My Old Style 'Full Circle' - Sorry, bit long

beemuzed

This post has really hit home with me too - our early married life was very much on a shoe string with OS as normal, but when eventually I returned to teaching (when DS1 and 2 were almost through Primary school) life changed. More money, but far less time. Wonder how much of our joint excess weight is due to the fact that we too had people to clean and garden as neither of us either had time or energy. Things have changed over the past couple of years with far more meals cooked from scratch (by DH - semi-retired!) but I so long to get this final year of work over, all debts cleared, and then enjoy having time to do all the things I really enjoyed (sewing, cooking, walking, reading, etc.) Thanks so much for sharing your story

furrypig

Wow what an amazing story!

I'm so glad you turned it all around, I often think the people with the least are the happiest as they find all the things money can't buy yet when you have money you want to spend it and it can so easily get out of control!

When I worked as a community midwife it never ceased to surprise me that the people living n a bedsit with several children, little income and usually from a BME background always wanted to give me drinks, snacks etc etc yet those living in mansions (I worked in London so the area was very diverse) turned their noses up at me at times (well it felt like that!). I learnt some good lessons from these people and hopefully have always appreciated those working to help me/ those I work with as it doesn't cost much to be polite or smile!

Gosh your fab thread has got me all sentimental and philisophical (?sp?)

Well done you hugs xxx

thriftlady_2

apinnyon wrote: »

All per month
Takeaways - £300 (Yes really)
Food & booze - £500ish (Yes, on top of the takeaways and most of it ended up in the bin as I was too tired/lazy to cook it and bought takeaway instead)
Gardener - £35
Cleaner - £250
Ironing - £100
Childcare - £240

Total £1425

I was only bringing home £1795!!!!!!!:eek:

The only one of those I have now is food which is about £400 per month.

I was in a pickle wasn't I?

An excellent example of how so often a second income is not worth it. I realise that for some every penny of income is vital, but if you are thinking about giving up work to stay at home with kids (or even without them) then figures like these are worth considering. Add to those the additional work-related costs of; smart work clothes, travel to and from work, incidentals like collections for colleagues, sponsoring colleagues for various things, buying cakes for everyone when it's your birthday etc.....

ceridwen

Welcome home :beer:

apinnyon

oh beemuzed, I am so glad I'm not the only one. I cook, sew, walk and read every day now and appreciate every minute of it.

furrypig - You are so right - it doen't cost anything to be helpful and polite. When I first left work I encountered a little snobbery from some of DH colleagues wives "Gosh, I couldn't POSSIBLY stay at home" that type of thing. It's funny though that two of them are in the process of getting divorced at the moment.

apinnyon

Yep thriftlady, all those extras as well, plus the dinner money for both children and me and DH as I never had time for packed lunches. Now they only have school dinner on a Friday as it's chips day and the only time they get 'em!

Olliebeak

Welcome back to sanity, apinnyon!

I too have come back to OS ways in the last few months. I have to admit that I am finding it quite easy as my job is 'home-based' (I am a Sheltered Scheme Manager with an office in my house) so don't have to travel to/from work like most people do. I have work colleagues that I see about every 4-6 weeks on a work-basis, but we don't actually have a social-network so no work/social stuff going on there (phew!). I am on a reasonable (but not fabulous) income. We are not car-owners. We don't travel abroad for holidays. All my children are now grown with families of their own but grandchildren are one of my expenses :rolleyes:.

Our holidays are spent in Scotland (self-catering in a caravan), we travel by national express coach to get there and public transport to go sightseeing (can work out quite expensive!!) - THAT is our main annual expense which I REFUSE to compromise on as neither of us drink or smoke.

I rely quite a lot on my Slow Cooker (and Pressure Cooker) which provides a meal on the day (without having to pay it loads of attention) and usually some for another day to put in the freezer. I have started doing home-made soups which have gone down very well indeed. I make most of my own clothes, OH is a charity shop junkie! and I've recently rediscovered my knitting/crocheting talents (dgd2 arrived in back in Oct).


It's amazing how it's the simple things in my life that I value the most these days. I cringe when I think back to my single days (admittedly about 35 years ago) and how much I worked to live and lived to work. I always worked full-time in an office for a large corporation AND part-time most evenings in a bar. I was out every night of the week (either work or play!) and NEVER had any spare money. Where did it all fritter away to?

G-G_4

Ever since I went bankrupt I have been doing things to save money, Old style way.. and it's brilliant.. it makes me so much happier than wasting money on things we 'think' we need!

taplady

Thanks for sharing your story with us Appinyon, it made a lot of sense!:T

balmaiden

Thanks for sharing your story with us. It reminded me very much of myself, although O/H and I thankfully never got ourselves in debt and in latter years learnt to save in earnest for our old age,we did for a few years live up to our income and spend needlessly.
On the DFW board they speak of their lightbulb moment regarding their debts. I had an OS lightbulb moment when I found myself buying ready mashed potato because I was too tired to cook potatos one night!!!!!!!!!
I sat down that evening and worked out that I was actually working one day a week for the taxman, one day a week to run a car souly to enable me to get to work and one day a week to purchase clothes for work and things like pre -prepared mash! Utter madness, that out of my stressful five days a week, I was in reality only receiving two days pay, if that makes any sense

Thankfully I am now early retired, Hubbie retiring early,shortly and life is running as it should again.Sanity restored.