Frugal, thrifty, make do, mend! Let this debt come to an end!

Elisheba

Morning, all!  Happy Friday!  I'm feeling virtuous as I managed to get my dog out for a morning walk, which isn't always the case. I did some more budgeting last night and I think I'll have provisionally have paid off all my debt by February 2024.  That's a month later than I originally predicted, and I had hoped to bring that date forward by at least 6 moths, but that was before Covid and me spending my feelings so nothing to be done now!  Just need to stick to budget from now on.  

After that, if I stick to budget it will be about 2 years to get a house deposit together.  I'll still be 45 by then - I hope I'm still okay to get a mortgage.  I should be. My legal retirement age is 69 and I have a private pension as well, and hopefully can get a mortgage for less than 25 years. 

I'm planning to move to a cottage in the country, specifically SW Scotland (as long as I can sort out the wfh issues and how to get to the office on the few occasions it might be needed - it will be 300 odd miles away ), I should be able to get a little cottage for less than £150k.  Depending on the work needed, possibly below £100k. This should mean I can pay the mortgage off reasonably quickly.  Even with holidays and a bit of extra spending, ideally I'd like it gone by 55.  At that point I can start thinking about pension pay outs and when I'd like to retire.

So - its a plan.  Its a bit rough and ready, and a lot of it depends on me sticking to budgets which I'm not good at doing consistently.  However, its the only way to buy a house, and I really do think I need to have a house paid off before I retire, so I'll just have to suck it up and do as I tell myself!

I have counselling later, so I have a quiet, gentle night planned with lots of self care.  I'm going to stop messing about with budgets for the time being as well.  I've done what I can - now I just need to keep my head down and do the work.

WinterWarrior

Dave Ramsey says 15 mortgages should be the max. I wish I’d bought into all that when I was younger! I had to start again from scratch in my 40’s after divorce and we went for 18 yrs, which is still painful. I would have done shorter if I could and am pondering possible over payments. 

Your plan sounds sensible and possible, you’ll soon be tucked up in that wonderful cottage, I have every faith in you! 

Elisheba

Thanks, @WinterWarrior It means a lot that when I say this stuff out loud as it were, that someone thinks it sounds sensible and I'm not talking a lot of nonsense!  

I've just put 15 years into the Rightmove calculator and and I could afford that (I mean obviously it would depend on size of mortgage, interests rates etc, but I think I could technically afford a fair bit more when I'm debt free so it should be okay when the time comes.)

Bring on the country cottage

Elisheba

Good morning, at least what is left of it, my frugalista friends.

I've had a lazy morning so far. Just breakfast and a bath really. I am treating myself to just the one bath a week. All other days are shower only. The way I have a bath and the amount of times I refill it, it is not cheap in terms of water heating and I need to ration it.

I'm not sure what today holds actually. There are a few things I want to do this weekend, but not sure if that'll be today or tomorrow I get around to them, if at all. 

To do-
1. Go to tip
2. Hoover 
3. Sort out old clothes - charity, sell, ragbag. 
4. Put some clothes away that should be dry. 
5. Change bedding
6. Make bread 
7. Do some sweet things baking for the week (might need to shop for some ingredients).

So one day this weekend will likely be a spending day so I can top up with messages (groceries for non Scots), and the other should be a NSD.

Other than that things are good. Having a fairly concrete plan for getting my cottage in the country has spurred me on no end. My counselling went well yesterday, and has led to some real insights for me which I'm really pleased about. And I was also able to sit with the feelings much better last night and be really gentle with myself, which is an improvement for me as well. So all in all, I'm feeling really positive about this weekend.

I've also decided when it's car MOT and service time, if it comes in under budget I'm going to treat myself to a big pile of wood and coal for the fire. That'll be lovely for Xmas and the cold months afterwards. Of course, if the car is over budget any coal and wood will just need to be taken out my pocket money so will be a rare treat.

If my food budget is under this month, which it may well be by about a tenner, then I'll spend that on Xmas treats instead of funnelling it away. I don't need much, as it will mainly just be me (and I might go to Scotland for the Xmas weekend itself) but always nice to have an Xmas pudding, some tins of chocolates and some stollen to munch on in the season of excess!

I hope everyone has wonderful weekends and gets lots of rest and relaxation! 

