How do you keep motivated?

poodlehorse

I didn't have this site when I was paying off my debts and only discovered it while we were paying off our mortgage. I had a book by Alvin Hall (Your Money or Your Life) and whenever I needed a boost I read it, or at least a bit of it. It really helped to get me on track. I also played mindgames with myself and decided that saving money WAS fun and the fun was in the finding new ways to save more. Okay so it doesn't stop you getting fed up now and again but I also found logging on to my bank and looking at where we were at that moment and seeing the progress helped. I direct debit money into savings every month (it used to be what I paid out in loan repayments etc) and then at the end of the month if there was anything left I transferred that manually. It didn't matter how little it was it went in, it felt like a bonus. Then the game became see how much more I can manage next month, each month was a new challenge and I (almost) made it fun to see what I could scrape together extra. It did get to the point though where I couldn't find anything else to cut down on and the only real option was the food bill and that was fairly spartan by then too. I have to admit though that has crept up again in the last few months so I have been hanging out on the OS board for new inspiration as it doesn't matter whether I have debt or not now I like to feel I am getting the best value I can and not wasting any of our hard earned cash. The Alvin HAll book was lent to a friend who never gave it back so you guys have to be my inspiration from now on when I get the urge to splurge.

ZTD

JillD wrote: »

I am interested to know if you have small children (or ones that used to be small)

Nope - never had children of my own to cart around. I have carted other peoples around, but they were scared of me - so no trouble.

JillD wrote: »

and how many hours work a week you have to do,

I work full time.

JillD wrote: »

to compare how you find the time. I just don't seem to have a spare minute in the week, I'd love to know how others find time. Maybe I just need to make the time at the weekend.

Supermarket shopping takes longer than shopping in a highstreet. Many big supermarkets are over 100m front to back and with 12-15 aisles - that's quite a distance to cover. Especially when there are a whole bunch of grannies gassing and blocking the place up. Why the hell they can't shop during the week...Oops... rant over.

Then there is the queueing at the end. Small shops are a bit more "Wham! Bam! Thank you maam!"

JillD wrote: »

There is a farmer's market in a local place twice a month but unforunatley its on an afternoon when I am at work. I wonder if there are any at the weekends.

There will be. You'll have to google for it.

I'm not going to claim that small shops, or farmers markets, or farm shops or anything like that will be the be-all and end-all of shopping, but they are certainly something you should try.

There will be some stuff you won't touch with a bargepole at any price, and some stuff that you will absolutely adore and will have at any price - but most stuff will be something inbetween.

You will "impulse shop" much less often, and things will taste better. No I didn't believe the hype about "it'll taste better" either - but it does.

Also, while I am on - try to look for a veg-box scheme near you. Nice people will turn up on your door and drop fruit and veg off. How time saving is that?

The only down side is you spend some time with a strange looking tuber in your hand wondering what the hell you do with it...

Kohl Rabi anyone?