La Dolce Vita (The Sweet Life) - on a tiny budget.

helensbiggestfan

Thrifty Thursday. 

Good Morning lovely ladies, 

Working on our theme of Thrifty Thursday I would advise you all to take note of what is happening within the banking sector,  I don't want to be alarmist and suggest that all banks are about to collapse but it has to be pointed out that SOME banks are showing signs of fragility.  

So for those lucky enough to have considerable savings do be aware of the bank guarantee limits (I think currently £85k per institution, bearing in mind that institutions can be linked). Take care to protect yourselves.  Move money around if necessary.  

 As I'm currently sitting on my house fund  I have  taken care to do this, splitting my money into several different (non affiliated) banks. Also, bearing in mind the proposed tax grab scheduled to take place over the next few years, I have tried to reduce my tax liability.  Legally and ethically of course.  

So ladies, at the risk of sounding patronising or nagging, I would urge you all to look at your finances because there are tough times ahead. The Chancellor crowed that we were likely to be able to avoid a "technical recession" but that does not mean that our economy is healthy, far from it.  It is incumbent on us that we do all we can to protect ourselves.  Choppy waters ahead. 

I will come clean here and say I didn't really come to fiscal responsibility until I was well into my 50s. I was lead to believe that I was "hopeless at maths" so I took that as an excuse not to really engage and blithely abdicated all responsibility for my own financial well being, never really bothering my pretty little head with financial matters.  

Until, quite by accident, I became the Financial Director of my husbands company.  Initially I took no real interest, I just signed the cheques.  Then, as the business grew, and my husband became too busy, rather than leave everything to our accountant I decided to become more hands on.  Good job I did.......

Oddly enough I had never felt really comfortable with our accountant. I felt he was disrespectful to both my husband and myself. He seemed to look down on us, considering himself somehow superior to us.  I later found out that he was less than squeaky clean, that he was mediocre at his job and that it was only his family's connections that had enabled him to secure a partnership.  He certainly never gave us "best advice", doing only the bare minimum for us.  Anyway, to cut a long story short, I took over the financial reins freeing my husband to concentrate on what he did best.  

And guess what, whilst I may still never understand the complexities of algebra or geometry, it turns out that I wasn't mathematically incompetent after all.  I simply suffered from discalculia, a condition similar to dyslexia, only with numbers.  Easily remedied by being extra careful, checking everything I did with calculators.  Who knew.  🤣😂

And who knew that I could grasp tax law or that I had a "head for business".  Certainly not me, despite having had some success in property renovation. I had just put that down to my design skills and good luck. 

Anyway, over the years I have developed quite an interest in financial education and have read quite a lot.  There is a book I would thoroughly recommend that all women read,  so that they can avoid some of the pitfalls that might lie in wait.   (Things like the Womens state pensions fiasco for a start).  

The book is entitled "Nice Girls Don't Get rich". It is an American book so obviously some of the pensions and banking advice and suggestions are not applicable here in the U.K.  but the basic principles remain the same and the insights are just as valuable.  I think it should be required reading for all women, the younger the better.  

I only wish I had had access to books like that and of course the internet and websites like this when I was 20. If I knew then what I know now I would have been a millionaire by now. 😂🤣.  I am betting many of us could say the same,  😉. 

Wednesday. Wow you have really got the bit between your teeth.  Well done you, you are making fantastic progress.  Good to hear that your builder is ready to start soon. Hope the weather holds and he can get cracking.  

Had a lovely time with my sister yesterday. We are close, despite an 11 year age gap. It is the anniversary of our mums death today so we reminisced about our parents, lots of laughs and a few tears. It was nice to take a trip down Memory Lane,  

Meeting a friend for afternoon tea today. Looking forward to it.  

Have a great day y'all.  

And remember .....

Money talks, wealth whispers.  Don't waste money on liabilities, invest in assets, invest in yourself.  Look after your money and it will look after you..

 And don't delegate or abdicate responsibility for your finances. It's YOUR money.  

helensbiggestfan

Fab Friday. 

The sun is shining, feels like spring.  It's on its way.    Will be soon time to get my wardrobe summer ready, think about moth repellents. .  I have ordered some cedar oil to refresh the cedar discs I place on coat hangers and just need to check if I have enough lavender to refill the bags I keep in my cupboards and drawers.  

Lovely afternoon tea with a friend yesterday,  quiet catch up day today. Tai chi earlier and now just about to head off for a walk.  

Have a lovely day and stay fabulous.  

artistlifestyle

Thank you @helensbiggestfan such excellent financial and life advice.
I’m finally mending after a week in bed, two Dr’s appointments and a selection of antibiotics. 

It’s a relief, so I’m taking it steady. Managed a shower today and changed the sheets. Had the windows open to air the house while enjoying the mild weather.Have enjoyed the racing at Cheltenham on the Tv in the afternoons, simply guessing winners names for fun by text with a friend who was also off work recovering from an accident. 

