Frugal until 60!

Hopefuljoy · 26 November 2018 at 9:00PM

Thanks Candygirl! You are really encouraging. I love travelling and me and DD go camping in Europe to keep costs down. Teaching is really tough and I did have some very good years before it went wrong. It was time to bow out! I forgot to answer a couple of questions in my last post. I get great use out of the Cineworld card as I go about 3-4 times a month and likewise the Amazon Prime gets used a lot. Both of those are really good value for me.

candygirl · 26 November 2018 at 9:08PM

Hopefuljoy wrote: »

Thanks Candygirl! You are really encouraging. I love travelling and me and DD go camping in Europe to keep costs down. Teaching is really tough and I did have some very good years before it went wrong. It was time to bow out! I forgot to answer a couple of questions in my last post. I get great use out of the Cineworld card as I go about 3-4 times a month and likewise the Amazon Prime gets used a lot. Both of those are really good value for me.

Yea I've got Prime, also meerkat movies n meals, which is fab as the cinema is next to my fave Mexican restaurant

My best friend is having horrific stress as a teacher, n envies me, despite being on a fab wage:eek:
This site has been a saviour for me! Get on the old style forum for more money saving advice xx

Hopefuljoy · 30 November 2018 at 8:48PM

What a week! Had a mammogram to finish it all off today and it's all clear which is a really big relief.

Have saved money with gas and electric and cancelling my life insurance and today I got paid. Phew!

This evening I've put £205 into my foreseeable expenses account, £60 to my DD, £100 into long term savings and the usual £265 into my monthly cash account to cover food, household essentials, petrol and teas out with friends and family.

I also did Christmas shopping online.

Gifts are as follows-

£9.50 M&S tie for my father
£7 for two books for one neice (Amazon is doing two for £7 on a mix of really up to date titles to cover all age ranges).
£10 on the latest Robert Galbraith for my mother
£11 on a CD and a book for middle sister
£10 on two books my younger sister really wants
£20 on a le crueset mug and some make up for DD

For two friends I got special offers from M&S. They have 50 percent off toiletries so I got two lovely Rose fragrance ones for £2.50 each.

All I have to get now is a present for one neice and my brother in law and three friends.

Most of all I'm really pleased that I am sticking totally to budget (we all agreed on £10 each with my daughter and I spending £20 on each other.)

Tomorrow I will take the money out of the monthly foreseeable costs and replace what I used from my cash account.

Expenses this weekend will be the usual food and petrol together with tea with friends on Sunday and then in the afternoon with family.

There's one unusual one which is a takeaway curry tomorrow with a friend who's coming to watch Strictly. I'll have to plan what I'm getting so I don't go wild!!!!!

That's all to report today. Now it's Bones on Amazon Prime and an early night!

Hope you're all doing well this week and see you soon. x

Hopefuljoy · 1 December 2018 at 11:42PM

Strictly was great tonight and it's got to the stage where I can't tell who is going to be voted out! Had a lovely curry and managed to keep it to £12.50 which will be divided between the months weekly allowance for fun/ teas etc.

Today was a bit spendy so I got quite nervous about the budget. Had to get dog food and trainer mats for Mr P, had his nails clipped, and bought a birthday present for a friend. So £11.98 for dog food/mats, £7 for his nails, £25 on petrol, £10 on friends present.

The £7 Will be transferred from my foreseeable expenses back into my cash account as will the £10 birthday present. I have £10 left for food next week!

On the food front I need to get bread, milk, peppers, mushrooms, cheese, worn sandwich filling and alpro yogurts.

Breakfast will be granola every day, lunch a roll, yogurt and piece of fruit and dinner will be a freezer raid!

I'm going to plan dinners tomorrow and prep for them so I don't get tempted by extra shopping. Fortunately my freezer is full and I have lots of cupboard staples so I won't starve.

I'm going to post on here to keep myself on track. Goodnight from Mr P the Yorkie, the three cats and me. xx

candygirl · 1 December 2018 at 11:45PM

What breed is Mr P hun? I have two young staffies aka the Furnutters :rotfl:
ETA Just seen that he's a Yorkie.No idea how I missed that bit

D_M_E · 2 December 2018 at 12:04AM

You're doing well but - may have missed it - you have an interest only mortgage and do not appear to have listed any form of savings to clear it when its term is up.

Is this correct?

Hopefuljoy · 2 December 2018 at 5:20AM

Hello Candygirl and DME, nice to hear from you! You are right DME, my plan is to downsize when the time comes as I have a lot of equity in my home. I don't earn enough any more to pay it off and have made the decision to take the mental burden off and reconcile myself to moving.

Candygirl, I have my DDs Yorkie who is a real gentleman in a dog's body. He is curled up next to me on my bed right now. The three cats are all girls. There's a fluffy black and white one, a fuzzy rather snooty silver tabby and a smooth haired little black one. She and Mr P are devoted to one another!

I wasn't an animal person until my children begged me post divorce. It's amazing how having these four in our lives has helped us. They've been very healing. I was thinking tonight that it's 12 years since we had to leave and since then we've been through some very challenging times. Through it all these small creatures have been there in the background ready for a play and a hug. There were times when they must have been worried we'd anxiously stroke all their fur off!!!:eek:

I'd best go back to sleep now. Not sure why I'm awake but at this age I need all the beauty sleep I can get!!

D_M_E · 2 December 2018 at 11:48AM

What a bright, cheery outlook you have.

Downsizing - seems like a good plan but make sure you choose the right home for you and your companions and, reading between the lines I think you also need to downsize your waistline somewhat.

Good fortune on your journey and always look forward, never ever look back - the past has been and gone but face the future, whatever it brings, with strength and vigour and most of all be what you want to be, not what others think you should.

Hopefuljoy · 2 December 2018 at 4:48PM

Thank you for your kind and sage advice DME. And you are right, my waistline needs to diminish somewhat. That is incorporated into the plan and I have downloaded the NHS healthy eating app to start making inroads. For once I'm motivated by health which is always the best way.

I've recently read Jane Fonda's Primetime which is highly motivational. I'd recommend it for anyone in a state of transition into their fifties or even earlier.

The cunning plan is to save enough to buy a lightweight caravan in the next five years and spend as many weekends and holidays as possibly travelling. I love my freedom and much as I like my home I am more curious about the world!

Must go now as an late lunch is beeping in the oven. Leftover curry! Love it!

candygirl · 2 December 2018 at 5:22PM

Loving the idea of the caravan.When I was married we had a touring caravan, n used to go all over with the dogs.The deserted sites near Scottish beaches were fab.We just used to open the van door, n the dogs could run straight on to the beach

I'm lucky in that I don't have a mortgage, but am not working due to I'll health, so I have to manage my money well.
My long term goal is to downsize n move to Spain, but not while Mum's still around

Frugal until 60!

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