How much to live on

helensbiggestfan

Meant to add, my new neighbours are fantastic.  Went shopping,  came home to find the lady and her son, mainly the boy, cutting back an overgrown hedge which was beginning to encroach on my driveway. 

 We live on a private cul de sac, not adopted  by the council, with a footpath and small wood directly opposite, so it's up to residents to keep up the maintenance of our bit.  Not an issue because the bonus of the private road is absolute peace and quiet, so cutting back the hedges now and again is a small price to pay for privacy.  

I really love my new home, it took me a while to find it but well worth the wait.  

Ordinary_Yet_Unique

louby40 said:

We shop in Alidi and Tesco. My partners daughter works in Tesco so we have a colleague club card which gives us 20% off our shopping.

Im not a supermarket snob though, I'll shop anywhere that gives me the best value. We will often search for the cheapest leg of lamb or gin, Bacardi or vodka - I go where the deals are.

I am not a supermarket snob. It is a matter of personal preference.

I am not always interested in the best value, but rather what maximises my pleasure.

Whereas some continually want to maximise income, I am more about getting the most enjoyment from the guaranteed income I confidently know I will receive.

kempiejon

Ordinary_Yet_Unique said:
I am not a supermarket snob. It is a matter of personal preference.

I am not always interested in the best value, but rather what maximises my pleasure.

Whereas some continually want to maximise income, I am more about getting the most enjoyment from the guaranteed income I confidently know I will receive.

If only we all had a comfortable guaranteed income well played.
I feel the idea of maximum pleasure got me where I am and is this is the key to the best shopping too, not just supermarkets but everything.

That's enough about tomatoes; maximising pleasure at an acceptable cost is a lifestyle choice needed to balance the financial choice. You can have more money buying cheaper products but it might make you sad. Why not spend money sometime for some pleasure and never be sad. 

Organgrinder

I'm not a supermarket snob either probably cos I'm very much like @louby40 in my spending/saving habits.

Must be because we're teachers! 

But yes some of us try to maximise income. In the case of many I converse with from this site, it's so that we maximise our lifestyle too.

We don't complain that we can't afford multiple foreign holidays for example. What we do is we go out and get the means to do so. 

helensbiggestfan

Organgrinder.   Quite so......I learned at an early age that if I really wanted  something then I had to find the means.  I never say "I can't afford it". Instead I ask myself "how can I afford it".   I taught my children that good things don't just fall out of the sky and land in your lap.  You have to reach for them.  I now hear my eldest son say the same thing to his sons, it makes me smile.  

I am rereading Richard Templars "The Rules of Wealth". I originally bought my youngest, at the time spendthrift son, a copy because this little book explains it all better than I could. It's an easy read and one I throughly recommend.  

My son devoured it from cover to cover in one sitting and it changed his outlook forever.  He did a complete 180 degree turn in a day.  He went from being a hopeless spendthrift living from paycheque to paycheque  and getting nowhere to now being financially stable and effortlessly managing the tightrope of both enjoying the present (lovely home, nice holidays) whilst safeguarding his future, (two pension plans and a growing portfolio of investments). 

I can throughly recommend the book, it's simple, written in plain English that anyone can understand and the author is both compassionate and humorous in the way he gets his message across.  

The most important rule, his number 1 rule is that anyone can improve their financial situation because money is completely neutral - it doesn't care about your gender, your class, your lack of academic qualifications, your skin tone, your religion. 

If you live in a reasonably stable economy such as those found in The West, if you enjoy reasonable health and have access to learning materials, even if it's just a public library, then you can learn to build wealth, or at least make enough to furnish a reasonably comfortable lifestyle.  

He explains that what holds most people back is what he calls "money myths", often the myths that we grew up with, myths taught us by our parents, families, or our educational system. Myths that can be summed up by sayings such as "money is the root of all evil" or "rich people are all crooks" and so on.    These lessons which we just assimilated as we grew up can often lead to a victim mentality, where people think they are stuck in poverty and so look for someone else to blame - society, the government, the "fat cats" - anyone or anything to stop them assuming responsibility for their own actions.  You see this all the time, negativity, learned hopelessness and an unwillingness to even try.  

