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Hello Forumites! However well-intentioned, for the safety of other users we ask that you refrain from seeking or offering medical advice. This includes recommendations for medicines, procedures or over-the-counter remedies. Posts or threads found to be in breach of this rule will be removed.Slow Living 2024 - Doing It Old Style!
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Hello everyone
Glad you are starting to feel better NannyG.
Savingmore,I retired in 2021 and it was quite an adjustment. Only now am I beginning to look forward instead of backwards. At first I was really resentful about certain people and situations which I had been enduring and which I am sure contributed to my poor health. The sudden loss of income was a shock too but now I am grateful for it.
At first it was a struggle but I was determined to pay off my debts which have almost gone. And now to embrace slow living.
I have decluttered my home and it is much easier to keep clean and is more restful. Everything is old/ second hand/ a cast off ,or a gift. I have time to care for it and it feels homely .
I rarely shop. Haven't needed much in the way of clothes for 2 years. ( only exception is shoes and socks,I have funny feet! )
I have difficulty carrying shopping and no longer drive. I have 1 or 2 supermarket deliveries a month for cleaning supplies ,cooking ingredients etc. I have discovered an organic butchers where I can by as small amount as I need ,although I mostly eat vegetarian now . There is a nice little old fashioned greengrocers a ( bus pass) journey away. Everything I can home cook I do. I am planning to go back to home made cleaning materials as much as possible. I find that being more mindful makes you very aware of waste and what goes down our drains .
As someone said above it does take time for habits to form and yes ,it is a good time of year for planning ,savingmore .14 -
I have my own thread where I like to keep my thoughts (I find it difficult to report twice in different places) but like the theme of this thread so will be following along to both learn and cheer everyone along 😊@savingmore, perhaps something voluntary would bridge the gap between stopping work and being fully ‘retired’ iyswim, make it less of a cliff edge in terms of stimulation and activity?KKAs at 15.04.24:
- When bought house £315,995 mortgage debt and end date at start = October 2039 <gulp>, now £253,994, end date brought closer by 2 months
- OPs to mortgage = £5,965, Interest saved £2,124, to date
- LTV 51% @ccord, 51% Yopa
Fixed rate 2.17% ends October 2024
Read 16 books of target 52 in 2024 (as @ 6th May)
Produce tracker: £25.45 of £300
Watch your thoughts, they become your words. Watch your words, they become your actions. Watch your actions, they become your reality.10 -
Hello all,
Good day so far, allocated my monthly budget and created a 5 year financial plan.
Stashed some pigs in blankets, slices of gammon, turkey bits in the freezer and chopped up some mushrooms and pepper that were going over and put in freezer too.
my husband whipped up 3 pizza bases using some Greek yoghurt that we got on olio yesterday. Put these in the freezer too for an easy tea.
freezer is very full so will be saving pennies in January by meal planning from the freezer.Going to embrace the “slow” tonight by starting a Christmas puzzle and putting a film on. Lighting the fire and having some treats with the kids as husband is out.Feeling positive about the new year (which after a rough 3 years I am feeling rather happy and content about).
focusing on the small steps and daily tasks I can do to live simply and save pennies and hoping the big goals sort themselves out along the way.IWAB x2024 - happy, healthy, quality over quantity, buy nothing new (and 2nd hand only if NEEDED), mindful spending, nurturing myself and family, living for now.
Mortgage @ 31/12/23 £248k - too high, interest rate gone up - want this down asap!
Debt @ 31/12/23 £16k - no interest - will clear over 5 years hopefully.
Emergency savings £4k - been ransacked over last year - needs attention :-(16 -
I will be following with interest.🤩
I am planning on moving house in 2024 or 2025 so I want to save some money as well as declutter. I had a lot of tedious repair work done in my house this year and so I feel like I can finally focus on what I need to do and enjoy living here while I can. I want to batch cook more now I have a kitchen back. I'm going to make a curry with the leftover xmas veg this evening.10 -
Would love to jump onboard with you all. I just want to live a slow and simple life and not be pressured into a way of life or doing things I don't want to do because of family or peer pressure. I have been vegan for five years, have had an allotment for two years and enjoy preserving and canning.our produce. We cook most of our meals from scratch but I do buy some mock meat items or a convenience products which I hope to reduce using but not eliminate as I do enjoy a vegan sausage bap every Saturday - I am guilty of being a creature of habit!
I gave up my job in April this year after many years with local authority with the intention of having six months off but have managed to stretch it to now and will try for four more months before savings get too low. OH retires in the the summer so although he will have a good pension we would struggle a bit if I don't find a part-time job. We do already live quite simply and although mortgage free from the summer, other outgoings we have to pay for such as council tax, insurance, utilities, broadband, phones, memberships etc, well, they do mount up don't they. Where I can save a bit is on our food bill which I hope to do by meal planning and working through our freezers and tins lurking about on storage shelves in the garage. We also have lots of potatoes and squash stored too so any recipe suggestions welcome for these.
