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Pippi’s pulling up her stripey-socks for the final sprint towards the Good-Life……………
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Pippilongstocking
Posts: 16,336 Forumite
Hello!! Here goes - this is our peedie diary mark III thanks for reading!!! We're really into trying to live our lives to the max on as little money as we possibly can............. we have a reasonable lifestyle – on a now very threadbare budget....which I'm detailing here - join me on my omg I've no money adventure!
Goodlife patchwork income grid
We love living a simple life, full of colour, outdoor adventures, beaches, eating a lot of food and generally just packing as much into our lives as possible as unconventionally as possible! The most important part is that I'm obsessed with many things including flowers, sustainability, cooking, MSE and generally anything stripey - we do love our colour :j
Oh yeah - me I'm currently finishing a post grad study AND the paid money runs out on Monday! Hey ho, we’ll live – but for a while it will be a bit close to the bone. I occasionally also do a bit of teaching (gardening) and a bit of research work (botanical) and anything else anyone offers (I have no scruples)
This really does have to be the final sprint……………………….I'm on my way into the good life
HOWEVER..................where there's a will there is a way - so we're going to pull up our socks (stripy of course) accept the challenges and carve out our very own GOOD LIFE from here on in
When I say 'our' I mean:
1 collection of stripy islands
1 single parent
2 kids one of each kind
1 peedie (small) dog
1 campervan requiring a bit of tlc
6 chookies (hens)
½ an OH – who is around some of the time, the rest of the time he’s off being brilliant somewhere else
Various children/friends/family who pop up and visit us when they can. And we enjoy that very much!
Oh yeah, vital information, just to complicate life further we live on a group of islands in the North of Scotland – not many people, not many flowers, couple supermarkets and ferry/plane to get off the island to Scotland.
Where we live it’s amazing and it’s very remote - but the life style is amazing -we're restricted for lots of services and you really do have to balance the pros of living somewhere like here with the other things that are more difficult. We've limited supermarkets, no home delivery for many things - but lots of lovely local produce.
Next, now the main income has gone, we need to figure a cunning plan:
Hmmm figure a cunning plan – perhaps set up a website to work from home (?) not sure
Write a lot – maybe even a book about gardening…….? who knows if I can do that????
Keep the money spends to a minimum to maximise anything we earn =- getting better at that!
We’ll supplement this by maximising our super MSElearnt moneysavingsuperskills by:
Making a home made vegetable garden from scratch - I've just started that
Putting up a polytunnel to grow things for selling in and fruit for eating
Keeping hens (free eggs and eggs to sell to pay for their food and make a bit of money)
Swapping anything that we can – barter rocks!
Ebay – plant sales mainly but anything goes
Amazon – mainly books/dvds – my downfall is books I need to work on getting rid of some of them!
Quidco – for any online spending
Tesco CC deals to maximise our points and get a few extras in
Reduced shopping for everything from food to knickers
Maximising our store cupboard diva-ness
Make a whole lot of use on the OS board
Only use minimal cleaning/laundry products
Driving incredibly efficiently to counter-act fuel costs up here
We joined MSE when our finances were in a very very very dire position and in the two-three years on here we've dropped over £14,000 debt thanks to all the lovely advice on our beginning thread on here, taking lodgers, meal planning, budgeting, doing extra work and making a store cupboard. You get the picture – MSE to the max – if we can do it the MSE way we do!! We really are in such a different position that we were a even year ago due to really hammering debts with lodger/extra work money thanks to the god of money who else? (Martin I love you - not in a mad stalker way - honest!!!) We dropped the money by moving things about a bit - targeting the highest interest rates first and slowly but surely chucking any penny spare and extra money earned straight into debt - payment a days worked brilliantly to drip drip drip those debts. We kept our spending diary and were horrified to see the 'real' picture. Now compared to some an overall starting debt of £30k is alot and compared to others its not a huge figure as we've no mortgage - but the income we've got compared with the debt we had just didn't work and we were sinking. Hence being on mse to get it sorted we are now at 2.3 loan and a student loans company £14,050 = 16,395.
I’m now only in debt to the pesky student loans company £14,050
Penguin chops (a family friend 0% interest) - £2345/2745
I've always dreamed of having the Good Life – Earlier last year we signed the lease on a lovely rural house and with a big garden, a few barns and a small bit of land attached to it - so here goes We're always on the ‘what small DFW things have you done today’ thread which is new everyday......that thread really has changed our lives -Link the the first diary is here If you get really bored the second diary is here
What else can I say - life here is so lovely and interesting but not without its challenges!! On your marks, get set and she’s off in a stripy blur………………………….
I am trying to get into the swing of writing most days to get over the agony/mechanics of trying to write again after being told I had dyslexia last year - I love to write - but for a while I was terrified of even trying so I've started a 'non-money making' ramble to get me writing (its my homeweb page on my profile) - random nonsense on there daily often spelt badly (!), feel free to have a peek - anything from plants, gardening to cheap cooking and gorgeous views and alot of moaning about the weather!
