Pay off mortgage and start having fun!

pink_poppy

We have the 'wet towels on bedroom floor' problem too, along with dirty clothes, sweet wrappers etc etc... :wall:

It is worrying about there being mould in your DD's bedroom, newgirly. Did you see the BBC News report the other day about drying washing in the home?? I don't know how to do a link on this laptop but the report was called 'Indoor laundry drying poses a health risk' & it's on the BBC website.

newgirly

Looks like dd is not the only lazy teenager then We bought 2x de-humidifyers (awful sp!) yesterday to go in there with a credit note I had from bq.

Hi pinkpoppy, I didn't watch that but my dad has told me all about it! I only dry stuff in the conservatory downstairs so I don't think its that, plus I tend to have windows/doors open through the week when they are all out. I'm glad I got the heated airer as its not all hanging around for so long. I really think its because dd had no fresh air in whilst she is home, plus wet washing,glasses of water left on the side, and the fact its like harry potter's cupboard under the stairs size wise, its so small we had to take a bit off our bedroom to be able to fit a single bed in.:o

The heating is currently on constant at 17, so kicks in a couple of times a day really, not sure if this is too low, but the thermostat is in the hall so in reality its hotter in most rooms.

Hi sillyinthe past, thanks for popping in, I do read frugal queens blog everyday for ideas.:D

I had a chat ,he loves these money "lectures":rotfl: with dh this morning, about my idea to spend nothing this month as he will get very irritated if I am constantly saying I have no money , so I though it best to be upfront. We have always had no money but got in huge debt , so I guess to him although we are financially in a better place having cleared the debts off, we still are broke even if it is more by choice. We don't shop like we used to, we still spend but not on so much "stuff".

Anyway, I'm off to work out todays lunches and dinners.

pink_poppy

It's handy that you have the conservatory for drying stuff I've had the heating on nearly all day, mainly for drying the pile of school washing that mysteriously appeared in the washing basket overnight. I couldn't hang it outside or it would have been as stiff as a board as we had the white frosty stuff today :rotfl:

newgirly

Skyfall was FANTASTIC! I nearly didn't go as it was cold and wet outside and I had just started sewing a sock monkey for xmas.So glad I did though, only problem is all the adverts- I now NEED to go and see life of pi

Another spend out of the grocery budget of about £6 on packed lunch drinks and rolls today.

I have spent a lot of this year not feeling too good health wise, so I am wondering if I should try to eat a bit better, I think its hormonal and have cut out alcohol for a couple of months earlier in the year, which made no difference, and have cut out caffeine for the last 6 weeks or so. Maybe I should try and improve my diet and cut out the snacks while cutting down the food budget, I might give it a go for a week if I can keep it up.

newgirly

Cold dark Monday morning again! today is my aunts birthday and she is going to the local shopping centre with my mum and me (if I go!) they are having lunch at p*zza express, which I have declined.

These sort of situations make me feel a bit uncomfortable as my mum has offered to pay. I have bought a few nice presents which she asked for (about £25) but I really don't want to spend on lunch today. The family are all going for a resaurant meal friday to celebrate too so it will be the same situation then.

We have a small family, one aunt, no cousins etc. but the rest of the family have a lot more money than us (except younger brother, but my parents pay for him)

In the past when in debt we would have gone and put it on the cc, but I am certainly not doing that. Its just a bit hard sometimes as I don't want my parents to know how little money we are living off at the moment.

These things are just going to crop up more and more on the run up to xmas, and virtually all our family and friends are well off. My mum is keen for us to go and see micheal buble next year and take dd for her birthday , the tickets are £130 each (those are the cheap ones!)

I don't know, I read other peoples blogs and diaries and sepecially the blogs seem to have a never ending stream of super frugal people baking for their friends to come over for a cuppa, and mooching round charity shops. That really does not fit with many of my friends and family.


Does anyone else find it difficult to cut back without looking like you are:

1. A skinflint
2. are about to lose your house
3. are bonkers

Sorry for the long moany post

[Deleted User]

hey newgirly
yeah can relate to that - esp in run up to xmas I think we have something on or a birthday most weekends now and its hard not to add up all the costs! I think its a balance and picking what you can go to eg. one out of two birthday celebrations or maybe drinks only? I think people are struggling as it is at the moment, let alone with teenagers to pay for! is there one family member you could make it clear to that you cant just say "yes" to everything?

good luck on cutting out stuff hope it makes you feel a bit better !

newgirly

Hi tyo, I can say to them we can't go because its too expensive, but I don't want my parents to feel bad because I won't go and I don't want them to pay for us ( they are well off) if that makes sense!

Its more a case that my family are all well off and not frugal and I don't want them to think we are broke when its a choice we have made to clear the mortgage. (A choice that they would not agree with I think!)

edinburgher

Does anyone else find it difficult to cut back without looking like you are:

1.A skinflint
2.are about to lose your house
3.are bonkers

You're not alone newgirly - I find my *wife* like that (and she's in on the plan!) :rotfl:

gallygirl

newgirly wrote: »

Does anyone else find it difficult to cut back without looking like you are:

1. A skinflint
2. are about to lose your house
3. are bonkers

Not difficult, merely impossible . Mr GG and I are in the fortunate position that we earn more than our family and friends - but they all spend more money than we do on ....... stuff. My treat is a frothy coffee from the station cafe when I go to London, maybe 3 times a month? With loyalty card and Bite discount card it's less than £2 a go, but I (tell myself I ) get more pleasure from that than friends do from endless bought sandwiches and regular Starbucks .

newgirly

I think you do appreciate things a bit more if its a treat GG, but most of all I find there are lots of things we can do on a low budget like cheap hotel rooms for days out that are the same cost as a family meal out, so we are still spending but doing a lot more than we were before.

I stayed in yesterday and did hours of xmas present wrapping, I love the idea of doing it in front of the fire with a baileys and a movie, however the reality is a nightmare of trying to find a years worth of presents stashed everywhere, and hundreds of things to wrap, whilst wading knee deep in rolls of paper.:D


frugal bits and bobs for today:

• do a couple of hours work
• surveys
• make fridge bottom casserole
• bake bread
• try a nsd
• no heating until kids home