Aspirations of Frugality and Fun on the Road to Mortgage Freedom

DedicatedDFW

Hi all,

am completely shattered again not sure if i need to get my thyroid checked again but will plod on a bit and see - i've not had a good rest / lie-in for a long while and i am eating a bit more of the wrong foods so could be that too...

i realised i've not talked mortgage and money for a bit :eek: So, as mentioned i got onto the mortgage company yesterday and complaint made, i am awaiting response - initial acknowledgement and then the usual timescale :cool:

Money - i am completing surveys that i can but am screened out of lots so no actual money made here as yet. I'm looking for more items to list on the bay of e - i have 3 maybe 4 possibles... not sure if any are sellable. Got some excellent advice to focus on my studies now until the end of the course then focus on new job hunt :cool: Have a sneaky peak at 1 place but no new job for me to apply for.
I am buying petrol at the cheapest place.
I am very focused on the food shopping and getting this in on budget - saving actual overspends rather than making money but it is good if i can do it.
Lunhes continue to all be packed beforehand at home.

Had LBM re home.

Those of you i've known for a while will by now be aware of my seemingly endless decluttering - well, dare i say it, the end seems to be in sight :eek: As i say i've had a bit of a LBM and have been completely ruthless - it of course helps that all the areas have been done several times before but it is both and that i now realise what i have in the areas i have decluttered are what i love or need as useful. But as areas are cleared out fully and finally it is making those areas nicer to be in, quicker and easier to clean and a much nicer feeling to wake up to in the morning too.
I also sorta realised that this year will see the house thoroughly decluttered which will mean i am making the best of it that i can without it costing me more money :T

Bedding box decluttered, and as predicted was full of all things mentioned. It will be alot clearer when the living room is decorated and the ornaments can be put out. It should create alot of spac eas there are a couple of throws in there too so i may be able to store the pics in there making everything evebn tidier Yep! I need a life :rotfl::rotfl:

Next up:-

1 page
under desk

i also scaled pot mountain earlier. As predicted todays tea was acceptable - same again tomorrow - at least its not wasted Also cooked something else i don't really like and will have for packed lunch - it would be like throwing money and its 'ok' just won't get it again - so thats got to be moneysaving too yes?

Cheery_Daff

Gosh, I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to have a completely decluttered house :eek: well done you! :j :j :j

in_need_of_direction

Either a life or a new decluttering challenge. Did I mention I've been in the same house for more than 20 years and have a comfy, if cluttered, spare room?

DedicatedDFW

Cheery_Daff wrote: »

Gosh, I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to have a completely decluttered house :eek: well done you! :j :j :j

Thanks Cheery Well thats the plan anyway - and its the plan for my stuff It does make cleaning and tidying a whole lot quicker - and even cooking too - used a utensil i'd not used for a year this weekend as everything is so much easier to get to :T it is the sense of space and the extra time that i really appreciate

DedicatedDFW

Well i am not happy with the under the desk space

It is cluttered

There are 3 pictures there (2 photo's, 1 pic) Photos will go out or be put in photo storage when the living room is done... living room may be done next year :eek: Ye gads!! There is also my craft bag there, it has my bits and bobs in, less now that i have freed up a good batch of embroidery thread which i hope to list on bay of e and some button sewer or some such. i have also got some diamantes and some relly cute flower shape buttons - carbooty :cool:

I do like my crafty stuff but realistically i just do not have the time to do this, i have saved the threads i wanted and my crochet hooks, knitting needles and other bits but the buttons i planned to use on a project a year ago - and that hasn't happened so off they go! *sigh* The craft bag will easily fit in the bedding box once the bedding box has been emptied back into the living room / bathroom.

Still, it is a good amount of extra clutter gone and hopefully these are things other people will appreciate and use. So 2 items for the bay of e pile :cool:

DedicatedDFW

in_need_of_direction wrote: »

Either a life or a new decluttering challenge. Did I mention I've been in the same house for more than 20 years and have a comfy, if cluttered, spare room?