Elisheba

Well, it's been quite productive day. I got some housework done, made some bread that I think has actually worked out properly (my measuring jug is the culprit it seems as it is basically wrong), got a few messages from Mr Ts and baked some cookies.

I spend just over £7 on the messages, so I'm still within budget for the month. I think I now have 5 different types of sugar in - it's ridiculous how many types of sugar are needed for baking! The only think I can see myself needing this month is more milk, so hopefully I will come in a bit under on my food budget. 

I was thinking next year to save up my clubcard points all year and put them towards Xmas treats. Mr Ts is normally where I buy petrol so they do add up. 

Had a lovely chat with a friend this evening, but I'm shattered now so I'm off to bed. 

WinterWarrior

I can’t keep baking things in as my cupboards/house hasn’t the right atmosphere…flour always ends up full of creepies if left for any time. Even a new kitchen didn’t cure it. I think it’s just the damp atmosphere and Scottish house build as it never happened in my last new build house in England. Sealed containers hasn’t helped either! 

I am squirrelling the odd Christmas goodies away each week now. 

Elisheba

Morning all.

I'm already up, dressed, breakfasted, animals fed and dog walked - which is blooming unusual for me at twenty past 10 on a Sunday morning, let me tell you! I've been feeling very low since lockdown 3, so it's lovely to feel my energy and spark come back again.

I had a couple of my biscuits for early elevenses this morning and they were lovely. When I'm finished them I'll make some brownies. Other than chocolate (which is only 30p for 100gms in Mr T's - hideous on its own, but fine for baking) I have enough ingredients in to make snacks for weeks.

That's weird your flour always ends up ruined @WinterWarrior. I grew up in Scotland and don't remember that ever happening - mind you, Gran was a great baker but had a terribly sweet tooth, so maybe the flour just didn't get a chance to harbour creepie crawlies 😂.

I'm not sure what the plan is today. If I can be bothered I need to do a tip run, change the bedding, and sort out some old clothes for charity, selling etc. It's nothing that won't wait though, so I'll just see how I feel. 

It should be a NSD, and I have a Zoom planned with a couple of friends later so that should be fun. I think I'm mainly going to drink buckets of tea and read my book, to be honest. It's all about coal, and it's really interesting reading about all these fortunes made and lost around the black stuff, and the bloody awful work involved in mining. 

Elisheba

Honestly. Best laid plans and all that. There I was prepping Sunday dinner and feeling virtuous because I was batch cooking potatoes for a few meals, and prepping the potato peels to make peel crisps with, when my blooming dog stole the pie I had put to have for Sunday dinner! 

Anyone want a dog? 

WinterWarrior

🤣🤣🤣 I already have one of those thanks! 

Elisheba

Morning, all. I hope Monday finds you well. 

Yesterday wasn't as relaxing as it could have been as my dog was really needy and attention seeking all day. Don't know what was wrong with him. 

Money saving plans for this week include keeping the heating off, sticking to my food plan, and buying and freezing some milk so I don't have to go to the shops again.

It really is so mild for October that I want to take advantage of it as long as possible as its going to be a long, cold winter. My current deal ends in January so no doubt the energy coat will jump up then. I wish I had the room to store lots of free wood the way some people on here can. I'd save a good £200 plus if I just used the fire and didn't need to pay for wood.

I'm also reading some more of The Tighwad Gazette for ideas. Obviously some of the stuff is really dated, but I find that interesting. It reminds of what life was like when I was a teenager, which doesn't seem that long ago but technology has changed to dramatically since the it ma as well have been the dark ages   

One of the ideas I got was to use my rag bag to run up some bags to wrap presents in this Xmas. It will only work if I see the family in person of course. I've also got some ideas for little Xmas decorations. I have a whole box full that I can no lo get use as I'm worried my dog will eat/destroy/hurt himself with. I'm going to try little angels from tin can lids first. 

I have a house inspection this week so need to keep on top of the housework, and the odd job man is due, possibly this morning, to do a few bits and pieces. I'm going round to a friend's to watch Bake Off on Thursday, so I need to make some brownies for that rather than spending money on biscuits. 

House things that need done - 
Bedding changed
Cat litter changed 
Hoover and dishes - ongoing 
Bake brownies
Go to tip
Clean car 
Weed driveway

Right, I'm off to get ready and start work now.