New Resolve

Well I'm back!!

I certainly didn't mean to be gone for such a long time!  Lots has happened but alas I'm still renting.  I can't complain as it's a lovely little house and the cats and I are safe and have lovely neighbours.  I still dream of having my own place purely from a security point of view.  Nearly being homeless a couple of years ago I still have that 'fear' in the back of my mind.

Today is my birthday and rather than making New Year's wishes, I'm going to start making 'Birthday Wishes'.  My resolve on my birthday is to cease all non essential spending so even the occasional coffee outside is gone.  Reason:  I saw a house I could afford with my deposit and because it was so reasonable it's gone before I got a chance to look inside.  You might wonder what's that got to do with my resolve to cease all non essential spending (including buying fabric for my fabric addiction!).  Due to my age, there isn't that many years left for a mortgage hence high repayments so if I can save a 'bucket load of cash' that'll not only decease my repayments before they start but also allow me to look at different houses!  I had hoped that the house was the 'one' but evidently it's not meant to be so best foot forward and full charge!

I've been reflecting overnight (since the phone call telling me that the property has been taken off the market) how I can reduce everything!  Now don't get me wrong, I am very very aware of how lucky I am, I have a good job which I enjoy, no debt, have family and friends who I love, have two wonderful cats who drive me nuts however I do need that security which is something I've never had as I've always rented.  My sister rents from the National Trust but somehow seems to have more security than I feel I do as a private renter.  It's probably just my imagination but it's the one that is spurring me on and I hope you'll be with me for the journey.

My first reduction will be cat food.  Let me reassure you my cats will not go hungry but rather the rubbish bin will!  I've been looking at the amount of waste I'm putting in the bin every morning and I've decided it's got to stop. So previously I've always given them two sachets of cat food in the morning and at night, from now on it will be only one at night.  They do have access to biscuits so they can 'nibble' if hungry til the morning wet food.  This will save me 7 sachets per week (if the plan works) and there alone would save me £1.75 per week.  That's not much do I hear someone say?  Well that works out to £91 per year that'll stay in my pocket!  I know that my cats won't eat the equivalent of that in biscuits as I took to weighing the plates with the left over food on in the morning and after I've scraped it off and yes they can waste very close to 100g of food!  Despite telling my little monsters that some cats are going hungry they just look at me!

So that's the first major change to save money and I don't think the cats will mind too much and will get used to it quickly.  I know they don't like change but I'll break the sachets between the two plates so they don't think they are being cheated!! lol..  Does anyone else think their cats have 'human traits' ! lol.

Til later :-)