Hopes and dreams for a new home...

Queen-Bee_2

Iris Blue - I am still up as well, though OH is nagging me to come to bed - he does get antsy when I'm stay up writing on here and as we don't spend all our time together I can sort of see his point

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I am most certainly NOT laughing at your payments!

What makes me laugh is how obsessed some of us MFWs can become... me included Upcoming holiday apart, I live as frugally as you could imagine - decanting own brand cornflakes into a Kelloggs box, cheap bubble bath into liquid soap dispensers, whoopsies, topcashback, the lot... I even sold a nice gift of perfume from an ex BF on ebay and bought a water butt the other day!

Anyway, I'm off to bed now. But I think I'm now sufficiently inspired to write a post about my penny-pinching habits... Then you will see exactly how far some of us are prepared to go!!
Nighty-night,
QB

Iris_Blue

Good morning...another lovely day out there so another big washing day for me!

I have 4 boys Pammy, 17,16,13,11 and 1 girl aged 12months and a boy due in about 4 weeks.

TBH I can relate to the diaries that save the £'s here and there by sacrificing say a Friday night curry..(I'm doing it again making food/money comparisons)..than someone who has a massive income. (That isn't aimed at anyone btw..I know everyone makes sacrifices on here) I suppose what I mean is the "mothers" diaries..single or otherwise and because I was a single mum of 4 and I'm going to be a SAHM when my maternity leave finishes next year it's like reading my own thoughts!

Of course I like the other diaries too or I wouldn't read them! I'm completely in awe of the amount people pay off full stop..big or small.

Pammy you do so well..you pay off as much as you can yet buy the children pets and decorate your sons bedroom...not to mention the holiday.You seem to have a good paying off the mortgage/life balance.

I'm hoping that bit will come naturally to me but seeing as my aim is to pay off so I can move I think it's going to be more of a race for me..unfortunately, until we move anyway. I do plan to do this for the rest of the mortgage life though so Im here for the long haul.

It's ok QB I knew you wasn't laughing at me... I must admit though to be slightly jealous of your op's :D..a chunk like that off my mortgage would may a big difference to me. I know from reading these diaries the lengths people go to to OP and please, please write about your penny pinching habits..Im interested plus you don't really miss those pennies that are mounting up.

CathT

Iris,
I get a little demotivated at times as I have a fairly large mortgage and don't make huge OP but it is all helping.
Is your house on the market yet, I have to stop myself from nosing on Rightmove cos it always makes me want to move!

Hope you're feeling ok and not too tired in these last few weeks.

pammyj74

wow thats a big gap in ages from the boys. At least you got one girl My sister has 5 boys. She had four boys under 4 on her own. I really didnt know how she coped. They are all older now and her youngest is 16.

I would say that most things I get is either discounted or I get with vouchers. Are you on bingoport? I get a few amazon vouchers from there. Probably about £10 a month if I do it most days. Even then I try and get things on amazon that are discounted. I constantly check HUKD and offeroftheday for things reduced.

gallygirl

Queen-Bee wrote: »

What makes me laugh is how obsessed some of us MFWs can become... me included Upcoming holiday apart, I live as frugally as you could imagine - decanting own brand cornflakes into a Kelloggs box, cheap bubble bath into liquid soap dispensers, whoopsies, topcashback, the lot.

A few weeks ago I decided the plastic liquid soap bottle in the bathroom (which gets refilled with free stuff from hotels) looked tacky so I'd buy a new one (clumsy family & nice porcelain ones do not go together :rotfl:). Said at work I was going to treat myself & got looked at as if I'd gone mad (they all spend every penny they have & more....). Backtracked and said I meant it was always a pleasure when the old one ran out as they come in so many lovely fragrances :rotfl:.

My latest trick is to OP the mortgage by the value of money off coupons I get that I will use - as soon as I get them. In the past I paid the money over when I used the voucher and usually forgot till it was a year out of date. So far this is motivating me to use them!

Don't be disheartened about small OP's = 20 x £5 still equals £100 so you'll get there in the end :T

Secret_Saving_Squirrel

Hello,

I have a good income and am aiming for quite high overpayments, but the foundation is real penny pinching. I tear money off vouchers out of magazines in the dentist, pick up pennies in the street and regift like mad. OH doesn't let me go shopping with him because I will only buy something if I get another one free. But, as you all know, this frees up our pounds so that we can do the important things. I never laugh at frugality! I admire it hugely!

