I have this crazy plan to try and get us a better life

plarka

I can't sleep because I'm so excited I can't get this idea out of my head. I'm American, dh is British, we live in England in our small 2 bed flat (in a council estate because that's all we could afford to buy). I'm unhappy, I miss the space you can have in America, but I have given in and decided there's nothing I can do, we don't have and never will have enough money to move to America. I will live in this flat till I die. (I used to be so positive, really!)

I recently started making wooden toys and selling them online and make about £100-£200 a month. I figured out if I can triple that (or more!) and dh gets a night job washing dishes or something, and then he gets a raise next year (which he says he's supposed to because he became a manager but hasn't been given manager pay yet) and then we figure a way to make or save another few hundred £££'s a month, we can save around £80,000 in 5 years and move to America and buy a house outright and I can continue with my business, while he looks for a job! (I can get him a Green Card no problem, that's all figured out so no problem there)

Anyway, if anyone has read this far, is there anyone else who has given themselves a kick up the backside to work reeeeeaaallllly hard and make huge sacrifices to get themselves a better life? I might realise in a couple days this is a dumb idea and go back to my depressed self......

COOLTRIKERCHICK

Yep...

A few years ago, we were up tp our eyeballs in debt... more money going out than coming in... and i used to be sooooooooooo depressed as i had allways dreamed of having a smallholding.

I used to look in the property section in the local paper, and some times i would cry myself to sleep, as i honestly thought i would never have my dream..

BUT slowly, slowly, i got my head around my debts first... and used to do loads of coupon bashing, stockpiled the offers, and loopholes when it came to food, and household items we used on a regular basis...

Started .. selling on-line/auction sites etc... and slowly slowly started saving money..

Took full advantage of halifax £5 a month accounts, lloyds tsb vantage accounts etc, cashback sites, survey sites, click through sites etc...( at the moment i am will into swagbucks, so if anyone wants a referral, just pm me;)).

No amount is too small to save/earn, as those pennies do add up...

In March we bought our smallholding at auction... granted we did have to borrow some of the money.. but we got it..

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO never give up on your dreams, no matter what it is, and YOU CAN earn/make/save the money..

What puts alot of people off is the length of time they think its going to take... but if you stick at it. you will get there...

Now we are back to sqaure one.... we need to earn/save/make money to do the place up...

It would be nice to make this a sort of diary thread.... for peeps who want to make extra money for a certain thing, car, house, holiday, or even just making ends meet..

I started a thread over on the greenfingered board, and the help and support is fantastic, and really does keep you focused..

Just keep dreaming of being back living in the states, and one day it WILL come true...:beer:

plarka

Awww thank so much! It's so great to hear your story! Now I have to get my husband to do his part! I'll check out your greenfingered thread.

aliasojo

plarka wrote: »

..... I have given in and decided there's nothing I can do, we don't have and never will have enough money to move to America. I will live in this flat till I die.

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

A few years ago, we were up tp our eyeballs in debt... more money going out than coming in... and i used to be sooooooooooo depressed as i had allways dreamed of having a smallholding.

I used to look in the property section in the local paper, and some times i would cry myself to sleep, as i honestly thought i would never have my dream..

I feel like this and have done for quite some time now. I've never been able to see a way out of it though and any small pockets of positivity I've ever felt have been squashed down by the next 'issue' that comes along. (We average at least 2 a week at the moment. :rotfl:)

I wish you well OP. Maybe some of your positivity might rub off on me so keep posting.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

There is no magic wond, or 'get rich quick' scheme that will work, it is all down to will power, and 'baby steps' it is suprising how those little pennies, and baby steps will take you...

There are sooooo many challenges etc around the boards which are great, but i do notice loads of peeps drop out if they are not doing as well as other people ( yes i was one of those people too, i used to get deflated, and thought why me, i cant do it)

But you will find one thread you really do feel at home at, and everything will click into place....

aliasojo..... yep you get more downs than up, and poo allways happend....but dont give up, what ever you want go for it..

