AGirlWrites - Trying to be Old Style

AGirlWrites

Good Evening,

I'd like to make this thread as a challenge for myself, I joined the Grocery Challenge earlier today but I think I need to take it further and 'Old Style' much more than just my grocery budget.

I bought my house in November 2014, in the run up to this I cleared all my credit cards, saved up my deposit and lived like a proper MSE! But since the pressure of having to get a mortgage passed, i've let all that slip. I've maxed out my cards again, been shopping like a mad woman. I've recently got round to finally unpacking all the leftover boxes and quite simply I have way WAY too much stuff. My problem being that I earn a decent wage, but spend like I do too. So it's time to get selling my wares, eating my food stocks, clearing out the junk and generally living a more Old Style life. I would like to clear the cards, save a 3-6 month emergency fund and start to overpay on my mortgage as a long term goal.

I have recently started to sew my own clothes, I bought the sewing machine 4 years ago and only got round to using it a few months ago. I'm making a 30th birthday party dress for myself and it has cost the grand total of £21. Which is a lot better than the £100 or so I would have previously spent on buying one.

My first plan is to take inventory of the kitchen tonight. My pantry, cupboards and freezers are overflowing and yet I still keep buying more. So tonight i'm taking stock and making some meal plans for the next couple of weeks. I really won't need buy to anything except milk and maybe bread for few weeks, probably longer.

I'd appreciate any encouragement or tips you all have. I think it's going to be a long road to change my frivolous ways but i'm determined to try.

Thanks for reading, if you got this far. Haha!

Nonnadiluca

Hi there. You've already taken the first and most important step by deciding to stop wasting money on stuff you don't need so that you have it for stuff you really want. My only advice, for what it's worth, is to keep your goals in mind and keep some little pleasures in your life otherwise you'll get to a point where you think S*d it! and give up. Good luck!

AGirlWrites

Thank you Nonnadiluca. You're right, I plan to be strict but keep some pleasures too.

Its the wasting money buying endless stuff I don't need and buying far too much food each week considering theres only me eating it that's the problem. I think seeing it all written down here will hit home how much I do not need to go to the supermarket/Boots/Costco. Honestly I have supplies here that I live off for months I think.

Icey77

Some of the things you mention remind me of the Marie Kondo tidying thread that is on here, perhaps take a look?

Too much stuff is definitely stressful and I've been enjoying a slow Kondo clearout with the result being a tidier, easier house to run and live in and a brighter frame of mind :j

jackyann

Well done!

I just think the important thing is to get the balance right - if you've been frugal for ages then you may want to let your hair down!

If you can get the right balance of living simply & sensibly, budgeting for & appreciating your treats, I think you'll feel better.

[Deleted User]

Try only using cash, and leave the cards at home in a box on top of a cupboard out of the way
Basically the way old timers like myself had to live back in the 1960s when cards were what arrived in the post at Christmas, and not sitting in your purse whispering 'spend me ,spend me!!!'

When you use a card you don't actually see money disappearing as you do with 'real hard currency' Try it for a week, and see how much you spend instead of using your 'flexi-friend' Which is neither flexible nor your friend.

Years ago when I wanted to save cash up out of the housekeeping I had a small building society book from a branch about three miles away, and because it was out of the way, once deposited it was too much of an effort to go to draw anything out, so the temptation was out of the way, and any uge to spend, or splash the cash was gone by the thought of going that three miles just for a few quid :):)

AGirlWrites

Thanks all,

Jackie, I'm with you there all the way. I have started the envelope cash system from Monday this week and left all my cards packed away at home. I've also deleted them from Amazon and Paypal. The temptation to online shop is always there, so i've stopped myself being able to do that now.

I think i've always lived to excess because i've only ever had to think about myself. I've always bought whatever I wanted which has led me to here with too much debt than I'd like (it's not out of control but too much to carry on spending), too much stuff cluttering up my house and i'm not joking you when I say I have ridiculous amounts of food in the house. For a family of four, let alone just me. It's embarrassing really. When I think about how silly it is to just keep buying all the time, it makes me angry that I've let it get this far.

I've just done a list of everything in my cupboards, i'll post it next. Prepare yourselves!

candygirl

Looks like you're already off to a fantastic start hun, and with our fantastic mse guru JACKIEO on board, you wont go far wrong

AGirlWrites

I'm so ashamed of this list to be honest with you, fortunately most things are not things that are going to go out of date soon. I'll be working my way through this for the next 6 months I should think. i'm going to check out the recipes linked in grocery challenge to use up a lot of the rice and grains, I get stuck for ideas.

