New wannabe, cant wait to get started

dolly-bird

Well, not a good start, I wake up with a migraine.

Manage to get to work at lunch time, stopping to fill up my car with just £20.00 of the £40.00 weekly budget (for 2 cars).

£40.00 weekly food budget, had to knick £7.00 of petrol money for overspend of food on Moday, so £13.00 left after todays little top up. Will save this for Diesel in the Wagon early next week.

Food, did write a list, but then realised id missed a few items once at the shop, should have compromised and put other items back. mental note for next time. Maybe ill take a calculator to be more precise.
Hopefully next week will be able to save some food money as have stacks in the freezer, and need to use it up as im sure the freezer is on the blink.

To do list -
Investigate electricity prices, as on pre-pay.
Cut down on long showers
Adjust time for gas CH to come on and off (Have to bear in mind the lodger)
Work more or find more reliable job than gardening !!!!

Jonbvn

dolly-bird wrote: »

It feels very re-assuring that there are other people scrimping and saving every penny in search of a better and mortgage free life

Just to clarify this point. It is best not to become OCD, such that you are living like a pauper in order to OP your mortage.

It should be seen as the pillar of a future wealthier life, rather than an end in itself. However, do not let it impinge on your happiness!

dolly-bird

Thanks for the worda of wisdom Jonbvn,

It may be different in more wealthier parts of the country, where wages are much much higher, but in Cornwall where wages are really low, like average wage for an admin job is just £14k per annum, and petrol is almost touching £1.30 a litre, food is no cheaper, and water rates and council tax are so high due to beach cleans for tourists, im afraid a lot of people are in a far worse situation than myself and cant even afford heating on.

I dont feel I am being OCD, just this is the only way we can realisticially afford to save any money to overpay, as wages are so low.

I have a fantastic life in Corwall and reap the benefits of such a beautiful place.

I certainly dont live like a pauper, I eat well, can afford fuel in my car, and even goto the pub.

If I do not budget according to available funds, I would be in debt as its easy to overspend on food & fuel.

Im afraid this is a reality of living in a place where wages ae really low.

By the way im not having a rant, its just how it is !

Dollybird

ThriftyFelicity

Two potential areas of saving are growing your own fruit & veg, and making your own wine, cider & beer.

And then there's foraging, which can also cut down on grocery bills.

(Can you tell what my areas of interest are? )

tootallulah

Welcome and good luck. We all find the right payment level that fits with our lifestyle it just takes a bit of working out. You will save thousands, potentially tens of thousands if you can get it sorted out. In somewhere like Cornwall with everything you have said about it mortgage freedom will give a greater level of security and choices. In the end it's all debt, better to not have it than have it.

yukkibear

Welcome and good luck with your journey.

dolly-bird

ThriftyFelicity wrote: »

Two potential areas of saving are growing your own fruit & veg, and making your own wine, cider & beer.

And then there's foraging, which can also cut down on grocery bills.

(Can you tell what my areas of interest are? )

Hi ThriftyFelicity,

Now your talking

I have an allotment, which does need a major weed, hoping OH will help out with this. Then I will be ready to get going again. Have already started tomatoes by seed on my electric blanket and gerkins (Which I plan to pickle). Onion seeds bought cheap from B & Q this morning.

I also have some raised beds in my garden, which I have just harvested the rather minute amount, but none the less, small crop of turnips I planted late last year.

As for wine and beer making, I am hoping for the equiptment for my birthday next month, so it wont cost me anything to get started.

Foraging is definatley something we also want to do, purchased my partener for xmas a really good book for foraging by the seaside. We even went for a reccy at the weekend to check out potential muscle sites for yummy picking.

Please excuse me this is one area I am quite passionate about

Dolly Bird

dolly-bird

tootallulah wrote: »

Welcome and good luck. We all find the right payment level that fits with our lifestyle it just takes a bit of working out. You will save thousands, potentially tens of thousands if you can get it sorted out. In somewhere like Cornwall with everything you have said about it mortgage freedom will give a greater level of security and choices. In the end it's all debt, better to not have it than have it.

Hi Tootallulah,
Thanks for your words of wisdom, I do appreciate the support.
Cornwall life does make it very difficult to be able to save/cut back to the amounts that a lot of other people seem to, but I am not phased, I firmly believe we will find the right payment level that suits our lifestyle and capabilities.

Cornwall is a fabulous place to live, but the wages need to be bought in this century.

DollyBird

Carafan

Hi DollyBird,

I'm another advocate for growing your own too. I know its not for everyone but if you enjoy it and have the space it really is a great way to save on the grocery bills. We bought a cheap polytunnel from Ebay last year and I can't believe the difference it has made, we were overloaded with toms - my freezer is still packed full of soup and sauces!!!!

My OH is keen to try making cider and for his 40th later this year I am thinking about buying him a press (we have a small orchard so apples are free!).

Anyway I shall enjoy following your journey, Cornwall is a beautiful place and somewhere I would love to live but for now I shall have to be one of those pesky tourists that each summer brings

Carafan

SmlSave

Ohhh....did someone mention cider and wine making? yum yum

Our first attempt was in a bucket and we made elderflower champs and then cranberry cider....we now have a 40ltr plastic bin for making cider in the shed, 3 demijons under the stairs and various plastic bottles filled with sloe gin and vodka!

am going to lurk on here