Hello Dear Reader,

Georgie boy says today’s budget is for the “makers, doers and savers”. To my mind, that’s all of us.

I’m going to ignore the politics and simply stand for common sense and promote a set of household economics that means each household shrinks it’s spending and yet increases income to balance the books and create their own financial security. Froog’s budget for 2014 would look like this:

Cap on spending

In essence, no body is out of the woods yet. I don’t know anyone who has had a pay rise and I don’t know anyone who is getting cheaper energy that last year, cheaper food than last year and cheaper clothes than last year. All that means, in real terms your salaries are worth less every year. There is nothing you can do about that except react financially. You, me and every body has to continue to rein in spending to nothing more than the bare essentials. If you spend more than that, then don’t come running to me whining when you haven’t got the money to fix your car, boiler or house if it needs it. You need to cap your energy usage, your spending on food, your spending on clothes and there is nothing what so ever for anything that doesn’t simply keep you alive! What ever your salary, no matter how small or large, now is the time for a fiscal fast and a long lasting one at that.

Reducing debt.

So many people are up to their necks in financial mess as they spent far too much prior to the financial down turn. Now every penny they earn is worth less than it used to and yet they still have debts. No body with any debts can afford to spend any more than it takes to survive! It is their responsibility alone to sort out the mess they created. To start, stop using your credit cards and don’t even think of borrowing any money for anything what so ever! Create a survival budget and use every penny to pay off debts. You will suffer in the short term but over the years you will know that you did the right thing.

Building your economy.

Every single family needs to work collectively to bring more money into the house. Deliver take aways and parcels, find bar work and evening work, do a few late shifts in the supermarket, take in lodgers, share the car on the way to work and halve your fuel costs. Every single member of the family needs their money saving task. Who reads the meters? Who is responsible for turning off unneeded lights? Who is responsible for drying the towels so they can be used again without being washed? Who is responsible for turning the duvet so it can go a few more days without being washed? Who is responsible for sweeping the floors daily so they do not need vacuuming? Every single family member needs to ask the question daily…..what do I need to do every day to save this family money and bring more money into the family home? Have a family ebay weekend and a clear out and use the money for the family. Have a family carboot sale weekend and make the family some money. No household member should ever be ashamed to knock on doors and offer to cut the lawn and wash the path, on the contrary….they should feel really proud. Look on every job website and agency website and look for extra work. Be proud of having two or three jobs. Money never comes to those sat on their backside but goes to those who earn it! (There is a teenage lad in Liskeard who rides around with a mower in a trailer attached to his bike and I see him knock on many doors, some say no thanks, but some have him cut the lawn………..I salute him!!!)

Budget Deficit.

Every household needs to have the clear penny by penny understanding of all money coming in. Every person under that roof is an equal contributor and moochers should hang their heads in shame!(any stay at home mum, with school age children can go out and clean when the kids are at school…….if that’s you……then all power to you….every penny helps!) Every household should have a clear budget of every penny that needs to be spent on: rent/mortgage, utilities and taxes, insurance, children, food and transport. Nothing else is a necessity! Nothing! Now, every household needs to look at those costs and cut them to the bone! Less heating, home cooked food, make do with what you have, mend what you can, buy less and in some cases buy nothing. No one needs to eat out…..ever! If you spend all you earn each month, then you have a budget deficit! Even worse, is spending more than you earn! The equation must work in the reverse, you must always ensure there is money spare every month and that you save.

Budget for makers, savers and doers.

Make: all your family meals from scratch, make you lunches and take them to work, make your own coffee and never buy one ever again (take a flask everywhere!), make your own curtains, make your own quilts,birthday and Christmas presents, bags and even clothes, knit, sew, create, mend. Make your own food by growing some, even a row of runner beans or potatoes will reduce your household expenses. Make: more money for the family pot, more time for essential maintenance on your home to keep it in order, make more time to keep fit so you cost less to feed and keep!

Do: more by keeping fit and active, more by working more to raise your income. Do less spending and moaning. Do less eating - it costs a fortune and every time you look at your hips you can see what you ate! Do more healthy home cooking. Do more socialising at home and invite friends round and in turn get out to see them. Do more volunteering, it will keep you busy and you will help others at the same time. Do more walking and less driving to save money.

Save: fabric for quilting and crafting, food tubs to raise seeds, paper to light the fire, kindling picked up on walks. Save money by menu planning, creating a shopping list and eating everything in the house. Save money by reducing the amount of time the heating is on and how long you spend in the shower. Save money by reducing car journeys to essential only.


The strivers and survivors work through any political system and any economic conditions. They ignore the politics, they don’t whine and they pull themselves out of bed every day and go to work. When they get home, they work on their own finances and ensure their family has a secure financial basis. They never spend needlessly and they check every penny.

Are you a maker, doer and saver? Are you a striver and survivor? I would love to hear your comments on what you are doing, will continue to do and will do differently to build your family’s financial security? Who is prepared to give up meals out? Who is prepared to give up new clothes or the hairdressers until you’ve saved or paid off debts? You, as corny as it sounds, are the architect of your own future? What will you do to make it a good one?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxxxx