life at the happy farm.....

mrs_motivated

Hi folks,

decided it was time for some mad ramblings to help me on my way to debt free meeeeee!

I suppose I better start with telling folk a little about me, the debts and the happyfarm!

Current Happyfarm residents.

Me - (she who must be obeyed) , early forties, works full time CEO of Housing Org powersuited, groomed and organised - and at home dippy, ditsy, welly booted goodlife queen. Oh and have debts of £24,265 (debt free day target August 2014)!

Hubby :cool: - indulgent but stroppy, early forties, a 'man who can' , no debts and actually has savings...... happiest playing with electronic gadgets and bees.

Father in law - (Uncle Albert) - early eighties,, partial to ladies and the odd tot of whiskey (medicinal i am told) - speciality -war stories and wooing italian beauties..... fountain of all knowledge and debt free with savings.

Daughter (twin 1) - Beautiful (age 17) - would be eco warrier, feminist and queen of style (can emerge from a charity shop having spent £2.50 looking a million dollars)

Daughter (twin 2) - beautiful (age 17) - would be high powered lawyer, defending the underdog and good guys ...... book worm who reads EVERYTHING curently swotting for A levels

the Dogs - one male (rather dumb gundog but cute and loves his mum), one female (much smarter, pretty and rather aloof gundog)

the chickens - variety of breeds, laying multi coloured eggs and enjoy annoying the dogs

the quail - well, what can i say - quail are quail.

significant non residents

Stepson1 - petrol head, new girl every week, batchelor pad (only turns up at mealtimes).

other important details.

Debt - totally mine and therefore I will clear it :T (watch this space)

house - large extension currently been built (footings only at the moment) - solar panels going in and best of all a Rayburn (so i can get more goodlifey), building schedule 16 weeks and counting until finished. NB this is been paid for by indulgent but stroppy and so not adding to my debts.!

DD1 and DD2 studying for AS levels.

Me on a diet (erm healthy eating) - going ok - but need to lose two and a half stone ........ (why oh why dont they make pin*t grigio calorie free)

Well that'll do for an intro - off to do snowballing and online Ocado order (got a 25 % voucher off of first order - but i expect it will be my first and last order) as call me old fashioned I LURVE shopping (only not allowed any nice shopping until debt free..... tomorrow i shall write my 10 commandments to becoming debt free......

Buy folks - sorry for rambling xxx

Itsadogslife_2

Hello and welcome, looking forward to reading your diary! Does your other half know about your debts, could he help pay them off and then you pay him back?

Mags30

Happy New Diary I am loving the descriptions of the people in your life.

mrs_motivated

Hi Itsadogslife and Mags.

Maybe i should have explained a little more. About a year and a half ago i had my lightbulb moment and did eventually tell indulgent but stroppy (who was really supportive) and the whole family changed and embraced a new way of life.

Original debt was about (£38K) - so i have cleared alot already. I am sooo determined to clear them myself (I guess i feel its the only way I will learn NEVER EVER to get into debt again).

Indulgent but Stroppy could lend me the money, however, we are having major extension works done on the house to accomodate uncle albert and his visiting hareem! so he is paying for that and then DD (would be high powered lawyer) is looking to go to uni (so indulgent but stroppy will be copped with her living expenses etc)!! i am quite lucky, have a good salary and have never got to the point where I cant pay, its just my wages come in and all seem to go out again.

Anyway what was a bad situation (my debt and the fear of anyone knowing about it) is now a major positive - I appreciate my wonderful family, enjoy cooking, growing my home etc etc. but need some encouragement for the remaining £24K.....

Oh dear in danger of rambling again!!!;)

lionheartedgirl

hello and welcome!

great start to your diary and debt free adventure, I love the description of your life and the people in it!

good luck :j

*subscribes*

mrs_motivated

Morning Everyone
I was thinking about things last night and decided that this diary shall be in two parts.
Part 1 – Life at the happyfarm (an account of trivial family matters) – which will be in effect free therapy for me and …..
Part2 – My debt free journey – an account of what does and doesn’t work for me.

