New Year, New Plans and Hopes

[Deleted User]

BigJenny I use cash only and found I spend less that way I have two purses a small one with the food money in and a slightly larger one with loyalty cards, bus pss etc and my 'Happy Cash Stash ' which is my 'treat money and used for treats and little things I may fancy .My food only purse is what i use for taking with me when shopping I put a set amount in there for the month and that way I know that I only have that to spend so will adjust my menu's and food buying accordingly,I think we are a similar generation although I left school in 1957. I have a credit card that I buy big things on, or my petrol once a month to top the tank up.But I always pay it off straight away. keeping an eye on the pennies in my purse means I am careful not to have impulse buys.At the moment my little purse is intact as I have not yet been to the shops for any food this month I am using my freezer stuff up as much as possible first

YorksLass

Mrs_Salad_Dodger wrote: »

“START & FINISH ONE TASK AT A TIME”Mrs SD:)

After a lifetime of multi-tasking, this is a hard habit to break! :rotfl:

nannywindow wrote: »

Does anyone do their food shopping in cash only ?

I used to use my debit card but have changed back to cash only as I found it was all too easy to over-spend or impulse buy with the card. Plus it fits in with my new mantra of "spend as little of the budget as possible". :) I use a credit card when I have a large online order for delivery (extra loyalty points) but always transfer the money from my current account to the credit card account within a couple of days.

My tips would be:
Having inventories of freezer/cupboards (makes you realise just how much stuff you could use instead of shopping for yet more)
Meal planning from existing stocks before shopping
Try to use substitutes when you've run out of something
Keep a shopping list of what you're running short of
Don't shop until you've got a few items on the list
Stick to the list

eandjsmum

[eandjsmum - I so admire you. I have tried swimming lessons twice, albeit when I was schools (many many moons ago) but my fear of water and I think having a nasty p.e. teacher, has seen me never venture into a pool again.

I did it I went swimming although I think the teacher will have to be patient with me. I would love to swim properly and that means swimming lengths in deep water.
When I was much younger I nearly drowned and I have been terrified of water since. I think its way past time I tackled this phobia.

nannywindow

I have done both freezers and upstairs food cupboard, only the downstairs food cupboards to go :rotfl:. Did I mention I'm a food hoarder and is there a meeting or something that I could go to for that . I shall put the lists on my laptop this weekend and workout what I need for this month. No more tinned toms, UHT milk or passata needed for sure.
Thank you for your comments about cash only food buying, I think I shall try it. Have to get DH on board first, he's pretty easy going but I need all the support I can get!

[Deleted User]

[QUOTE I did it I went swimming although I think the teacher will have to be patient with me. I would love to swim properly and that means swimming lengths in deep water.
When I was much younger I nearly drowned and I have been terrified of water since. I think its way past time I tackled this phobia.[/QUOTE]

Well done for having a go I learnt to swim when in my late 50s as a challenge I had set myself,It took me a lot longer than when I was a child I think My late Dad used to make us all go into the sea when we were on holiday up in Scotland, and believe me nothing terrified me more than a freezing cold north sea of the coast of Montrose as a little girl.He was of the school 'It will do you good' and he was quite a tough wee scot who thought that fear was something you had to conquer He had been taught the same way and thought it was how children learned !!! I had hated the water for years ,yet longed to do it properly .I signed up at my local baths and our instructor was a lovely kind lady who took her time with everyone The majority of the class were over 50 anyway so we were all in the same boat so to speak.Eventually I learned and to this day I still enjoy the baths ,but no way would you get me into the sea again its also very good for my arthritic joints and I always feel better after a swim I can actually swim a lot better than I can walk great excercise and once you have the basics its practice really Good luck and by this time next year you will have your water wings hopefully, but a day at a time and do it slowly and it will come .All of my grandchildren swim like fishes but they learned at an early age at school When I was at school back in the late 1940s-50s there were few lessons around at all.

I am slowly digging things out of the freezer ,some of which I forgot I even had but they are being eaten at least :)

Ginmonster

nannywindow wrote: »

Did I mention I'm a food hoarder and is there a meeting or something that I could go to for that

You'd better sign me up for that meeting too. I reckon I could survive 6 months without leaving the house (although my 5 year old would whinge me to death on about day 5 when we ran out of bananas!).

My goal is to make an inventory and then a detailed plan for using it all up. I'll start this in Feb as I'm getting made redundant at the end of this month and will have some free time. Thankfully I've been at my work a long time so I've got enough of a financial cushion to take a few months finding the right new job (and do some decluttering in the meantime).

CurlyTop

eandjsmum wrote: »

I did it I went swimming although I think the teacher will have to be patient with me. I would love to swim properly and that means swimming lengths in deep water.
When I was much younger I nearly drowned and I have been terrified of water since. I think its way past time I tackled this phobia.

The same thing happened to me when I was much younger. Down a waterslide thing, over the top of two adults that were stood one behind the other to catch me, and I went to the bottom. Still as clear as it ever was.

Well done on taking the first step.

nannywindow

I took swimming lessons at 27 and still swim like a brick, as I panic when I'm out of my depth. For some reason I cannot, for the life of me, float and can still only do the breaststroke, badly.

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

nannywindow wrote: »

I took swimming lessons at 27 and still swim like a brick, as I panic when I'm out of my depth. For some reason I cannot, for the life of me, float and can still only do the breaststroke, badly.

When I was about 10, my dad used to take the whole family fishing - mum, me, younger brother 8 & sister 4. This particular day dad was in the woods (comfort break) when my sister either fell in the river or saw something & jumped in (details a bit hazy as nearly 50 years ago!). However what is not hazy is that all any of us could do was scream for dad as not one of us could swim. He came charging out of the woods, dived in & rescued my baby sis. Fortunately she thought it was a game and was none the worse for wear! Dad was our hero.!
Anyway the upshot was mum bought me a monthly pass to the local Baths but couldn’t afford to pay for an instructor so I copied what the other kids were being taught by an instructor (no flies on me:rotfl:) I became quite a good swimmer - represented school & club but was too lazy to train hard enough to get any further!
Also learnt to life save but thankfully the situation never arose to use the skills learnt. Now with the extra weight I am carrying I am so buoyant that it is quite difficult to swim! however I can float for hours! My mother learnt to swim in her late 50’s & DB & DSis both learnt at school.
My DH can just about swim, but like you he swims like a brick - he has absolutely no buoyancy!

The thing is as long as you can swim, however badly, you are still better off than a non swimmer!

Sorry to have blathered on!

Mrs SD:)

Lynplatinum

Evening All

I am gonna join this one - if that's Ok . Have got as far as pg 2 and have resolved to go to bed by 11 so need to get a shift on! :rotfl:

suki1964 - one of the things I want to fulfill this year is to actually join the clubs I said I would when I moved here 18 months ago (had broken arm; family issues that got in the way) Might these be a help to you too?? Give you something to do in the long evenings? So (just what I am gonna join - you might have different interests - I know Jackie O goes to several clubs):

1) Yoga - i already go to this (even with broken arm) but my attendance has been irregular and want to make it more regular

2) Film club in the town (not held in or near a pub) - some v interesting and unusual films + discussion and tea and biccys apparently (will let you know how it goes). Once a month.

3) U3A group which meets at the library once a month

4) Swimming at a holiday camp with someone who I have got to know once a week. holiday camp lets locals in for cheap all year round - the Council one I would like to use is v expensive and you have to pay to park

Four will do - along with my 30 items to declutter every month i.e. 30 items in 30 days!

Lets see how we do folks and lets encourage each other :A
Nite all