I make no secret of the fact that I was born into a very modest working class household and that, unfortunately, despite being reasonably intelligent and winning a scholarship to a prestigious grammar school,  for me education was not my leg up.  (I did eventually go to university but not until I was 40). University or further education was not on the table. I had to leave school at 15 without a single academic qualification and make my own way.  

I hated being poor, always being told "we can't afford it".  I resolved at a very early age that I would not accept a life of poverty. I would move heaven and earth to build a better life.  I got my first job at 13 - a Saturday shampoo girl in a hairdressing salon and never looked back.  

 I am already retired but I am always open to new ideas, to creating sideline businesses, multiple income streams. I'm always happy to find ways to maximise my income to maximise my lifestyle.  I like comfort, a nice home, good food, life's little luxuries and indulgences.  I like to travel in comfort and style, stay in nice hotels.  I haven't travelled in a while.  Instead I have recently moved house and I also invested in some very expensive dental work.   £15k worth.  😱. 

I don't mind, I love my new home and I am very pleased with my new Hollywood smile. 😁.   I shall travel again when I am good and ready.  

I may be 74 but I still have dreams and plans........my mantra now is "not done yet". 

Albermarle

There's also an Asda but I refuse to shop there.  I always feel overdressed because so many of their clientele shop in their dressing gowns and pjs.  😱😂🤣

I have noticed that in the nearest one to us ( although a few miles away). I always assumed it was because it is surrounded ( and underneath ) lots of residential flats, but maybe it is an 'Asda thing'   

We mainly shop at Tesco's, partly because it is convenient, but also the blend of price and availability is nicely in the middle. Plus you can still buy mincemeat that isn't squashed into those vacuum packs.
I also have to admit going to Waitrose for some smaller shops. The main reason is that it has an underground car park, which is great in very wet or hot sunny weather.

Organgrinder

Albermarle said:

There's also an Asda but I refuse to shop there.  I always feel overdressed because so many of their clientele shop in their dressing gowns and pjs.  😱😂🤣

I have noticed that in the nearest one to us ( although a few miles away). I always assumed it was because it is surrounded ( and underneath ) lots of residential flats, but maybe it is an 'Asda thing'   

We mainly shop at Tesco's, partly because it is convenient, but also the blend of price and availability is nicely in the middle. Plus you can still buy mincemeat that isn't squashed into those vacuum packs.
I also have to admit going to Waitrose for some smaller shops. The main reason is that it has an underground car park, which is great in very wet or hot sunny weather.

I agree wholeheartedly about Tesco. Which has them second cheapest of the big supermarkets when using clubcard. 

I subscribe to clubcard plus too. If you only do two £40 shops you save money (subscription is £7.99 a month and you get 10% off twice).

I tend to do two £90 shops so end up with a net £10 saving. 

I also convert my vouchers into clubcard rewards which is another nice bonus on top.

helensbiggestfan

Albermarle said:

There's also an Asda but I refuse to shop there.  I always feel overdressed because so many of their clientele shop in their dressing gowns and pjs.  😱😂🤣

I have noticed that in the nearest one to us ( although a few miles away). I always assumed it was because it is surrounded ( and underneath ) lots of residential flats, but maybe it is an 'Asda thing'  

I think it might be,  

not sure if Asda in the U.K. are still part of Walmart. I think it was a short lived experiment and they might have parted ways again.  Anyway if you search you tube for "People of Walmart" there are some very eye opening videos featuring Walmart Shoppers.  😉

louby40

helensbiggestfan said:

Organgrinder.   Quite so......I learned at an early age that if I really wanted  something then I had to find the means.  I never say "I can't afford it". Instead I ask myself "how can I afford it".   I taught my children that good things don't just fall out of the sky and land in your lap.  You have to reach for them.  I now hear my eldest son say the same thing to his sons, it makes me smile.  

I am rereading Richard Templars "The Rules of Wealth". I originally bought my youngest, at the time spendthrift son, a copy because this little book explains it all better than I could. It's an easy read and one I throughly recommend.  

My son devoured it from cover to cover in one sitting and it changed his outlook forever.  He did a complete 180 degree turn in a day.  He went from being a hopeless spendthrift living from paycheque to paycheque  and getting nowhere to now being financially stable and effortlessly managing the tightrope of both enjoying the present (lovely home, nice holidays) whilst safeguarding his future, (two pension plans and a growing portfolio of investments). 

