Champagne Lifestyle on a Lemonade Budget.

moneyistooshorttomention

Wonders whether "champagne moment" should be taking out Amazon Prime membership - basically in order to get access to "free" films to watch. Umpteen tv channels and one can spend an entire day with not one single thing to watch (by the time you're not interested in these things on the one hand or so many of the programmes are repeats these days on the other hand).

Is it worth it?

I gather Amazon films work out that little bit better deal than Netflix.

Does anyone use Amazon films and, if so, what do you think of the service and are all the films free (or would you find yourself having to pay for a noticeable number of them)?

lessonlearned

Caronc......that sounds brilliant. Now you know exactly where your money is going. Great idea.

I have restarted a spending diary. It really helps me focus. I am also going to do a proper monthly reconciliation so I can monitor the various categories of spending.

I need to pay my credit card bill this week but it's not too bad. The only unknown for January is the cars MOT everything else is taken care of.

Anyway off out to lunch later.

Keep those (affordable) champagne moments coming.....

lessonlearned

I've got Amazon Prime. I like it. I do shop quite a bit online too and enjoy free delivery on stuff. Its also good if you have a kindle.

But I also piggy back off a system my son has set up. Forget what it's called - I call it the magic box. Similar to Netflix but not. :rotfl:

I think there are several systems out there, all pretty much the same I think but if you like films and/or watching box sets of tv programmes then definitely worth it.

v1ckyt

Hello folks, Popping my head up from lurking to say hi.

I love this thread and the premise behind it. We are still working, mid forties, but husband has a chronic condition so is likely to need to retire earlier than state pension age, although goodness only knows what that will be by the time I get there. So we are, whilst trying to pay off some biggish bills, trying to have the best life we can, with as many champagne moments on a budget as possible, in case as his health deteriorates, our lives become more restricted. We have a caravan, bought last year, and are lucky to live in a beautiful part of the south west, so we can go camping ten minutes from home and feel like we are a million miles away.

Champagne moments this year so far are a lovely walk on the beach followed by ice creams on New Years Day, and sitting in peace now having a coffee, whilst children are still in bed reading.

Thank you LL for this thread, it's helped me to refocus on the fun stuff in life, which is just as important as the mundane.

caronc

Money - my kids have Amazon & Netflix and both much prefer Netflix for TV. I piggy back on my son's Netflix and quite like it. I suppose it depends what you like to watch. The kids peridically cancel their memberships and quickly get good offers to sign back up.:cool:


LL - I think it's whatever system works best for you as long as you know where your cash is going that's what counts:)

candygirl

I have both Amazon Prime films , n Netflix, n am still struggling to find good films to watch :eek::rotfl: I loved the hoarding docus on Netflix though .They made me feel like a minimalist :rotfl:
MONEY if you have a friend with Netflix , see if you can share it, same with Amazon Prime .Me, Mum n Sis in Law share ours

humptydumptybits

I've got Amazon and Netflix, I wouldn't want to choose as I like to have a mooch through both. I have a firestick which I love as it gives easy access to Amazon, netflix and all the catch up channels like iplayer. I've had a couple of sofa days with a really nasty cold and have been binge watching box sets so I think I've got my value for this year already.


Caronc you sound very organised, I thought I had my finger on the pulse but you have made me think I need to refine my budget a bit.

caronc

humptydumptybits wrote: »

Caronc you sound very organised, I thought I had my finger on the pulse but you have made me think I need to refine my budget a bit.

A case of needs must I afraid after I had to retire much, much earlier than I planned. At the outset I wasn't covinced I would manage ok so needed the reassurance of a defined budget. Before that I did consider myself fairly savvy with my cash so thought wasn't there was much wiggle room which worried me - turns out I previously wasn't as savvy as I thought - don't get me wrong I wasn't in debt and did put money by each month but into a general pot. I save more each month now than I did before:o but still enjoy all the things that are important to me. I do have the time now though to research spends for the best deal and don't have work-related costs which do mount up. It has been a real eye opener!!

star_trek_fan

Champagne moment tonight. New goose feather and down pillows have arrived (bargain. RRP £134, but on Wowcher so 80% off, Wowcher credits took the amount actually paid to £8.94 for 4!). Less than I paid last year for the run of the mill ones, which are horrible.

Yesterday's champagne moment, long walk on the beach with my dog. I'm lucky that the beach and countryside are 10 minutes walk from my bungalow in opposite directions. Love the beach in the winter, really blows the cobwebs away and clears the head.

house_elf

v1ckyt wrote: »

Hello folks, Popping my head up from lurking to say hi.

I love this thread and the premise behind it.

Me too......Afternoon All,

I am looking for a positive 2019 challenge, rather than a negative Resolution. I have subscribed to about 9 or 10 threads, but I can't possibly do them all!

However, I have been reading along with you for a couple of weeks now. Looking for the Champagne moments in my own day and I shall try to join in more

My champagne moment has been a lunch of scrambled egg, smoked salmon and blinis. The smoked salmon and blinis were left over from our NYE buffet, but I was too ill with a cold to eat anything . The scrambled eggs are from our own hens and made with cream, not milk.

Cheers to the next time ....

Clink clink