When you find that, after you've paid this month's bills, there is only a couple hundred dollars left in your bank account for groceries AND you only just got paid, like, 2 days ago - that's when you realise how close you have gotten to being poor. Obviously, we are not talking sell-your-body-for-food poor, but poor as in - if we don't do a strict budget and stick to it right now, (or the boy gets a job) we are in serious danger of having to use the credit card just to get by.
I'm sure we'll break even, if we can drastically reduce our spending on things we don't need (magazines, DVDs, clothes, alcohol, smokes, fabrics and other sewing stuff, toys for TLM...)
The boy has offered to drop his wine habit and reduce his cigarette use, which is commendable considering they are his only 2 vices and he is quite addicted to both.
As for me - I aim to buy no more new fabrics or clothes. This means that, apart from my meagre stash (it fits into 2 medium sized shopping bags), I will be forced to forage in my collection of clothes-I-have-become-too-fat-to-wear i.e. refashioning. Maybe this is a good thing.
There is another option - I have been whining for a couple of years now about my seemingly uncontrollable weight gain. I've gone up 2 dress sizes since I stopped having to taking TLM on 3 buggy rides every day to get her to nap.
I'm thinking now could be a good time to stop eating.
7 comments:
One of my housemates went to rolling her own and the other had rolled his own and quit with the help of nicotine gum.
Afraid I have little constructive to add. When my income was nearly halved I simply walked away from debt and did without the things one got into debt for.
This isn't workable for parents.
We're on a good income, and we've just had to start being a little careful. There's genuine foodprice inflation at present, and that really doesn't help.
Let me know how the poverty diet goes. Ray and I have been attempting to watch our budget lately and eating more vegetarian cause it's cheaper. Cross fingers that the boy finds a job soon tho - must be a bit stressful!
Oh no... Hope things take a turn for the better soon. I believe the job market is meant to be improving.
The poverty diet might not be a great idea, as it turns out that filling oneself up with junk food is far cheaper than filling oneself up with fresh produce. But I might try going sweet-free again - this time for longer than a week.
You are very creative I am sure you will come up with plenty of things to create. You could also take the clothes TLM has outgrown and fix them up.
I have been busy and haven't been around to any blogs lately.
Thought I would say hi.
hi Angela!!
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