We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum... Read More »
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
Cheery's country living adventure
Comments
-
UFM Day 8
Evening MSE chums, it's time for UFM Day 8!
Today's topic is about getting your partner on board with your frugal activities, so let's have a big HOORAY for Mr Cheery, who is in many ways FAR more frugal than me :money:
We often joke that between us we have all the traits of one perfect person :rotfl: I am organised and happy to be in control of the finances, can deal with annoying bureaucracy and keep track of things - all of which are not his strong points.
He can go weeks without spending anything on himself, and has been known to walk out of a shop without the thing he went in for because it cost 10p more than he was expecting and he'd rather go without.
(I am not that person)
So between us we manage just fineAs I said the other day, we've actually never both had a full time job at the same time, but he worked in an office for 20 odd years (mostly 4 days a week, sensible man), and now I'm doing the same (although full time, less sensible woman but in my defence my job is more interesting than his was).
So no need for any heartfelt money-related conversations round here. We are heading for the same things, he trusts me completely to keep track, and I keep him informed of key developments and keep all the relevant information handy and well organised should he ever need to use it.
:j
In other UFM news, I had an email from the P0st 0ffice today, informing me my new account was open but that I hadn't transferred any money in, and if I didn't do so within the next 4 weeks they would close it again.
I would love to transfer some money in! But this is the first I've heard about them approving my account, and I've received no details (account number, how to pay in etc). Assume all that will arrive shortly, but it would have been useful if it had arrived before the vaguely threatening email :rotfl:
Right, I am worn out tonight and tomorrow is my first trip back to the big city since before Christmas (car is going for an MOT and I am going for a filling at the dentist - wish us both luck!)
0 -
Ooh, I forgot! I paid the change and old tenner into the bank today :j :j Couldn't pay it all in as I was at a tiny sub PO and his coin safe was about the size of a cereal box and couldn't fit all my bags of 1ps :rotfl: :rotfl: but £29 paid into the mortgage OP account and sig updated - £49 ain't bad by 8th Jan! :T0
-
Evening chums :hello:
A very NON MSE day here :eek:
First of all, car to the garage for MOT and a look over the brakes... Going to end up costing about £350 including the test - which they didn't have time to send it for today after doing the work so I'll have to bring it back next week. Sigh.
Then I went to the dentist to replace my filling - except it wasn't the filling that had fallen out, it was more of the tooth :eek: £59 today and I'll likely need a crown at some point.
Met a friend for a cuppa in waitrose but couldn't get my free tea as my face was still numb so I couldn't drink ithad a kids chocolate milkshake instead
Went to the office - someone had made cake... Free, but not exactly on the slimming world plan
Had to buy an all day bus ticket to run about grabbing the stupid car.
And I slept really badly and an atarting to get a cold. Oh dear!! It's been such a productive week so far too :rotfl: :rotfl: working at home the next few days fortunately!
On the way to collect car now then off to a friend's house for tea - we're having baked potatoes - which sadly I'm having to carry on the bus along with a load of other stuff :rotfl:
Will try to post UFM but might have reached the garage before I do it - if not it'll be this evening0 -
You sound like you're run off your feet! And numb. And ill. Take care of you, enjoy those nice hot baked tatties2023: the year I get to buy a car0
-
:rotfl:Car MOT and dentist, not a great combination for avoiding expensive outings!
I had to trade my car in a few months ago and spend on a new (used) one because the repairs on it were getting mad. It was in such a bad state that I paid £400 to make it run, so that I could drive it in as part exchange for which they gave £500. I was so worried that the garage salesman was going to try to start it and go for a drive in it and it wouldn't budge. Bad car memories.
Similarly to you Cheery, dentist tomorrow for a tooth repair/possible crown.:eek:0 -
I hate teeth! And cars!
:rotfl: :rotfl:
Home safe now :j Sadly Mr Cheery left at 11am this morning and turned the heating right down to 10 degrees (I would have done the same, although perhaps stopped at 12 :rotfl: ) so it's bloody freezing, but I'm sure it'll warm up soon enough... Good excuse for hot water bottle and cosy dressing gown anyway!
I have rather been running across town and back today yes! Quite ludicrous really, ended up driving across town in rush hour, took me 45 mins to do about 2 miles :eek: I'd quite forgotten about city rush hour drivingand ended up missing the window of opportunity for baked potatoes so we had oven chips instead
And I was still late to this evening's meeting!