CEREALS


Crunchy Nut Cornflakes
Fruit & Fibre
Cheerios
Oats So Simple - 21 Sachets
Pecan & Maple Crisp
Shreddies
Branflakes
Weetabix
Blueberry Wheats
Shredded Wheat
Big tub of Oats

RICE, PASTA, GRAINS, ETC…
Big Bag - Dried Chickpeas
2 x Smash
Big Bag - Basmati Rice
Big Bag - Fusilli Pasta
2 Packets - Spaghetti
1/2 Small Bag - Thai Jasmine Rice
1 Bag - Cous Cous
1 & 1/2 Bags - Brown Rice
1/2 Bag - Dried Egg Noodles
5 x Straight to Wok Noodles
1 Bag - Sushi Rice
1/2 Bag - Tagliatelle
Box of Lasagne Sheets
13 x Instant Noodles - In Pots
8 x Savoury Rice
4 x Flavoured Cous Cous
6 x Mugshots
3 (was 4) x Pasta N Sauce
3 x Boxes Mac N Cheese (from America)
8 x Supanoodles
4 x Kraft Instant Mac & Cheese
1 x Microwave Basmati Rice
Dried Clam Chowder Mix
Popcorn Kernels
1 & 1/2 Bags - Soup Mix (Lentils, barley, etc mixed)
1/2 Bag - Dried Black Beans
1/2 Bag - Dried Pinto Beans
1/2 Bag - Bulgar Wheat
1/2 Bag - Quinoa
1 Bag - Red Lentils


JARS & TINS
3 x Passata
2 x Small Spaghetti Hoops
1 x Custard
2 x Chick Peas
1 x Sweetcorn
1 x Chilli Beans
3 x Small Baked Beans
3 x Big Baked Beans
2 x Chickpea Dahl
1 x New Potatoes
2 x Sliced Mushrooms
1 x Mushy Peas
2 x Marrowfat Peas
16 x Chopped Tomatoes
12 x Peeled Tomatoes
1 x Condensed Mushroom Soup
2 x Black Bean Soup
2 x Chicken Noodle Soup
1 x Creamed Coconut
3 x Pesto
2 x Tuna Chunks in Brine
1 x Green Lentils
2 x Pureed Pumpkin
1 x Bolognese Sauce
1 x Black Bean Sauce
1 x Sundried Tomatoes
1 x Sundried Tomato Paste
1 x Roasted Red Peppers


PACKET MIXES
Old El Paso Pepper Casserole
Chicken in White Wine
Coq au Vin
Pork Casserole
Chicken Casserole
Chicken, Bacon & Potato Pie
Lamb Gravy
4 x Parsley Sauce
2 x Cook in the Bag Mixed Herbs Chicken
Chilli Con Carne
Beef Brisket - Slow Cooker
Moroccan Tagine - Slow Cooker
Chinese Marinade
Lemon & Herb Marinade
Chinese Curry Sauce Mix
Fajita Mix

**These are ones I pick up a couple of sachets each time I visit family in America.
3 x Taco Mix
2 x Slow Cooker Italian Chicken
2 x Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
3 x Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
12 x Chilli - 12
7 x Marinades
6 x Ranch Dressing

OTHER CUPBOARD ITEMS
2 x Bisto
1 x Chicken Bisto
1 x Marmalade
1 Bag - Walnut Pieces
1 Bag - Pine Nuts
Big Bag - Almonds
1 Bag - Desiccated Coconut
5 x Mini Raisin Boxes
Thousand Island Dressing
Chocshot Coconut
Squeezy Honey
Skippy Smooth Peanut Butter
Maple Syrup
Chilli Jam
Yogurt Mint Dressing
Vanilla Coffee Syrup
Oat Milk - Long Life
2 x Marmite
Jar of Salsa
[STRIKE]Sachet - Almond Butter[/STRIKE]
Large Tub - Almond Butter
Large Jar - Coconut Oil
16 x Sugar Free Jelly Sachets
2 x Mango Stick Rice Kits - Bought home from Thailand
1 x Paul Hollywood’s Part Baked Rolls
1 & 1/2 Packs Ryvita

SNACKS
Box of Ice Pops
Tub Sweets from Christmas
2 Boxes - Booja Booja Truffles
23 Packets Crisps
36 Items in Snack Bin - Penguins, Cereal Bars, etc…
8 Flumps
1 x Custard Creams
1 x Rich Tea
A Full Biscuit Tin
3 Boxes - Cereal Bars Unopened
17 Bags Popcorn (crisps size)
3 Boxes - Fibre One Bars
1/2 Pack - Caramel Snack A Jacks

I also have a fully stocked baking cupboard with flours, sugars, extracts, colours, icings, yeast, dried fruit, chocolate, jams, syrups, cocoa, etc…

My condiment cupboard has every herb, spice, oil, vinegar or sauce you can think of. So I can pretty much make any recipe I see, I usually have all the ingredients except for the fresh bits.

I really do like to cook and I love to bake. So i'm not afraid of cooking or anything, I just have eyes for too many things at once. Or i'll buy 9,000 ingredients for a recipe, then eat out with friends or something and not make it.

I still have the fridge and freezer to go through, but i'll save that for another night. :o:o

AGirlWrites

Thank you candygirl

pinkypig

Good for you, you sound truly determined.
I too am lucky enough to have a reasonably well paid job but there never seemed to be much left at the end of the month. My motivation is to help the kids through uni, save enough for my retirement and to live a little!
I came to the conclusion a little while ago that 'stuff' just doesn't bring me happiness but doing new things does so when I get paid I put a fixed amount into three 'pots'. Uni fund, FSAVC to boost pension and
Emergency fund. Anything that is left goes into my favourite - the living life pot which I'll use for holidays, weekend breaks and just trying new stuff. The less I waste, the more I have to put in there, its a great incentive. I'm planning a walking holiday abroad. I initially thought it would have be next year but I think I could manage it this year if I keep going as I am.
It's really quite exciting to have things to look forward to, much better than a pile of stuff you don't use or wear. I'm a proper convert :j