A question about : Living richly; simply and debt-freely
Good Afternoon 
I've decided to start a new diary, just prior to the New Year. My old diary has been instrumental in helping me through a slight sticky patch 18 months ago, and has really helped me to start to lead the life that I want to live with my DP at Greying Towers. If you want to read the background, here's the link; Living on next to nought is that the key?
2014 has already seen us declutter whole drawers and rooms of *stuff* (and we don't own much!) and make a start on the redevelopment of Greying Towers 
And we've remembered to have fun along the way, so have kept up with our preferred method of entertainment, which is cycling, walking, picnicking and visiting Natty Trust places 
2015 and beyond is going to see us hurtling towards retirement - well, if the goalposts didn't constantly shift, we'd be hurtling, but let's just say, that as you get older, the years pass by much more quickly, so we're getting older, quicker We don't necessarily want to be living where we are now, as we get older. We don't need a smaller property, Greying Towers is quite wee, but it's relatively high maintenance, not terribly energy efficient and doesn't fill us with joy to live here.
Therefore, we have been trying to plan for our futures. I've certainly always been of a frugal, thrifty, self-sufficientish vein. DP is a late starter, but has fully converted, and now often nags encourages me to do better! Therefore, we're used to living within our means. And certainly my previous diary has helped to galvanise our determination to live within our means, and yet lead a *rich* life, full of fun, memorable moments and lots of laughter. Of course, a *rich* life is open to individual interpretation, but I've found that the simpler my life becomes, the *richer* it is. And to this end, I'm determined to live a rich life, of simplicity - enabling us to live within our means and avoid debt. We would like to move house, and I currently have no idea what impact the changes in mortgage rules may or may not have on us. But I do know that we would be wise to have as much money saved as we can, and to avoid any poor credit ratings. So, the important part of our lives now is to remain living a *rich* life - doing all the things that we do now; simplifying our lives only focusing on what is needed or important and remaining, firmly, out of debt.
As in my previous diary, there are only 2 adults to consider the impact of any crazy schemes we may have to employ - if our teeth fall out or we keel over with malnutrition, then that is our own look out!
Keeping an eye on budgets is key to simple living, and the one I keep the beadiest eye on, is always the food budget. We are a vegetarian household with a budget for Ј100 per month for food. Toiletries, alcohol, haircuts etc etc is from a separate budget of Ј80 total.
I'm very interested in food, eating and cooking. I talk about it a lot. I even take pics of me tea 
I hope to continue that strange habit in this diary
We have a *significant* event in 2015, that we would like to mark. We are currently trying to work out if we could afford to do it, alongside all the work that needs to be done on the house. I haven't got high hopes that we can do it all - but if I've learnt one thing, it is that if you don't have a plan at all, then you definitely fail before you start. In 2013 and 2014 we have definitely achieved much more when we've had a plan, than without - even if we've had to change course, or in fact, had a different outcome to that intended
So, fancy joining me for the ride?
Greying
Best answers:
- OOh a lovely shiny new thread ! I'm first too
- Happy new diary GP
I followed your previous one, though did not post often. Really looking forward to your new adventures - Quote So, fancy joining me for the ride? Quote
Surely do if you will have me tag along for the ride
MM - I'm here - made it through the wormhole. Eager to play a bigger part than I have before.
Currently have Ј22.66 (+ an extra Ј1 as mum bought me a watch and put a Ј1 coin in the box to buy the next battery when it needs one) which I am hoping I can make do until the end of January. I got through from the week before my op to last Friday morning on the mega shop I did 7 weeks ago, so hoping to use what we have and my ingenuity and the knowhow of good folk like yourself on here to get through the rest of my convalescence.
Food spending since then was one Ј40 top up shop delivered by Iysland (mainly down to DS3 who insisted I hadn't bought any food for him) and last week's Ј66.64 which was mainly fresh fruit, veg and salad. A lot of the original shop is still intact (if it wouldn't go off and was a good price, I stocked up) including a drawer full of meat that I didn't get chance to cook. Still have 2 white and 2 red onions and a few spuds from 7 weeks ago (2 more red onions finely sliced in the fridge to add to sandwiches etc). So will see how far it takes us.
Will have to pay one bill tomorrow on a cc (only because I am still paying on both houses -old house is still being paid on dd - and this includes 2 months that should be my son's responsibility). Also if I need to replace my glasses (get a voucher but doesn't cover the full cost) but so far have put a couple of appointments back a few weeks (might be able to walk rather than use the bus by then) and might do the same with the eye test - could manage with new lenses (if needed) for now and buy new frames when the house is sold.
Selling the other house will get me out of debt but need to do everything I can to reduce outgoings and live sustainably starting now - retirement is just over 9 years to go, but can't take my health or income for granted.
Well I'll shut up now. Wishing you a happy new thread. - Yay!! Happy shiny new diary Greying
I hope this one can inspire you (and all of us) onto your next goal!!
To hark back to the old diary sweetie & sugarpuss you are a pair of little geniuses. I have 3/4 of a GIANT lamb to carve up and make into meals. Waste not; want not and all, as me new book "tips from your Nana" tells me I now have a few ideas with which to proceed and it will no longer just make the most enormous curry in the world. thanks!!
Anyways I am offski. I will be sad to no longer see the lovely word 'nought' in my subscribed threads GP. Always brings me home, even if in my neck of the woods we spell it 'nowt' :P
Love and bubbles from me and the Jellytotster. xx - Hope it wasn't something I said GP
New diary for a New Year, why not, as the saying goes 'If nothing ever changed there would be no butterflies'.
Would love to come along for the ride, looking forward to it. - Here's SuperDave
- Hey Greying, I too am trying to lead a 'simpler' life, trying not to get sucked into the mindset of 'my life is not full unless I have x,y or z'.
It can be difficult... my work colleagues all have the latest iPhones, tablets, go on great holidays etc.
BUT I'm not convinced this is what would make me happy.... So trying to live within my means, cut up credit cards and will see how I go.
If ok I'm going to subscribe and hopefully your *rich* life will be an inspiration - Good Evening
Lawks! You wander orf to do summat and a load of friends drop by
Ellidee - lovely to *see* ya
DawnW - you're a good 'un. And do you know, it was something you said about how you are living your life that has made me cast my net a little wider as to the next 'sort' of home that we may live in
maddiemay - luverly to have you along - room for the collie too
mothernerd - you're doing better than me - Ј22.66 to last until the end of January Now that is a challenge
Lilty - I need to refer back to the old thread to a point you made, so we're still talking 'nought' fer a while yet.......
sugarpuss - Not at all It's something that I have been contemplating a while, and I did think that 200 pages was a bit of a slog for anyone to plough through.... Just thought the timing was right
YAY! SuperDave is with us! Thanks for your continuing support hunni
nowpanicking - welcome I totally get what you mean about peer pressure. I'm afraid my idea of *richness* may be a bit obscure though. I tend to get awfully excited about seeing birdies and squirrels and things; listening to the sound of silence in the great outdoors; and slogging up a muddy incline on me bike, in the middle of a forest, in the middle of nowhere...... on Christmas Day....... for fun........... Um, possibly a bit boring.....?
We had a slow start to the day, but I have to say, we've been getting up pretty early over the Christmas period to go orf gallivanting on us bikes and feet, so a lie in was on the cards. Just as well really, as after a relatively abstemious Chrimbo, we decided to *declutter* some wine last night....... Still, we had a brekkie of leftover pasta (more on that in a mo), scrambled eggs and hm veggie sausages from the leftover 'no saus no sage' roll filling. Lashings of HP and tommy sauce too!
Dinner last night was a 'use-up' dish. I remembered something that in Need of Direction told us about caramelised onion cheddar and roasted veg. Well, I thought that I had a truckle of such cheese - turns out it was Wensleydale with caramelised onions. No matter, I had some YS'd mushrooms that really needed using, some mrM *bargain* (?) sprouts that needed using, so how to combine them? I did a pasta dish, using that last of the casarecce pasta that I had. Used onion, garlic and celery as the base, added the mushrooms and the sprouts and stir-fired. Cooked the pasta separately then combined. I diced up 3/4 of the cheese and stirred it into the pasta and let the residual heat start to melt it. I then added in some chopped parsley and topped with the remaining cheese. It was YUM! The cheese really brought it all together. The only addition - in hindsight, would have been some chopped toasted nuts or seeds - a different texture would have really, really made it something special Pic here;
It made plenty - so a portion went in the fridge and got wheeled out for brekkie this morning.
I've taken the Chrimbo decs down and put them away for another year. I'm not feeling in the least bit bah humbuggish, its just that it is back to 'normal' for us tomorrow, and I just feel in 'new leaf/fresh start' mode
Lunch today was HM tomato soup and crackers - it was soup weather - no doubt
This afternoon, we went out for a walk. Where we wanted to go was closed up, so we just went along the high street - DP made me go in several shops (I wasn't really interested) but there were absolutely no bargains anyway - so I have claimed a NSD We then went for a pootle around the park. Plenty of kiddies trialling out new bikes, but also plenty of kids getting stroppy and mucho foot stamping going on. Sugar overload perhaps? After being confined to quarters in the beastly weather yesterday, it was good to be out and about And you'll not be surprised to learn that we spent several minutes transfixed watching a woodpecker! It was flitting about and squeaking, not hammering anything, but I can tell you, by the power of goggle, that it was a male Greater spotted woodpecker, as it was delightfully showing us its red 'boxer shorts' at every opportunity And when we got in, we had a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows in front of the woodstove. Only mrS basiks and the marshmallows were cheapy from h0me bargins, but it warmed us whilst we had a natter about the best bits of 2014
Dinner this evening was another 'use up' dish - but also quite a hearty dish, again, just the job for the weather. It will, however, never win any prizes for its looks I made a version of Portugese cabbage soup - and no, I didn't use the proper portugese cabbage in it (although I do have seed for the real McCoy cabbage ) but I used up the last of the sprouts that were left over. In addition, as I use veggie sausages, rather than chorizo, I add in paprika with the onions and the potatoes, at the start of the dish, and sprinkle over smoked paprika at the end. If you'd like a go, I used the Hairy Biker's recipe for Portugese cabbage soup . Picture here;
To think that I didn't go overboard with buying in extras for Chrimbo, I'm still surprised how much food we have and how I'm having to use up some things rather than waste them. Food for thought for Christmas 2015 methinks........
