How much do you live on per month?

Erme

Souk08 wrote: »

Love it! Hon I hope to never settle down (see my sig). Lots more fun to be had I feel but if you want that then go for it but dont assume that it will make you happy if you're not already IYSWIM!

Had this chat with a mate the other night. I never want the whole husband baby bit but one of my friends friends does and hasn't got it. She has said to her to consider what she will do with her life if it never happens ie will she consider it a life half lived or just grab it with both hands and enjoy what she can do, not worry about what she can't.

Not saying you wont get it, just an interesting thought. This all fascinates me Lucy as I have never wanted it and so dont fit in with a lot of women!

You know for a number of years in my early thirties I thought I needed a man to make me happy but now I realise I don't...in my twenties I comforted myself with all the material stuff I could afford. Now I just want to decorate this place (hasn't been decorated in over 10 years :eek:)....

Recently I have had some contact with a chap online in Canada but do I really want to move to Canada? No!!! Sometimes when I'm sick and think the grass is greener I want to move...when I come to my sense I realise I don't. Not even to somewhere with a garden ..

You see I have everything I need here. I live in a small flat in social housing in the city centre with fab views and fab lighting. Being central means I can take my pic of supermarkets and most places are just a walk or cycle away. Okay so in this city we don't have greengrocers but when Mr M is 8 mins walk away and Mr S is only 15 does it matter? Just think - if I had a garden and say I had an appt @ 10am and one @ 3 I'd be stuck spending a fortune in Mr St for 2 hours + if it was raining. Not my idea of fun. It is worth moving...NO!!!

Also I have friends with gardens and there is green space to sit and chill out locally. There is also a veg garden @ my old Uni which is 20 mins (just over) walk away so I can grow my own veg. Or I could get an allotment

So whilst I struggle to have 5 or any NSD's a week I do appreciate relationships don't buy you happiness. The grass seriously is not greener and what is a man in comparison to fab friends?

jaffacakegal wrote: »

Lucy - I gave up smoking two years ago. Was on about 10 a day before that - roughly £2 a day wasted. I decided to give up as I could not have afforded to buy a house and pay the mortgage billls etc if I carried on. I just thought right lets see if I can go a day without smoking and if I can I will put £2 in a piggy bank. And, just did that every day for 3 months, never looking more than one day ahead. Every day, no ciggie, £2 to me! I've never smoked since (though by god I've been tempted, especially recently!).

Oh and I've been single for 5 years. Most of the time it doesn't bother me, I love being able to do what I want when I want, in my house on my own!

But I understand where you're coming from, recently I find myself really wishing I had someone to come home to/share things with (including bills lol!).

JCG x

Och I'm so inspired by this thread to quit..I currently spend about £30 a week on cigs (roll ups) and I have MH probs. When I've tried recently I've either had a nicotine OD on NRT (various forms) or else gotten very depressed so love this suggestion. And even if I just buy treats out of part of my cig money for the first few weeks I'd still save ....Och thanks so much. I'm now sitting here having been up since about 4am (way too early) thinking I'm going to try the patches and puffer cos that way I should get enough nicotine and not get too depressed....any thoughts most welcome...

You never know it could happen within a few days

E

Erme

beachie wrote: »

Yes, I can recommend having a cat. Always nice to come home to and have a cuddle with.

I have been talking to someone from work and at the moment it seems to be going quite well. She works in a different team but we meet for coffee and a chat today which was nice so here is hoping.

:T

Ratties every time or gerbils ...My friend got gerbils 3 months ago (she's a student) and loves them - just shop around for cages....Cheap to keep too. I have ratties (rats) - great for cuddles and you'll find you don't need a tv once you have ratties. Get two... Rat cage wise forget pets rip off and get a rainbow rat cage (about £40) which I'm going to invest in once I have some spare dosh cos my chinchilla cage off gumtree won't last last long ...cheap to keep too. Got a huge sack of bedding for like £3 something from local pet store and they just need one bag of suparat every two weeks (£2.50). I could get cheaper from pets rip off but why bother? I support a small business by buying SR and it doesn't save that much. If you're really skint you can often get bedding for 50p from HB...

