Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally

HairyHandofDartmoor

carbootcrazy wrote: »

I'm glad your walk did you good, it sounds the perfect way to start the day:j.


Great to hear DS1 may be in line for the help he may need to enable him to have a more successful life:j. Let's hope he isn't waiting years for a referral.


There seem to be lots of people with colds and all sorts of lurgies at the moment. I was at the Doc's this morning for a blood test and the waiting room was full of people coughing and sneezing, most of them without covering their mouths:eek:. It's not healthy is it, going to the Doctor's?:rotfl:. I hope you manage to avoid DS1's lurgy especially as you were so ill with the flu so recently.


Our local newspaper does a sort of statistics page every day. I've always been a bit of a stat geek but don't always understand statistical analysis in some of the highbrow papers:o. Not that I read them very often. I love these in our local paper though, they cover a different topic each day and the writing is really interesting:T. Today they were covering changes in family size amongst other things and I was surprised to read that, according to Money Supermarket, it costs more than £79,000 to raise a boy and more than £108,000 to raise a girl to 18. The price difference puzzled me, it seems such a big difference:eek:

Thank you Carboot. I'm sure it can't have cost that much to raise ours! DS1 should have to wait a few months for his assessment. A walk is a good start to the day, but I was in all day after that which I didn't like.

Cumbria_lass wrote: »

Have caught up with you HHOD , you seem to be keeping busy which is best at the minute. The meal you had with relatives sounded lovely. Like you I have been going to my parents for Sunday breakfast for the past 10 years or so, I will miss it when they are passed away. You have to make new memories to share with your DS as you did with your mum.

Will try the boiling water tip on the weeds at my front door. Glad the late payers finally came through. I hope you get to Pilates next week.

Thank you Cumbria. You're right we do need to make new memories. It's hard because it's such early days. But keeping busy and going out as much as possible are a good distraction.

System

Yes very early days I agree , just something to work towards and somehow including your mums memory in it as well.

I also hope DS1 gets a referral soon.

Eager_Elephant

carbootcrazy wrote: »

Today they were covering changes in family size amongst other things and I was surprised to read that, according to Money Supermarket, it costs more than £79,000 to raise a boy and more than £108,000 to raise a girl to 18. The price difference puzzled me, it seems such a big difference:eek:

I have to agree with this, I have a boy and girl, my son is now 21 and has barely cost me anything, he is not into fashion, he's quite happy with his xbox and laptop chatting to his mates etc. Does eat me out of house and home but thats a small price to pay.
My daughter is 15 and costs me a fortune, its all the make up and clothes that push it higher than boys - honestly I spend my whole time in Superdrug and Boots buying more and more make up:rotfl: And then for fun she likes clothes shopping, I cant think of anything worse!!!

[Deleted User]

Eager_Elephant wrote: »

I have to agree with this, I have a boy and girl, my son is now 21 and has barely cost me anything, he is not into fashion, he's quite happy with his xbox and laptop chatting to his mates etc. Does eat me out of house and home but thats a small price to pay.
My daughter is 15 and costs me a fortune, its all the make up and clothes that push it higher than boys - honestly I spend my whole time in Superdrug and Boots buying more and more make up:rotfl: And then for fun she likes clothes shopping, I cant think of anything worse!!!

Thanks, I understand it bit more now:T. Poor you, your daughter is still only 15 so plenty of spending will be needed before she's 18:eek:


I suppose I'm old fashioned:o and never having had any children of my own to bring up I'm harking back to my own experiences. Back in my teenage years I was still at school until 18 and certainly didn't wear make up except for special 'going out' occasions which were very few and far between. I lived so far from school in a rural location and after the massive amount of homework (when I eventually got home from school every day and had had my evening meal) and some sports activities at weekends I didn't have much time for a social life that needed nice clothes:(. A bit of lipstick and eye shadow was about the extent of my make-up routine and the same ones lasted for ages. I even remember using a brush to get the last bit of lipstick out of the case when it was too worn down to show above the rim:rotfl


As for clothes, back in the late 50s and early 60s we didn't have many outfits but, not having the varied social life that modern girls enjoy, there was no need for a whole range of clothes:(.. My Mum used to make a lot of my clothes, either sewn or knitted but I never minded as all my friends wore home-made clothes too and my Mum was a very talented knitter and dressmaker:j. When I was about 16, like several friends, I started making my own clothes and developed a bit more style. I never spent much on fabric though and loved nothing more than visiting the weekly outdoor market and finding unusual fabric remnants:j. I bet my Mum spent barely anything on clothing me and we had pocket money anyway (not very much as I recall:() which I used for my scanty make-up and sewing materials. I never felt deprived in any way though, all my friends were in the same boat. There weren't shops catering specifically for 'teenagers' in my day, we were just mini versions of our mothers pretty much even up to when I left home for University:eek:

in_need_of_direction

I had a boy and a girl. I'm not sure which cost more. However, my son was very sporty and participated in more than one activity. In his teenage years his feet were growing rapidly and I can remember despairing at the cost of his various types of footwear as each sport seemed to need its own shoes.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Eager_Elephant wrote: »