Squirrel

cha97michelle

Iris_Blue wrote: »

Well you are the reason I'm here Michelle and I mean that. I don't know how I found your diary when I did or why I did but I like your honesty and the fact you do so well to provide for your family and make OP's as a SAHM. Paying any money at all off a mortgage is totally unheard of where I live, unless there's some unspoken rule that I just don't know about.

I'm enjoying my little op's at the moment

I wanted to ask but it hasn't been the right time this week... I use to read LB's thread but never posted. I hope she hasn't left due to the last comment. I hope she'll post again.

Ahh bless you. It really means a lot to me that, particularly with the week we have been having here. More traumas today with the cat, but i will save that for my thread.

I think sometimes we are definitely meant to read a particular thread for a purpose. I'm glad you did and i got to 'meet' you.

LB is fine. She hasn't given up on MF. She is just super busy at the moment and trying to do as much as she can before going back to work soon. So hard to get everything you need to done in a day isn't it.

Iris_Blue

Thanks Cath - No it's not on the market yet. I was hoping to pop to estate agents and get the house on the market next week but I think that's going to be a bit tight so now aiming for the week after.

Pammy -1 girl and she's a diva already. She's soooo different than the boys.What's bingoport? I do the BB scratchie , I'm not one for Bingo as such if it's that but don't mind scratching. £10 is alot of money!

Gally good idea about using the vouchers that way.

Not a good week at all for you Michelle, hopefully things will get better this week. Thanks for the update re LB, glad to know that she's OK.



Talking about living frugally...and knowing that you've taken it too far .I do think how incredibly lucky I am in my life. We both say this all the time. We use to live like kings and we still do only I now do it more wisely.

Me and OH have been together just over 4 years and how we lived.Eating here and there, travelling for hours just to go to a posh restaurant in a petrol guzelling sports car, you know the dating period, an excited flipping stomach everytime you see him, new clothes ...all put on the credit card!

Of course we got in debt and seeing as I was also in debt in the first place due to lets say...years of bringing up the children on my own with no one else contributing...I've worded that so nicely...we are now thankfully sorted out due to making a shopping budget, shopping for cheaper deals..reducing mobile phone bills. You know the drill.

I havent got a top of the range phone no more but quite honestly I don't care. Im proud at how far we have come. Yes we still have a beast of a car and have a lot of money tied up in it but that is one thing we won't change and plus it makes OH happy (and me too) it's our only vice.

I think though also that sometimes you can take living frugally too far.... You still have to live and enjoy life, hence our cars. Earlier in the year I didn't wear lipstick ..I wouldnt buy as it as it wasnt on offer :rotfl: Well tbh it made me miserable. I became depressed ...yes I know daft but I like to look glam. Oh was like but why? We have the money, it's £8 a lipstick! I was being tight thats all...and thats the scary part of being frugal. When do you know that you have gone too far!?!

Has anyone else had a wake up call about taking it too far?


Well I have rambled a little haven't I? I've not even mentioned using my actifry, the DIY completed or finding another house £50 grand less than the one we had our eye on! ... I'll leave that till next time


Iris

LilacPixie

Good luck Iris, Can I ask what size of home are you looking for? four-5 bedrooms?

Like you we have 2 cars that are pretty much essential essential essential. My OH works stupid hours before public transport and I do the nursery run taking me to work etc which i could do on a bus but it would take 1h 45m to bus from nursery to work and nursery starts at 9, I start at 9.30. Breakfast clubs plus bus fare would cost more than the car does. Neither of us smoke or drink that much, OH got the 3 cases of lagar for £20 at the run up to the world cup and is only just starting on his 2nd case this weekend.

Our daily interest was £4.51 in August.

pammyj74

bingoport is like a forum where you post to get points and then you play bingo with them and when you get to 10k points you can redeem for £5 amazon voucher. I just leave it playing on auto while I post. Its a lovely site.

I dont wear makeup that often because of the expense and also the time! I would love a new car. I am hoping to get PPI refunded and will get a decent car with that rather than OP. Sounds bad but I have made my target this year for OPs so I am allowed a little treat