Aspirations of Frugality and Fun on the Road to Mortgage Freedom

peaceandfreedom

DedicatedDFW wrote: »

Cheery, PB, jwil - how about if i admit the cake sits uneaten in the cupboard still :eek:

Being a misery means i'm tired of 'stuff' challenged myself to get rid of a further 1000 items by xmas - started with 1 skirt & 1 dress - will add target to sig

1000 items :eek::eek::eek:

DDFW, you will walk into your house and the house will be bare :rotfl:.

I have start a very modest decluttering drive myself and I plan to keep track of items removed. It'll be fascinating to see the figure I come up with - to be honest, I don't think I will be removing 1000 items!

Good luck with it though .

PositiveBalance

jwil wrote: »

Congrats on the house PB :T

DDFW - get that cake eaten! Good luck with the target, I'm sure I'll find 1000 items much easier than you

Thanks Jwil! I haven't been round much as work/houee hunting/broken. computer has been mental but I will pop by your thread soon as I can.x

Dedicated: Eat the cake.else I will have to come round and do it for you!

DedicatedDFW

Hi all

Finally had a small slice of the cake last night

PB - huge congrats on the house :T:T:T so pleased for you - when's the housewarming

Was half planning on a run today but I am going to start up again next weekend - i haven't got all the right food in and am up later than planned. i feel better that next sunday will be a definite running day so feels like i've made the right decision

Updated sig with a payment to the target card - also wanted to update mortgage sig but then worked out i'd already done that - except for changing the end date so at least that looks better now. I'm making a good overpayment in the next 2 weeks but am tempted to pay it now on my credit card and then pay in 2 weeks when i get the funds... undecided and i always prefer to make sure that i've got the money first...

Course started properly now, is hard work as expected and is going to be hard work - i had a feeling as i left the other night that the tutor had wanted the lesson to have covered more than it did. Also, all the course books i've bought will not be covered in class but need to be studied at home, in addition to the work in class - so i need to put a little timetable plan in place - i'm out of the routine of studying and need to get back into it quick! The course is also very different to my last one in terms of information i need to learn.

Going to declutter some bits today, sort my work bag out and do some study - as well as the usual preparing packed lunches etc.

Hope its a good day for all x

DedicatedDFW

1000 item declutter list

1, dress - carboot
2, skirt - ebay
3, large bundle of plastic bags (not carrier bags) - carboot
4-6, 3 air fresheners - carboot
7-10, various cleaning products no longer used - carboot
11, cardigan - carboot
12, pack of cards - carboot
13, lock - carboot
14, plug - carboot
15, bra - family (is new but can't return as was a set with undies but was only £2)
16, pj bottoms - weigh in bag
17, storage box - tip (too damaged for anything else)
18, mirror - tip (as above)
19, metal stand (as above)
20, garden ornament (to family: was still in box in house. unsuitable for us)
21, large jar of food (given to a friend - we were given it & won't use it but they will so counting as decluttered as would have sat unused in cupboard forever)

Cheery_Daff

Ooh, doing well there DDFW! :j :j And congratulations on the mortgage end date too! :j :j

How's the course going?

DedicatedDFW

Thanks Cheery

the course is only just starting to get into its stride - although its a taught course rather than distance learning i think there is alot more work that needs to be done at home - more than i expected given the time i am also spending at college. I also just need to get myself back into the groove of studying although thats perhaps not been as easy to do given its a new subject and its only just getting going on the work we need to do - as in its harder for me to study independently when i'm not sure what we're covering when - still i've done some work for this week and will do some more and will need to up the pace for next week :cool: i predict many late nights for the next year :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

How about you and your diploma Cheery - how is that going?

DedicatedDFW

Hello all,

apologies for the absence but i have been a busy bee. Time for an update.

I have declined a night out tonight - as i can't afford it shhh! But i really needed to sit down with my college books. Being the butterfly that i am, i am doing a bit of study, a bit of tidying / decluttering / a bit of weekly prep and jotting things down.

Since starting college i have spent a fair bit of unnecessary money on food :mad: Some of it is due to being disorganised and some is due to getting used to the very long days and feeling the need to eat something 'proper' So i need to get myself organised this week.

I'm up early every day for work - either 5.20am or 6am depending on transport. When i finish work i catch the train to college and this week have been lucky enough to get lifts home so am in just after 9pm rather than 10pm.

