The hardest challenge yet

lessonlearned

You'll get there, I'm sure. It just takes time to get the momentum going and then it will become second nature. Getting it down to £500 or even £600 occasionally would be such a boost for your savings.

Don't know when you are aiming for but when you feel disheartened just remember the maths, apply the 10 year multiplier.

You could end up around £30k better off - well worth doing,

lessonlearned

Don't torture yourself......:rotfl:

Nothing wrong with a midweek treat of a nice piece of steak.

There's no need to start wearing a hair shirt and forcing yourself to live on economy mince or cheap nasty sausages. Just shop savvy.

Tbh I have found that since going paleo I eat smaller amounts of food anyway. When I had a carb heavy diet I was always ravenous, I would eat a meal and then start nibbling and snacking an hour later. I learned that this was because my blood sugar levels were all over the place.

Since eating better I don't need to eat all the time.....I dont get hunger cravings. I still eat carbs of course - lots of them - but green healthy ones and not sugary starchy white and beige ones.

elantan

lessonlearned wrote: »

I'm dead lucky with nice ready meals.....we have a farm shop that sell them so as good as home cooked and usually around 3 for £10. Bargain for the quality.

Failing that M&S or Sainsbury's Taste the Difference. I just won't buy the cheap ones. I'd rather have egg and chips. :rotfl:

I'm sitting here without TV too. I can take it or leave it. My late husband treated it like wallpaper, it would be on and he wouldn't even be watching it. Lol.

lessonlearned wrote: »

You'll get there, I'm sure. It just takes time to get the momentum going and then it will become second nature. Getting it down to £500 or even £600 occasionally would be such a boost for your savings.

Don't know when you are aiming for but when you feel disheartened just remember the maths, apply the 10 year multiplier.

You could end up around £30k better off - well worth doing,

Yep our t.v is wall paper as well, hubby falls asleep within minutes of putting it on, but the minute it goes off wakes up, its deff learned behaviour for him, he told me once many many years ago that was his babysitter growing up, where as i was brought up in a religious household so we didnt have a t.v, we read, i still love to read but dont do much of it now unless its factual stuff for my work or finance or nutrition etc, would rather play chess or read, but hubby doesnt do chess or read so,

that must make him sound cruel as if our relationship is all his way, it really isnt, the poor bloke gets dragge to shakespere plays often and he tolerates them for me, i drag him up hills and camping and i am deff the driving force in retiring early and paying off the mortgage, he goes along with me for a quiet life lol ... were a good team

will try and add in some ready meals for when we are at inlaws or aunties, we help with aunty as well, hubby is an only child where as mine dont live in this country.

were aiming for 8 years approx, but even £10k is £10k towards something in retirement, it could be towards a campervan or something

bouicca21

There’s nothing wrong with having a nice meal midweek. And if you had reasonable portion sizes (125g) it would still be cheaper than most take aways.

Small steps

lessonlearned

You should crack £10k easily.....

Don't worry your husband will get the message in the end.

My on FIRE son was the worst possible spendthrift you could imagine. I was worried sick about him......but now, he's 33, no debts, money in the bank, two pensions and an investment portfolio that's growing nicely.

The other older one is ok but not in the same league and yet he earns three times more than his younger brother. He just hasn't caught the FIRE bug yet. I hope he does soon but you know what they say......"you can lead a horse to water........" :rotfl:

I have just ordered them each a book for Christmas. It's called Reset by a guy called David Sawyer. Hopefully it might give the elder one something to think about. It's preaching to the converted for the younger one of course but no doubt he will be able to learn a few more tricks.

elantan

bouicca21 wrote: »

There’s nothing wrong with having a nice meal midweek. And if you had reasonable portion sizes (125g) it would still be cheaper than most take aways.

Small steps

Your right i wont achieve anything beating myself up, i sneaked into the fridge and had a look at the price, £10.09 for 1 bit of steak, i will make sure that feeds both OH and myself, along with mushrooms, onions, garlic butter brussel sprouts and Kale, but i still feel we must do better, thanks for the encouragement

lessonlearned wrote: »

You should crack £10k easily.....

Don't worry your husband will get the message in the end.

My on FIRE son was the worst possible spendthrift you could imagine. I was worried sick about him......but now, he's 33, no debts, money in the bank, two pensions and an investment portfolio that's growing nicely.

The other older one is ok but not in the same league and yet he earns three times more than his younger brother. He just hasn't caught the FIRE bug yet. I hope he does soon but you know what they say......"you can lead a horse to water........" :rotfl:

I have just ordered them each a book for Christmas. It's called Reset by a guy called David Sawyer. Hopefully it might give the elder one something to think about. It's preaching to the converted for the younger one of course but no doubt he will be able to learn a few more tricks.

I read loads of books when i first got into it, smarter investing by Tim Hale was a good one, i read the millionaire next door, rich dad poor dad etc, but weirdly (and it wasnt even a good book) the one that actually seemd to hit home was the richest man in babylon, it was the idea of paying ourselves first, that was a game changer for me, once i got my head around that i re read rich dad poor dad, millionaire next door etc and they seemed to make more sense second time round, its weird as it really isnt that good a book, but the whole pay myself first hit home, i now always pay myself first, and that paying myself first is the reason i hopefully will retire 13 years early. I knew i wanted to do it, i knew the basics and fundamental principles but there was a piece of the jigsaw missing,

The rest is just window dressing

Our son on the other hand sounds more like your younger son, he will deff make his own way in the world and if he was employed he would do so well, but his chaotic lifestyle really needs him to be self employed at this time, but he still does brilliantly with what he has, i wish i had his awareness when i was his age, i wouldve been retired by now i reckon.

lessonlearned

Tell me.......

I wish I knew then what I know now.....:rotfl:

boultdj

elantan wrote: »

I'm liking this idea of going to lidl for coffee and nuts that would save me getting that from costco, slowly taking away the need to go there, we do have a lidl but it isnt close, but if I knew there was a nut/ coffee deal etc it could be worth travelling for.

You can do one of 2 thing's to find out Lidl deal's, you can go to the website and look at the on-line leaflet's every week, or if you are likely to forget sign up to the weekly news letter, and now the week end offers start on the Friday, so 3 day's to get stuff.

unrecordings

lessonlearned wrote: »

Don't torture yourself......:rotfl:

Nothing wrong with a midweek treat of a nice piece of steak.

There's no need to start wearing a hair shirt and forcing yourself to live on economy mince or cheap nasty sausages. Just shop savvy.

+1

I think I'm the king of '!!!! happens' at the moment. If you want to change things for whatever reason then do it gently at your own pace. If you're the one in control rather than outside influences, you're far more likely to succeed in your goals that said, enjoy life and don't be guilty. Random thought, instead of seeing this as an exercise in spending less, and tightening the belt, see it as an exercise in saving more. It's a very subtle difference to be sure

Wraithlady

If you have a canner, then it may be worth setting aside a weekend to make a batch of spag bol or chilli (or both) or the veggie alternatives (something not too faffy that you like to eat is what I mean) - basically something quick and easy to reheat if you arrive back late and don't have the energy for cooking. Put it in a tortilla with a bit of grated cheese, and you don't even need to cook rice or pasta.

As someone both lactose intolerant and allergic to peppers, it's the only way I can get a 'ready meal' but it's definitely cheaper, quicker and more healthy than a takeaway.