Aspirations of Frugality and Fun on the Road to Mortgage Freedom

pavlovs_dog

DedicatedDFW wrote: »

It will get sorted at some point - i am just working through my illnesses with the doc 1 by 1 last year was the year of the tum - such an inconvenience being so ill all the time. This year i am undecided between migraines and thyroid - hopefully i'll get a good prescription for the migraines this month and then i think i'll tackle the thyroid issue again - or maybe my sciatica - i am just going with which is the worst for me at the time. I know i sound like a real bag of illness don't i :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

sure there are bits of you that DO work Little toe, perhaps? :rotfl:

being ill is so debilitating in more ways than one, so well done for putting yourself first and tackling these things.

DedicatedDFW wrote: »

Anyone got any tips on not buying food offers please ?

it is difficult when it is a genuine offer that is too good to miss.

How about a spending ban? So a month of VERY controlled spending in all areas of your budget. Shop ruthlessly from what you already own and make do in all other areas until the end of the month (there is little in life that we absolutely could not do without for less than 30 days).

You could make a real dent in your larder and freezer, and use some of the money saved at the end of the month to do a strategic top up shop (ie take advantage of multi-buy meat offers to lower subsequent weekly spends as you'd have the main ingredient for your meal).

With February being a shorter month it might be an easy place to start psychologically. (And you may have the perk of it being a council tax free month too, which will free up some pennies).

in_need_of_direction

If it was so urgent, you'd wonder why it took a few weeks to query it.

DedicatedDFW

in_need_of_direction wrote: »

If it was so urgent, you'd wonder why it took a few weeks to query it.

yep i agree - still nothing i can do about it now but wanted to share with people who would understand - thank you

DedicatedDFW

pavlovs_dog wrote: »

sure there are bits of you that DO work Little toe, perhaps? :rotfl:

being ill is so debilitating in more ways than one, so well done for putting yourself first and tackling these things.



it is difficult when it is a genuine offer that is too good to miss.

How about a spending ban? So a month of VERY controlled spending in all areas of your budget. Shop ruthlessly from what you already own and make do in all other areas until the end of the month (there is little in life that we absolutely could not do without for less than 30 days).

You could make a real dent in your larder and freezer, and use some of the money saved at the end of the month to do a strategic top up shop (ie take advantage of multi-buy meat offers to lower subsequent weekly spends as you'd have the main ingredient for your meal).

With February being a shorter month it might be an easy place to start psychologically. (And you may have the perk of it being a council tax free month too, which will free up some pennies).

Thanks pavlovs - Great minds and all that - i just posted on Alchemillas thread about me setting a maximum food spend target for next month - i don't benefit from council tax free months with the way we work out our bills here but that is easier for me as i have a set outgoing each month - rather than a higher one for 10 months if that makes sense?

Hope all is well with you ?

DedicatedDFW

200 words done

quick chat with my mr - family is the priority after all no?

breakfast made and eaten

clearing up from yesterday done.

Next 200 words to come - i am not saying these are good 200 words but they are words none the less

pavlovs_dog

our council don't give us the choice, they only let you pay over 10 months. I've grown to quite like the free months, as it is an easy extra payment to the mortgage or whatever the current project happens to be.

All well my end apart from a broken oven.

sounds like you're making great inroads with your next assignment. Can't remember if I've actually asked you what course you're doing?

DedicatedDFW

pavlovs_dog wrote: »

our council don't give us the choice, they only let you pay over 10 months. I've grown to quite like the free months, as it is an easy extra payment to the mortgage or whatever the current project happens to be.

All well my end apart from a broken oven.

sounds like you're making great inroads with your next assignment. Can't remember if I've actually asked you what course you're doing?

Hi PD - sorry to hear about the oven - poted on your thread.

I should have explained better - the way me and my Mr work out what we pay is the reason i don't save on the council tax in the free months - i pay more of the mortgage and he pays the council tax that way my outgoings are set each month

err - not sure on the great inroads - have finally got a bit of panic about the dratted thing - i am convinced it is the worst piece of work i have ever written / will have written. Basically i have no passion / inspiration / feeling / interest in what i have to write about - add that to the fact the last several weeks of the course have been irrelevant to the study question - and it is this study that i have been going over for inspiration rather than ignoring it as i should have been then :eek:

Still - got 200 words down and onto next 200.

Focus will be to finish and submit. Monday is the time to take a deep breath and start afresh. Start catch up on all study (always drop behind at assignment time) house clean, cook new recipe, write shopping list, sort out items for bay of e - i don't usually look forward to mondays but as that will be the point at which this is behind me then i sortof am

DedicatedDFW

i decided to just throw some food in the oven for tea - easiest way and from stores so no impact on spending :cool: I will cook the recipe tomorrow instead I've already done 2 new recipes this week - pronounced 'delicious' by my Mr

From tomorrow i will also be walking in each day and picking up an item and really considering where it should be - same place / moved / chucked /sold ? We just seem to have stuff sat in places and i haven't had the time to tackle it. May end up sorting through the folder of all things and shredding out of date paperwork.

Today should be an NSD as i won't have time to spend - yesterday wasn't but that was an overdue planned spend and gives me peace of mind that some house maintenance stuff has been sorted out

I may be consuming more than my usual quota of cuppas today :coffee:

200 words down - next 200 may take longer have found the one piece of secondary text i may need to refer to :cool:

I am going to make a cuppa, pop the heating on for a bit and get on with it.

Back later x

Alchemilla

May the essay writing force be with you.

DedicatedDFW

Thanks Alchemilla

I am currently having a much needed break got the required 3000 words down now to start polishing - which i have decided will include changing an entire bit of this :eek: Polishing started actually but i needed the break - so pots washed whilst waiting of the oven warming up before putting an early tea / late lunch in - i am hungry !

I haven't done reference yet or bibliography - will allow 30 mins for these when my head is too full of the re-write.

I hope i pass this assignment - just keep reminding myself i just need a pass