Beating Lifestyle Inflation and Staying Mortgage Free!

EssexHebridean

Love the idea of being able to buy new stuff from charity shops as presents - that definitely ticks a box doesn’t it! 

Also love sunrises on the beach - what a fabulous start to a day! 

beanielou

You must be lucky with charity shops where you are

badmemory

There is no doubt that if you can go to a town where the houses cost too much to buy for us normal people then the charity shops have some really good stuff.

EssexHebridean

badmemory said:

There is no doubt that if you can go to a town where the houses cost too much to buy for us normal people then the charity shops have some really good stuff.

This works for independent charity shops but not for most of the "chain" ones, in my experience! 

earthgirl2

Is it still acceptable to say happy new year on the 18th Jan? Anyway - I hope that 2022 brings everyone joy!

We had a shaky end to 2021 and a reasonable start to 2022 

Lots of illnesses and hospital trips (again) and general not so great weeks at the end of 2021. But I feel like we are getting somewhere now.

After a lot of stress with our mortgage company, we have managed to get 2 accounts organised, so that it is still open so that we don't get an early repayment charge, but it's a mortgage of around £5. We have one account left that we can't currently overpay on.

I have redone my budget and wow - hasn't everything gone up? I am spending just below what I earn, but I am mighty close now to not bringing in enough to cover our costs.

Some lifestyle inflation items are creeping in though-
My weekly shop is between £80-£100 for a family of 4 including 3 days of packed lunch per child.
My youngest child does horseriding lessons - £17 per week
My eldest child's football training has gone up to £30 /month
He has started krav maga at £20/month
I got a voucher for a beauticians and if I keep it going it would be £10/month
I'm spending double on petrol going back and forward to these clubs and lessons

Coming up, we are out of energy deal so will have a big increase in costs.
My eldest child is due to go to seconday school in August and there will be extra transport costs for this.

So I am thinking I could
- swap horseriding to every other week, try to get him horseriding here for free in return for helping out.
- I could try to use the electric hire vehicles at work - I had stopped due to covid and poor availability.
- source more wood etc myself again
- look for cheaper (but still good quality) items for packed lunches
- grow herbs veggies and salad

EssexHebridean

I used to work at the stables in the holidays in exchange for rides where there were spare ponies available - always got at least one ride a day unless something really unexpected occurred. In the summer after I left school I worked there full time taking rides out - the money wasn't great but spending anything up to 5 hours per day on horseback was rather awesome! (And in other news, riding lessons have gone up surprisingly little in the intervening 30mumble years!) 

beanielou

Good to hear from you.
Good idea on the vaulting 

apple_muncher

It's still January, so Happy New year back at the earthie clan! Hope 2022 is kinder to you all x.

edinburgher

@earthgirl2 - "stuff" is definitely getting more expensive, particularly when it comes to kids. Mrs E has been very good at finding slightly cheaper local versions of classes for DD, but she's also a very accommodating mum who doesn't say no very often! As a consequence, we now have 3.5 classes each week, I'm hoping she loses interest in at least one, can't explain cost of living to a 6-year-old with much success.

At least our energy is fixed for now, but at very high rates as 100% renewable gas and electricity

earthgirl2

Thanks everyone for the great advice.
We actually live across the road from a private livery, they have said we can help, I just need to do it! I contacted the stables he goes to for lessosn to drop to every other week.
I've booked some electric cars for the next two weeks which will save on work petrol. Fingers crossed it goes to plan (notoriously the electric cars are not plugged in charging etc. )