The Edcawber Principle

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  • edinburgher
    edinburgher Posts: 13,450
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    You have totally inspired me about my debt, paying a little bit here and a little bit there. Most of mine is related to my new business and I know that a lot of this will get paid down when I sell more gifts and use the packaging up. But I do have a little personal debt and I think I will be selling stuff and paying down...

    Now I am in business I feel a responsibility to do my bit for the environment. I recycle all I can - kitchen waste and a lot of cardboard and paper (egg boxes and flour packaging). I also package my baked goods in paper bags on the stall (which if you buy in bulk are not that expensive) and I give out paper carriers - small and large (though I do need to look at something a little stronger this Christmas - just a few...). Most of my gift packaging with the exception of shrink wrap bags is reusable or recyclable. I know it's only a small contribution - but I have always tried to do my bit in whatever way I can.

    When did you drive from Glasgow to Broadstairs? Broadstairs was our holiday place where I was a child (grandma had a house down there so free holidays) - been back a couple of times as an adult and I still love it. I have a relative down there. It's become quite a nice foodie place now (well it had last time I went) with some lovely restaurants...maybe time for another visit.

    Will endeavour to keep up to date and take inspiration where I can.

    MCI

    Glad I could be of some inspiration. I think our debt was accumulated through years of small purchases and bills and attacking it in an ad hoc fashion seems a good idea, turning the problem back on itself.

    Back when I was a far more trendy young person, I used to run a small business importing band merchandise wholesale and reselling on eBay. I got used to the idea that a bit of (very) short term debt was fine if it would lead to greater profits down the line. I still remember the excitement of higher margin items selling shortly after you'd listed them, mentally counting down the days 'til profit :)

    It's great to hear someone doing their best to reduce business waste. It benefits your bottom line as well, because avoided costs on packaging save you having to incur the odd expense as well. Is there not such a thing as cellulose shrink wrap? You could probably afford a wee blurb on your site about your green credentials (an eco policy statement or the like), it's a perfectly normal thing for businesses to do and people like to buy from retailers who think about such things. Another idea might be to have a tick box for 'no packaging' or similar for people who wanted hamper contents shipped in minimal packaging? Apart from the shrink wrap, you could almost become a zero waste business....

    We drove to Broadstairs last year after discovering it about 10 years ago when we were working in London. I really like the English seaside. The food is a great mix of haute cuisine and very traditional (so a tasting meal followed by fish and chips and a seaside ice cream cone) :D It's a possible retirement location for me; I could so be the old boy in the seaside retirement flat watching the world go by with a telescope :rotfl:
    Ed you ancient thing, you. 35!!

    Loved the reference to the Aspidistra Novel. I found it painfully, bleakly funny reading.

    I'm Captain salt and pepper over here... With the odd bit of red, it's an odd combo.

    I love KTAF, Orwell in general, I find that few other authors have managed to portray the 'small man' so well and he can have me in stitches talking frankly about the !!!! monotony of middle class life ;)
    We were very aware when the council rolled out their scheme that the majority of it would go to be incinerated and create power - not what we intended.

    I don't know what our Council does with our recycling, I should know that. In the past week, I've been trying hard to think about avoiding the creation of waste, it's tricky. Examples would be silly things, like using up a ramekin of shop bought pate, going to recycle it and thinking "wait a minute, this is a great little dish that I can reuse". Then I pan out and I'm sitting there thinking "did I really need this in the first place"?

    Have had a bit of a shock weighing myself yesterday, so calorie counting, eating less meat and avoiding processed foods will need to be the order of business :o
  • Broadstairs has always been one of the most untouched seaside towns and if you are into Blues, apparently they host a festival there (my friend and I who spent a lot of time together as children and in Broadstairs intend to do this trip at some point). Did you go to Morellis on the front at Viking Bay? - best knickerbocker glory ever....

    I will defiantly put it on my list to put an Eco type policy of my Web site when I am next updating, it is something I feel strongly about and would like to do my bit.

    January is a bad month to be thinking about too much on the weight loss front (at least from a food point of view). It's cold, miserable and there is too much Christmas food still in the cupboards. Maybe up your activity but still have those comforting meals to make you feel good (even if they are a little calorific). My philosophy is that you need calories and comfort in January.

    MCI
    Mortgage Free x 1 03.11.2012 - House rented out Feb 2016
    Mortgage No 2: £82, 595.61 (31.08.2019)
    OP's to Date £8500

    Renovation Fund:£511.39;
    Nectar Points Balance: approx £30 (31.08.2019)
  • Did you go to Morellis on the front at Viking Bay? - best knickerbocker glory ever....