My other intention is to declutter and reduce my clothes and craft items. I do have a lot of clothes, but these I have had for many years as I'm not good at getting rid of things that are in perfectly good condition. Lots have been given to me by my sister who tires of things quickly or they are handmade by me or are charity shop purchases. At this very moment I am wearing jeans my sister gave me in 2015 a jumper bought in a charity shop even earlier than that and a pair of boots about six years old. I wear so few of what I have but keep them simply because I like them or because they have memories. If I can reduce by a third I will be happy and luckily I am just not tempted to go to clothes shopping. Fabric shopping is another vice entirely though...
So there we have me, sorry my introduction so long, am never frugal with words 😁.
Am looking forward to sharing the coming year with you all.
TVOL
17 -
Welcome aboard @KajiKita, @Wednesday2000 and @Thevalueofless😁
It's lovely to see so many people on here - I think that many of us are realising that leading a more intentional and slow existence is a gateway to a happier and healthier life! I'm really looking forward to establishing and embedding the routines that will benefit both myself and my immediate environment despite knowing that it's going to be a bit tricky and challenging at times - I know that all change is disruptive at first but I am keeping my eye firmly on the prize; once this becomes a way of life, I will have genuine freedom 😁 2024 is the year I'm going to get myself happy!!!
Like many of us, this hiatus in proceedings between the main bits of the festive season is time for me to get organised ready for Monday - the relatives have left the building and it's the day to start getting myself and the house sorted!!
My plan for the day is to clean the house (I'm putting on some music and I'm actually going to be present in the moment - I love my house and should get pleasure from making it look how I want it to look as opposed to seeing cleaning as a chore - my intention is to eventually be able to see the process as a meditation practice); do all the laundry (bedsheets, towels etc are all requiring attention following the visitors); sort out the fridge and remaining fresh food and prepare, use and/or store whatever needs using etc; do a food inventory of all food in the house; prepare the meal plan for the first week in January; write shopping list of anything required; complete first writing task.
Food today will be whatever needs eating/using up - I won't know what that is until I sort the fridge! 😉
My main focus in January will be establishing and embedding my intended morning routine so tomorrow, I am going to have a practice run. With the house being cleaned properly and the non-daily laundry being completed today, tomorrow will closely resemble my general day to day existence (apart from DH being at home) so it will be nice to get a feel for how it's all going to work out. It will also mean that I can get an asana practice in for the first time in weeks and prepare me for starting the 30 day YWA Breath programme on 1st. I was going to do the new Flow programme but I think that I need something a bit more subdued and fundemental to kick start the process. I am also going to sort out the veg planting plans for 2024 tomorrow which includes going through my seeds and listing what I need to replace/buy. I bought some jerusalem artichokes on Wednesday which I will be planting in the spring in the flower bed I am converting in the front garden to increase my veg growing space! I'm really looking forward to throwing myself into nurturing my garden in 2024 - growing my own food is really important to me in my Slow-Living journey - I think that the positive impact it will have on my mental and physical health as well as helping me meet my sustainability goals will be immense. It's very exciting!!
Tilly Tidy Fund 2024: £80.86/£100
Weight loss challenge 2024:
4/24lbs
1st quarter starting weight: 9st 13.1lb
2nd quarter starting weight: 9st 9.2lb
3rd quarter starting weight:
4th quarter starting weight:
GC 2024 - Annual Target: £2712- Running total:£764.12/£2712
Monthly Target: £226
Jan: £74.12; Feb: £300; Mar: £190; Apr: £200; May: £; Jun: £; Jul: £; Aug: £; Sep: £; Oct: £; Nov: £; Dec: £18 -
Morning everyone
As leftatthetrafficlights said, slow living will mean different things to different people, and I thought if I share my thoughts and aims for 2024, and then through using this thread to update, I can hopefully achieve this.
1) Health; I want to lose weight to boost my confidence and feel better in my clothes. I’ve put on weight through the peri-menopause and it’s getting me down. I’m aiming for a stone and a half weight loss in 2024. This will also mean I can wear more of the clothes I have in my wardrobe.I enjoy walking, and want to ensure I get out every day and fill my lungs with fresh air. I need to vary my walks a little, and be more aware of watching the seasons change and just the nature that is around me.
I also believe sleep is really important, so I want to maintain a bedtime routine, to help aid decent sleep.
2) Relationships; I’m a social creature and social contact is really important in maintaining my well-being. I want to invest in the relationships that are important to me, this might be planning a date night or break away with my partner, days out with the kids or family, or a walk, cuppa and chinwag with a friend.