Also they don't need a house - just some scrap paper and they can be as cheap or as expensive as you want. Rats love anything 'unhealthy' and mine beg for leftovers. They'll eat pancake, popcorn the works. Even rice and cous cous (yet turn their noses up at celery and carrot). Plenty of rat forums should you get stuck...:)

snookey wrote: »

I was just thinking back to when I purchased my home fifteen years ago. I was twenty six with a baby and my now partner[ god I feel old]. We bought our home for forty thousend but got two thousend cashback so in effect thirty eight. Its now worth hundred and sixty thousend and we would not be able to afford to buy it if starting out now.
My home is our childrens inhertiance unless we decide to spend it on wild spending sprees, lol.

I have a 'better' (tell me it's cruel) idea...SPEND THE KIDS INHERITANCE ON A ROUND THE WORLD CRUISE. I say this to all 'old' folk. You only live once .....Go whilst you have your health...and enjoy....

awaytogoyet wrote: »

Sadly I have lost my Mum now - but what I used to do was this:-
Find a cheap (often at a Boot Sale) terracotta or basket-style flower/plant bowl & paint it lots of lovely colours (using & mixing left-over paints, or buying tester pots). Line it, then plant it with Summer Flowering bulbs & Spring flowering plants. I would then add co-ordinating ribbon, plus often find a small Teddy & attach him, adorned with Ribbon also. This meant I could buy the plants & bulbs a couple of weeks before the actual day & just pay normal price for them. It made a nice pressie, IMO - she always seemed to love it anyway.
I really do think it is the thought that counts.
HTH & good luck.

There was something on here by Martin around xmas time (don't know where it still is) on home made pressies for under a £5. The only one I remember is a cheap photo frame whereby you take the stuff out and put like one square of chocolate or something behind it. Then put the stuff back in and put on it 'In emergency smash glass for sos choc' or whatever (could be a minature of her favourite tipple - anything small)...thought that was a fab idea.

Also learn to knit/crochet. Again lots of social groups and make fab pressies

Cards are relatively easy to make (once you get the hang of them) on the printer. Just don't print off your photos at Boots (I just print mine off on card). Verses etc online. Fancy scissors make all the difference or a wee bit of wool/ribbon or some buttons (charity shop)

Also have you tried felting Lucy? Never tried it in the machine but my best New Year present was a felted hot water bottle cover with hot water bottle made by a friend with little money. It was seriously fab!!! Again google. Need woollen garments from charity shop/jumble sale..

Anyhow about p.29 now so will catch up on this thread before breakkie

E

ani_26

Just a quick one before i go to work.

Good to see you're still here Lucy, and thanks Lucy, Kerri, Curly, Aesop, and anyone else.

No change to the monthly budget yet, although i still have no need for a monthly budget. I still spend what little i can spare, on food, which still equates to approximately £10 a week, which i guess is approx £40 a month, which just shows, it can be done, loosely speaking.

Nh xx

maganan

ani_26 wrote: »

Just a quick one before i go to work.

Good to see you're still here Lucy, and thanks Lucy, Kerri, Curly, Aesop, and anyone else.

No change to the monthly budget yet, although i still have no need for a monthly budget. I still spend what little i can spare, on food, which still equates to approximately £10 a week, which i guess is approx £40 a month, which just shows, it can be done, loosely speaking.

Nh xx

Good to see you back ani, glad you seem to have plenty of work but hope you're getting enough rest too! Still admire your budgetting skills x

Erme

curlygirl1971 wrote: »

Where's Lucy tonight?

Bet she's gone out on her own. Good girl!

I can just picture her now, sat on a barstool at the end of a bar sipping on iced tap water and occasionally peeping out from behind a really interesting book. The barman tells her the guy at the other end has sent over a Martini Cocktail with his compliments and she sends it back explaining she can't afford a taxi home as it doesn't fit her budget :rotfl:

Argh put ice in the water... now that's where I was going wrong tee hee.. but hey they often have free wifi in pubs :T

flying_fresian wrote: »

I'm a little late to this party, but I did read all 17 pages this morning while I was having my coffee

We're a two-person-two-moggie household and once the bills are paid I allocate money for emergencies, Christmas, entertainment and our car fund. I then allow £210 per month for all food, toiletries, cleaning bits and cat gubbins and have another £140 left for my spending. Out of that £140 I do pay money into my savings as well. It's generally spent on coffees, magazines and other fripparies, although I'm not half as bad for that as I was when I was in debt.

