Too much effort on reducing and not enough on growing?

superpup

Zulu_Dawn wrote: »

Sadly it moves my DFD from 2019 to 2018!

Hi

Great thread.

I was just thinking, when you did the snowball for the above, did you look at the interest saved by moving your DFD forward a year? If decreasing the DFD by a year didn't excite you, maybe the amount of money you save will. I haven't calculated it so I have no idea but it's easy to see from this board that different things motivate different people. I guess you just have to find something that ticks the boxes for you and make that your focus.

x

Softstuff

I think the thing that gets me, and I've noticed others commenting on here, is what people consider as necessities rather than luxuries. Be it a lavish grocery budget, new clothes, sky TV, household gadgets.

Rather than maximising what you earn, I feel for me it's more important to look at maximising what I get for my money. The way I do this is to look at what I actually *NEED*. Not want, not would like, but actual need.

Some examples:
I need to eat, and eat healthily. So I'll buy fresh fruit and veg as cheap as I can, and own brand extras. I don't *NEED* brand names, wine, soft drinks, supplements, sauces... so food shopping is very cheap for me.

I need a drink at work. So I take a refillable water bottle. I don't *NEED* a coffee from starbucks.

I need clothing. So I buy from car boots and charity shops as and when, if I get bored of whatever I sell it on ebay (but rarely buy there since it's dearer, and when I sell I tend to make a profit!).

I need entertaining. So I go regularly to the library for books, DVDs and magazines. I take walks in the local parks, go take a picnic or barbeque to the river, wander the charity shops, rent a DVD on cheap tuesdays (80p), sew, paint, do DIY, go for a swim at the beach.

I've said this before but I'll say it again, I work in a store that's full of little household gadgets and storage items, and I sell these actively every day. The number of people who come in and exclaim "ooh I *NEED* that!" is untrue. People seldom question what an actual need is.

And before anyone says I'm too tight, with a little patience I also find anything I *want* at charity shops, and allow myself that.

For me, being frugal in this way leads to something very simple, I plan to be mortgage free by 35. Not bad since I'm nearly 30 and we only bought our own place this year. I also plan to renovate my kitchen and bathroom in that time (though not by buying new, but buying used ). After 35 I'm not a slave to my work, can do part time, maybe go back to uni, maybe just paint.

The point is do you want to work hard forever to get those "niceties", or do you want to rethink consumerism and wind up working a whole lot less?

Sorry for the long post

Redbedhead

I have BIG thing with needs and wants! I think a lot of people confuse them and say 'I NEED something' when what they actually mean is 'I WANT something'.

We have very few basic needs and they can generally be satisfied and cost a lot less than we do actually spend.

I often pull H up on the difference between needs and wants and he has now started doing the same and if nothing else will comment that he wants something and at least is being honest about it.

I think there is a time and a place for 'WANTS' though. Everyone needs to feel they are treating themselves once in a while. However the scale of the wants is important and what other things you have as needs at that time.

SarahNeedle1872

This is a great thread!

For me its about needs and wants too.... We aren't able to add much to our income other than Amazon/eBay selling, OH does get OT when he can, but we also have a smalll child so a second job for either one of us just isn't an option. But an extra money we do make goes straight towards the debt (see sig - I started saving the money at the beginning of March when I transferred the CC to 0%) Even if it's only £3.09 (this weeks Amazon sales:o ), it still helps.

I find it very easy now to distinquish between needs and wants... we need food, we don't need a shiny new car - much as I WANT one. OH still has a bit of trouble (we DO need Sky!), but considering in the last year he has given up all his favourite pastimes (Smoking, Gambling and drinking out 3 nights a week) and now works most weekends rather than going out on the town, I'll let him have that one!

As for OP, I would LOVE another £75 towards my debt each month, with my level of debt, that would cut my DFD by about 6 months!:j
£500 is a shocking amount of money to spend on food - I bet more of it gets thrown away than eaten. I see no reason why you couldn't feed your family on half of that! I have an OH who is 6'7, and eats for two people, plus a dog on a special diet, and a formula fed baby, and I can do it on £200 a month inc toiletries/cleaning products.
IMHO, if you are not excited by the prospect of saving £75/one month off ur DFD, spend £500 a month on food, and are concerned about 'what the neighbours/friends might think', can you really say that you have had your full LBM?

Sarah x

rayday2

My OH is 6'5" boy do they take some filling - I blame it on the legs!

Then again that does not follow caus I am short and eat too much lol

Two months off my DFD would be good, its all a plus and I know never again will I bother with anything on credit bar a mortgage. In fact I look forward to the days of being mortgage free.

We don't cut back too much to be honest we still eat a lot of branded foods we still have alcohol but I swopped from a bottle of wine from one night to getting a bottle of vodka for £4.99 and that lasts three weeks mixed with 21p coke I promise you can not tell!

More important than any of these cut back earn more issues I have discovered my family, its not about what you own in life its about who you have, spending time with hubby playing stupid computer games or board games with the whole family, laughing together - we pay for a childs membership to the National Trust which gives us free parking in National Trust properties so we get lovely picnic sites.

Life is good when you reach out to family and stop worrying about keeping up with what neighbours have and friends and projecting an image to people of all you own - its completely pointless and makes you just "need" using the term loosely more. In fact its a mugs game!

auntie_brenda

hypno06 wrote: »

That's what I was trying to say, but I waffled for too long and got lost :rotfl:

Yes, I had a surprising moment of lucidity (is that a word ) in between the clouds of grey mist that usually surround me :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: .

Anyway, if you looked as Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs you'd find that Sky doesn't figure on it........ :rolleyes:

angelavdavis

auntie_brenda wrote: »

Anyway, if you looked as Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs you'd find that Sky doesn't figure on it........ :rolleyes:

I like your style!

Zulu_Dawn

auntie_brenda wrote: »

Anyway, if you looked as Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs you'd find that Sky doesn't figure on it........ :rolleyes:

I think it sits very nicely in either the Social or the Ego box depending upon your personality.

When my debt is paid in 2018 or 2019, I am going to rush out, get Sky plus or the equivalent and watch the cricket and the football with a huge amount of satisfaction!:cool:

ZD

Zulu_Dawn

...and if spending £75 on a barbecue for 12 friends does not fit under SOCIAL, then I am a Zulu and a girl called Dawn!:p

Storm

I've found that popping over to the OS board helps me a lot with figuring out wants and needs, simply because it makes me think back to 10/20/30/40/50 years ago. My parents didn't have Sky, the internet or even a colour TV, we were the first in the street to get a microwave, and the excitement this caused was enormous!

I'm not saying we need to go back to those days, but something like good old Maslow does make you think about what we as human beings really need, and actually after the bottom levels most of it is free. Here's a piccie for those not familiar: