Monthly Spending – February 2020

On March 7, 2020March 7, 2020 By A Way to LessIn Finances, FIRE, Monthly SpendingLeave a comment

Summary

Our February spending went slightly over our target of £2,000 with a total spend of £2,391 because of a few big expenses. Most of these were annual amounts so should average out through the year. See the sections below for a breakdown!

We break our main expenses down into broad categories starting with the big 3; housing, food and transport. Everything else falls into the entertainment category, with any large inclusions explained in detail.

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Delaying FIRE to Enjoy Today

On February 29, 2020February 29, 2020 By A Way to LessIn Finances, FIRE, Optimisation4 Comments

Pursuing FIRE is a fine balancing act. On the face of it, delaying your FIRE journey would seem like a bad idea. Who wants to spend longer tied to a job when they could be doing anything else?! But there are other factors at play here!

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Frugal Four – Episode 2

On February 22, 2020February 22, 2020 By A Way to LessIn Finances, Frugal Four, Frugality, Optimisation2 Comments

We’re back with our second episode of Frugal Four!

We wanted a way to share the frugal tips and tricks we’ve picked up over the years. The aim is to provide a brief summary of a few little hacks we’ve enjoyed using in the hope it inspires you to save some money yourselves!

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Reusable Nappies

On February 15, 2020February 15, 2020 By A Way to LessIn Baby Way, Finances, Frugality, Optimisation2 Comments

We recently made our first large baby purchase, buying a bedside cot from Aldi! Shortly after that, the opportunity arose to buy some second hand reusable nappies. In this article we’ll explain why we decided to go down the frugal reusable nappies route and the potential benefits it can bring.

Preparations

As we continue to prepare for the arrival of Baby Way, we’re thinking about what we will need to buy. Our intention is to continue to live as minimalist a life as possible.

As new parents, there is severe pressure from advertisers to buy all sorts of gadgets for your baby, playing on your vulnerability and willingness to provide the best start for them.

We’re convinced most of the conventional baby purchases are unnecessary and we’ll continue to question these decisions at every stage.

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How to Create Good Habits

On February 8, 2020February 6, 2020 By A Way to LessIn OptimisationLeave a comment

In Creating Good Habits we discussed the importance of creating habits that last. We also gave examples of some of the areas in our lives where we’ve utilised good habits to change for the better. In this post, we want to take more of a practical look at HOW you create good habits.

There are various tricks you can use to make a new habit much more likely to stick. But if you approach it in the wrong way, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

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Monthly Spending – January 2020

On February 4, 2020February 3, 2020 By A Way to LessIn Finances, FIRE, Monthly SpendingLeave a comment

Summary

Welcome to our first 2020 spending post! Our January spending was quite good, totalling £1,789. We’re aiming to stay below £2,000 on average throughout 2020 which should be achievable if we carry on like this!

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Creating Good Habits

On January 25, 2020January 24, 2020 By A Way to LessIn Optimisation1 Comment

There’s an increasing will among the general population to ‘live a better life’. But how exactly do you achieve that? Creating good habits is at the center of achieving your goals and making changes that last.

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Monthly Spending – December 2019

On January 7, 2020January 10, 2020 By A Way to LessIn Finances, Monthly Spending2 Comments

Summary

December was yet another expensive month for us. Our kitchen was the last room in our house left to overhaul, having moved in nearly 5 years ago. The update was much needed and we’re really happy with the result. It doesn’t make the spending any easier to stomach though!

As we head into 2020 we’re looking to get back to normal and settle around our desired £2,000 per month spending level. See this post for more detail.

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Baby Way

On December 21, 2019January 10, 2020 By A Way to LessIn Baby Way, Finances, FIRE, Frugality12 Comments

We’re Having a Baby!

You’ve met Mr Way. You’ve met Miss Way. Say hello to Baby Way! Well, not just yet….

If the incredibly expensive Africa trip followed by a new car weren’t expensive enough, we’re now expecting our first child!

We recently found out that Miss Way is pregnant, with the baby due in July 2020.

Obviously, we’re absolutely delighted with this news. But at the same time, there are some severe doubts about whether we’re doing the right thing.

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How to Buy a Car – The Frugal Way!

On December 14, 2019January 10, 2020 By A Way to LessIn Finances, Frugality, Optimisation3 Comments

Intro – Miss Way

I had been avoiding the fact that my car was on its last legs for far too long. It had done a respectable 165,000 miles!

A couple of weeks ago I accepted it was no longer safe to drive and the repair costs far outweighed the value of the vehicle (£1,000 on repairs for a car only worth £200!) – I needed to buy a new one – and quick!

I begrudgingly rely on my car for my work. Due to the peripatetic nature of my job, it unfortunately isn’t always possible to cycle to all my work destinations. Over the last month I’ve used the train where possible, but it can be an expensive alternative. Ideally, we would love to be entirely car free, but this is not an option right now.

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