Cheery's country living adventure 11 March 2018 at 8:28AM in Mortgage-Free Wannabe 5.2K replies 341.9K views

Cheery_Daff

😂😂😂 Cath 😂😂 At least you could have pretended you were doing them a favour I suppose! 😂

EssexHebridean

Oh that’s hilarious with the trolley - although to a degree maybe serves her right for taking SO much reduced stuff?! 😂😂

Cheery_Daff

I did console myself with that thought - although there was a giant pile of it further round so I think she barely made a dent in it 🙄 

Baileys_Babe

Sorry to hear about Mr C's test result, I hope you remain clear of infection.

The orange incident 😂

Wishing you both a relaxing and joyful Christmas 🎄

Cheery_Daff

Thank you BB 😊

Hope you are all having a peaceful festive day 😊 I have, thankfully, tested negative - long may it continue! 

Having a nice quiet breakfast now and doing a bit of ringing round family.

rtandon27

Hello Cheery - glad to hear you've tested negative!

Sending you both season's greetings & best wishes for a happy and healthy 2022.

xxx RT & OH

Cheery_Daff

Thanks RT, hope you've had a good day today

Well, as is often the case on Christmas day afternoon, my thoughts turn to plotting and scheming for next year, and right now I'm thinking about money.

Our accounts are looking woefully depleted after the kitchen spending extravaganza, and I'd like to turn my attention to filling them back up again! Obviously I'll be taking a two-pronged approach: cutting back on spending, and bringing in some more dosh. 

Cutting back
This is a bit of a stretch goal, but I'd like to save £600 a month from normal income. This is roughly 20% of our income. We've not been saving ANYTHING since I dropped to 4 days, so this will be a challenge, but now the main fiasco of the kitchen is over, I'm hopeful we can get back to some good habits. Mr Cheery's pension is paid on 31st, and I'm going to put £600 aside straight away and see if we can keep it aside for the whole month. 

Some plans to do this throughout uber frugal January (which might turn into uber frugal 2022...):

* cook from scratch, and batch cook to freeze
* eat some of the stockpile!
* use supermarket vouchers from covid study
* use Christmas vouchers for cafe trips, and don't spend any more than that
* no buying books, clothes or stationery for me!

Bringing in more
I'm not upping my hours at work again! So extra income will be coming from all the classic MSE things, starting with: 

* MB for both me and Mr Cheery
* Prolific

I'd LOVE to make an extra £400 a month, but not sure how realistic that is. £200 would do as a start! 

Not sure about other survey sites etc - we've got into such spendy habits that cutting back will make far more of a difference than trying to bring in £5 here and there at the minute, and I have other goals for the year as well. 

I know I'm not saying anything I've not already said, just trying to cement things in my head a bit more! Back with more ponderings in a bit... 

starnac

Oh Cheery  at the oranges!! 

Cheery_Daff

Afternoon all - I've decided now is the time for a shiny new MFW diary

Do feel free to come over and join me! 

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6322077/simple-living-in-the-country-back-to-basics#latest