Am not keen on 'a frugal life anymore......' I dont' necessarily identify with the whole frugal thing anymore. Its not a life choice for me. Its a necessity. I have to spend on somethings. yabba yabba nadda nadda I hear you cry. I have a small child who doesn't need to be subjected to extreme frugalism. Thats silly and just a bit cruel. Some things are worth spending on for a childhood lived once. Now I won't do designer togs, expensive toys and frivolous things but a life with a child is different. They need decent food, they need stuff - French lessons and swimming lessons. But you could do them your self you shriek - No I bloody well couldn't. My french is shite and swimming though ok am not as good as a teacher. They deserve if you can do it lots of horizon broadening experiences and they cost. Ok not necessarily a lot but they do. Littlies do not make for a super frugal way of life. penny pinching yes but not super frugal.
Anyhoo as I blame Dave very much for my predicament - redundancy and then feeling the bite of the housing slump, the bastard, I feel something more appropriate reflecting my leftie leanings would be good. (20k loss of life savings and investment in my house is a bitter pill and is an entrenched memory)
Am pondering.... Condemned in the era of the Con- dem- nation maybe, The liberals have been nowt but a bunch of pussies so there!
Anyway thats one I am toying with I will add to the list as I think on it and will update and edit this post.
Con-dem-ned Plebdom - Cheers Marra dave!
Anyhoo as I blame Dave very much for my predicament - redundancy and then feeling the bite of the housing slump, the bastard, I feel something more appropriate reflecting my leftie leanings would be good. (20k loss of life savings and investment in my house is a bitter pill and is an entrenched memory)
Am pondering.... Condemned in the era of the Con- dem- nation maybe, The liberals have been nowt but a bunch of pussies so there!
Anyway thats one I am toying with I will add to the list as I think on it and will update and edit this post.
Con-dem-ned Plebdom - Cheers Marra dave!
In similar predicament but littlies are now older and at Uni and need supporting as well. No comfort to add except we are not alone. I am not resigned to my situation and am fighting back steadily-wish i had done more years ago-but some bugger would have had my savings off me if i had.
ReplyDeleteFrench lessons are over rated- we mostly learned swear words and how to order a coffee, or ask directions to the library. I am pretty good at understanding French, but speak with a lancashire accent which has my French friend laughing in hysterics when i attempt anything-i now bow graciously and let him speak English all the time.
Speaking of swimming lessons-they are also over rated, who wants to stink of Chlorine, get red eyes, verrucas .. Or share changing rooms? No you can definitely strike that one off your list. :-)
Yes the liberals think they are the King makers in this current govt. If they had a set of balls, I reckon we would be in worse shape as they would mewl to push their policies further up the rung.
Just waiting to put my X on the paper in the next general election- i think it may well be a landslide of such great magnitude that they really will be howling to the masses (or should i call us plebs?) for a long time.
I'm another who is frugal through necessity, and I'm certain it's a whole different ball game to that played by those who are frugal so that they can make a monthly mortgage overpayment that's greater than my monthly income.
ReplyDeleteWhat worries me is that people have incredibly short memories when they get to the ballot box - I still don't understand how the Tories were in power for 18 long, dark, and miserable years.
Hi
ReplyDeleteI think its different if you are winning the battle and are progressing towards a goal- paying off debt or a mortgage or paying into a pension. I'm treadng water and have no goal. Though being canny with the coppers means I can do the swimming which the nearly five year old loves and she gets to toddle off to french with her little pals every wednesday rather than go straight to day care. Would be lovely to be making overpayments on a mortgage but thats just not my boat am afraid. Financially I take two steps forward then three back lol
One day am sure wee madam will want to stop swimming and french when she has to conjugate verbs! Swearing in another language is an under rated skill however. Being able to say the monkey is on the table and the library is to the right.... well we can do without lol
I have no frugal battle- no objective to make the frugality seem worthwhile. I see no progress. It just a fact of my life as it stands. The price of swimming lessons and french per month £20 and £12 won't make much difference to the situation in general. Infact probably being frugal actually facilitates stuff like this but I don't see it as an objective.
Say one thing though having a huge mortgage must be a pain in the butt and a weight on the mind! I have friends who have massive mortgages not because they have a massive house but because they took out a mortgage later inlife and as such had less time to re pay it.
I will be paying rent for ever and working till 67 regardless of swimming lessons or french. At least in social housing you have no worries about maintenance. Not the big jobs like roofs, boilers.
A resigned Eeek!
Thank Christ Obama got back in! Imagine a world with Cameron and Romney at the helm.... shudders just thinking about it.
so sorry you are down, hope things buck up soon for you, been there myself and its not funny,so I feel for you x
ReplyDeleteCheer purple storm witch! Love the name!!!
ReplyDeleteHi! Have come across your blog recently and I guess because I hadn't read it in the past, don't exactly know your situation. It sounds like you're a great mom and want to do as much for your little one as possible within your means. Are you a teacher? Read your blog entry about the 17 year old who wouldn't come down from the tree. Was that at school?
ReplyDeleteWasn't sure. Anyway, hope things get alot better for you in the future and I'm sure that your little girl appreciates and will understand what a sacrifice it was for you to give her all those lessons. I think it's a good idea to expose children to other languages but if there is no one to speak the language to, they forget it, unless they continue lessons for a long time. Swimming lessons are great. I wish I had them when I was a child. My husband taught our two girls how to swim. We could not afford swimming lessons back then. They can swim pretty good but I'm sure that professional swimming lessons are better. Keep up the good work with your daughter and I hope your situation gets easier for you in the future.
I am doing the french with her in a effort to help. Auntie K is the cunning linguist! Speaking several languages. So when they see each other they wqill no doubt converse or rather weeny will be bombarded! Its only £3.66 per week so won't break the bank.
ReplyDeleteShe is doing much better at swimming with the teacher. Also it woudl have cost more for me to take her swimming! £22 approx per month compared to £8.50 per week for both of us to swim. She is focused as well. When with me its all about games.
Am sure something will lighten the load and if not I will still be dressing her in fancy togs with posh names albeit pre loved and second hand!
Am a type of Guidance counsellor in a large educational establishment for them over the age of 16. There is only one in the county I live in and so try not to make it too easily identifiable. Work identity and personal time kept separate type of thing! Easy to work out if you know where I live lol
Thank You!
I live in the USA (Northeast) so not familiar with your area. I'm glad to read that your expenses for your little girl to go to French lessons and swimming lessons are relatively inexpensive. I know what you mean about her being more focused if she's being trained by a professional. I bet she loves the lessons and when she gets older, will appreciate all that you exposed her to. I always love to read or hear about moms who think about these things as being important and not just another expense. You sound like a really good mom and I don't think you will have any regrets about how you raised your daughter.
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