I can throughly recommend the book, it's simple, written in plain English that anyone can understand and the author is both compassionate and humorous in the way he gets his message across.  

The most important rule, his number 1 rule is that anyone can improve their financial situation because money is completely neutral - it doesn't care about your gender, your class, your lack of academic qualifications, your skin tone, your religion. 

If you live in a reasonably stable economy such as those found in The West, if you enjoy reasonable health and have access to learning materials, even if it's just a public library, then you can learn to build wealth, or at least make enough to furnish a reasonably comfortable lifestyle.  

He explains that what holds most people back is what he calls "money myths", often the myths that we grew up with, myths taught us by our parents, families, or our educational system. Myths that can be summed up by sayings such as "money is the root of all evil" or "rich people are all crooks" and so on.    These lessons which we just assimilated as we grew up can often lead to a victim mentality, where people think they are stuck in poverty and so look for someone else to blame - society, the government, the "fat cats" - anyone or anything to stop them assuming responsibility for their own actions.  You see this all the time, negativity, learned hopelessness and an unwillingness to even try.  

I make no secret of the fact that I was born into a very modest working class household and that, unfortunately, despite being reasonably intelligent and winning a scholarship to a prestigious grammar school,  for me education was not my leg up.  (I did eventually go to university but not until I was 40). University or further education was not on the table. I had to leave school at 15 without a single academic qualification and make my own way.  

I hated being poor, always being told "we can't afford it".  I resolved at a very early age that I would not accept a life of poverty. I would move heaven and earth to build a better life.  I got my first job at 13 - a Saturday shampoo girl in a hairdressing salon and never looked back.  

 I am already retired but I am always open to new ideas, to creating sideline businesses, multiple income streams. I'm always happy to find ways to maximise my income to maximise my lifestyle.  I like comfort, a nice home, good food, life's little luxuries and indulgences.  I like to travel in comfort and style, stay in nice hotels.  I haven't travelled in a while.  Instead I have recently moved house and I also invested in some very expensive dental work.   £15k worth.  😱. 

I don't mind, I love my new home and I am very pleased with my new Hollywood smile. 😁.   I shall travel again when I am good and ready.  

I may be 74 but I still have dreams and plans........my mantra now is "not done yet". 

I LOVE your mantra! Thanks for sharing a bit of your life. 

I too am from a working class background although I had parents who lived in Australia for a number of years (£10 poms) which instilled a love of travel throughout their lives, plus now mine and my siblings. They  began a lucrative business in their 40's which meant they could achieve financial stability and retired in their 60's and spent 12 years living on a canal boat for 6 months of the year, travelling up and down the canals, making new friends and having so many adventures.

Now both in their 80's they swapped the little boat for cruise ships and have been on 20+ cruises over the past 10 years. We're hoping to go on a cruise with them next summer if my dad can get insurance. 

So much love and respect for them. 

Dizee123

helensbiggestfan said:

Yesterday he converted the bulkhead cupboard above the stairs into an overspill wardrobe for my winter coats.  Yes I have that many........too many really but I love them all.   

True story. When I was a child my family were quite poor and my mother, bless her heart, who wasn't the best housekeeper and didn't seem to feel the cold, never saw to it that I had a warm winter coat, (or gloves, scarves and hats despite having to walk 3 miles each way to school). All I had was a school gabardine Mac. I do feel the cold and I was always freezing and miserable.  As soon as I started work I started buying coats and I've never stopped since.  All colours, all weights, currently have about 20.  

Just can't seem to part with any.  You don't need to be a psychologist to work that one out..😁

This I definitely get.  My stepfather was a compulsive gambler and on one memorable occasion he pawned our winter coats.  My poor mother was in tears as there were no savings to replace them and second hand shops were much  more limited back then, mainly the occasional jumble sale.  There was also a sense of pride to overcome to go to what was perceived as 'charity'.   I remember going to school in Scotland in the snow wearing about 3 vests and 2 jumpers under my summer blazer and taking some off as I got there and carrying them around in my bag.  It must have been harder on my mother as our clothes were also replaced first.......anyway fast forward to when we were all working and could afford to give her money and decent Christmas and birthday presents.  One of her pleasures was buying a new, cosy winter coat each year.  When she died she must have had about 30-35 coats which she never threw away. 

I do sometimes giggle to myself about the modern definition of 'poverty'.....

You keep your coats!