NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

Glitterbaby

I would love to join this thread if I could. I am debt free after struggling for a long time, but I know if I could curtail my spending habits I could save much more than I do, and that is my main goal this year.

My real downfall is ebay. I buy stuff I dont really need just for the sake of it, and so I am hoping this thread will keep me off of ebay and on the straight and narrow.

My DD broke her school bag the last day before the holidays. I was going to buy a new one but have been able to repair the bag, so I am starting as I mean to go on.

CAFCGirl

After scoring free cinema tickets for yesterday, the world seems to be smiling down on me, or perhaps my aura is welcoming good things to my world, and I am being rewarded by the universe.
I'm going on a free ice skating lesson saturday. Only 30 mins but that's probably all the falling I can handle. I'd love to learn properly as our longer term life goal is to emigrate, where ice skating is a regular past time

merzal

We were going to have a Chinese last night but instead had steak, chips, mushrooms and peppercorn sauce. Total spend - less than £3 thanks to YS shopping and you guys on here making me see sense!

vulpix

Happy New Year.

Most of my house guests have now left. Nice to see them but nice to see them go ! They also took A LOT of their belongings with them.:j

Today my Mum will come for tea which will be H/M pasta bake and salad.

I will be glad to get back to normal.Normal eating being top of the list.

I plan to take down the Christmas decs tomorrow as I am home alone all day.Then Spring clean room by room decluttering as I go.

Made a start with holiday/treat/hens savings by selling a coat of my sons on face book this morning.I will keep any money made separate till needed.

What I enjoy about this thread is the friendliness and eclectic topics of discussion.Looking forward to our journey.

Vx

115K

mumto2monkeys wrote: »

What's the MMM blog? This sounds like something DH and I could do with!

It's Mr Money Mustache. He worked out a way to retire early using a simple formula and reducing his spending.

It's very interesting but if you go on the forum some of the people on there are a bit over the top and weird, just a warning as it's not always friendly like on here!:eek:

fuddle

After a morning of work (and a family who laid in) I declare this a NSD for our family.

I am soon to go get some kip to recharge my batteries then plan to get the online basket filled ready for shopping delivery early next week. All change re: work patterns so menu plan is simplified to meat and two veg with a sauce/gravy until I can get into the new routine. I will need lunches as can't no longer pop back home for scrambled egg on toast and the like.

Actually, this all requires more thinking and planning normally more organised than this. Bed! I need to be fully fighting fit this evening - I have a new life to plan for :rotfl:

Happy New Year

7_week_wonder

Thank you so much dND, I want a baby, CAFgirl and GreyQueen - I feel like I have just been given a private tutorial on the magic of Grow-your-Own.

I have copied and pasted all your comments and suggestions into a word document so I can refer back to them. I might even try and start myself some sort of gardening diary. I'm up North of the border, so things start a bit later here. I'm pleased to report that we managed an autumn sowing of broad beans plus some red and spring cabbages that seem to be surviving if not actually growing at the moment. Whilst Thunderball is on TV this afternoon (what can I say - I always need my trashy James Bond fix over the Christmas break ) I will have a good think about which veg are our favourites. The trouble is tomatoes and peppers feature quite highly on that list and we don't have any plans for getting a greenhouse. Oh well, we also love beans and peas so I can sow plenty of them.

I also spotted that The Big Allotment Challenge is back on BBC2 tomorrow night - so I shall watch that for some inspiration too.

Have a good afternoon all - stay warm and dry (and away from the shops) it's blowing an absolute gale up here!

skint_chick

Happy new year everyone!:beer:

vulpix wrote: »

I would like to do some voluntary work but am a bit stumped as to what.I would like to get out more and make new friends but physically I get tired.Ideally I would like to do wall building or similar for the national park.well thats the first aim right there,contact them and see if I could do anything.

Vulpix - you can do holidays/short breaks with the National Trust learning how to rebuild stone walls etc they list them on their website http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/holidays/working-holidays/

Dee2 thanks for the Starry Night cross stitch info - I've downloaded the pattern and will have to check which colour threads I need so I can put in a birthday request

A lot of people on tho thread have mentioned fibre and other autoimmune conditions - I also have several autoimmune conditions but have made a massive improvement last year since switching my diet to the autoimmune protocol. I only eat meat, veg, some fruit and the odd bit of dairy when I can tolerate it. I can't tolerate certain veg and have discovered some weird allergies I didn't know about but I reduced my sickness and immune responses significantly - in 2013 I had almost five months off work sick - in 2014 it was 1 full day and 2 going home earlies, I think it helps that I like my job now but I've had more energy for doing things outside of work and everyone has commented on how much better I look, all my symptoms have almost gone. It's worth looking at AIP - no grain, no dairy, no sugars or processed food and seeing if you could adapt your diet to see if it makes any difference to how you feel.

I've still spent no money since before Christmas and made a meal plan for the next week to empty the freezer so I can defrost it. It's supposed to be frost free but it keeps freezing over and the bottom drawer no lingers fits in due to ice. There's a circulation issue with air but I can't seem to get it resolved even when I've taken the panel inside off and made sure there is no more ice. It's 8yrs old so shouldn't be dying on me :mad:

I'm using a Christmas voucher to order coconut flour, gelatin and a new smoothie cup. Excited to try making my own bread again as well as the many other recipes I've gathered - mostly desserts!

I've booked a learn to meditate class for £4 for next week as this has been on my bucket list for a couple of years

I_want_a_baby

7ww, ask away should you have any further questions, I've learnt so much from this thread by there being no specific subject! The amount of knowledge from all the posters on here is immense and I am gladly soaking up knowledge left right and centre!

With regards to tomatos/peppers if you've no greenhouse make sure you buy a specific outdoor variety. Propagate on a warm window sill when the packet says but when you feel the weather is warm enough, when big enough leave outside in he sunniest location during the day but bring in over night to harden them up. Plant them in pots like CAFCgirl said. Place the pots of compost in the space with the most light/sun but sheltered against a wall or similar. If bad weather is predicted you can move them to a sheltered location (even if shady) until it's safe to bring them back out. Remember to feed as well as water them and take off the side shoots.

I am hoping for a master class from my mother in law on tomatos/peppers as I never know what leaves to take off!

Little update on today:
Bread maker has been collected and the lady was very pleased - I wonder if she is an OSer?
Bag been advertised on Facebook.
Quick tidy up done in prep for decluttering tomorrow.
Mum has invited us and sister over for tea for a goodbye meal. I'm taking a homemade crumble (crumble mix and fruit from freezer) and two dishwasher tablets (she has run out) as my contribution!
Our tea I put in the fridge can wait until tomorrow!
Rearranged our living room furniture to make better use of the space, minimised the ornaments and it feels oh so calm! I love it! And no money spent!
Will go through the drawers and declutter and organise it tomorrow and then room one will be done!
Make my sis some lunch to take on their journey tomorrow - save them some pennies.
Husband and kids went outside for half hour to dig a bit of the veg plot and cut up some logs. Both of which are huge jobs so it is a case of doing a bit each day!

Right must finish meal plan!

IWAB x

mumto2monkeys_2

115K wrote: »

It's Mr Money Mustache. He worked out a way to retire early using a simple formula and reducing his spending.

It's very interesting but if you go on the forum some of the people on there are a bit over the top and weird, just a warning as it's not always friendly like on here!:eek:

I've come across him before but need to read properly - thank you. Might have a lurk on the forum :D.

Thanks again .