Lets see...I have been simplifying a ton. But honestly I do not track my spending. I really need to organize better...I am so bad at organizing. I think it feels like a prison to me to have lists etc.

I used to be in charge of the bank accounts, but since we moved here, dh has been in charge of them and I have no clue what is going on. He is not a saver. He is not a spender either...but for example he has *still* not set up a retirement account and we have been here 2 years! (even though I have done my share of putting the papers in front of him and nagging.)

I want to learn how to meal plan...and I want to get more garden stuff going.

My start in all of this is I have been purging and donating tons of clothes and household items etc and dh has been too. it really feels good to declutter. Next I have a pile of stuff to sell. Need to snap pics and post.

Cost of living is high here(in New Zealand). We aren't really house poor, and have a 17 year mortgage(we pay ahead every two weeks) but money always seems to be tight.

My Food budget is $1200 a month. Yup, $1200. That is cooking everything from scratch, eating out about 3 times a month and buying as much organic as I can. I definitely see buying organic as a huge priority for us. In Santa Fe, NM, I purchased everything at WholeFoods and the Farmers market and I spent $600 a month~I thought that was a lot~lol!

Thrift shopping sucks here. There is not a good secondary market for clothes and household goods with everything being so expensive. I really dislike shopping in the first place, so that makes it more challenging. I do tend to purchase retail.

Sorry-this is not cohesive, I have a very squirmy baby who would rather I be doing something else right now~lol!

Look forward to gleaning and sharing lots of info. Must get Tightwad Gazette...I hope they have it here!

Of course we will have you! Are you still living on the other side of the world? I've been curious how you have been. I don't always look at all the posts so I think I have missed a lot.

Decluttering always feels good, but it is a process. Keep it up and the more you do it the less you will have to clean. At least that's how I look at it.

glad to see you here. I love this forum.

Of course we will have you! Are you still living on the other side of the world? I've been curious how you have been. I don't always look at all the posts so I think I have missed a lot.

Decluttering always feels good, but it is a process. Keep it up and the more you do it the less you will have to clean. At least that's how I look at it.
Yes, In New Zealand. Summer now:) Decluttering does feel really good. both my parents were packrats. I am not like that at all. But it is just so easy to accumulate *stuff*! I purge in stages, and I have pulled things out of donation piles for sentimental reasons...and tell myself maybe next time I will be able to give it up~lol. Then I do. It gets easier and easier!

Thanks for the welcome(s)

I don't know why the second-hand scene isn't as great in NZ. Some things are alot more expensive there, but to me that should mean people would want to buy/sell secondhand. Bizarre. Have you looked around on www.trademe.co.nz ? It's like ebay. I'm sure you have though. That's where Belinda buys and sells lots of stuff.

Anyway, welcome. This is my motivation forum!

Kerri
(Kiwi in Canada)

I don't know why the second-hand scene isn't as great in NZ. Some things are alot more expensive there, but to me that should mean people would want to buy/sell secondhand. Bizarre. Have you looked around on www.trademe.co.nz ? It's like ebay. I'm sure you have though. That's where Belinda buys and sells lots of stuff.

Anyway, welcome. This is my motivation forum!

Kerri
(Kiwi in Canada)

Kerri,Hi. Belinda and I have met~she is wonderful~ I miss her not being in Dunedin!

The second hand clothes scene is not good here in the city I live in particular. Kids clothes suck here in retail. The quality is awful(at least to me:))....I assume since the quality isn't that good, that it doesn't make a good market second hand. I've asked at the OP shops and they just don't get much in for kids. I just looked into Trade Me and will investigate it more. It looks good. For buying and selling used household stuff I have made decent deals through the ads at the University here. I am trying to get dh to barter services as well. I am a bit of a stranger in a strange land...finding my way through NZ...

In any case, I've been lurking a bit and all of the ladies here are my inspiration as well!

Hi, Linda! I also didn't realize you'd gone back to NZ for the summer. Good for you! Are the winters really terrible?

Welcome!!

Hi, Linda! I also didn't realize you'd gone back to NZ for the summer. Good for you! Are the winters really terrible?

Welcome!!
Thanks Laurie~
Winters aren't that bad. It is a lot like Seattle. But there is not much to do if it constantly rains. I am also not used to damp cold.

We were in the States for our health to see a Naturopath. We re back with dh now that we are well:)

Oh Linda! I am so glad you are here!! Welcome welcome!!

Val

Great to see you here, Linda!