to strip our life style back to basics?

[ditavonteesed]

We manage ok money wise but like most people have to be careful with everything. What I realised is we have become so consumerist, we do menu planning and shop for what we need in Lidl but at least 3 times a week I go into B&M for sweets, crisps, beer or little things and spend a tenner at least every time. We all take pack ups but then dd's buy sweets and biscuits on top. If I take a tenner out of the bank it goes that day no matter what. Our house is full of stuff that doesn't get used the kids want barely anything for christmas as they already have everything. I have worked out a budget that covers all the costs such as guides and £1 for sweets on a friday the kids £1 pocket money at the weekend and a couple of beers for dh on a friday night with a little bit of spare for those unforseen extras. WIBU to make us stick to it? We don't need any more stuff, we need to appreciate and get pleasure from the things we already have. The way I see it the house would be tidier and we would have more £££ for rainy day money (or next April money ). When the kids were little I was so consious of spending and environment but things just seem to have slipped. Is it doable with a 9 and 12 year old?

I figured if we can stick to it all week we will save enough to go and see hhotel transilvania for halloween, although they had book oflife in the range for £4.99 so maybe we should do that + popcorn instead.

DVD and popcorn would be fun for your DC too but its nice to get out and about, especially on half term.

Ours are 2 and 5, so trying to avoid cinema and expensive days out for as long as possible!

YANBU.

I think we could all do with a bit of a trimming back on material things to get back in touch with what's important.

Sometimes I think the happiest I ever was was in my little studio shoebox, with enough money for the essentials and a little bit of fun / savings, but very little in the way of actual "stuff".

Then I married a bit of a hoarder / slight materialist, and often feel really uncomfortable at the amount of crap we've accumulated since...

There's a good podcast called Simple Life Together that I am working my was through (there are about 70 episodes).

It has lots of good ideas

I'm all for it.

I would love to start all over again.

My dream house would be small;a simple stove/woodburner, a few good pans. A wall of books, one sewing machine, a decent hifi; just to pare everything down to the essentials.

Good food company and the support of family and friends are all we really need.

I'm sick to the back teeth of people moaning they don't have the latest this and that. Possessions mean nothing to me , this is something I've instilled in my DC.

I have a good few friends who share my values; but my DC's peers do not.

I think modern living is very toxic.

I think your right, dd got a new phone on contract for her birthday and was trying to work out the other day how she can gt an iphone instead.

Things I didn't buy today

A yankee candle advent calendar
A lovely Halloween candle
Some krispy creme doughnuts, we just walked past 3 times and had free samples.
A bag from primark that dd told me I didn't need.
dd and I chose 2 birthday cards from the 29p range.

We kind of do this. Everything well made but little of it. We live in a one bed flat with children. No car. Lots of holidays and travel with money saved.

If you want to do it, of course it's do-able. Pity everyone doesn't do it.

I live a very basic and quiet lifestyle because I LOVE to travel. People often say to me (whilst sat there with their M&S lunch), "oh I wish I could afford to travel as much as you". I'm a nurse, so on a standard wage but by living in a basic way I can travel. I always look at it this way, if you buy lunch out everyday at £5 a time, which a lot of people do, that'll cost you £1825 over the course of the year. If you minus the cost of buying lunch box items over the year it won't even come close, you can do a 3 week trip to Asia for £1400 including spending money.

Same for furniture (ebay is amazing!), haircuts at a training college (£7.50 for a restyle), walking is not only free but good for you, enjoying the outdoors.

I think it's a valuable lesson for kids to learn that money isn't easily come by for a lot of people so don't waste it on just 'stuff', save it for like you say a rainy day with your family.

ditavonteesed I didn't buy loads more than that yesterday...

Not sure if this has been mentioned but poundshops have money saving tins which you need a tin opener to open them so you're not tempted to go in it!