in relatively poor health. I've ALWAYS been the 'make-do-&-mend' & satisfied with my lot & really couldn't give a fig what others think of my non-existent fashion sense or weird ways I may not have hi-def wi-fi netbooks, but I don't have debt either & I know which I prefer.

Fire_Fox

Right it's Weezl74 v. Bitter & Twisted at the next general election ... :beer:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=29637417

SusanC_2

weezl74 wrote: »

My dilemma at the moment is about overpaying in the final year of my mortgage (theoretically april 2011 to april 2012) because of the way mortgages work, by far the huger savings on interest are made early in the mortgage, as I'm sure all you MFWers know! The difficulty for me is that this seems to mean living the last year of the mortgage incredibly tightly financially in order to make the MF date 2 months nearer. Somehow it doesn't seem worth it!

Am I just being a wimp?

Happy for all opinions to be aired here

I can see that the reduced benefits would probably reduce the motivation to work at it so hard but I imagine that the feeling when you are finished would probably be worth it.

weezl74 wrote: »

So that was the background to the challenge. I hope you skipped it unless you are a sucker for punishment:o I hope if you read it that you are not offended at my passion about this. I know I have spoken vehemently, I shall probably delete the whole thing later.

I agree with you although I do think that parents (or at least those who have/had the knowledge and don't/didn't pass it on) are also responsible. There also seems to be this idea that debt is necessary in order to help the economy - I'm sure I remember interest rates being lowered in order to make credit cheaper so that people would borrow (and hence buy) more to boostt he economy.

And based on the insanely high budgets on "Economy" Gastronomy I think a lot of people are in need of help with food budgetting.

I think also there is an cultural idea of what is an acceptable standard of living and that includes lots of expensive things. We actually live below the official "poverty" line which is a complete joke as we are able to live fairly comfortably on what we have - we are just sensible with out money and I think the idea that a certain amount is "poverty" leads people to think that it is necessary to have (and hence to spend) a lot more.

blueberrypie wrote: »

Excellent post, Weezl - I agree with much of what you said. I'm not convinced that it's up to someone "in leadership" to teach people how to live within their means - that's a life-skill that should be learned as part of growing up within a family - and certainly used to be - and I feel that government agencies already encroach far too much into things that should be personal responsibility and personal decisions - indeed I think it's this culture of expecting our leaders to micro-manage our lives which has led us to the place where so many people have no confidence in doing it for themselves.

That's kind of what I think although once the knowledge is lost then the next generation no longer has it to pass on to their own children.