I have to agree with this, I have a boy and girl, my son is now 21 and has barely cost me anything, he is not into fashion, he's quite happy with his xbox and laptop chatting to his mates etc. Does eat me out of house and home but thats a small price to pay.
My daughter is 15 and costs me a fortune, its all the make up and clothes that push it higher than boys - honestly I spend my whole time in Superdrug and Boots buying more and more make up:rotfl: And then for fun she likes clothes shopping, I cant think of anything worse!!!

in_need_of_direction wrote: »

I had a boy and a girl. I'm not sure which cost more. However, my son was very sporty and participated in more than one activity. In his teenage years his feet were growing rapidly and I can remember despairing at the cost of his various types of footwear as each sport seemed to need its own shoes.

I think it can vary from child to child. My nieces were into fashion and make up, but all worked hard at part time jobs around school and uni which paid for most of it I think, as their dad had plenty of money but didn't see why he should spend it on that type of thing.

My boys were into very expensive Playstation and Xbox games (£30 for a new game and nowadays £50 for a new game). They needed two sets of school PE kit when girls only needed one set. They were into martial arts which was expensive because of the uniform, belts, licenses etc. Their feet never stopped growing, and neither did their legs or appetites!

HairyHandofDartmoor

carbootcrazy wrote: »

Thanks, I understand it bit more now:T. Poor you, your daughter is still only 15 so plenty of spending will be needed before she's 18:eek:


I suppose I'm old fashioned:o and never having had any children of my own to bring up I'm harking back to my own experiences. Back in my teenage years I was still at school until 18 and certainly didn't wear make up except for special 'going out' occasions which were very few and far between. I lived so far from school in a rural location and after the massive amount of homework (when I eventually got home from school every day and had had my evening meal) and some sports activities at weekends I didn't have much time for a social life that needed nice clothes:(. A bit of lipstick and eye shadow was about the extent of my make-up routine and the same ones lasted for ages. I even remember using a brush to get the last bit of lipstick out of the case when it was too worn down to show above the rim:rotfl


As for clothes, back in the late 50s and early 60s we didn't have many outfits but, not having the varied social life that modern girls enjoy, there was no need for a whole range of clothes:(.. My Mum used to make a lot of my clothes, either sewn or knitted but I never minded as all my friends wore home-made clothes too and my Mum was a very talented knitter and dressmaker:j. When I was about 16, like several friends, I started making my own clothes and developed a bit more style. I never spent much on fabric though and loved nothing more than visiting the weekly outdoor market and finding unusual fabric remnants:j. I bet my Mum spent barely anything on clothing me and we had pocket money anyway (not very much as I recall:() which I used for my scanty make-up and sewing materials. I never felt deprived in any way though, all my friends were in the same boat. There weren't shops catering specifically for 'teenagers' in my day, we were just mini versions of our mothers pretty much even up to when I left home for University:eek:

My mum used to make all her own dresses when she was young, as well as curtains, tablecloths etc. She was very good at sewing and it was cheaper. She used to make lovely summer dresses for me and my sisters too when we were children.

I grew up in the 60s and 70s and I never wore make up until I was sixteen, and then only if I was going out for the evening. When I was eighteen I started wearing mascara every day as I have pale eyelashes, and added a bit of eyeshadow and lip gloss when I went out for a date. But that was the extent of my make up routine, and it still is apart from the addition of face powder to stop me looking shiny. I can't afford to spend much on makeup now or then. Plus I don't really understand makeup .

As for fashion, my mum bought me clothes when I grew out of them or they started to look shabby, but I never felt fashionable. When I was sixteen and got a Saturday job I spent all my wages on clothes and accessories.

I don't feel as though I can have cost my parents over a hundred thousand pounds :eek:.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Does anyone know where I can buy a cheap but good mini ironing board for ironing sleeves, fiddly bits etc? Mine just broke when I was ironing DH's shirt for his meeting and I'm going to be lost without it .

System

£6.00 in Wilko if you have them in your part of the uk .

HairyHandofDartmoor

Thanks Cumbria I'll look there.