Fabulously Frugal and Free at 50!

Hello folks - tis I, again. I've been on the boards for a goodly while now and learn new things on here everyday from the MSE angels here. :A Thank you all!

So I'm 50 soon and no idea how that happened and I've been making a wee list with the family. So, in order to push that final bit of debt finally away and let myself be free at 50, I've decided to make my number 1 thing on my list to be debt free by 50.

Current debt is at just under £6k (plus pesky student loan which is in hand), having been at almost £35k before I found you all, we all know MSE works, as does focus. So here I am.

The plan is as always to eat frugally, use YS and free food where we can and throw the extra at the cards and OD's where I can. Having just ditched the p/t job - I'm feeling a bit all at sea. I'm 500/month down and need to pull my socks up to make sure it doesn't feel so ouchy.

I've a f/t job as a gardener in a large old estate - so whilst the pay is uber-modest, I'm lucky enough that it is both secure, nurturing, and nourishing (for body and soul) as its beautiful but we also grow a lot of veg there! I can't complain - I teach, I grow and I am finding working full time really suits me, I'm super lucky I work in something I'm really really passionate about I know I'm so totally grateful for that part of my life. You see you study forever, but still a job sneaks up on you. Darn that gardening gene :P

So here's the 50 list. The plan is to do as many of these as frugally as possible whilst having as much fun and living as fully as possible. Yes, I'm trying to be THAT cheap date, so I need to do some planning and find cunning ways to get that list done as frugally as possible.

Fabulously Frugal and Free at 50! Lets do this.

1 – BE DEBT FREE
2 – 50 random acts of kindness :A 2/50
3 - Have a pedicure
4 - Miso making - learn to make my own miso
5 – Have at least ONE adventure each month, close or far away 1/12 done 2 more booked :T
6 - Go to Iceland (like in real life not just for frozen food, or both or to a talk/exhibition)
7 – Have a henna tattoo
8 - Charity shop bonanza – every, last one in my county at least and/or go to as many as each place I visit next year?
9 - Stay in St Andrews for a night
10 - Grow groundnuts, sweet potatoes and some other exotic veg I’ve always wanted to
11 - Visit a garden show
12 – NHM with DS if possible or the whole family or a chum but GO!
13 - Walk the local coastal path 112 milesmore bits done with EH
14 - Design a garden for myself and make it
15 – Keep a gratitude diary, like actively keep one started 12/10/17
16 - Give blood
17 - Go to a yoga retreat or just a class
18 - Mocktails somewhere fabulous
19 – Have a family photo taken
20 – Grow a spice cupboard (ginger, turmeric, etc etc) why not tumeric planted
21 – Have a ski lesson
22 – Walk the Water of Leith
23 – See a mentor speak
24 – Have a ‘mate date’ once a month and find something ridiculous to do for free 1/12
25 – Go to an online chum meet up and/or meet up with online chums :money: 1/many I hope
26 – Visit my favourite people at least once this year, no excuses 3 faves visited since this list. :T
27 – Make a vegetarian meal at least once a week started 5/10/17
28 – Print photos of the family and adventures and frame them
29 – Make a new memory heart quilt – the kids each have one as does DH but not me
30 – Float in the sea in a rubber ring with gay abandon
31 – Restart my blog – I miss writing
32 - Make a hat
33 – Start a recipe book for myself
[STRIKE]34 – Make a proper pantry[/STRIKE]
35 – Find somewhere to volunteer
36 – Take a photo every day for a year to capture something special
37 – Try a dance class or Zumba
38 – Try an alternative therapy
39 – Wear a beautiful frock to an event
40 – Have afternoon tea in the garden with a friend
41 – Have singing lesson or join a local choir
42 - BBQ on the beach
43 – At least one trip with us all and one weekend with us all at home, or just ONE night
44 – Go to a costume party
45 – Grow as much of my own food and cordial as I can
46 – Get chickens (again)
47 – Eat at some crazy hidden restaurants for as frugal as possible
48 – Have a picnic
49 – Take a long train journey
50 – Have a really good haircut or change the style, why not

Let the fabulous frugal games begin.