Hard to make choices cost of living

Cuchculan · Aug 5, 2023

This is something that is happening across the world. Ask yourself do you really need what you are buying on Ebay? Is it something really important? I find, even before the whole cost of living thing, that people can buy things they don't really need. Buying for the sake of buying. Something I am just as guilty as others at doing. Have you got other things the money could be better spent on? Once you are not avoiding paying bills in order to buy something off of Ebay. In a situation like that I would always say to put the bills first. Next I would be thinking of food items you might need. You can work out how much money you will need a month. To meet the price of bills and food shopping. Then work out what you have over. Something we all have to do for now. Can you afford a holiday right now? Few questions just to ask yourself. I put a small amount of cash to one side each week. So when bills start coming in, that money is there. I can almost work out how much I will need.

Cuchculan · Aug 5, 2023

I couldn't afford to go on holiday. Wouldn't have the money to meet bills and holiday. A holiday is something we give ourselves. In a few years time things will calm down again. Prices will steady out. Maybe then holidays will become affordable once more. And both can be done together. Pay the bills and have a holiday. Have to live within your means. I would say to eat as you always have done. Knock the holidays on the head. Need to stay healthy. Food keeps us that way. All about balancing the books out. Cutting out what we don't need.

PieFan · Aug 5, 2023

Phil10 said:
I do feel im improving by buying cheaper stuff. I can reduce my holidays a bit but it’s hard to accept. I went about six months without going abroad.

Do you need to buy anything?
I haven't been on vacation in years, I used to go down to the coast for a night every couple of years but when everything went up in price and diseases like monkeypox plus bedbug infestations happened I stopped that too.

Cuchculan said:
Need to stay healthy. Food keeps us that way.

Yes, I would rather eat good food, plus afford my diabetes medication and blood tests. And I have a little dog, I guess technically she's an unnecessary expense but the joy and companionship she has brought are worth it, she's another kind of essential medicine! I groom her myself and sometimes bake her dog biscuits and she shares my food when it's appropriate.

I've traveled lots in the past and have lots of lovely memories. 'I am a part of all that I have met, and all experience is an arch wherethro' gleams that untravelled world whose margins change forever and forever when we move...' (Tennyson, Ulysses)

We don't need to go anywhere to have travel experiences: I look for interesting things I can do online, with Coursera, EdX and UoPeople for example there's tons of free or cheap courses.

When I'm working different places I drive back through historical areas, such as https://www.taminatexas.com/ last week and learn the history and see what remains.

One year I got a map of all the local parks and walked each in turn, this was before my feet got bad, now I'm thinking of doing a simplified version of that when the weather cools down.

I get books and dvds from the library and watch public broadcasting of other people's travels.

And I drum up interesting work and meet new people and have new experiences that way.

Even coming to websites like this, I read other people's ideas and look things up they talk about, recipes, gardens, writers.

There's a pool here where I live, when the children go back to school I shall go for a swim, it's not good to be in water for long with diabetic feet and mine are perfect skin right now, but I'll use some Neutrogena cream first and wear swim shoes and keep it short. That's quite enough adventuring for me these days! Looking forward to that immensely.

I planted some sunflower seeds and they are growing well, so is a green onion (spring onion) where I cut off the rooted bottom bit and sprouted it in water. Sometimes I plant cloves of garlic or lumps of ginger if they sprout or bud. I saw some youtube videos on how to grow hydroponic napa cabbages, onions etc., I'll try that some time.

There's a website called meet-up and I do different groups there, now that is not free with the cost of food and coffee, so I plan it out when I can afford it. Another website called Social Nature you apply to get free product vouchers for new products to try in exchange for a review later, I've had loads of good food from there and learned a lot about the food industry and how to read the labels and see past the advertising.

In terms of managing anxiety disorder the more positive interesting activities the better I am, and my current activities are close to home and safe and easy to manage my diet and diabetes, travelling brings its own set of anxieties, all the people disrupted and threatened by fires and floods this year for example.

MATD · Aug 5, 2023

I think a lot of what you are experiencing is doubt, which is very common for anxiety. We can’t seem to make up our mind about things. I go thru this self doubt myself. I’ve found that if I push thru with a decision and let it stand, it makes it more helpful. Life is always filled with consequences on decisions, but it’s the big issues we have to be more careful about. I tend to think things thru more when it comes to these big decisions. What are my needs and what are my wants? What can I do myself and what do I need assistance with? These are the biggest questions I ask myself when it comes to managing money. I was raised poor so it’s not really hard for me to figure out where I can save money.

PieFan · Aug 5, 2023

MATD said:
I was raised poor so it’s not really hard for me to figure out where I can save money.

Someone told me 'shop where poor people shop' and there's a big Fiesta supermarket I go to sometimes, not only do they sell cheap produce, there's food from many cultures including British, there's a food truck and often live musicians, and it has a sort-of 'carnival' feel to going there. especially around the holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas, where they stock the traditions for different cultures and British chocolates and Christmas cake and Christmas crackers. Way more fun than Amazon online!

