NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

I_want_a_baby

Thankyou CEW!

Would you be as kind as to share your bread recipe and the advice the baker gave you? I have tried to make bread countless times and I have never had a successful loaf and always say never again! I would love to be able to bake my own and have that instead.

Cornishgirl18 - when are you due? I'm due march 25th x

Atypicalblonde - sorry to hear about your dad, it seems that the way you were treated is all to common though. You clearly have a wise head on your shoulders and I fear it will be your colleagues that look back on their life full of money and material possessions and have regrets. We lost someone close in our family aged 46 with two children at 17 & 11, it is so awful, something that I think about every day, and a reminder to me to make each day count. She said to me you realise what is important when you know your time is limited. I often stop, take stock and ask myself would I be doing the same thing if I was in the same position. Whilst I do save like mad (aiming to stay a sahm or work very part time so hubby can reduce hours rather than saving to gain wealth), I add in plenty of free fun and enough paid fun to keep the balance right.

Must dash x

ETA, we've just measured the kids feet using a clarks measuring device I bought from their site. Sons trainers will be in the same size that we thought he was, however daughter has grown a size and a half, will buy her some trainers too and she can just wear these or wellies for now unless there is a need for shoes somewhen.

cornishgirl18

I want a baby - I'm due 6th April with number 3!! Time has flown this pregnancy....in fact i forget I'm pregnant most of the time until someone comments on bump or baby girl kicks me. My dd is 7 and ds is 5 ...it took a while to convince hubby to go for number 3!!!

pollys

Good morning.

Thank you so much for sharing life experiences. It's uplifting to hear that the simple life is the preferred life for so many of us.

I don't count NSD. I prefer to think along the lines of "no unnecessary spending" and I'm pleased that so far, I haven't.

I've written out a shopping list and a meal plan. If something is on offer that we use on a regular basis eg washing powder, I do buy, even if not on the list as this will save money in the long run.

I'm actually looking forward to going shopping. I feel good when I only come home with needs and not a bag full of wants.

Have a lovely day whatever your plans.

Polly

115K

No Spend Day again, this thread is really keeping me on the straight and narrow.:) I was thinking that I could go and get some chips from the chip shop and a bottle of wine as it's Saturday and then I thought what difference does the day make?:rotfl:

I have some yummy bits in the house at the moment anyway, just had a choccie bar with a cup of green tea reading the forum.:o

I was watching a film last night and I could hear a strange sound outside and I stuck my head out of the window and my hair blew up in the air, it was actually really windy out there.:eek::D

I hope everyone is staying safe. I saw that some people lost power.

Have a nice day everyone.

Picklepot wrote: »

I am also more honest in talking about money. we have just changed vet practice and I asked the new vet if we could talk cost before they started a treatment. I was amazed at how easy it was! and how willing they were to discuss options. My old vet never used to give an itemised bill half the time I didn't know what I was paying for 'I'm not vet bashing honestly but what made me leave my old one was when a young locum (far to young to be qualified!) told me a treatment was 'not much' . Quite embarrassed I had to prise out of him how much that was 'only £46' he said! I understand in vet terms its not a lot but when you go to pay ..

Some vets are much better than others, the one I'm at now is family run and when you go to pay the receptionist says that there is the option of paying in installments.

P*ts at H*me I'm not so fond of as they just seem to want to make money out of you.:mad:

purpleshoes_2

Sold a couple of books on eBay for five quid each so happy with that. Goimg to list a few more items today and crack on with the decluttering. Weather was horrible last night and the wind is still howling as I type so glad I cancelled tonights planned night out. Picked up a couple of ys items last night, just wanted a change, but got the vegan sage and onion slices I wanted for 9p and another item for 19p. Today I need to go elsewhere and buy soya yogurt was too expensive in the shop I was in. Found a recipe for overnight oats, I hate porridge but bought some to make those protein balls and this will use them up.

I'm knackered, thanks to the high winds and a very lively ginger tom I didn't get much sleep.

Some of the work stories I've been through would make your hair curl. I remember when I was at breaking point and walked out of a job, I went off sick, I knew they would sack me in the end for being in grievance. I had given part time hours to someone, sickness and holiday cover, didn't really know him well because by the time he started I was off sick. Anyway I got an anonymous letter, assume it was from a staff member who supported me but was too scared to say, he dropped dead some months later due to the stress of working for those board of directors, who incidentally knew nothing about how to run the project. After I complained they decided to discipline me, what they didn't know they made up, they got staff to lie about me and the tenant who got warned by the police for trying to assault me got an audience with the board to say why I should be sacked. I was suspended when I tried to go back to work, banned from the building, my desk drawer was broken open, they even opened Christmas cards sent to me, I know this because I went in to collect some belongings.

