Beating Lifestyle Inflation and Staying Mortgage Free!

South_coast

I hope he will be washing cars rather than cats - much less painful 😘!

earthgirl2

South_coast said:

I hope he will be washing cars rather than cats - much less painful 😘! 

Ooops yes cars!! No cats will be harmed by the (ineffectual) scrubbing!

South_coast

Phew 😅      

earthgirl2

Sold 10 items on Vinted, all posted now. 

Planted salad and tomato's in small greenhouse 
got more cat sitting jobs
Highlighted a few items I can get cheaper from shopping trip (oat milk/almond milk, double cream, bacon). 

Cancelled a credit card but they are refusing to give me money back that I had refunded by a retailer. I'll put in a complaint. I've called a few times already.

Cleaned and did teaching admin

This weekend I'm looking after boys - taxi to football etc - and getting more work completed so next week is free to focus on my new income plan. 

Then Sunday is a hike with friends. 

I'd like to save £20,000 by end of the year. Better get my boy out washing a few cars! 

earthgirl2

Yey my son helped his grandma and she gave him a few pounds towards his debt. For me it's not so much the amount it's more realising you have to work hard for money and mum isn't just handing it over.
He has a few jobs for me that involve selling clutter etc so he should pay off his debt by the Easter break. 

Lovely hike with friends today. Loads of  marking work completed yesterday so this week is more open for income generation. 

I aim to make the £20,000 in 2025 from (in order of most profitable)

student hosting /airbnb
courses/coaching
printables
cat sitting
YouTube ads 
vinted/selling
surveys 

so this week my target is to make sure these are all set up or organised. 

I can save money on

not giving kids money willy nilly
grocery spends 
petrol 
gym 
Using what we have
supplements/ posh diet or health foods
entertainment 

Thanks for reading! Even if no one reads I am benefiting from the accountability of having posted my targets and tasks publicly! 

Watty1

Love your high target.   Aim high.  I am astounded by what we can achieve on this board when we really set our minds to it.

earthgirl2

Thanks Watty!
Ive budgeted with our fixed costs and set up pots for everything I can foresee - although I'm sure I'll need to add. 

Savings 

I have been mostly interested in the food budget. I have set it at £400/month for 2 adults, 2 teenagers (who eat more than adults!). (The cat mostly brings her own food in but she also features in this budget too!)

Last week I spent £80, this week £65, using L and Ald1. 

I'm going to try and cut it further with 
1. homemade oat milk (never made it before!)
2. Porridge rather than Greek yogurt parfait type thing for me - ds1 needs the protein of yogurt. 
3. make my own herbal teas - so much available for this, but I'll do rose and lavender and dry bits of apple too. 

4. Soup for lunches - so much variety here 
5. Pulses and legumes - pre cook so they are easy to add. 

6. Ds2 protein powder found for half the price. 

Ds2 is a picky eater and likes to eat kid food like pasta, pizza and fish fingers etc . Wish I could get him a bit more variety, but I've discussed it with him and think I can get the majority of meals to suit him without us all having to have kid food. It's not nutritious or satisfying... so I'll have a play with the meal plan. 

Money making
£200 paid for cat sitting this weekend. 

£72 Amaz0n vouchers for setting up credit card and cash back 
£40 Vinted sales 
A verbal agreement of student hosting for the future worth £3,000 before tax. 

I think I'll do an end of month update and then move money over to new isa in early April 

South_coast

I'm starting to wish I wasn't allergic to cats - that's great money!

themadvix

Lemon verbena is great for tea - either a fresh leaf or a dried one. Dead simple and tasty.

That's a great rate for your cat sitting - maybe I should be looking at residential options.... although unless its nearby, we'd have to arrange cat care for ourselves... (ours aren't so self-sufficient as yours!)

earthgirl2

Yes it's almost 24 hours cat sitting plus another 5 hours the next day. The cat is ill so there's quite a lot to do, but I like the cat and the owner, and it's a beautiful home (and great money).

diy oat milk is so easy! Keeper and will save circa £20/30 per month. Glad I'm back here as it makes me think about trying new things!