I have lost my OS ways, help!

Dragon_on_roller_skates

Hello, all. :wave:

I hope it's OK to join this thread for my first post. I've spent the past week or so lurking and reading over the forums and think that this board is best suited to me.

I'm a thirty-something, married, mum of two, from the UK but currently living in Aus. As a full-time student I'm pretty time-poor, but definitely more financially strapped. I try to keep costs down with meal planning, bulk-cooking, lots of homemade treats and the likes. But always looking to learn more and be inspired, as it's not always easy to be good!

Looking forwards to having a nosy around.

Caterina

Hello Dragon! Welcome to the MSE forum and particularly to the Old Style area of the forum, this is the place to be if you are looking to make home economies!

There is a wealth of information here and I am sure everybody will be happy to help with any questions and provide support when needed.

Looking forward to see more posts from you!

Dragon_on_roller_skates

Thank you for the warm welcome, Caterina. The what have you baked today thread has already been inspiring - there's now a baked pear pudding in the oven for after dinner. Very happy, as the pears had ripened without me noticing and needed using up!

Caterina

Ohhh I get baking envy! Can't wait to have my kitchen finished so I can start baking and cooking properly again!

Anyway, here is my plan for an OS day:

Bootcamp - already paid for and occasionally paid in kind by babysitting, planning to do more babysitting as it is a straight swap, she lives very near and the kids are delightful, really easy.

Meet with friend in need of a moan - not planning a long meet but she has been a sounding board for me so I am returning the favour

Home lunch and a bit of tidy up/housework

Herbal clinic - necessary health expense, keeps my hormones in check and a little of their medicine goes a long way. I go to the student clinic so it is very reasonably priced.

While in the area will pop into posh supermarket to check any stickered goods

If I have time and energy I need to plant the remaining living lettuces, either in the allotment or even the back garden.

Dinner: chick peas, leeks and sweet potatoes with quinoa or millet.

Babysitting for bootcamp exchange.

Have a good day.

Lilyplonk

Loving the fresh ideas and commitment from everybody on this thread - giving me some oomph and inspiration. :T to you all.


I've done 'yet another' Freezer Inventory - I'm so good at these, it's unbelievable . What IS totally believable is that I'm absolute rubbish at keeping them 'updated' . I really MUST remember to do this each time I put something IN or take something OUT - otherwise there's no point in doing it in the first place.

The result is that I'm completely ashamed at how much stuff is in there - how come it finds its way in so easily and then manages NOT to find its way back out again .................. .


As the next part of my 'get-my-OS-a$re-back-into-gear programme', I intend to make the most of the freezer contents and use them up properly. I'll swear some of the contents have been in there from the Ice-Age - anybody fancy 'woolly mammoth steaks' with chips and baked beans for dinner :rotfl:


I am now down to monthly 'basics provisions shopping' - ie tea/coffee/flour/toilet rolls/SmartPrice laundry liquid with 'weekly top-ups' where/when required of fresh fruit/veg/salad stuff/milk/eggs/whoopsied bread/whoopsied cooked meats.


List making - and keeping to - is back to being a priority.

Need to do a 'Toiletries Inventory' - I know I've been restocking more than necessary.

Also need a 'Cleaning Stuff Inventory' - again, overstocking of certain products. Not too bad, but can do with cutting back for a while.


Already had my holiday for this year, so no new clothes needed :j - I also managed to 'buy new' last winter, so nothing needed for the winter months :T.

C'mon, Lilyplonk - Big deep breath and pull that belt in one more notch ...................



Edited to add - just checked my emails to find advertisements from companies that I've been using for online shopping, telling me all about their SALES .

Light-bulb-moment :idea: - going to go onto their websites and change my settings to 'no emails thank you!' Might help for a while at least .

lessonlearned

Hi. Can I play too please.

Just moved house. It,s a renovation work in progress. Finally got a kitchen and bathroom. Everywhere else is still a building site. At least I,ve now got a washing machine so I'm having a washathon

Thanks for starting this thread. Just what I need to help me stay focused,

LolaLemon

Caterina wrote: »

LolaLemon I don't menu plan because my shopping is dictated by the offers and YSs on the shelves, by any leftovers and by what we fancy as a family. Having said that I always have a good idea of what's in cupboards and fridge so there is a modicum of planning. But nowhere near as organised as a weekly or monthly plan! Each to his/her own, and I agree with MrsLurcherwalker and mrsmortenharket, doing small actions, one step at a time, is the way to do it. For some it is menu planning, but it is not a must, just a guideline. For example I could never ever do the Flylady, it would drive me nuts. I tried, but am too scatty for that level of planning and organisation! But I do other things, am very good at budget management, can cook virtually anything (think: tofu, sourdough bread, baked beans, felafel, stuff that people normally buy) from scratch. Not now that I have no kitchen, but I can if I need to. Look for your skills and perfect them, try out other stuff, use what you need and discard what does not work.

That is similar to why i dont get on with menu planing. life/deals/mother gets in the way. My mum picks my son up from school a lot and even if i tell her ive got X cooking away in the slow cooker, she makes us our dinner. So ive learned not to cook anything when she is picking him up, but then thier are times when she hasn't made any dinner as she is only in just infront of me and im left to find something out the freezer that will make quickly. - i dont get home til 5.30/6pm and son is out for clubs at 6/6.30pm. all a bit of a real rush!

cant do flylady either! i wish i could, oh believe me i really wish i could but its just not for me haha

Caterina

Lilyplonk good luck with inventory, I am carp at that! But my freezer is not too big so I know what lurks in there for the most part.

Lessonlearned welcome aboard!

One little edit before getting on with my day. I did not go to bootcamp, combination of late bus and not feeling too well (nothing serious, just lack of sleep), but instead used my time in an OS way : got my ancient epilator and did my legs, saving myself between £30 and £50 (London prices) for a wax. It hurt a bit esp. bikini line but nowhere near as what I feared. And I stayed very conservative, bikini-wise (hope not TMI!).

Off to do things now!

D&DD

I was wondering how you were Caterina good to see you're still about its been a hectic old year hasn't it for a lot of people

Nice to see you have had some good news too.

I've been a bit naughty this year as I've been so ridiculously busy and I always find its when the house etc is upside down then I tend to slip a bit,but that said my house is usually upside down most of the time so theres not much hope here lol.

I'm sure you'll get back into it I think it's such an ingrained mindset after a while that even if we do have hiccups along the way it doesn't take much to climb back on again.

mrsmortenharket

My menu planning is quite loose. I tend to freeze most things, like meat, so I can get it out on the morning that we will have it for dinner.

Another thing to do is to go through your previous months bank statement with a fine tooth comb. Cancel dds for the gym you don't use etc.