I am starting to give some thought to the January meal plan and I think that I may have to have a couple of challenges in there too, to keep my interest going in a loooonnnnnnngggggg month I will, however, not be counting NSD's. Lilty - I absolutely hear you with the 'organised and disciplined - write a list and stick to it...' approach. That is what I have been trying to do, but I find that I miss out on YS'd bits and pieces, as I agonised about breaking a NSD for a 10p bag of sprouts or a 39p pack of celery. So, in line with weekly budgeting, I am going to try to not worry about NSD's as long as I remain in budget. If I'm busting the weekly budget due to *frittering* (albeit on YS'd goodies) then it isn't working and I'll go back to NSD's - because I agree, having the NSD target does make you think about your spending. If I can apply that same discipline to, 'will it bust the budget?' then I think it may work for me. We'll see
Today I am grateful for these 3 things;
for a lazy Sunday - just what was needed
for having absolutely no reason to stamp my foot in frustration at anything today -
for feelings of optimism -
Thank you all so very much for popping in, reading, commenting and above all, wishing me well. Although I have to agree with INOD's comment on the other diary - you are all very inspirational to me - this diary malarkey is very much a two-way street and I wouldn't have it any other way So THANK YOU
See y'all later.
Greying - Happy New Diary GP! - now to scroll up to post #1 & have a lovely read!
- Happy New Diary!
I will be lurking in search of inspiration, and commenting sporadically as before.
Best of luck with your plans for 2015. - Sounds a wonderful day GP and your meals look loverly!
I used some leftover sprouts in JO Korean ricey dish thing instead of cabbage. Just sliced them up and stir fried them, they were great, not at all sprouty tasting not that I'm averse to that. I still have some truckles that will need to be used up so will have to be creative as I am following SW! Tomorrow is the last of the gammon that I will reheat in a sauce made with a tin of toms some chopped onion, carrot, celery, garlic and chilli flakes stirred through pasta. I sometimes make this with bacon or Quor* sausages, a grating of Italian cheese, job done. I'm trying to have more no meat meals, although DH is a true carnivore he has accepted reluctantly a few that I have tried on him. Your meals always look so inviting just have to persuade DH that he would like them too
Well I'm orf. Thanks again for letting me pull up a chair to your table. - Hello Greying! I too have made it through the wormhole with DD, the three cats and Pirin in tow! It's lovely to rejoin the party here ready for new beginnings. I love the theme of your new thread and it's something that has been fermenting in my subconscious for a while. I am seeking a simpler life with less ownership and more being I you know what I mean.
I'm so glad that mothernerd, beanielou, Lilty and everyone else has.made it through the portal too. You've created a wonderful community!
Dinner looks delish as usual. I had a revelation regarding food recently. After we left Him I rebelled senselessly against cooking and threw away my favourite books. This Christmas my DD bought me my fave one's back again off my Amazonian wish list. They were only about thruppence each but the sheer pleasure I've had going through them and planning what to cook has been immeasurably motivating and uplifting! I seem to have rekindled my love of cooking and feel happier for it.
I hope that all of us find new or regain old skills over 2015 and keep moving forward together on your new thread Greying.
By the way Pirin is a joy and a little gentleman! Dd is training him really well and he is a delight to have in our family.
I'm going to think about my goals for the coming year over the next few days. I'd like it to be stable after the upheaval of the last seven years! Love to all of you x - As always, Hopefuljoy a lovely post. I am glad Pirin is becoming the gent you need in your life how utterly lovely of DD to get you those old things. I know the feeling of throwing away ones old self, and regaining the pieces as you come back to your sense of self eventually. I hope you find more pieces of the old you that you enjoyed being in 2015 and beyond. xx
- More than happy to be along for the ride in your happy shiny new diary
- Phew! I managed to squeeze through the wormhole too despite the bit of over indulgence during the last few days which has added to my girth . I don't make new year resolutions but I do intend to get back to normal eating very soon
I am really looking forward to seeing the direction this new diary will go in so Happy New Diary, GP - Turn my back for a few hours and look what happens. Glad you signposted our way gp or we might have thought you were avoiding us.
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