Though Amazon can be fun too, my sister usually gives me gift cards for birthday and Christmas, this week I ordered a grater thing so I can make chickpea and carrot patties from Jack Monroe's website https://cookingonabootstrap.com/2013/03/06/carrot-coriander-falafels-23p/ Fresh coriander is called cilantro here and @ 35 cents a bunch!

MATD · Aug 6, 2023

PieFan said:
Someone told me 'shop where poor people shop' and there's a big Fiesta supermarket I go to sometimes, not only do they sell cheap produce, there's food from many cultures including British, there's a food truck and often live musicians, and it has a sort-of 'carnival' feel to going there. especially around the holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas, where they stock the traditions for different cultures and British chocolates and Christmas cake and Christmas crackers. Way more fun than Amazon online!

Though Amazon can be fun too, my sister usually gives me gift cards for birthday and Christmas, this week I ordered a grater thing so I can make chickpea and carrot patties from Jack Monroe's website https://cookingonabootstrap.com/2013/03/06/carrot-coriander-falafels-23p/ Fresh coriander is called cilantro here and @ 35 cents a bunch!

My daughter made a homemade salsa using fresh cilantro. Had a totally different taste than traditional salsa but It was good! Even in this day and age, I can’t imagine ordering groceries for delivery although it was a big thing way back in the day. Milk, eggs and ice deliveries too. To call a repair man, it has to be something I can’t handle on my own. Watching my mom growing up take care of a lot of things herself was a learning experience. I count myself fortunate. I guess I could be called a jack of all trades and master of none. I know enough to get myself in trouble on occasion. That’s when I end up making the call. We were self reliant though, growing up, which is a good thing I think. I learned to take on things myself instead of throwing up my hands. Saves me some big bucks at times.

Cuchculan · Aug 6, 2023

So you only go on a holiday to post about it on FB? OK. Why not just go on holiday and have fun and don't share any images of it on FB. Be like a challenge to yourself. To see can you do it. Even better still, go on holiday and don't check FB when on holiday.

Cuchculan · Aug 7, 2023

Lot of houses done over here in Dublin. Broke into. Why? People were posting a check in at Dublin airport. Then saying were they were heading of to. Next would come the pictures of them on holiday. That is were I say to be smart about holidays. Don't post anything when on holiday. Not saying it happens to everybody. Just this one gang who were looking for such posts. They had a lot of people viewing FB pages. Broke into a numbers of homes. Shows what can happen. I have some friends who would never post anything at all when they go on holiday. Might only post something once they are back home again.

Sloth54 · Sep 5, 2023

You could get involved in other activities during the week such as helping other people through volunteering., take a class to learn something new, like Pickleball., take up a hobby, get some exercise outside, or at a local gym, etc. There are hundreds of things you could do to occupy your time that are great ideas so that you don’t have to create drama for something to do. And you could enjoy the company of other people.

Cuchculan · Sep 6, 2023

Gambling is a problem for you now. It became so when you gambled money you hadn't even got. Thus you owed them money. Since I've known you, your life has never changed. Is like you would love all these changes to happen, but you don't actually want to do anything to make these changes happen. So nothing will change until get out there and do something to make changes happen. Some good suggestions above. Thought knowing you, you will ignore what was suggested. Or have some excuse as to why you can't do anything that was mentioned. Meaning your life will stay the exact same.

Cuchculan · Sep 6, 2023

Phil10 said:
I completely self excluded all my accounts so can never play mine. Sadly it’s been my wife’s card she’s left out that I got on. I was gambling daily then I cut to having the urge once a month. Then six months free and this year I’ve had the urge maybe 3 times. I’ve made good progress. Also I do make many changes anything I moan about e.g news I blocked on my phone. I’ve still not fully cut out social media. If it comes to it I would fully exclude my wife’s gambling but it’s kind of her choice and she doesn’t want to right now.

But most of the things that were a problem for you going back in time are still a problem for you today. You used to go to football matches? That would be doing something else. Getting rid of some toxic people from FB would be another change. Telling your wife that gambling can become a problem for you if you see her do it, that would be another change. She stops and you stop. Work together. Find other things to fill your spare time with.

PieFan · Sep 13, 2023

@Phil10 Gamblers Anonymous?

Gamblers Anonymous

This site offers various help for the compulsive gambler including a Forum, Chat Room, Literature and of course most importantly a meeting finder

www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk

(US= https://gamblersanonymous.org/ga/locations/)

Cuchculan · Sep 13, 2023

So you try your wife's card and you try your mum's card? That means addiction to gambling. Only reason you are stopping is because your wife's card is blocked on the sites. With your mum's card it wouldn't let you use it. If it had of you would have still gambled. Lost a lot more money. It is something you need help for. Because the first chance you get to gamble again, you will take it. So get help for the gambling.

Phil, I once had a friend who was addicted to break fluid. But he reckoned he stop any time he wanted to.

Hard to make choices cost of living

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