The rat race of the corporate world was not for me. Having money and ‘things’ didn’t make me happy. It took me quite a while to realise that I didn’t have to continue on this path and that I could in fact work a part time job and make time for adventures, whilst still being comfortable.
After lots of big life changes, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been and living on a lot less than I thought I could.
Back in February, I did a no spend month. This allowed me to see the bare minimum I need to live off and which areas I could make changes. I only spent money on rent, food and petrol. I am currently only working part time and my shifts vary week to week. This means that each payday I get a different amount which can make it quite hard to plan. I try to keep my monthly payments to a minimum by paying everything I can annually and never buying anything on a payment plan.
I am currently working part time, but I’m earning enough to pay my rent, buy the essentials, save and still have money left over. My hours will be going up over the summer, but I’m going to be planning adventures around it and then look to take a big chunk of time off in Autumn.
Having a job where I don’t have to stress, plan or create presentations when I get home has given me so much more quality time for myself. Some of the big changes I’ve made that help me to live the way I do are:
My Job:
Since graduating from uni, I’ve had many different jobs. I worked for several years in project management, before moving into HR. I spent another few years working my way up and increasing my salary, but at the same time increasing the pressure. I ended up looking after employee engagement for 40k employees at a major telecoms company and grew to despise the corporate world. I quit my job without having anything else figured out, but at the time I had both the moral and financial support of my husband which helped make it possible. I decided to try something new and trained as a nursery nurse, followed by a year as a teaching assistant in a primary school. Finding my path hasn’t been easy, and it’s certainly not a journey that that’s come to an end. I am still trying to figure out what I want to do job wise, but right now I’m happy where I am.
Though my salary is a lot less than it used to be, so are my outgoings. I no longer spend silly amounts on ‘stuff’ I don’t need, I’m much more mindful with my money. No longer having the ridiculous amounts of stress from the corporate world is the best change I have made and I don’t regret leaving for a second.
Clothes:
Buying less and buying second hand has definitely had a huge impact on my finances. Alongside the financial impact, the clothing crisis is real. Fast fashion is a huge issue, which you can easily remove yourself from. Charity shops and apps such as vinted, are great places to find bargain, good quality clothes. I’ve had so many pieces that are brand new with tags on that I’ve lived in. I also sell a lot of my old clothes on these apps too, or donate them to charity shops.
I do still buy the odd bits new, but around 50% of my wardrobe is now second hand. I get such a buzz from finding gems in charity shops and it can also be really cathartic to have a clear out and donate a bag of things that no longer bring you joy.
Adventures:
Investing in kit is pretty expensive, but once you have it, you can head out whenever you like for pretty much free. If you are struggling to invest, you are able to get so much great quality stuff second hand. I’ve found some great walking shirts (like this one>>), coats and trousers in charity shops and there are so many different outdoor buy and sell groups on facebook. You can also shop my kit here. Other than my Keen waking boots and my Mac in a Sac down jacket, that were both kindly gifted, I have purchased all my kit myself over the last few years.
Petrol is one of my biggest adventure expenses, but sharing lifts when you can is a great way to split the costs. Parking can be another bigger, but again splitting the cost can help. Having a National Trust membership can also save you a lot on parking, especially around the Lake District and the South West, due to the large amount of National Trust car parks.
Saving:
Being able to put money aside is so important, even if it’s only a small amount a month. Before you start saving though you should make sure you’ve paid off (or are paying off) any debts. You can find out more or get advice on this here. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to money and track everything in spreadsheets. I also split all my income into essentials/spend/save pots by %. As my working hours fluctuate so much, this is a little more complicated then it used to be, but I aim to save 20% of my income each month.
Interest rates are pretty shoddy at the moment, so unfortunately I’m not getting much interest on anything, but it’s nice to know it’s there for the future and a potential deposit if I do decide to buy somewhere at some point. I do have some money tucked away from the house sale after my divorce, so I do feel very grateful knowing I have this emergency cushion if I ever do need it.
Food and Eating Out:
It’s so easy to spend a lot on food and drink without realising. The odd lunch out or coffee here and there quickly adds up. I used to get lunch at work every day then one day I stopped to add it up and was mortified! £3 per day on a meal deal doesn’t sound a lot, but 5 days a week and you’re looking at £60 per month.
Cooking at home and from scratch is an easy way to save money on food. Cutting down, or removing meat, can also make weekly food bills a lot cheaper. There are so many recipes available online and doing a weekly meal plan and shopping list can help you avoid over buying when you’re in the shops. You can check out some of my budget friendly meals from my ‘No Spend Feb’ here.
When I’m in a rut, I go through phases of using hello fresh to help get me back on track. Usually if you are inactive for a while they will send you a discount code to get 40% off, which makes it pretty reasonable. I also find it really helps give me back some excitement for cooking for just myself. If you’d like to try a box for free, drop me a message on instagram and I’ll send you a code.
I got into a bad habit of buying takeaways during lockdown. This was mainly down to a mix of laziness and loneliness (it can get pretty dull cooking for one). But again, when I added up how much I’d actually spent it was pretty dire. A try to have some kind of curry/pizza tucked away in the freezer for those days when I’m really not in the mood, as this at least stops me from ordering something 10 times the price.
During my ‘No Spend Feb’ I had started to say no to a lot of social situations because I was worried about feeling like I had to spend money. But it’s not about cutting things out completely, just being mindful of what you’re spending and not just getting sucked into a habit. I spent a lovely night at the pub with my friends and just didn’t buy a drink. I didn’t feel like I was missing out at all as I still got to enjoy the social side of it.
Monthly Outgoings:
My general monthly outgoings are pretty low. Aside from my rent and bills, the only things I pay for each month are my phone, National Trust membership and as of this week, the gym. Things like my car tax and insurance I pay as a lump sum once a year, as I like to know where I’m at with my money. I make sure to set reminders so that I know when payments are due so I can make sure I’ve got money set aside for them. I’ve actually started saving my tips from work to try and cover these expenses.
I’ve always been very open and honest when it comes to money so I’m more than happy to answer any questions regarding finances. I make little to no money from instagram and this blog, I just do it because I enjoy it. For clarity, in the last 6 months I’ve made approximately 20p from my blog. I do however get gifted things quite regularly via instagram, or make the odd bit of commission from affiliate links, which I am extremely grateful for.
Lisa Outdoors 