A Simpler Life 2018

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dietdemon wrote: »

I currently work full time with 3 hour commute each day. I need to be able to free up time and lower my outgoing so I can work fewer hours.

Have already picked up some great tips on here but grateful for more. Anyone in similar situation? I have also recently moved so DH and I also renovating house.

A 3 hour commute :eek: Did you move to be closer to your DH's work?
I'm the lucky one here in that I can walk to work and DH commutes. It means that I have no car but very strong legs :rotfl:
Are you able to work remotely at all dietdemon?

RicardaRacoon wrote: »

This birthday party though... My friend told me a while ago that she was looking for a venue for the 1. Birthday of her son as her flat is too small for too many visitors. Since she can't get more than 10 people in comfortably I expected something along the line of 20 people max. Well, it was rather 40 to 45 and some of them ran under "neigbours of her parents" and "parents of a friend"
So the whole business was ways overscaled for my liking - although I have to say that I enjoyed a good natter with some friends - and the presents the little man got could keep a whole nursery going for quite a while. And soooo much plastic...

That party sounds a bit crazy Racoon, I'm glad you got to enjoy a chatter Kids do mean lots of plastic though, especially when young. Even if you specifically ask for wooden items they buy plastic ...:mad:

I'm currently on the look out for loose decaf tea, just a little amount, to try. In the past all the tea 'holders' I've tried get leaves stuck in the holes and I am at a stage where convenience trumps everything else.

DD starts school in September :j and I plan to use my two 6hr days to good use.

Viking_mfw

I can't remember exactly but my best bet is that it was on this thread that someone recommended the minimalism documentary on Netflix. If so, thank you - really enjoyed it this evening and it's got me thinking!

[Deleted User]

Save_Dosh wrote: »

My lodger got a free month trial of Netflicks and gave me the password, bless - I think we might need to keep it. Yesterday watched 'The True Cost' & 'The Minimalists'.

Viking_mfw wrote: »

I can't remember exactly but my best bet is that it was on this thread that someone recommended the minimalism documentary on Netflix. If so, thank you - really enjoyed it this evening and it's got me thinking!

That was me. It does get you thinking. Glad you enjoyed it.

ani*fan

I'm about to 'minimise' facebook too. I've just been through my friends list to check I have up to date contact details of everyone I want to be in touch with, only one to check and then I'm closing the account.

It's making me sweat just thinking about it. :eek:

patentgirl

Lots of good advice on here still plodding on here have managed to decline 2 invitations already this month which feel very pleased with myself as before we would have ended up going then £30-£40 later saying that wasn't worth it !
Think someone else mentioned Rhona on Down to earth blog if anyone hasn't seen it before she has a very good January post about simplifying too.
Trying to sort out what we are growing this year have been discussing with DH changing our garden to make easier and put in more raised beds while we both still fit and able we had been talking about moving nearer the town currently only about 1.5 miles away so walkable and on bus route at the end of day why when we happy mortgage free at the moment think we have decided to simplify our home and garden instead preparing for retirement few years ahead.

dolly84

RicardoRacoon - that party sounds a bit mad. My DH (12) was recently invited to a friends birthday party, it is a new friend that he has made since moving up to secondary school in September and the party was at the boys house with about 4 other children, on the invite they had put 'No presents please just your presence' this was a first for me. We took it quite literally as they had made a point of putting it there and just took a card but one of the other party guests put £40 in their card:eek:.

Cottage_Economy

I don't know if anyone has felt this, but I occasionally struggle between simple living and frugality. I've found one sometimes conflicts with the other. My frugal gene stops me spending money yet sometimes I need to spend money to go with the simplest and most stress-free option. Years ago I got Janet Luhrs Simple Living book and remember that being discussed in there (I also have a load of her newsletters somewhere on a disc).

My DH is going abroad for a car meet this year. He goes by the ferry and sleeps on a seat in the lounge, then has a terrible long drive up North from Portsmouth when he gets off. He looks like death warmed up when he gets back and it takes him days to bounce back. This year, mainly due to this thread, we've paid extra and booked him an overnight berth so he can sleep in a bed and will be refreshed in the morning for the long drive.

The old very frugal us would never have done this. He would have soldiered on sleeping upright on a seat to save money.

SimpleLiving

Cottage_Economy wrote: »

I don't know if anyone has felt this, but I occasionally struggle between simple living and frugality. I've found one sometimes conflicts with the other.

Yes exactly! At the moment I am decluttering the kitchen. In a couple of weeks we are having a new kitchen installed:eek: It will be much simpler than the current one. Fewer wall cupboards and a much simpler layout. Obviously this is not a frugal option (lots of old wiring, pipes to be sorted etc) but the old units are falling to bits and the result is that I hate the kitchen and hate being in it! But once it is done I will have a much simpler kitchen and one that will not be a cause of stress!
I have a big pile of stuff for the charity shop.....
Simple living does not automatically mean frugal, a lot of the time it does though

Wednesday2000

SimpleLiving wrote: »

Simple living does not automatically mean frugal, a lot of the time it does though

Yes, simple living could mean frugality or it could mean buying one quality item and it lasting longer than if you have to keep buying cheap items.:)

Cottage_Economy

Wednesday2000 wrote: »

Yes, simple living could mean frugality or it could mean buying one quality item and it lasting longer than if you have to keep buying cheap items.:)

Over the last year I've started replacing things that are worn out with better quality items but I find it really tough! I was brought up on charity shops and car boot sales, but I'm changing my mindset on these. I see my father in his mid-70s surrounded by so many possessions after a life-time of car boots, jumble sales and charity shops there are only small pathways into some of his rooms. He's obsessed with finding the next bargain.

My biggest problem at the moment (besides the 104 books to read) is paper. I'm going to have to drastically reduce the amount of paper coming into the house and being kept.