Aiming for back to work mid week all being well. Tomorrow hopefully popping out for a bowl of soup with a friend, and see how it goes. 

I read a different American book when I had to start over. Sacred Success by Barbara Stanny. It’s about financial independence for women but oh so much more than that. In fact, almost five years on, I think I might read it again, and see what I can tweak. 

My small garden is calling and needs some attention but will have to wait until I’m stronger. The hard December frost annihilated some shrubs, I’m hoping they might come back, and I have some overwinter pruning left to do. 

I also need a better mower. My £45 b and q one has done two years but really the cutting height isn’t right. It can wait, it’s not urgent. 

I really enjoyed Thai chi, but there’s no longer a class nearby. 

helensbiggestfan

Good morning my lovely friends.  

Hope you are all well and planning a Wonderful Weekend.  

I have a really nice weekend ahead, mainly family stuff of course, seeing as it's Mother's Day tomorrow.  😂

artistlifestyle. you have been in the wars haven't you,  glad to hear you're feeling a bit better now. Thanks for the book recommendation, I will look out for it,  I really like finance books and podcasts now.  I am all for learning more.  

Have you looked at you tube videos for tai chi.  There are some really good exercise videos on there, physio, yoga, tai chi, dance, fitness.  There are even "walking" ones. 😁

Yesterday I picked up some more DVDs. 5 for £1 from a chazza and a beautiful silk cushion, embroidered with birds and flowers £2.  Perfect for my bedroom.  

Happy Mother's Day. 💐❤️

Forgot to say I used to live a few miles from Cheltenham.  Race week was always fabulous, the place would be heaving with race goers.  I could tell some stories.....fortunes made, fortunes lost.  😂🤣.  

iris

Morning Everyone

Hope you have a great Mother's Day tomorrow @helensbiggestfan

Nelliegrace

I have added a link for Rhonda’s Laundry Liquid. @helensbiggestfan A lot of the information in the book can be found in the blog.

We had an enjoyable evening out on a limited budget. We went to Sutton Arts Theatre to see a very good amateur production of A Taste of Honey, the tickets just £12.50, plus postage, with free parking.
We have missed our occasional visit to the local theatre and the plays put on by Local Players. I love Am Dram. We saw one play where the actors got stuck in a loop and even the prompter could not help, and the hero seized the script to try to get it resolved. It was wonderful, joyful, and excruciating to watch. At another play someone bumped into the scenery and it all collapsed like dominoes. 
Last night the volunteer in the bar, said she couldn’t be doing with the stingy cups and saucers and we had a good mug of coffee for £1. 

sheilavw

Happy Mothers day everyone. I hope that you all have a lovely day. My youngest Daughter who lives nearby has booked us brunch at a bistro in a lovely village about 20 mins drive away.

Wednesday2000

I was thinking of trying Tai Chi as I have such awful balance due to having ear problems and vertigo for years and also migraines. I might look on YT.

I haven't been feeling that great as I got an allergic reaction and my eyes went all swollen. I had to go out and buy antihistamines. It looks much better today, thank goodness. I think it was my new sunscreen so I have stopped using that.

I haven't been doing much as we are trying to save money. A couple we know were going out to an Irish bar near where we used to live for St Patrick's day, but I didn't go. Saying that, I wouldn't have wanted to go out with my eyes all swollen so maybe that was for the best!

I did buy some books to read at home if I have to stay indoors. I read the Mel B autobiography yesterday. I did used to read celeb magazines sometimes and I did read a few things about her husband, but I didn't know the full story. That was very shocking. I had forgotten that she dated the actor Eddie Murphy too. It was good, though and I gave it to my husband to read on his commute.

I have the new book by Dilly (from the show Sort Your Life Out) to read today. Hopefully she will inspire me to do some more organising and decluttering. I have the Paris Hilton memoir to read afterwards. I don't know why I've sudenly become so interested in autobiographies. I did go through a phase of reading "psychological thrillers" but they got a bit samey.

I'm going to get dressed, go out for a walk round the park and then come back to read the Dilly book. I haven't been out in a couple days because of my eyes and I feel quite achy. I've been getting my steps in around the house but it doesn't feel the same as being outside. At least it isn't raining as well.:)

Floss

Nelliegrace said:

I have added a link for Rhonda’s Laundry Liquid.   

I'm obviously being a bit dense as I can't see a link anywhere?

helensbiggestfan

Magic Monday 

Good Morning my lovely friends,  hope you all had a wonderful weekend.  I had a lovely time, spent mainly with family, being spoilt rotten for Mothers Day.  

Anyway here we are .........another week.  Not sure what I'll be doing this week, hopefully getting out into the garden a bit.  

Magic Monday for me today means another visit to the dentist......😱😂.   That's about as exciting and as magical as it will get today.  

Hey ho, never mind, just need to think of the long term benefits. Keep plugging away.