Ah well, definitely got the start of a cold nowThink I'm going to volunteer to sleep on the sofa bed - I slept really badly last night and kept waking Mr Cheery up, and I need a night when I can just toss and turn and fidget to get comfortable without thinking of anyone else
Anyway, a quick UFM reflection as I wind down after the drive home...0 -
UFM Day 9
So - day 9 already! :j (and still no sign of the savings account login details :rotfl: )
Today's musings are all about how frugality gives us options.
And I can vouch for that :money:
I didn't have much money growing up, and neither did Mr Cheery - and as a result we have rather frugal habits and cheap tastes:rotfl: He was working 4 days a week when we met, and I was studying (and working a couple of days a week alongside). After a few years, his job got rather too annoying, and because of our frugal natures (he'd saved a bit, and we knew we'd manage) he was able to quit work
:j
Interestingly, rather a lot of people said 'I could never quit, I've only got £xx in savings!' (always a number 3,4, or even 5 times as much as we had :eek: Poor trapped people
He's still self employed and does some work - but is also often available in the day to go tearing off chasing Freegle treasures and doing DIYSaved us a fortune over the years, and of course much better to have him cheerful! :j
When I finally finished studying and got a full time job, we were coming to the end of the old mortgage. I LOVED being able to throw a large chunk of my wages into a savings account each month - LOVED it. Of course, we spent a lot of that on moving house... and one of the reasons I was reluctant to take on such a giant mortgage (and am so keen to pay it off early) is because I feel I don't have so many options with it hanging round my neck.
(on the other hand, this new house gives us SO many more options for making things and having a go at things than the old one did so it's swings and roundabouts)
So yes, frugality does indeed give us options! :j
0 -
Definitely with you on this one Cheery. I was able to retire (very early) from work and it makes so much difference to our lives. Mr F works hard and is away from home a lot. But I can be here looking after FDawg, keeping on top of domestic stuff and making sure we have some sort of social life and fun.
We are in a very similar situation to yours having bought our rural dream home last year. Lots of work to be done on maintenance and improvement but it allows us to have the lifestyle we want.
Looking forward to hearing more of your 2019 adventures.
Fortune xhttps://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6623005/happy-days-in-our-golden-years/p1?new=1
Working at Living0 -
I couldn't agree more Cheery.
We started off our marriage quite poor so we had no choice but to be frugal, but as the years have gone on we have self imposed frugality by putting quite a bit of tension on the finances. This was because we bought houses at the top end of our budget and then built our own house. We are now committing to a high level of savings as we approach retirement
This frugalish lifestyle has definitely given us choices - we could jump out of the rat race at any time by downsizing but as we are happily working at the moment we choose to travel. I also have the choice of retiring from my 56th Birthday.
Other people's reactions to this are quite interesting. They range from the "why are you being so tight - you only live once" to " how many holidays are you having ?" And " you are so lucky to have this lovely house" Honestly the word lucky makes me cross...we didn't win the house in a raffle :mad: I would accept that we are fortunate, and we have our health and ability to work, but we make very consious decisions about where we spend our money.
Gosh sorry that turned a bit grumpy on your cheerful diary :rotfl:
Anyway loving your UFM musings and hope you have a nice Cheery day0 -
This frugalish lifestyle has definitely given us choices - we could jump out of the rat race at any time by downsizing but as we are happily working at the moment we choose to travel. I also have the choice of retiring from my 56th Birthday.Other people's reactions to this are quite interesting. They range from the "why are you being so tight - you only live once" to " how many holidays are you having ?" And " you are so lucky to have this lovely house" Honestly the word lucky makes me cross...we didn't win the house in a raffle :mad:
"the harder I work, the luckier I get
Childhood influences are interesting - my sister and I have very different attitudes to things, maybe because there was a lot more poverty around before her birth; my mum, brother and I ended up living at her parents for a good long while. Nowadays, I just don't care about brands, for instance, as opposed to quality, but she cares a great deal: she got quite cross with me the other day because I referred to my Hobbs dress (Hobbs is posh) as "the black/white/grey one with circles on" rather than "the Hobbs dress". I didn't dare say anything :cool: :rotfl:2023: the year I get to buy a car0
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

Categories
- All Categories
- 351.3K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.2K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 453.8K Spending & Discounts
- 244.3K Work, Benefits & Business
- 599.5K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 177.1K Life & Family
- 257.8K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.2K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.6K Read-Only Boards