The food spends have been because i am so time poor and tired and not too well at the minute I haven't been forward thinking so have needed to make last minute purchases for meals at home. I have also bought food eg sandwiches to eat after finishing work and before college as i am hungry There is no fridge at work and the office is really quite hot - i'm thinking of investing in *a very small* cool bag so i can take food for my evening meal with me in the day - has anyone any experience of these or any suggestions? I have a food flask but my food isn't hot when i have that at lunch so can't think it would be any good for eating almost 12 hours after preparation... But coming up to winter will salads be satisfying? Any suggestions gratefully received

I am tackling the home meals one head on - back in the groove with meal planning (the problem wasn't this before it was just being too tired to remember to lift things out of the freezer. I'll write a list of things i need in the morning and include on this the food from the freezer for the following day so this is not overlooked on lifting things out.

Work has not been great this week so i am not looking forward to monday morning at all

Also, as we are both so time poor and tired i am missing real quality time with my Mr - we went on a date for the first time in ages and although we both really enjoyed ourselves i know my Mr was tired which does sort of effect things.

Part of the plan of the great declutter is that the house will be a tidier and easier place to be so should hopefully not sap my time so much and will help my Mr relax more when he is not working - he is working alot of hours. We were both a bit snappy with each other earlier i know its tiredness and worry about other things really - but we've kissed and made up :smileyhea but i can't help but think the tiredness and worry are still there Thats been a good reminder as to the choices i am making - to overpay and to study. With the mortgage gone we would have so many more choices about how we live our lives / the work we do. The study is to give me a real opportunity of a career and work i can potentially do self employed. Initially though a job in the field i'm studying in would mean a paycut. The declutter should help with getting money in for the mortgage etc. too.

Time for a bit of a refocus on frugality i think - staying in today should definitely help with that :T

Right, back to the books - oh had some sales on the bay of e so updated sig with payments next mortgage overpayment next week so hopefully that end date should reduce a bit further :cool:

smallholdingsister

Winter salads...
carrot, beetroot, mustard.
potatoes with most things
pasta
cous cous
butternut squash, feta, pomegranate.

Chocforever

Blimey DDFW, those are some hours you are working and out of the house.

I have been working more too recently, though nothing like the hours you are keeping. You are right, it is food spends that creep in.

Batch cooking things that are microwaveable helped me. Mind, you may need a 9pm home time to eat a full on meal if you are up so early the next morning.

I think you should get at least one "proper" cooked meal a day. If you can get that on a lunchtime then maybe a sandwich or salad will do between work and college. If you are already limited to sandwiches etc on a lunchtime then you may need to accept that part of the cost of doing the course is also buying decent food for dinner whilst you are out. Is there a cheap early dinner option at a cafe or restaurant? Could you exchange Tesco or Nectar points or whatever for restaurant vouchers to use once or twice a week? I know it isn't a great situation moneywise but realistically, are you going to start prepping food at 10pm when you have been out all day or get up even earlier? I suppose my point is, what might seem like a treat to eat out can be a necessity.

Once I had eaten all the nice batch cooked meals from the freezer, I have tended to go for cheap food options when I have been working late or just child-like meals from the freezer that cook in the oven without needing my attention. I have reached the point where nothing appeals in the instore ready to go food aisles. And I don't feel great now. It is partly working more hours than my health really allows and also due to poorer quality diet, eating foods my stomach isn't that keen on and lack of exercise. I've tolerated it because it's only been for 6 weeks and the end is in sight.

Dare I say it but I think age is also a factor. Pulling late nights and eating nutritionally poor food as a 20 year old student is doable. I just can't get away with that lifestyle anymore for more than a week and work/study in that state.


I feel bad encouraging you to spend more money but it feels like you don't have many options when you have a long commute, go straight from work to college and are out of the house for 16 hours a day.

mortgage_girl

Just stopping by to say hi DDFW. You're doing brilliantly, so lots of these :T:T:T for you!

I wonder if, to help you with food, you could batch cook a few things on the weekend such as stews, bolognese sauces or even currys that you could let defrost through the day and bung in the microwave when you get home...or try and find a microwave you can use during the day. Microwaves jacket potatoes with salad or ratatouille topping would also be a quick and healthy option.

I hope you've managed to have a relaxing weekend.

MGx