    That brings back some happy childhood memories for me :)
    Mortgage at highest (April 2008): ~£195,000
    Mortgage-free: January 2021
    Retired: June 2022 (186 months early!)
  • Karmacat
    Karmacat Posts: 39,460
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    Yay to eco policies coming out of genuine concern. And yay to Broadstairs - I've never been, but I was discussing East Kent just yesterday, as a potential place for a Sun holibob.
    2023: the year I get to buy a car
  • edinburgher
    edinburgher Posts: 13,450
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    Did you go to Morellis on the front at Viking Bay? - best knickerbocker glory ever....

    January is a bad month to be thinking about too much on the weight loss front (at least from a food point of view). It's cold, miserable and there is too much Christmas food still in the cupboards. Maybe up your activity but still have those comforting meals to make you feel good (even if they are a little calorific). My philosophy is that you need calories and comfort in January.

    Yes! The first time we visited we stayed in a pokey wee converted cottage that was down the lane perhaps 2 blocks away :j

    I'm using MFP to count calories, but I'm not starving myself by any stretch of the imagination. Luckily we've eaten a lot of our Christmas goodies, so one less temptation!

    Went for a 6 mile walk to the Necropolis today. I'd never visited it before and it was amazing! Such inspiring architecture, memorials and views :) Now it feels like my legs have been sawn off, but I'll survive :rotfl:
  • That brings back some happy childhood memories for me :)

    And me MWC...☺
    Mortgage Free x 1 03.11.2012 - House rented out Feb 2016
    Mortgage No 2: £82, 595.61 (31.08.2019)
    OP's to Date £8500

    Renovation Fund:£511.39;
    Nectar Points Balance: approx £30 (31.08.2019)
  • Sigh...nice memories.

    Glad you are not starving you self Ed...nothing worse in this weather, doesn't give you an incentive I think. Well done on the walk...I am sure that your legs will grow back 😂

    MCI
    Mortgage Free x 1 03.11.2012 - House rented out Feb 2016
    Mortgage No 2: £82, 595.61 (31.08.2019)
    OP's to Date £8500

    Renovation Fund:£511.39;
    Nectar Points Balance: approx £30 (31.08.2019)
  • edinburgher
    edinburgher Posts: 13,450
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    Another Monday morning and the weather is miserable :eek: We had a lovely weekend with an informal family gathering and some immediate family QT.

    I think I managed to pick the last decent day for a walk yesterday. Legs still aching, but should be able to manage to start week 5 of C25K this evening (now up to 3* 5 minute runs with 3 minute walking intervals) :j

    £570.92 paid off CC (my weekly payment, our money from 'free' Council Tax money for February and a very small amount of cashback from TCB. Spreadsheets updated and NW has taken a dive for the month, but it was expected. Essentially what has happened was that it went up by £500, but I spent £1,000 on Am@zon vouchers :D That still seems like a sensible plan to me - have picked up a few grocery items, a couple of very small purchases for DD and some electronic items that needed replaced (mobile phone screen protector and cover, a battery bank to replace the one I lent to a colleague who is off on long term sickness absence). All budgeted for and we now have £135 worth of M0rrison's vouchers sitting to be used.

    After a comment from Greent, I discovered that our childcare voucher provider also offers decent discounts on quite a few retailers, for example 7-8% off John Lew1s/D3benhams/0deon.

    Still, this month will be relatively tight as we're saving holiday spending money for May and I'll be attending the Calcutta Cup and beer is expensive :o Financial discipline for the month will see us trying to stay in budget (hopefully our 3rd month in a row) and listing some items for sale on either eB@y or Am@zon. I've started off with a computing book, but it's a pretty dry topic and will take a while to sell.

    Hope everyone else is enjoying their Monday :coffee:
  • Karmacat
    Karmacat Posts: 39,460
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    After a comment from Greent, I discovered that our childcare voucher provider also offers decent discounts on quite a few retailers, for example 7-8% off John Lew1s/D3benhams/0deon.

    Still, this month will be relatively tight as we're saving holiday spending money for May and I'll be attending the Calcutta Cup and beer is expensive :o :TFinancial discipline for the month will see us trying to stay in budget (hopefully our 3rd month in a row) and listing some items for sale on either eB@y or Am@zon. I've started off with a computing book, but it's a pretty dry topic and will take a while to sell.

    Hope everyone else is enjoying their Monday :coffee:
    I noticed that comment from greent, but I couldn't remember which thread, so thanks for that, Ed, thats great.

    And re-starting selling online: when my January Financial Bleurgh (English accounts, French accounts and home and contents insurance) are all done, thats the thing I'm going for.

    Enjoy your Monday too. Have another :coffee:
    2023: the year I get to buy a car
  • AlexLK
    AlexLK Posts: 6,125
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    Weather has been miserable here too. Been mainly working outside today too. :rotfl:

    ...and don't remind me about selling unwanted things ... :eek:
    2018 totals:
    Savings £11,200
    Mortgage Overpayments £5,500
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