How does being lazy cost you money?

sonastin

sonastin wrote: »

I am definitely cut from the procrastinating s*d-it-I-can-afford-it mode, when in reality I can only just afford it and I have to give up something else in order to do so. This years new years resolution was to make a proper effort to stick to my budget and, thanks to this site, I am doing pretty well so far. Every time I have a CBA moment, I think about what I can't afford to do in the summer if I spend the money now and it gives me the kick up the backside I need.

Well serves me right for being so smug yesterday. When I was sat here typing about how well I was doing not being lazy, I should have been putting another loaf in the breadmaker. So didn't have any toast-friendly bread for breakfast. Still, forced myself to suffer through a bowl of OH's super-sweet sugary-cereal as punishement for being so self-satisfied yesterday.

And then put breadmaker on this evening without looking at the clock so now I have to wait up until 1am to take it out of the BM!

cdm

Well, as lots of other people have said, it's more a case of 'busy head/crazy house' with me! Yes, I often end up doing the birthday card thing...and even DH has been known to get his birthday/anniv/Valentine card rather late on the day, or sometimes the day after (not so much in recent years, I'm glad to say, compared with when the girls were younger). And don't start me on library books! Our local authority stopped the practice of stamping the date in books a few years ago, issuing a flimsy 'till receipt' type thing. I started to write the return date inside the book or on the calendar when I got home, but there's always a million things to do when you get in the door...and now the girls are older they tend to go on their own, and of course they don't think of noting the return date or telling me! I sometimes find the receipt in my purse with all the other till receipts a few days later or even a week later. It is definitely not a user-friendly system. Yes, I know it's basically the borrower's responsibilty to return books on time, but it was so convenient just to look inside the front cover. In the past, I have been known to buy a duplicate of something I'd temporarily mislaid, especially when the kids were young, and I couldn't stand the thought of running out of knickers and socks, for example. I worried about not being able to keep up with the washing so I made sure I had extra stuff!
Things have improved a lot these days, tho' I sometimes still get caught out when we've had a particularly busy time, or routines have changed for some reason! However, the spirit is willing.....:)

Saturnalia

Yep, not getting organised and taking packed lunch to work. This can be tricky as I'm a temp and often get a call first thing in the morning offering me work that day so I never know when I'm in work and not. I try to keep cuppa soups, frozen bread and crisps in so I've always got something to take that won't go off.

I try to think of it that a shop-bought lunch in the City can cost £5+ and that's around half an hour's wage. Add that to the fact I'm not paid for breaks and I'm paying twice-over for that unimpressive sandwich-shop lunch.

catch_me_if_you_can

Frugal wrote: »

I shall need a mortgage if I ever take our books back... Had them 16 months :eek:

Need a library book amnesty before I dare go back

are you me?

When My OH moved in he commented that I always bought books. I admitted that the library didn't like me as I owed them money and he told me to pay up and stop buying books that I read once. :eek:

Which made sense. So I did. I have a head in the sand attitude sometimes!!

catch_me_if_you_can

Generally I do watch every penny, and wring every last piece of goodness out of our food etc. (left over "gravy" from a casserole gets frozen for the next one, save chicken bones for stock, save tuna brine and sweetcorn juice for chinese food, a roast does 2 meals and then sarnies etc )

But sometimes, just sometimes I don't take a pack lunch to work but go and buy a Greggs deep fill sarnie for my lunch. And relish every bite.

That's not laziness, just a random "treat" for me.

cdm

Hmmm, now I've started to think...and there are lots of little things that come to mind. Being behind with laundry sometimes means having to tumble-dry something 'cos it's not dried in time to put on; not attending to repairs means buttons missing or a torn hem next time something's worn so not a cost in money terms but maybe in terms of confidence or other people's opinion; buying some particular ingredient we don't have for a recipe and not making it so it gets thrown away,- usually different herbs or spices; something recommended by friends as 'you'll love this' and we find we don't, so it gets fed to the bin.....not to mention more obvious things like paying bills late now and then!

This has been a useful and interesting exercise...definitely worth thinking about.....:eek:

Nanamia

Oh thank you so much. It isn't just me. Reading through this thread has made me chuckle and think of all the silly things I do! Must meal plan- top of my priorities but DH never "fancies" what's on the list and is never interested enough to help make the list!!! What to do with him? Any ideas.

JimmyTheWig

Nanamia wrote: »

What to do with him? Any ideas.

Would probably be ok in the slow cooker, if you've got one.

LealeaV

Alison_Funnell wrote: »

Takeaways - due to varying causes I often get CBA or glum days, that is when the takeaway reflex cuts in.

Our diet coke addiction - costs us a fortune but nothing else will do.

Baby wipes - Johnsons. We have no babies (other than a kitten)

Well you have just summed me up......

CBA days = Takeaways (That was definitely true before I joined SW)

Diet Coke = Pepsi Max is my choice of poison and your right - there is no subsitute... it HAS to be Pepsi Max....

And

Johnsons Baby Wipes = I have no kiddies either, but they are just so handy... I might even list a few....

Taking make up off
Washing hands once you've finished lunch on the go
Washing your hands once you've filled up the car with fuel
Cleaning the dash board in the car
Cleaning shoes, whilst on the go.... particularly in winter....
Cleaning anything that isnt washing machine friendly eg, handbags....
The list goes on......

Well basically I cant live without them! I feel less crazy now, knowing that I aint the only non-parent using them!

mummyroysof3

cdm wrote: »

Well, as lots of other people have said, it's more a case of 'busy head/crazy house' with me! Yes, I often end up doing the birthday card thing...and even DH has been known to get his birthday/anniv/Valentine card rather late on the day, or sometimes the day after (not so much in recent years, I'm glad to say, compared with when the girls were younger). And don't start me on library books! Our local authority stopped the practice of stamping the date in books a few years ago, issuing a flimsy 'till receipt' type thing. I started to write the return date inside the book or on the calendar when I got home, but there's always a million things to do when you get in the door...and now the girls are older they tend to go on their own, and of course they don't think of noting the return date or telling me! I sometimes find the receipt in my purse with all the other till receipts a few days later or even a week later. It is definitely not a user-friendly system. Yes, I know it's basically the borrower's responsibilty to return books on time, but it was so convenient just to look inside the front cover. In the past, I have been known to buy a duplicate of something I'd temporarily mislaid, especially when the kids were young, and I couldn't stand the thought of running out of knickers and socks, for example. I worried about not being able to keep up with the washing so I made sure I had extra stuff!
Things have improved a lot these days, tho' I sometimes still get caught out when we've had a particularly busy time, or routines have changed for some reason! However, the spirit is willing.....:)

does your libary offer a email reminder service?

Nanamia wrote: »

Oh thank you so much. It isn't just me. Reading through this thread has made me chuckle and think of all the silly things I do! Must meal plan- top of my priorities but DH never "fancies" what's on the list and is never interested enough to help make the list!!! What to do with him? Any ideas.

i make an 8/9 meal list for a week and ask him what he fancies then if he says he doesnt know then i get to choose:rotfl: i dont assign days to them in advance much