Mr Fresian isn't working at the moment and his dole money is running out, so I think we're going to be a lot skinter soon. We're paying all the bills etc from my wages at the moment and he pays for his ciggies etc from his dole money. I suspect we're going to have the mother of all domestics when his money runs out and I refuse to buy him ciggies :rotfl:

F_F one question - HOW did you manage to read 17 pages over coffee? LOL...it took me 2 hours from 4am - 6am this am to catch up on this addictive thread and now I'm a zombie and regretting missing the extra 2 hours shut eye

backinbusiness wrote: »

vka1

To quote the magnificent David Walliams "I'm a laaddeeeee!" actually; sorry to disappoint!

I support the Scottish Rugby Team because they have truly magnificent legs!!!

Okay....in a word PICS...cos one thing I'm into is legs....LOL....Not the bods mind you......edit them. I just want to see the legs (if I sound nutty - yep am very tired)

So Lucy - you've inspired me. I have an appt with the smoking cessation worker @ 3.30pm...pray I'm awake then...Had many bad experiences trying to quit the weed on NRT (too much/too little = equally disasterous for mental health) but now am a good place mentally so will keep you posted. Currently I'm spending about £20 a week on food and about £30 a week on cigs - go figure? I don't know if I can do it. Like you Lucy I love (well you used to) my cigs and can't imagine life without them. But having dipped my toe in the smoke free world for a few hours each day on holiday I know before long I'll want nicotine and not cigs and then it'll just be a case of weaning off nicotine...

Just a random (prolly useless) thought...F_F have you tried your DH on snuff? Just make sure he has plenty of hankies...Cheaper than cigs (way cheaper) and like it's what the boys on the rigs use when they go off shore....Just a random thought... Buy online or from inde tobacconist..

Anyhow have to go now and phone M in Skye...still not caught up on posts but have things to do


Blessings

E
PS. For those wondering how to keep track of where they are on threads...Some thing like 'stickies' for windows/mac/linux or onenote (for windows) is how I keep track...E

Lucy1010

CurlyGirl.. you are too funny :rotfl:

Anyone else find that the sun makes you want to spend? Beautiful weather is making me want a new summer wardrobe...

I hate my debt

curlygirl1971

Lucy1010 wrote: »

Anyone else find that the sun makes you want to spend? Beautiful weather is making me want a new summer wardrobe...

I hate my debt

Yes - but I always want new clothes

Don't feel like that, not too much anyway....I can understand why but lets think of it another way.

1) You are going to feel FABULOUS once it's all straight

2) I don't know what your debt is. But Imagine it was only £500. £500 every flipping month, you go overdrawn. £500 every month that you pay charges on. As soon as your salary goes in the OD disappears, but then you spend exactly the same as before (because you've never learnt your lesson) and before you know it you're £500 OD again. Maybe £600 in January, taking a couple of months to get straight again. And none of this is 'Need' or emergency - its just your regular over-spending. If you're £500 OD then that's just who you are every month and it never changes and you rarely get out of it.

But your debt isn't £500 - it's more isn't it. Am sure it's a huge amount to you. But what it also is, is a valuable lesson that many with a £500 OD never have the chance to learn, its an opportunity - because once its clear you'll (hopefully) have learned how to spend and how to not spend and you'll make better use of what you do have and appreciate it more. You will forever protect what you do have. Or something like that

Ever watched Pollyanna? God I used to imagine running up behind her and giving her a good shove and then rubbing her face in the mud to teach her a lesson in misery. But she's right - find a reason to be glad. And if Pollyanna doesn't do it for you then remember the words of that other great sage, Yoda "Hate leads to suffering". Nah, I'm only joking - you keeping punching away at that big ole debt and teach it a lesson

curlygirl1971

Erme wrote: »

...it took me 2 hours from 4am - 6am this am to catch up on this addictive thread and now I'm a zombie and regretting missing the extra 2 hours shut eye

So Lucy - you've inspired me. I have an appt with the smoking cessation worker @ 3.30pm...

Hope you managed to keep awake for the appt Erme! Well done on going - hope it went well and get a good nights sleep tonight!

crafty*kate

Erme wrote: »

So Lucy - you've inspired me. I have an appt with the smoking cessation worker @ 3.30pm...pray I'm awake then...Had many bad experiences trying to quit the weed on NRT (too much/too little = equally disasterous for mental health) but now am a good place mentally so will keep you posted. Currently I'm spending about £20 a week on food and about £30 a week on cigs - go figure? I don't know if I can do it. Like you Lucy I love (well you used to) my cigs and can't imagine life without them. But having dipped my toe in the smoke free world for a few hours each day on holiday I know before long I'll want nicotine and not cigs and then it'll just be a case of weaning off nicotine...

Well done Erme...how did it go? Hope you managed to stay awake!

Lucy1010 wrote: »

Anyone else find that the sun makes you want to spend? Beautiful weather is making me want a new summer wardrobe...

I hate my debt

Yup. I couldn't find anything to wear this morning and Monsoon has some beee-yootiful dresses in. I have to keep telling myself it will be worth it in the end....sadly even when I have sorted my debt, I probably still won't be able to afford them, lol.

Oh, and today I was told that next week we will be having an announcement about our restructure at work. And restructure only means one thing

Erme

ani_26 wrote: »

Just a quick one before i go to work.

Good to see you're still here Lucy, and thanks Lucy, Kerri, Curly, Aesop, and anyone else.

No change to the monthly budget yet, although i still have no need for a monthly budget. I still spend what little i can spare, on food, which still equates to approximately £10 a week, which i guess is approx £40 a month, which just shows, it can be done, loosely speaking.

Nh xx

Och I don't know how you do it Ani but I know from reading this thread it's not from choice...Hugs

curlygirl1971 wrote: »

Hope you managed to keep awake for the appt Erme! Well done on going - hope it went well and get a good nights sleep tonight!

crafty*kate wrote: »

Well done Erme...how did it go? Hope you managed to stay awake!




Yup. I couldn't find anything to wear this morning and Monsoon has some beee-yootiful dresses in. I have to keep telling myself it will be worth it in the end....sadly even when I have sorted my debt, I probably still won't be able to afford them, lol.

Oh, and today I was told that next week we will be having an announcement about our restructure at work. And restructure only means one thing

Yeah I went to Mr T for cheap caffeine (I need cheap caffeine first thing) and like juice (it'd gone up from 22p a bottle to 30p eek. Should have really gotten the blackcurrant @ 29p but it's summer :A) and then went to FF to get milk. That has also gone up to £2 for 4 litres...Wonder if it's such a good buy with many of the supermarkets doing 8 pints for about £2.20 which lasts longer then came home and napped. Also had a whoopsie trip to Greigs for an iced doughnut (I refuse to buy any doughnut from there more expensive than 40p. A doughnut is...you've guessed it A DOUGHNUT LOL) and a sausage roll (cheap and yummy and for some reason I was really hungry @ 10am)...then yeah..had a nap about 12 or so for an hour...

Got up..hit the good ole espresso and transferred some stuff to my whoopsie spend of £1k the other week (I've talked about it today on the small things thread) so that can go to the hosp chaplain next week for cleaning - but it'll be like watching paint dry for him to get his act together and alas I don't have his email. May well be cheaper to pay someone....don't know..

Then went out to smoking cessation and got nasal spray which has worked in the past for about 6-8 weeks so I figure I can use it again for the first few weeks then go on patches.....and they were really nice and I'm to go back next week...

Not sure when to quit so I quit when I got home cos it's not like the patches or anything...you literally self regulate the dose...so that was about 4.20pm and it's okay... Bit problematic about the 2 hour mark but it's okay now.....

So now I want treats for £5 max for getting to the first week and the rest can go on debt any ideas? I'm thinking some lush smellies right now or some nice bath oil from amazon (cos it's about the cheapest online) like say neroli or like patchouli for the bath? I already have the perfume (sunflowers - it's cheap and nice)....

Any other ideas?

Thanks so much guys for your encouragement and it's really inspiring seeing so many MSEers (not just on this thread but elsewhere too) quitting the weed this year :T

E