Beating Lifestyle Inflation and Staying Mortgage Free!

earthgirl2

Urgh I have not stuck to my eating and snack plan. I decided (even though I had totally given up) that I would have a glass of wine last night, and maybe because I haven't drank for a while it really affected me. and I made quite a few trips to the fridge for snacks and made a dessert, had more wine... anyway, not a massive problem but I much prefer it when I am not drinking! I make much better choices so back to the healthy eating today!
I have crossed off a few things from my list, and I have got homeschool ready for the kids for next week. This takes me 4 hours a week but I have to do it as I have to teach face to face more and more.

TallGirl

You are allowed a night off from being good. You are doing very well from the look of your list. 

edinburgher

@earthgirl2 - I'm also very guilty of a complete lack of control when drinking and snacking. I've been known to have dinner, two snacks with Mrs E and another one if she goes to bed before me ☺ My current diet is helping a little, but it will be the hardest thing when I try and transition back to "normal"

earthgirl2

New list of Money related things to do for February! I'll add and cross off as I go.
Money Saving
Stick to meal and snack plan
no alcohol
get another tree/substantial amount of logs
organise garden and planting
complete February garden jobs

Money Making
- early mornings, be tighter with time, work consistently on surveys and OHs business
- schedule school work and marking when waiting outside football (and other pockets of time like this)

earthgirl2

Here is a rough plan of my veg patch and what I am hoping to grow this year To save space, I will grow strawberries in hanging baskets, lettuce, beet, radish in pots, an courgettes anywhere I can fit them in - they are so big and I don't have space for a courgette area. The corner plot is shady. my peas grew really well there last year though! 

Viking_mfw

Ooh this is so interesting! I love seeing other people's fruit and veg plans. Do you find radish grow well in pots? I tried them in the beds last year and didn't get anything much but would like to try again. 
My rhubarb is in the equivalent of your corner plot as I find it thrives anywhere, and I also am growing "honeyberries" there although they will take a few years to get to full fruiting capacity. 

earthgirl2

So whilst I have realised that I need to be tighter on my accounting to ensure I meet my budget next month, I am easily able to sort out my income from extra work. My idea is that I make my budget balance with my salary, and then anything extra I earn from surveys and tutoring can go towards savings, probably for travel at the end of the year or next year. So after tax, I earned £940 from this - but it was very hard work, I was paid for lots of extra classes I completed in the Christmas holidays, and I don't think I'll manage that every month.
Extras out of budget this month were: 
Older boys football training Jan and Feb - £80. This is a covid related expense because this is the only way I can get him training as his club is closed. I could say no but decided to let him go lock down is hard enough!

earthgirl2

Viking_mfw said:

Ooh this is so interesting! I love seeing other people's fruit and veg plans. Do you find radish grow well in pots? I tried them in the beds last year and didn't get anything much but would like to try again. 
My rhubarb is in the equivalent of your corner plot as I find it thrives anywhere, and I also am growing "honeyberries" there although they will take a few years to get to full fruiting capacity. 

I've never grown radish in pots but googled it and it looks ok. I normally get a lot of radish so I am hoping it does well in pots. The corner plot is also shallow so thinking about this, I'm not sure that cabbage will grow well there. Grass doesn't even seem to grow there which is why OH donated me this corner for veg as he couldn't get anything to grow!

Viking_mfw

You could "no dig" it - ie just add a layer of compost on top and let it get started building and enriching the soil. 
I'll join you in the radishes in pots experiment. I'm the only one who likes them raw - my husband had never even eaten one til last year! - but we can chop and disguise them in lots of things. 

edinburgher

@Viking_mfw - I love radishes raw - Sainsbo's do some interesting heirloomy ones from time to time

I love your diagram earthgirl2, MFW needs more of them.