But following the demise of all those household items [iron, steam mop, vacuum cleaner] and my car, there are now a load of medical bills forthcoming. Dentist, Podiatrist and Opticians bills don't come cheap [but in old age they definitely come more often, and are generally larger]
So how am I going to be more careful ?
Just a few tweaks to my shopping habits could make a significant difference to my overall spending. Here are some things I think I should be doing
Diplomat, Polymath and Inventor, Ben Franklin, warned about Little Expenses, and I think he had a point. I admit that I have got rather lazy in retirement, since we no longer have a monthly mortgage repayment hanging over us like the sword of Damocles.
Just a few tweaks to my shopping habits could make a significant difference to my overall spending. Here are some things I think I should be doing
- I need to be more disciplined about taking my collapsible Stojo cup in my bag. If I buy a drink when I am out, using my own cup can usually save 50p.
- and when I buy the aforementioned coffee, I must be firm and not have a piece of cake with it [thus benefiting waistline as well as wallet]
- I need to get back to proper meal planning - it has got a little haphazard lately.
- and manage portion sizes at meal times. A pudding is a treat. Second helpings are an indulgence. If the pud serves four, then I must prepare half for the fridge or freezer before I put the dish on the table.
- shopping trips must be more disciplined too. In the old days, if I bought something not on the list, I crossed off something else.
Most of this stuff I know already, it is just making sure I do it. I have been strict with myself about not buying clothes following the Take Five rule.
But actually I think Benjamin Franklin wasn't quite right. A small leak, if spotted in time, can easily be plugged. What sinks the ship is usually the large gash from the bit of the iceberg under the surface, that nobody could see. Or the violent storm that blows up out of nowhere.
We are going on holiday next month - and that will not be cheap - but we have been planning it for months, and putting aside the funds to pay for it.
It is the unexpected Big Bills that unsettle me. But I am confident that we will weather the storms. As Mum always said - the Lord will provide.
I was in a public loo recently, and in front of me was this sign. [It seemed an odd location for such a motivational quote] But it reminded me not to fret - I have proved to myself [and the family] time and time again that I can manage on the tightest of budgets if I have to.Compared to so many others I am unbelievably rich - I am not complaining about my income, just my current inability to manage it properly. This is a Work In Progress.
PS Thank you for all the lovely comments yesterday about Rosie's Puppets