3) Organisation; I like to be organised and love ticking things off a list, but I set high (often unrealistic) standards, and then feel cross with myself when I don’t achieve it.
I’m going to work on smaller achievable tasks completed regularly to keep on top of the housework, batch cook, meal planning and shopping from a list (which takes into account what’s already in the fridge, freezer and cupboards).4) Well-being; I’m going to give myself more time to do the things I want to do, like reading, completing a jigsaw, pottering in the garden, or even a candlelit soak in the bath without feeling guilty.I already feel calmer just by outlining these ideas, now let’s see if I can do it!
x13 -
Thanks @leftatthetrafficlights 😊
@Smudgeismydog, totally get you on the weight gain and the setting too high expectations and then getting frustrated with self when I don’t meet them …. 🙄😂 We can commiserate and cheer each other on 😊
In the the general theme of this board I did some googling on ‘how to disconnect from work’ each day as it takes me over when I am working. I have got quite good at working sensible hours (partly because the commute is so hideous if I don’t) but mentally I am still far too wrapped up in it. I always go back to work intending to do better each year / after each holiday but within a few days, I am back to the whirling dervish head I always have - it’s exhausting and actually not good for my productivity in work, let alone being me out of it. I have set 4 strategies that I will start over the next few days so I have begun a habit before the tsunami overcomes me:
1. Continue getting out for a walk each day at lunchtimes - mostly it’s dry enough and I have found this has helped a lot with focus in the afternoons. I want to add a layer though and use this time to reflect on me, with my guides and archetypes and see what if anything needs to be let go of or changed. If I can’t settle enough to do this extra layer, try walking with consciousness of the soles of my feet and feeling of grounding.2. Put my personal mobile in my desk drawer apart from in breaks. It is vanishingly rare that anyone rings me on it during the day and I can pick up messages a lunch times / natural breaks. I have recently had a huge reboot of my laptop and work mobile (firmware issues on the former and forgot the on the latter 🙄) and I’ve noticed that both have stopped sending me notifications for Teams, emails etc. It’s so much easier to focus. I’m hoping that shutting *my* phone away will stop me coming out of work being quite so overstimulated by the end of the day. I will put my car keys with my phone so I can’t forget it! 😉
3. Each evening, before I get out of the car, chant one round of the Heart Sutra. The intention here is to use it as a cleansing of the day, including the commute, and a grounding so that as I step into my life (get out of the car) I am back to being me.4. I have asked Mr KK, now that the worst of the DIY is paused, to cook at least one night in the week, so I get some time back. I will use this time to do things that matter to me - weeding, reading, crafting. As part of this one I also want to spend less time mindlessly scrolling FB.Sharing this here in case it gives others ideas but also some accountability for me! 😳😉😊
KKAs at 15.04.24:
- When bought house £315,995 mortgage debt and end date at start = October 2039 <gulp>, now £253,994, end date brought closer by 2 months
- OPs to mortgage = £5,965, Interest saved £2,124, to date
- LTV 51% @ccord, 51% Yopa
Fixed rate 2.17% ends October 2024
Read 16 books of target 52 in 2024 (as @ 6th May)
Produce tracker: £25.45 of £300
Watch your thoughts, they become your words. Watch your words, they become your actions. Watch your actions, they become your reality.17 -
joining in here.. leftatthetrafficlights. wonderful thread.... Introducing myself...
I have changed to vegetarian 3 years ago and looking to going to vegan in 2024.
I grow some food, I practice yoga, I do cold showers and looking to do wild swimming. I have 2 labradors and enjoy walking with them.
Very happy and content with my life at the moment..
good luck to all in 2024
Gill5bluepay all debts off 2023-No 30 paid £3340.45/£794115 -
One of the things that comes up frequently with Slow Living is getting enough sleep/recovering from burn-out etc.. I came across this TED talk the other day and it gave me an interesting outlook on rest and sleep.
https://ideas.ted.com/the-7-types-of-rest-that-every-person-needs/?utm_content=2023-12-28&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=social&fbclid=IwAR0-GB8bh4zskocrap2nbWrLPt_EemRQ0cRFKeHpNTCv_IKPr6eGCRuruXU
I'm definitely one of the people who can sleep for 8 hours and wake up exhausted. I've bookmarked the page so that I can try and identify how to wake up ready to face the day with enthusiasm.
I'm also hoping once I get my house, to grow some of my own food. I have to be realistic about ageing and the joint problems I'm now getting but there's a lot I can still grow in a small place and being outside in nature, be it garden or out in the woods etc., is wonderful for me.
Here's to a wonderful 2024 for us all. 💕
2024 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN 🏅💐⭐️
2024 FASHION ON THE RATION 9/66coupons12
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