Where is my motivation?

Towser

Yes very good so how do you get the following categories for free, cheap or next to nothing? These are my goals for next year! This is what is motivating me! This is what I am working on:

Decourating -DIY
Food & Drink –Shop at Aldi

Childcare & Education – Free online courses

Entertainment & Leisure – money off restaurant vouchers

Motoring Expenses – enter win a car competitions

Household Bills & Utilities – Collect wood for the heating

Clothing & Grooming – Charity shops & Colleges

Home & Garden - Freecycle

Holiday- enter win a holiday


Is there anything I have missed?

Catcherupper14

Towser wrote: »

Is that so that I don't have to spend any more money on Education?

I have had a look at the websites and so far they look pretty good.

They are a bit limited in scope and won't give you a formal qualification, but I have done modules of both. I think there are others on the internet too. Some good people out giving us the benefit of their knowledge for free. I also use Youtube for practical things.


Your list seems to cover most aspects of life. I can't do some of the things you are doing - I live in a centrally heated flat with no prospect of a wood-burner, for example, but I can make clothes, either from scratch or by upcycling. I can also put more effort into my business so that I am out of the house earning money rather than sitting by the fire indoors feeling sorry for myself.


I'm not sure that I'd want to rely on competitions for my car or holidays, but it would be a bonus. Have you ever won anything?


I agree with DIY decorating. I made some soft furnishings and wall hangings in the past, too so I could do that again. A door curtain would be moneysaving as well.


My problem is that unless I have to strive for something, I lose my energy, and seem to sink down towards depression. I need to give myself a big kick occasionally if I feel I'm getting too comfortable.

maman

Catcherupper14 wrote: »

I need to put more effort into improving my diet - I am still trying to cut down on the amount of tea I drink and substitute with water.

I wouldn't worry abut improving your diet while you're eating out of the freezer and cupboards. It's amazing the concoctions that can happen when you're trying to use things up.


The time that cooking from scratch/fresh fruit and veg etc will really kick in is when you start doing your meal plans and restocking.


I have a freezer inventory and I write my meal plan every week based on the lean meats (and HM ready meals) that are in there just adding to my shopping list all the essential extra ingredients (like veg) to make meals. One tip is that if you want a treat (like cake or a chocolate bar or crisps) have it when you're out or buy just the one and take it home. It's very difficult (but not impossible;)) to have a multi pack in the cupboard and stop at just the one.

Towser

I have to strive for something or I lose my energy

me too so this is my way by tuning into my life goals but through moneysaving eyes - If that makes sense.

rely on competitions for my car or holidays

I was thinking I could strive for winning competitions of which I never have. It's the only way I could think of to save money. Having said that though I have had caravan holidays which save money and bought my car at auction saving a lot of money.

Catcherupper14

Well someone has to win these competitions, so it's a possibility.


I won a competition once, and got tickets for an event as my prize.


It was at the other end of the country so we ended up staying overnight in a hotel to make the most of it. It wasn't moneysaving, but was somewhere I wouldn't have thought of going, and we had a great time.


Wishing you all success with your competitions, Towser.

Catcherupper14

I found this thread again thank goodness. (I have been having problems with my internet and phone service, which is now properly fixed, and problems with my health, which isn't properly fixed but much improved).


A quick catch-up:
I have been cooking from scratch - very simple stuff whilst I was ill - but I have kept it up. The batch cooking worked well and I have another cooking day ahead.


I've got my spending diary well underway. I've joined the grocery challenge for November and have done my first shop. Increasing the number of meat-free meals I eat will help with my financial goals and my health - I am now starting to lose some weight.


I tried the flylady challenge but that didn't work for me. I've decided to adapt it - to go through 4 weeks of flylady lists and make a checklist for each room (which I can adapt if I need to). Then I will fix a day for each room based on how busy I am on each day. My housework days will include weekends as I often have more time on those days. As long as I manage to cover each room once a week everything will be fine.


I have finished three of my craft projects. I will complete another today. So that I keep up my sense of achievement, I am doing the smaller projects first, and also tackling a chunk of a bigger project in between.


I'm still drinking too much tea and taking too little exercise. I still spend too much time reading and watching TV. But - I am making a start.

Catcherupper14

Today I am going to post on the "How much have you saved" board.


I need to record my ideal budget and my actual budget as I have decided to make some changes around the flat and want to pay for them out of monthly income savings.


Writing this has really clarified what I want to achieve.

Catcherupper14

Whoops - I didn't post my budget yesterday.


I got caught up in the new Make do and Mend thread and started sewing.


Today I'm going to catch up on my "admin". I have a couple of financial things to do, some letters to write and a lot of work for my community stuff.


I will be slaving over a hot computer all day! As I have been procrastinating about this stuff for weeks it is very overdue.

Catcherupper14

I posted my budget and immediately realised I has missed out some items I spend money on. I hope that with the spending diary and keeping an eye on the budget I will be able to track my income and expenditure to the penny in future.


Unfortunately I am still ploughing through the paperwork

Catcherupper14

I managed to do about half of the paperwork yesterday, but the rest will have to wait until the weekend.


Today I shall be out for much of the day, so my plan is to clear the ironing pile this evening, in front of the TV.
I have a basket of laundry to do, but I'm not going to put it in until I've cleared the ironing. There isn't much, so I should be able to do it and it will be great to have no clean washing hanging about on chairs.


I did some work on a sewing project yesterday, and hope to do a little this evening too.


My flat needs a major de-clutter so that will be another goal.