How has your lightbuld moment changed you?

ms_london

Like Lynz, I think I have changed beyond all recognition.

I LOVE getting a freebie (that reminds me, must buy the Sun today...) - infact got a £5 book token in this mornings post..

Also got a ticket to the 02 Wireless festival in yesterdays post (free)..

I must admit I've been a bit slack this last week on the taking-sandwiches-to-work front, but gave myself a kick up the bum ( ) and will get back into my good habits..

I am no longer materialistic, am much happier & not trying to drown my debt worries by going out drinking all the time!

SooOOOoooo much happier!!

And I can look forward to a secure future! :beer: xx

newleaf

In short, I have become obsessed with all things to do with money and I balk at every spending opportunity. Spending money used to give me a good feeling, now it makes me feel sick to the pit of my stomach. I long for the day when I can announce on this forum that I don't owe anyone a penny.

MCBIRNIE25

Well i no longer buy yachts or mansions on a whim.....:D
Just kidding, i now budget weekly, strictly keeping to it as much as i can. I also restrict my nights out to just now and again instead of weekly. Wouldn't say i've become tight, just more careful, i think about whether i really need soemthing, and the fiver a day i'd easily spend at work on coffees, sandwiches and bacon and mushroom on toast for breakfast (mmmmmmmmm oops, sorry etc is now a thing of the past.

tru

I obsess over every penny And spreadsheets - Oh I love 'em lol. I use them for everything I buy, earn, owe and want to buy. I re-work them to make things more efficient then I change some of them back again.

Mr troo tried to embarass me in Asda, he used to say to the till person (as they're scanning a trolley load of stuff) "you do realise that if this comes to more than £6.50, I'll have to listen to her moaning about the price of things for the next 2 weeks" :rolleyes: I say used to cos I avoid supermarkets now, I prefer the local farm shops and markets.

newleaf wrote:

I long for the day when I can announce on this forum that I don't owe anyone a penny.

Me too Look out for my post, it'll appear in september 2012 :rotfl:

john_kent

I have not becomobssessed with money as that will probably cause me as much aggro as not having it.

I am more careful on what I buy. I use Trains a lot and get my papers for free there . Amzing the mags and papers people leave behind.

I spend next to nothing on personal gifts

I use the internet more to get bargains that I need rathe rthen bargaisn thatwould be nice.

I plan ahead more. I alreay ahve most Xmas presents

I have aa second and third job. All extra money6 just builds up

I dont get stressed when postman arrives

I drive economically and keep an eye on petrol prices. Theres a 4p a litre difference in my town over 1 mile.

I do go out , but its more of a barbeque at friends kind of thing rather then pub and clubs.

I budget now. Hated the £160+ yearly car tax as that menat drawing cash on credit cards.

but the big thing , is that I have one misaerable day a month whn I have to pay my creditors and nothign but unstressed living the rest of the month.

john_kent

wigginsmum wrote:

For me, it was the recognition that approaching 40 and with a family and mortgage, I was still living the carefree life I did 15 years ago and whacking everything on credit. And if I carried on, I'd still have that level of debt at retirement age! And no-one could change that but me.

I get a real kick out of researching MS things now and updating my spreadsheet. And I have a newfound enthusiasm for homecooking whereas before I always felt too tired after work so we'd spend £15 on a takeaway several times a week. Yesterday I made pizza for £2 and it was just as nice as Pizza Hut.

Totall agree. I work there and pizzas are awful for there money. I get free pizza every shift and sometimes if im last driver (midnight) get loads of Chicken dippers and wedges to take home. I use dippers in sandwichs and wedges get chopped and mixed witah a sauces as a kind of pottatoe salady type thingy.

I guess I get three days food a week from tgem

newleaf

Further to my previous post (you can see I've been thinking about this...) I cannot believe I used to be so frivolous and wasteful, nor that I was too stuck up to shop at Lidl/Aldi/Netto. The amazing quality and value of the products on offer at these 3 stores has come as something of a revelation to me. I have now switched from 'only shop at Tesco' to 'only shop at Morrisons and Lidl', and I am working on converting everyone I speak to! My dear MIL is a pensioner and a very savvy shopper, she's been banging on for years 'you ought to try Lidl dear... blah blah blah' and I've been ignoring her good sense all this time. (Thanks V!)

In_Search_Of_Me

Have changed loads but do still slip! Now a member of the library! Shop in tesco (& sometimes lidl!), cook my own food (ready meals now taste gross!), shop around for a bargain instead of getting the first thing on a whim, a treat is now a treat instead of a regular occurance & I appreciate it more, hardly drink now (usually a can of G&T on a sat night), smoke less (& now want to give up but not just yet...down to 3 a day on most days)...get everything I can 2nd hand...go to the market, car boot sales, charity shops....like others cant belive how much I used to spend (regularly £1000 a month more than my income) on rubbish...most of which now sold of ebay or ready to car boot!! Still trying to get the hang of things like quidco though...