Anyone else sick of scrimping all the time?

twinklybev

I'm just re-writing my shopping list for the 3rd time down to absolute essentials only, my iron exploded last night, the council tax & water rates & gas have gone up again & my car has packed in!!!!

How do others stay motvated when they're always scrimping? Getting a bargain is fun but scrimping every day's another matter? We're not saving for some massive luxury like a new car, holiday abroad or pay the mortgage off early, designer gear, just to get by. We already pick up as much as possible from car booties, eBay, don't buy stuff unless we need it but feel like blowing it & getting a credit card - we don't have one nor any loans or overdraft. Is there any point staying out of debt no-one else I know seems to & they don't seem to stressed about it & can swan off skiing to boot in this rotten weather!

Any advice from others appreciated, maybe things'll look rosier over a bottle of wine ! but that's another £4-£5 gone then!

Spendless

aaahh but those racking up debt they can't afford will have the day of reckoning come to them...eventually. We know some people and I hope I'm wrong but I can see them heading towards either bankruptcy or never paying off their mortgage as they've not yet had their lightbulb moment.

The DFW board is a good place for support. You don't need to have debt just tell them you are trying to keep your head above water or have some treats without debt. The will ask you to post your SOA (incomings and outgoings).

patchwork_cat

yes - as soon as I start to worry about money the first thing I do is go on a shopping spree!

Prudent

I live like you do. I buy reduced food, shop at car boot sales, chairty shops and ebay. I have found it hard in the past. Especially when everything goes wrong at once. Now I realise I am totally content, not with the situation but in it. I have found huge support on these boards and learnt to live well on very little. I now enjoy the challenge of it. I think I also naturally like simplicity. I enter competitions for the little things to brighten life up. This summer I am off to France from a win on the comping board.

claireandella

I began to be prudent about spending when my partner was made redundant about 10 years ago and we had a mortgage, half finished building work and a single salary which didn't begin to cover our outgoings. I thought we would be repossessed and spent every night crying and trying to watch every penny. Things got much better but I never got out of the saving habit and have continued to be careful ever since. There have been times when I've envied friends their exotic hols, brand new houses and flash cars but I've never been in debt and this security is worth far more to me than any amount of conspicuous spending (...I do have to remind myself of this fairly often though...). We don't go without but always try to buy things on offer, shop in the sales and don't buy things unless we've saved up...we even waited to have our baby until we'd finished paying off the mortgage...

I say, it ain't always easy, but hang in there. You don't have debts so you're not wasting money on interest, you're getting by and just remember the buzz you get when you find a bargain!

vixarooni

£4-5 for a bottle of vino, buy the 1.99 stuff, thats a saving of a few quid.

i dont really know what you mean, but i always feel i havent enough money to last the month, too many outgoings and not enough coming in

mateyboy

I felt like you many years ago all my friends where going out enjoying themselves ,me just off the back of a divorce no money in the bank,no car interest rates at 15% and no money to enjoy myself.

I wanted to sell the House and move into something smaller, My good friend said dont sell the house things will get better trust me.

I kept on looking back every few months to see how I was then, and how I was doing now,and slowly things did improve.

I did not have any credit cards or overdrafts,I was tempted but like you I delclined,I call that strength not to go into debt not a weakness.

Well it didn't happen overnight a few years older and wiser mortage nearly paid off and Im solvent.

Hope this helps

victory

yes I know what you mean:D ours is not for luxuries ever, just to get by and see the end of the month and it is monotonous, boring, same ol' samo but the bottom line is we never go in the red, never have to owe anyone anything and by pulling it all in we do get by...we are not starving, we have clothes on our backs and heat in the house, little things that people do not give much thought for if they had more money but I appreciate it because I know it could be a whole lot worse than it is now....we will pay it all off one day and that day will be hugely celebrated:D

moggins

I make it into a huge game. It's a challenge to see what I can get for how little. I never buy anything new if I can get it second hand first. Unfortunately DH is not like me and loves his gadgets. So if we do tend to have some money spare he will go and blow it in a second. That's when I get ticked off, there is me hunting round the charity shops when he is buying new I-pods. He's now after a PS3!

nickj_2

unfortunately all those who get into debt and then get them written off are of course subsidized by all us mugs who don't , the banks , shops etc have to get that money back one way or another , it ain't going to come out of their proffits is it ,

culpepper

I'm with Moggins. It's a challenge and a game. To live on what we have and still save a little bit. Second hand things can be bought to fulfill necessities or you can re-evaluate what actually is a necessity.
It's a great feeling to be in control but ofcourse it takes effort to get there.