I took them to tribunal and lost, the person who took it upon herself to discipline me, I had never met her, when she thought I wasn't going to take it further, she wrote me nasty vicious letters, bundle after bundle. I went to a kangaroo court investigatory hearing and had her in my face shouting at me, that was it for me, I refused to go to anymore, anything else that was done was done by letter. They rewrote the nastiest letters as the tribunal approached, so I turned up with two bundles of letters, the nasty vicious stuff they wrote at the time, then the slightly nicer watered down stuff, plus extra letters I had never seen before in my life (quite common apparently)

When it became apparent I was going to tribunal, they re wrote all the most vicious stuff. Watered it down, she told the panel that her excuse was, she didn't know how to work a computer. My lawyer got so close to them during the process they asked him to represent them, so I binned him and represented myself.

I lost, they actually got commended for knowing nothing about employment law but trying their best. At my appeal hearing the contents of my desk drawer were handed to my mum.

Anyway, within a couple of years the company moved as the project ended up being managed by the landlords as they couldn't cope (hadn't a clue how to manage staff or do any of the work I did).

The charity ended up being dissolved a few years later. Going to tribunal was awful, its stressful, people go on the stand and lie. I had people who had never met me go on the witness stand to lie about me.

But they didn't ruin my life, I got to look them in the eye and make it clear, you haven't ruined my life.

I spent a good 18 months unwell at all that's peak. I was on sleeping pills. I was grey in the complexion and for a time after I was angry at the way I had been treated.

But I got there. And for a manager with two post graduate degrees I got around 25 grand a year to be treated like that.

No matter how skint I am, I get up every single day with very little work stress, it is so worth it.

YORKSHIRELASS

Hi everyone

A madly busy week with work so I havent been around here much. Interesting to hear other people's stories about work. I worked my way up to senior management in a very male orientated environment - I only took 8 weeks maternity leave when my second child was born.

I was regularly working 50 hours a week when my then 10 year old was struck down with a serious lifelong illness. I gave up the job and took 2 years off.

Now I work 20 hours a week in admin, plus around 5 hours a week in a second job from home. My job can be boring and I do miss the challenges sometimes. There will be a promotion coming up at work and everyone thinks I will be the one to take it. My gut feeling is that I dont want the hassle but we could do with the money. It will be a tough decision.

My youngest son needs some new clothes and a new coat so that will be a spend this week. He has offered some of his Christmas money towards it though. He is at that age where he is very fussy!

Lots to do today, need to get OHs accounts finished. Wont be going anywhere so there shouldnt be any need to spend money!

[Deleted User]

Good Morning fellow shipmates well finally succumbed and went to the shops and spent... drum roll... a whole £1.69p :):)
two King Edward spuds and half a cabbage from the little greengrocers 69p, and 4 pints of milk from Icelands.
first spend on food shopping this year.
Feeling quite pleased with my shop today, nothing more needed or bought. I don't eat bread as I have a stash of ryvita type crackers in the cupboards. fruitwise I have still in stock a pineapple.6 pears and an orange .But I do have quite a extensive range of tinned fruit.
This month is use-it-up month.So hopefully I will be able to reduce my food mountain from the cupboards and fridge-freezer i have a lot of frozen veg in store and even some frozen fruit so I won't get scurvy :):)
Todays lunch will be HM leek and tattie soup and some crackers. I have a large stock of cheese in the freezer as well, so some of that will be dug out to go with my crackers I opened up a nice ardennes pate I had been given at christmas yesterday and it was really nice on some cream crackers with a bit of sliced cucumber on top.
back to NSD again so with only one shop so far this month I am really pleased at how things are progressing.I don't cook sunday dinner as I go to my Dds every Sunday afternoon,but I do make her a pie or pudding and take it with me. :)
Hope every one is sailing along OK and we should all start feeling a bit richer shortly as we are all intent on hanging on to our pennies.
Have a good and frugal day everyone
JackieO xxx

purpleshoes_2

http://dailyburn.com/life/recipes/easy-overnight-oats-recipes/

The overnight oats recipe. The one with the blueberries has my name on it.

MyHappinessProject

emslovesmickey wrote: »

atypical blonde I'm sorry you lost your dad. I'm also disgusted by the way your ex-boss treated you, and so glad that you chose to branch out on your own. As you said, regardless of the money, there is no way you or anybody should be treated like that.

I spent £9.94 yesterday on food for work and cat food, but have no plans to spend beyond that until the end of next week. I've also been working on my ten tasks, it is a perfect way for me to avoid spending!

Hi emslovesmickey,it sounds like you are being really organised and focussed on the money saving.
Can I ask, what are the 10 tasks you mentioned here?Thanks

GreyQueen

Well, the rain stopped and it's now sunny and I made it up the road to the sewing shop and dropped a whole £1.50 on a jeans zip to bring the pair of trousers back into service. Have also bought milk and fruit & veg for £1.89 so this week's grocery spend is still only £3.21.

This 'pauper' will be enjoying salmon fishcakes with sweet potato and mustard mash, accompanied by h.g. runner beans from the freezer and steamed carrots. I shall have h.g. frozen blackcurrants, too, eat them in a bowl straight from the freezer like a dessert.

I consider that I live a life of luxury and really wouldn't know what to do with shedloads of money, thrifting is a favourite pastime and an entrenched habit.