Reeling from the Reality Check

Historybuff

Thanks, turfy. All the cleaning didn't quite get done, but it will be finished today. Carboot was a bit disappointing with £35 profit, but I took most of what was left to the charity shop, so only two boxes came back with me. I'm doing one last one on Sun if the weather is ok, then that's it till next year.
OH has started cutting back overgrown bushes in the garden as well today, so things are beginning to look a lot better inside and out. And son and girlfriend have mucked out their rooms upstairs, so even more of a bonus. On the finance front, I'm using up lots of food we have in stock and cutting down on the amount of meat we eat to save money on the food bill. I'm also going to have a go at making myself a dress! I get fed up trawling round shops looking for clothes and never really liking what I end up with, so I've chosen two dress designs that can be adapted into different styles by altering the neckline, length or sleeves and am going to see if I can do it. In the meantime, I'm dusting off last years winter clothes and seeing if I can get by with them. I will have to buy a new pair of boots, but that's all.
This evening I'm going to de clutter the airing cupboard and organise the bedding into sets as per a tip from one of the de clutter boards...put the matching sheet and pillowcases inside the duvet cover! Then no more searching or just being lazy and using non matching stuff. Why have I never thought of doing that before!
Bedroom and bathroom on the agenda for a clear out and deep clean tomorrow. I feel like I'm getting somewhere!

Igamogam

Very impressive decluttering HB I cleared out the airing cupboard recently and decided to ditch a lot of bedding/towels etc as quite honestly we didnt need/use it all!Think I had 6 bed sets for our bed alone.

I cant stand car boot sales so well done on sticking at it!

Decluttering is very liberating............cant wait for the day I will be free!!

Historybuff

Thanks Igamogam! It becomes quite addictive, I think. I've still got a long way to go, but can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel. Staying focused with the de cluttering and paying more attention to what we eat is somehow helping me stay focused on spending and the debt reduction! I don't know why that is, but it seems to be the case. Also, being able to think aloud in this diary helps an awful lot. If it's written down it's harder to ignore it or not do it! I also like going back and re reading old posts and seeing how much progress is being made. It spurs you on. I just hope I can keep all the balls in the air when I'm back at work! We'll see.

giblet1979

Very impressed with the decluttering and frugal fooding...I'm sure you can keep it going when you're back at work (just perhaps give yourself less stringent targets re: how much to do at once - you deserve time to rest as well!)

I'm in awe of your dressmaking project...I know I'd like to be able to do this, and a friend has offered to teach me to sew, but I'm convinced that I'd be shocking at it, and won't understand, so until I change my mindset it won't happen.

If you feel that you can, please share photos (no prob if you'd rather not). I'd be very interested in how you find it all x

Historybuff

Thanks giblet. I'm no sewing expert either. I did quite a lot when the children were small, but none for a very long time. Very clear instructions are included with the patterns, though. I don't think it will be a quick project, but once I get going I'll post some photos. Quite looking forward to it actually. I've mentioned it to a couple of friends and they were very interested. Might start a sewing circle to go with the book club eventually!

Igamogam

Historybuff wrote: »

Thanks Igamogam! It becomes quite addictive, I think. I've still got a long way to go, but can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel. Staying focused with the de cluttering and paying more attention to what we eat is somehow helping me stay focused on spending and the debt reduction! I don't know why that is, but it seems to be the case. Also, being able to think aloud in this diary helps an awful lot. If it's written down it's harder to ignore it or not do it! I also like going back and re reading old posts and seeing how much progress is being made. It spurs you on. I just hope I can keep all the balls in the air when I'm back at work! We'll see.

Certainly agree with all that - think my tunnel has a bend in it as no light obvious yet:rotfl: yep me too back to ball juggling next week...........not looking forward to it

Historybuff

Day three of adjusted diet. I'm eating a M&S little salad, 2 for £3, for lunch every day. Sometimes with a bit of added chicken or tuna. We've decided to eat less meat and I have decided to give up all processed meat...bacon, ham, pate, salami etc. I'm feeling decidedly less bloated and, hopefully might lose a bit of weight as well. I've decided to use the little salads because they are cheap, have a good interesting range of ingredients and are convenient. They will be my lunch everyday at work when I go back. The cost is worth the time saved in sourcing ingredients and making I think.
Need to update YNAB, but I have £70 in the carboot money tin. Thinking seriously of using it to try to set up a little side money making scheme to add to the finances, so I'm thinking of what I could buy cheap and sell high at markets at weekends. Any ideas welcome.

giblet1979

A couple of friends buy and sell 'job lots' of furniture and bits and pieces at auction, and then sell on either through markets, carboots or online. I don't think it's a huge earner, and is pretty time consuming, but they seem to be making a couple of hundred a week on occasion, and they enjoy doing it (which is half the battle). I know they've managed to get some really good bargains e.g. tables and chairs for a few pounds which have then sold for £50. I think it would depend on what was near you, who else was doing this, and how much time / energy you would have.

A work colleague makes and sells jewellery, but is struggling to make a profit here.

Another work friend knits 'teddies' and items themed for easter e.g. chicks with cream eggs inside, and Xmas e.g. Santas, stockings etc and sells them locally. Again, a lot of work for little return on the whole, but if you enjoy the making it could be good?

Have you looked at some of the online freelancing stuff? Although I haven't properly signed up for a job yet, a company called 'people per hour' have all sorts of opportunities you can 'bid' for; I thought I'd be quite good at the proof reading, or possibly some of the writing. You can nosey without commitment so maybe worth a look? They pay into paypal (but you would need to declare to tax office any earnings of course). Disclaimer: I can't vouch for their quality as haven't used them yet tho!

Historybuff

Thanks, giblet. The auction thing would take up too much time and effort, I think. Also where to store everything? There's loads of people round here doing it anyway. I'll stick with selling off my own stuff for now. I've still got a few things in the spare room that can go, then when son and girlfriend leave there's the attic to tackle. God knows what's up there! That should keep me going for ages. The money from selling old stuff is going in the buffer fund anyway. This month I am determined to hang onto it!
Good news on the garden from yesterday. OH was doing a good deed helping clear a garden and he came away with fence panels and posts and two wrought iron gates for free that the person had been getting rid of! A bit of cleaning up and they will be grand! Today's plans...OH chop down overgrowth down the side of the house and clip the remaining bushes...me tidy and clean the downstairs, wash the downstairs windows in side and out and tidy and clean the porch.
On the financials, I need to update YNAB, check the bank balance and file the letters that came yesterday. Re the phone calls from earlier in the week. I didn't get through to the bank yet and they haven't phoned me back, so I will leave it for now. Today I am going to take out the cash that is available for expenses to the end of the month. 25 days till payday. It's going to be hard to make the money stretch this month. Some sacrifices will have to be made, I can see it coming.

in_need_of_direction

Do you have a figure to aim for in your buffer fund?