Ok so here goes;

Life at the happy farm

Not a good start to the day I’m afraid, but I will share the humiliation with all! Indulgent but stroppy overslept (which apparently was my fault) :cool: and resulted in me having to feed and water the animals before work. Not such a difficult task you may say, hmmmm!!!!! Anyway suitably attired (not) in rather faded pink PJ’s and muddy green wellies I make my way to the chicken pen. I have already mentioned that we are having building work done, which has resulted in the normally free range chickens been kept in chicken jail for their own safety…. Well it appears that the chooks are none to happy about this and one rather superior looking (on account she lays beautiful blue eggs) chicken decided she was making a bid for freedom. After about ten minutes coaxing with corn and giving her my best ‘she who must be obeyed’ look and her giving me back a ‘no chance sweet cheeks’ look in return….Battle commenced! Armed with a fishing net and garden cane and ‘assisted’ by cute but dumb and smart but haughty gundogs (who, by the way, were no help whatsoever). I managed to get her back into the chicken run! Haha triumphant me – turned around with fishing net held aloft, straw like hair stood on end, PJ’s all skew-whiff and a grin like jack Nicolson (think The Shining)! To be greeted by 3 smirking builders and a cheery ‘ello darlin’ – (oh the shame) :eek:. I managed to give them a snooty ‘she who must be obeyed’ glare and tottered in (as best as you can totter in green wellies)… sloped off for a shower and headed off to work!


Debt Free journey.
To date I have paid off around £14k of debt – but just recently things have started to slip (not in the way of debt increasing, just that really focussed paying off has ceased) – hence the start of this diary. Today I will begin with Mrs M’s list of 10 money saving commandments (not life changing, but they do work for me).

1. Thou must always take a packed lunch and skip the morning latte (makes a note to join the taking lunch to work challenge).

2. Thou must draw out weekly budget in cash – and when its gone its GONE

3. Thou must ask oneself do we NEED this purchase before any cash is ever exchanged – which brings me on to number 4.

4. Thou must remember the definition of NEED – which is entirely different to WANT or LUST AFTER!

5. Thou must continue to cook from scratch and make use of allotment freebies donated by uncle alberts allotment posse

6. Thou will sort out wardrobe into 1. Ebay sales, 2. Working capsule wardrobe and 3.happyfarm sloppy joe wardrobe.

7. Thou shall count the ‘change’ jar and use contents to pay off more on credit card 1.

8. Thou shall remember to ‘shop around for essentials and check out Costco and see how that works.

9. Thou shall drink indulgent but stroppy’s home made wine without grimacing and checking the vinegar bottle hasn’t been raided and think of the money this actually saves.

10. Thou shall endeavour to visit the MSE site 5 times a week for advice, motivation and support!

Have a good weekend folks xxx

lionheartedgirl

Hi, I love the idea of 2 sections of your diary, what a fab idea! :j

And am wetting myself laughing at the chicken adventures and the builders! I bet you made their day!

I like the 10 commandments too. Maybe I should set out some similar rules for myself. These diaries are great for 'borrowing' ideas

I know you have cleared off lots of debt already but is there a little space for the odd treat too? I have found it hardest when there has been no fun stuff at all. Maybe one latte a week, say on a Friday? And trying to keep to NEEDS all the time is exhausting, is there a bit of space for the odd small WANT?

since I have been on my journey, I have found that satisfying WANTS is all the more satisfying (if that makes sense!), and since realising what is important, the WANTS are often cheaper things too but that bring me a lot of happiness. Like, a really cheerful mug. Grazia every now and again. A beautifully extravagant bar of soap (cost £5 but lasts ages but smells gorgeous every day!).

I love the idea of home made wine but am always a bit worried about the vinegar thing too! :rotfl:

Wordsmith

I am enjoying your diary and attitude. You sound wonderfully determined. I expect your new walls aren't going to be straight, though - every time one of the builders remembers the sight of you outside the chicken house he will laugh and place the brick off centre. You will be able to tell just how funny they found it by counting the number of wonky bricks on the wall.

mrs_motivated

Thanks for reading lionheartedgirl - you are soooo right, these diaries have so many great ideas to steal ....my 10 commandments will, most probably be broken on occassion and the odd WANT will sneak in - and i am trying to budget £50 per month for WANTs (eg manicure, latte, new lippy or a good book etc.).

chicken thing was funny (although if it happens again) - i have a perfect Os recipe for roast chicken with attitude :rotfl:

mrs_motivated

Hi Wordsmith,

glad you are enjoying the diary - i shall be checking for wonky bricks tonight and if I find any - Iwill booby trap the portaloo which currently looks like an orange tardis is in front of the living room window

x

saorsie

Lol Lol :rotfl: :rotfl: Loving the diary mrs m *rushes off to subscribe*

As a fellow 'free-range' chicken owner, I feel your pain. I can often be found wandering the passageway at the back of the houses at dusk, clucking and cooing, whilst listening anxiously for a response I do love them though!

-s-