New Challange : Don't spend for a Week!

Lillibet_2

rwsteele wrote:

Oh YUK!!! :rolleyes:

Can't stand the stuff. I have to admit that milk - that's proper milk is my one big weakness. It's the very last thing to come off my shopping list whenever I need to do a bit of serious economising. As it is I try to span one container over two days and just plain do without if I don't make it. That's pretty good for me since I used to use one a day. Or more.

OK..........forget that idea then!:o

Luis

Right Lillibet - a plan of action!

First point I want to sneak in is this - re paint - when you do decide it is spending time again (next week) get your paint from Wilkinsons if you can. It is SO cheap, and has the best coverage of any paint. Suffice to say, when I returned to a house I had been renting out in 2001, Wilkinsons Magnolia emulsion successfully covered in 2 coats, the walls the tenants had painted in gloss Navy Blue.

Second point - lets get started! Get into the nursery (start calling it that from now on) and move the first thing / do the first job. Then things start falling in to place by themselves after you have taken the first step. Can you pack the books into the recycling crates? If so, do so, then lug them downstairs for a happy evenings catalogueing ready to go on Ebay. If the crates have no further use - take them to the tip - why keep them?

Scour your local free papers etc for a car bootie and get down there - even if it is a few miles away, you will make that back in ££s.

Move the PC asap - that is a job out of the way and some space cleared.

See what I mean? As soon as you start, you're off!

Sometimes, I have to wait until the mood takes me to tackle a big job, but every time that I have made the effort when I wasn't in the mood turned out to be well worth it. Imagine how good it will feel to be able to walk into that room and think - my nursery!

MATH

Full cream milk is quite versatile. I and the kidz drink it at full strength and for drinks/ceriel cos I hate semi and I don't want the kidz on reduced fat milk yet. For Mrs MATH who likes semi and had been on a diet since Labour were in power (the first time) I make a semi-u-like by adding water. Also use this milk/mix for batters, cooking and baking. Save buying two different strengths of milk and risk throwing gone off pints away.

moggins

Luis wrote:

Sometimes, I have to wait until the mood takes me to tackle a big job, but every time that I have made the effort when I wasn't in the mood turned out to be well worth it. Imagine how good it will feel to be able to walk into that room and think - my nursery!

I've just done that with my dining room, it was still filled with the rubbish from changing the bedrooms over and then the kids filled the table and floor with paint and glitter over the hols - I've emptied it this morning, and cleaned the floor as best I could with a dustpan and brush. It doesn't look brilliant but a million times better than this morning when I was faced with something resembling the local tip

tru

moggins wrote:

It doesn't look brilliant but a million times better than this morning when I was faced with something resembling the local tip

:eek:

I've been to the local tip. Moggins, I'm shocked at you :rotfl:

moggins

I have no excuses, it really did! Everything that wouldn't fit back in the bedrooms got chucked there, then the kids started doing crafts on the table. I gave up on it until they went back to school yesterday.

Trouble is you have to go through there to get to the kitchen so I just shut my eyes every time I walked through. If I opened them, there it was, a dead ringer for the landfill

Queenie

Luis wrote:

SNIP ........... Sometimes, I have to wait until the mood takes me to tackle a big job, but every time that I have made the effort when I wasn't in the mood turned out to be well worth it. Imagine how good it will feel to be able to walk into that room and think - my nursery!

Good point.

If you have to tackle a job which you have been putting off, or looks too daunting ...
... play by the 10 minute rule Commit yourself to just 10 mins on the project. If it really is a gutty one, you'll be happy to end after 10mins and you'll be guilt free too; most likely, you'll simply get engrossed and find that time has flown as one thing leads to another.

Luis wrote:

Start a scrapbook - on anything! Could be about you two, about preparations for the kid. A nice thing to do, and look back on

:eek: NOoooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!! Don't do it!!!!!! (Sorry Luis) It's a wonderful hobby, great fun, great to look back on ... but it really should come with a big read warning, such as: Scrapbooking is addictive and you will end up spending lots and lots of money building up your stash with "must have's" . And please remember *I* saved you!

~ take a nice walk along that river bank, take a (modest) picnic using the food you would have had for lunch/supper, time it for sunset and simply enjoy being a couple - tranquil moments like this will be very few and far between when Spud comes. (If it's overcast - take soup in a flask, a brolly and a sense of humour!)

~ invest time by going over your parenting philosophy together (will save heaps of rows later on and comfort eating/shopping).

~ No matter how you organise your "nursery", you will still be amazed at how one teeny little being and their belongings will take over the whole house!

~ take time to smell the roses! I can't remember when Spud is due, but you really will regret not spending time just relaxing when you had it!

~ Get DH to give you back massages (you'll be in heaven, and it's another hour out of the day when you won't be spending money!)

~ Have nice long lay in's together; idling, talking, even just cuddling - because you CAN! (after all, isn't that the fun bit about "holidays"?)

Curry_Queen

Moggins - don't feel bad about your place resembling the local tip as i could probably beat you on that score right now

MATH - I love reading your posts so keep 'em coming ... although I may have to start charging you for replacement keyboards before long

Luis - do you fancy coming to spend a week with me and organise my flat and my life please

Queenie - as usual, you've cheered me up no end with your posts (and thanks for the PM) *hugs*

Lillibet - relax and spend some quality time with your OH as once spud arrives you won't have a second to spare for several months


Did I say I love MSE


(sneaks off to the Arms for another glass of plonk )

Luis

lol @ Queenie - Scrapbooks aren't expensive if you do it the way my granny does (the woman has more neck than a giraffe, and I love her for it). She uses old wallpaper sample books that she bullies shopkeepers into giving her - and they do! She has one for every year, and sticks stuff in it that she happens upon - everything from photos, leaflets / programmes from where she has been, even things like food labels - I still love rooting back through them to see the past.

She also gave me a personalised one when I was 25 (in a nice book I hasten to add lol) full of things like my first lock of hair, photos of me growing up, scraps of writing etc - a very cheap, but priceless prezzie.

I do this now with holidays - save all the daft things you pick up and end up with, like luggage labels, spare worthless notes (think turkish lira lol), maps, leaflets etc, and bung them in a book with the photos.

OH has started one with his kids for when they are older to look back on - memories are precious and fade easily.

I think I meant the moneysaving type of scrapbooks!

BTW Curry_Queen - I would love to! I love organising (sorry). However, by the sound of it, we would probably end up digging out our old vinyl and reminiscing about the 'goth' old days

furrypig

So many people have suggested the most brilliant things, this board is so friendly and I feel I am getting to know everyone and be part of a community which I need on days like today.

Lillibet I agree with most people who say spend time enjoying being a couple as it does change when you become 3!! I love my kids dearly and have enjoyed becoming a 'family' but there is less time for couple things ( though it is important to make time for 2 which I need reminding off regularly!!).

I am actually a midwife and yet when I was pregnant I spent the whole time reading every single book about labour, birth, breast feeding etc etc it was like preparing for an exam (yes I am mad!). At the end of the day pregnancy, labour and aspects of childcare are unique and you make up your own mind what to do and what works best for you. I think it is great to have a plan but don't be disappointed if it doesn't all go exactly as intended!!

I am in a philosophical mood today I'm afraid!!

We have lots of weekends away but actually really enjoy being at home catching up with jobs eg planting seeds with the kids having simple picnics in the garden, watching dvds etc etc. You will have a great week and it will be lots of fun!
Don't think I would manage no spending or even minimum spending at the moment (just blew rest of this months budget on alcohol!!)

Good luck everyone else!! ENJOY!