Any ideas, comments, random thoughts, general chit chat always welcome here – there will be very little money – so the main thrust of this is really can we live on almost nothing, aspire to our dreams and still be OK? (AND not get into any more debt)
Goodlife patchwork income grid We love living a simple life, full of colour, outdoor adventures, beaches, eating a lot of food and generally just packing as much into our lives as possible as unconventionally as possible! The most important part is that I'm obsessed with many things including flowers, sustainability, cooking, MSE and generally anything stripey - we do love our colour :j
Oh yeah - me I'm currently finishing a post grad study AND the paid money runs out on Monday! Hey ho, we’ll live – but for a while it will be a bit close to the bone. I occasionally also do a bit of teaching (gardening) and a bit of research work (botanical) and anything else anyone offers (I have no scruples
)This really does have to be the final sprint……………………….I'm on my way into the good life
HOWEVER..................where there's a will there is a way - so we're going to pull up our socks (stripy of course) accept the challenges and carve out our very own GOOD LIFE from here on in
When I say 'our' I mean:
1 collection of stripy islands
1 single parent
2 kids one of each kind
1 peedie (small) dog
1 campervan requiring a bit of tlc
6 chookies (hens)
½ an OH – who is around some of the time, the rest of the time he’s off being brilliant somewhere else
Various children/friends/family who pop up and visit us when they can. And we enjoy that very much!
Oh yeah, vital information, just to complicate life further we live on a group of islands in the North of Scotland – not many people, not many flowers, couple supermarkets and ferry/plane to get off the island to Scotland.
Where we live it’s amazing and it’s very remote - but the life style is amazing -we're restricted for lots of services and you really do have to balance the pros of living somewhere like here with the other things that are more difficult. We've limited supermarkets, no home delivery for many things - but lots of lovely local produce.
Next, now the main income has gone, we need to figure a cunning plan:
Hmmm figure a cunning plan – perhaps set up a website to work from home (?) not sure
Write a lot – maybe even a book about gardening…….? who knows if I can do that????
Keep the money spends to a minimum to maximise anything we earn =- getting better at that!
We’ll supplement this by maximising our super MSElearnt moneysavingsuperskills by:
Making a home made vegetable garden from scratch - I've just started that
Putting up a polytunnel to grow things for selling in and fruit for eating
Keeping hens (free eggs and eggs to sell to pay for their food and make a bit of money)
Swapping anything that we can – barter rocks!
Ebay – plant sales mainly but anything goes
Amazon – mainly books/dvds – my downfall is books I need to work on getting rid of some of them!
Quidco – for any online spending
Tesco CC deals to maximise our points and get a few extras in
Reduced shopping for everything from food to knickers
Maximising our store cupboard diva-ness
Make a whole lot of use on the OS board
Only use minimal cleaning/laundry products
Driving incredibly efficiently to counter-act fuel costs up here
We joined MSE when our finances were in a very very very dire position and in the two-three years on here we've dropped over £14,000 debt thanks to all the lovely advice on our beginning thread on here, taking lodgers, meal planning, budgeting, doing extra work and making a store cupboard. You get the picture – MSE to the max – if we can do it the MSE way we do!! We really are in such a different position that we were a even year ago due to really hammering debts with lodger/extra work money thanks to the god of money who else? (Martin I love you - not in a mad stalker way - honest!!!) We dropped the money by moving things about a bit - targeting the highest interest rates first and slowly but surely chucking any penny spare and extra money earned straight into debt - payment a days worked brilliantly to drip drip drip those debts. We kept our spending diary and were horrified to see the 'real' picture. Now compared to some an overall starting debt of £30k is alot and compared to others its not a huge figure as we've no mortgage - but the income we've got compared with the debt we had just didn't work and we were sinking. Hence being on mse to get it sorted we are now at 2.3 loan and a student loans company £14,050 = 16,395.
I’m now only in debt to the pesky student loans company £14,050
Penguin chops (a family friend 0% interest) - £2345/2745
I've always dreamed of having the Good Life – Earlier last year we signed the lease on a lovely rural house and with a big garden, a few barns and a small bit of land attached to it - so here goes We're always on the ‘what small DFW things have you done today’ thread which is new everyday......that thread really has changed our lives -Link the the first diary is here If you get really bored the second diary is here
What else can I say - life here is so lovely and interesting but not without its challenges!! On your marks, get set and she’s off in a stripy blur………………………….
I am trying to get into the swing of writing most days to get over the agony/mechanics of trying to write again after being told I had dyslexia last year - I love to write - but for a while I was terrified of even trying so I've started a 'non-money making' ramble to get me writing (its my homeweb page on my profile) - random nonsense on there daily often spelt badly (!), feel free to have a peek - anything from plants, gardening to cheap cooking and gorgeous views and alot of moaning about the weather!
Any ideas, comments, random thoughts, general chit chat always welcome here – there will be very little money – so the main thrust of this is really can we live on almost nothing, aspire to our dreams and still be OK? (AND not get into any more debt)
Total debt 26/4/18 <£1925 we were getting there. :beer:
Total debt as of 28/4/19 £7867.38:eek:
minus 112.06 = £7755.32:money:
:money:Sleeves up folks.:money:
Total debt as of 28/4/19 £7867.38:eek:
minus 112.06 = £7755.32:money:
:money:Sleeves up folks.:money:
0
Comments
-
OO another Pippi diary- Good luck. xxBlackadder: Am I jumping the gun, Baldrick, or are the words 'I have a cunning plan' marching with ill-deserved confidence in the direction of this conversation?
Still lurking around with a hope of some salvation:cool:0 -
Phew, go you. Happy new diary.0
-
Hi Pippi,
I've not been about on your other diaries but recognise you from Karmacats place.
I'll be following your journey with great interest - am preparing for a veg garden here.
Lots of luck
xx0 -
boredofbeingathome wrote: »OO another Pippi diary- Good luck. xx
hello me dear - darwin will feature heavily I promise next year is his do-up year Phew, go you. Happy new diary.
Um, yup, sorry, yeah - not a clue how to be concise - thank you both for christening the diary
I do need a very good plan to cope with the £1000 I've just dropped income wise a month - eeek:eek: - and can't work on anything full-time til I've written up - (April 2011)Total debt 26/4/18 <£1925 we were getting there. :beer:
Total debt as of 28/4/19 £7867.38:eek:
minus 112.06 = £7755.32:money:
:money:Sleeves up folks.:money:0 -
Hi Pippi,
I've not been about on your other diaries but recognise you from Karmacats place.
I'll be following your journey with great interest - am preparing for a veg garden here.
Lots of luck
xx
A new face - cool - of course I've seen you over various fences! Hello!!
WHat kind of veg garden you going for? I'm working on a very ramshakle raised bed configuration - which might fall apart before I get the soil in - but I'm keen :rotfl:
Thank you and wonderful to see you!
*put the kettle on here* Total debt 26/4/18 <£1925 we were getting there. :beer:
Total debt as of 28/4/19 £7867.38:eek:
minus 112.06 = £7755.32:money:
:money:Sleeves up folks.:money:0 -
Pippilongstocking wrote: » hello me dear - darwin will feature heavily I promise next year is his do-up year
Goody:D:T I look forward to picciesBlackadder: Am I jumping the gun, Baldrick, or are the words 'I have a cunning plan' marching with ill-deserved confidence in the direction of this conversation?
Still lurking around with a hope of some salvation:cool:0 -
Total debt 26/4/18 <£1925 we were getting there. :beer:
Total debt as of 28/4/19 £7867.38:eek:
minus 112.06 = £7755.32:money:
:money:Sleeves up folks.:money:0 -
Hello,
as to the garden - I'd love to have the fab painted raised beds I saw on amazon but at £60+ a go I think not, so I too will be going for the ramshackle look
I'm a bit of a collector of things that will come in useful one day so have a fair few lengths of wood & pallets etc that I intend to break up & reassemble as beds. My pride & joy at the moment is a green house that I've constructed from the shell of an old wardrobe . I've also been buying the huge 5 litre bottles of water for a couple of months just so I can cut them down to reuse as cloches, well that's the plan so I do hope it works.
Off for wander now but will be back again soon
PS - I'm working my way towards a camper van too so you are a great inspiration 0 -
Pippilongstocking wrote: »Like..........
ooh likey likey:D:rotfl::rotfl::kisses3::drool::drool::drool:Blackadder: Am I jumping the gun, Baldrick, or are the words 'I have a cunning plan' marching with ill-deserved confidence in the direction of this conversation?
Still lurking around with a hope of some salvation:cool:0 -
Hello,
as to the garden - I'd love to have the fab painted raised beds I saw on amazon but at £60+ a go I think not, so I too will be going for the ramshackle look
I'm a bit of a collector of things that will come in useful one day so have a fair few lengths of wood & pallets etc that I intend to break up & reassemble as beds. My pride & joy at the moment is a green house that I've constructed from the shell of an old wardrobe . I've also been buying the huge 5 litre bottles of water for a couple of months just so I can cut them down to reuse as cloches, well that's the plan so I do hope it works.
Off for wander now but will be back again soon
PS - I'm working my way towards a camper van too so you are a great inspiration
Oh now thats a very good tip - thank you, I wouldn't have thought of that - re veg bed - I wanted railway sleepers - not a hope - I've got a very dodgy looking frame now - see ya again and thank you for being so kind! Um wardrobe - greenhouse any pics? If you do anywhere I'd love to have a look at what you've done to achieve that!!!
Ps campervans rool:D bob he says hi - Total debt 26/4/18 <£1925 we were getting there. :beer:
Total debt as of 28/4/19 £7867.38:eek:
minus 112.06 = £7755.32:money:
:money:Sleeves up folks.:money:0
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