JimmyJar

you have to grasp onto something........... belief, dreams, hope. Life is all about ups and downs, you gotta get through the downs because you will get to the ups - for some it doesnt take long for others can be years......... but you will get there in the end.

Jim

plarka

Wow, you guys are great! I'll have to stay here for support through this! My husband said this morning he wasn't sure if I was really serious about it (I do have some ups and downs about our life but mostly downs!) and he can see that I am, so he will get a night job! I hope he really does though. I said that in 5 years if we have the money, but it feels too risky or scary to move to the US, at least we'll have enough money to get a decent house in our town here in England. If we do nothing, we WILL live in this tiny flat forever. If we get our butts in gear and do this, it WILL be better.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

plarka wrote: »

Wow, you guys are great! I'll have to stay here for support through this! My husband said this morning he wasn't sure if I was really serious about it (I do have some ups and downs about our life but mostly downs!) and he can see that I am, so he will get a night job! I hope he really does though. I said that in 5 years if we have the money, but it feels too risky or scary to move to the US, at least we'll have enough money to get a decent house in our town here in England. If we do nothing, we WILL live in this tiny flat forever. If we get our butts in gear and do this, it WILL be better.

Dont look and think of the five years ( or however long you worked out it will take) take every penny or £1 as a step closer, this way you are not looking at the overall amount you need:eek::o, which i was doing in the begining, as this was a major deflater.....

do you have any outstanding debts? if so deal with them first, so then you have a more or less clear sheet to start from...( aliasojo same for you:D)

The best place to save money is the old style board, and the grocery board, saving money is like earning/making money.

Also dont be a food/shop snob.... you waste loads of money this way, my friends allways used to look down at me with the brands and the places i used to shop, and now after all these years of telling them this, they are now shopping in local markets, Lidl's buying reduced food etc...:T

I need to save/earn find at least another 40k:eek: to get the cottage in the new place structurally sound....

so i dont mind 'buddying' up with someone to hold their hands and to 'egg' each other on

killerpeaty

This is a lovely positive thread! Have you looked through the OS forum and DFW one for advice about cutting costs?
I hope you don't mind my asking Plarka, how does your husband feel about your want to move back? I imagine it would be terrifying for him if not on quite the same page.
You will get out of that flat! You are determined and fabulous!

Personally, I have fairly basic goals for the next 5 years but I am only 22 and never had a full time job before. I would like to get a job and start my chosen career path (got any contacts for me? /cheeky) and move in with my boyfriend again.
I have some low cost, low return investments that I want to save up and buy outright when I have a job.
I want to learn to drive and to save towards my masters and phd.
More immediately, I survey and stuff to try to help support my mum which is a real motivation.

Good luck! (to you tricker as well! 40k YIKES!)

System

I live alone in a one bedroom pokey flat which I hate. I would love to buy a small holding, but know that is a long way off. Getting out of where I am would be a great first step though. My real long term goal would be to move to the States, but in my line of work, getting a VISA is really hard, so investment would probably be the route I'd have to look at, so a lot of saving involved.
I am freelance, which doesn't bring in much - I make about £5 a day after expenses and tax. I have a casual bar job too and am working a minimum of 70hrs a week and have a whopping 3hrs sleep a night to get to all my places of work - I have long journeys of up to 90 miles to get there.
I have to choose between eating and keeping the car on the road so I can earn some pennies, but I'm hoping if I stick at it, one day I'll get my American Dream...

lizzie2579_2

I LOVE the idea of making this like an ongoing challenge or thread, I feel the same, I am desperate to buy a house, I have been for years but its only been this year I have really started to do something about it and be positive instead of just moaning. I have started ebaying things, going to car boot sales, doing surveys, swagbucks, being really careful with my spending (no new clothes or nights out!) and I am starting to feel more positive and feel like I can do it! Its amazing the difference really small changes can make. We should all encourage each other and give updates on our progress!
:beer: