How to Survive Life and Poverty

The world around us is changing faster than many of us wish to acknowledge. The result of this is that many of us are not prepared for what is to come. Many people still have debts and are still living with growing debt.

I have given up a lot, but the one thing I am most proud of having abandonned is debt.

I do not believe in get rich quick schemes, and I do not know how to make money. I do cry regularlly when I cannot find the money I need for the family, but I know that no one can take from me what I have!

Most of us do not change because it is fun, we normally change because it is necessary. During my time living in France I have learnt (the hard way) that if you change before it becomes a necessity it is far easier than waiting until the 11th hour.

I have discovered a great many things during the last 5 years, but there are 5 lessons which I respect more than the others.

1 Cleaning without chemicals.

This is a great way to save money and to hugely reduce the amount of carcinogens within your home. For a very small amount of money and a bit of time you will save a fortune.

2. Cooking from scratch.

I know that this takes longer, and at first it will take you a lot longer, but over time it will get quicker. Cooking is a skill which grows immensely fast and which will in the end save you time as well. Once you have a comprehensive understanding of how to cook, you will reduce your shopping bills and you will save no longer need to go shopping as much and hence will free up time for either earning some extra pennies or quality time else where.

3. How to stock a pantry.

I hate shopping and this was a hard lesson for me to learn as I used to live in London and if I needed something there was a 24 hour shop at the end of the road. I now do a monthly super market shop, and weekly top up. I have a lot of money and since the food I am buying has changed I can store a lot larger quantities than I ever previously thought was possible.

4. Trust in your instincts

If you think it is worth spending money on then you should. If you think something will improve the quality of your life, then you should invest in it. Living frugally is not about suffering it is a management system. You should not feel hard done by, you should feel healthy and happy. Do not feel that you cannot ever again have luxury.

5. Quality time with your family

I do not mean the sort of crappy time which TV starts talk about, I mean laughing and giggling together. It does not matter if you are in the checkout at the super market, walking down the street or playing a board game together - quality time is about smiling together and not worrying about each other for just one moment.

We are bombarded with advertising and it is very tempting to take the easy option and let it slip in and affect decisions.

I was (and often still am) tired. I used to buy cereal for the kids because they wanted it and I could start the day with enough time to actually work out what I was going to do.

The truth is that most of a box of cereal is actually air. The attractive thing to a child is usually the promised toy on the inside (which is a small piece of hollow plastic, containing yet more air, and soon to end up broken, causing tears and in the bin). The attractive thing to a parent is being able to drink that first cup of coffee in relative peace.

The truth is that the toy is rubbish and the time saved in the morning is later taken back with interest when they are hungry half an hour later. It is actually far more sensible to sip the coffee over a boiling pan of water containing eggs knowing that after 3 mins you will still have some coffee to finish in peace and they will be fed for at least an hour and possibly 2!