Hey INOD - are you wanting a challenge? Although i am pretty demotivated seeing the bag and pics sat there - even though its only until next year

I do have a sleeping bag i don't use... that could free up space... will need to check with my Mr first - even though its mine and i can't see it being useful to us as we used ours for 1 week in 10+ years :eek:

in_need_of_direction

It's beyond a challenge - it now qualifies as a labour belonging to Hercules. I've a DD who's a wannabe extreme hoarder, a son who no longer lives here but whose cherished belongings do and an OH who is allegedly on board but won't part with his belongings and never gets around to listing anything I've set aside for ebay. Help!

DedicatedDFW

in_need_of_direction wrote: »

It's beyond a challenge - it now qualifies as a labour belonging to Hercules. I've a DD who's a wannabe extreme hoarder, a son who no longer lives here but whose cherished belongings do and an OH who is allegedly on board but won't part with his belongings and never gets around to listing anything I've set aside for ebay. Help!

INOD - i feel your pain - my Mr kindly commented on how much better he has noticed things to be (where i've decluttered) promptly announcing that he 'felt' there was alot more that could be done :mad: the only 'excess' in the kitchen are the roasting dishes and i have a little routine of different ones for different things and have parted with 1 - parting with more won't free up ground space as they are stacked. That is the only excess - quite what else he thinks could be parted with i know not - but i do know he will not go through cupboards nice and systematically and sort things out. He just won't go through the cupboards full stop. If he did he would find nothing more to part with :cool: Alot of stuff i just put into the carboot stash but did think i'd check with him on a few bits - 1 never used in 6 years and many, many, many more similar he 'will use' and 2 other broken items still have a bit that is useful so not to bin - even though we have several more full in order :eek:

I have also nicely asked him, again, to sort out his birthday presents from 3 years ago...

It is difficult if others want to keep stuff though - is there any sort of middle ground. When your son comes maybe give him a box of his stuff you've 'found' to take back with him? With your daughter does she keep her things in her own space? i don't know, i don't have children so can't help other than remembering when i lived at home in the 'box' room i just hit a point of having had enough of the cramped space and cleared it all out. Also my Mr's parents occasionally drop off a bag of his things that they've found - he goes through it maybe keeping 1 or 2 bits and the majority of it goes in the bin as it is rubbish really :cool:

I am simply leading by example

DedicatedDFW

And now a lot more

1 sleeping bag to le carboot stash :T

= space in the bedding box :T

= craft items and 3 pics relocated to bedding box :T

= tidy space under desk

Also parted with 1 other craft item and 1 bag (which everything was in) for bay of e

So room looks better. i tried to part with a pic too but my mr wants to keep it. fair do's

Confident i'm keeping the craft items i have - were gifts or from family so sentimental Happy it all seems to have been properly sorted out

Next will be tackling the actual desk but not today and probably not until the weekend now. Still it feels good for so much stuff to be leaving the house and as i said just having what i want and need

peaceandfreedom

DedicatedDFW wrote: »

INOD - i feel your pain - my Mr kindly commented on how much better he has noticed things to be (where i've decluttered) promptly announcing that he 'felt' there was alot more that could be done :mad:

Well I think Mr DDFW needs to appreciate the hard work you've already done and also let stuff go that realistically he will never use.

Mr P&F is hopeless. Several years ago I asked him to sort out (really, just chuck out) several boxes of paper work. He has payslips going back 30 years, along with cheque book stubs, credit card statements, all going back years. The boxes were shuffled about from room to room, out to the shed, back inside again, back to the shed and finally onto some rafters in the garage. :eek:

This year it's going. When I declutter the garage, I am issuing an ultimatum - he will have 2 weeks to sort out his paperwork or the whole lot is being incinerated in the garden incinerator one fine evening. I doubt he will miss a single piece of paper.

And then I'll have to start on the attic .......:rotfl: