So who are Hutch and Janine?

Hi everyone, as Suzi has already mentioned there is a second family involved here, Janine / myself Matt (Hutch) & my 4 beautiful kids (Not that I’m biased). We are all incredibly excited about the OBL project & between both families we are all getting our heads together to ensure we give it our best shot.

Both myself & Janine work for a logistics company supplying car parts throughout the UK, we have done so for ten years… There is a lot to be said for having the stability of full time work & in the current climate it is a bonus to have that safety blanket come the 15^th of each month & long may that continue… Suzie & Neil are fantastic friends to us, our closest by far & we are so lucky to have them… Our extended family with a bond that is solid in all ways.

Operation Better life is the opportunity to help people who want to help themselves… People who have great ideas of bettering themselves but do not have the financial ability to do so… It is a sad state of affairs when banks refuse investment based on a clean credit rating but this is currently the case.. If you are up to your neck in debt you stand a better chance so say the banks… A better chance of what exactly? Losing it all when the payments exceed the income… Personal circumstances do not figure when it comes to the bank manager’s decision & that’s what we would eventually like to challenge… This isn’t about freebies for all though & that is a major consideration for those wanting to contribute towards this project.

Implementation or Phase 1

Suzi & Neil have already spoken about the initial Operation Better Life HQ but how do we even start to pull that kind of money together… My Granddad always said look after the pennies & the pounds will take care of themselves… To a 10yo that’s plain gibberish…Surely it’s easier to look after the pounds first?.. You save more? At the age of 36 now it makes a helluva  lot of sense (Thanks Alf J )… It’s very difficult to make massive savings in day to day life but the smaller concessions add up to big savings.. There are the obvious methods, cycling to work to save diesel, no more cigarettes (Week 10 & doing fine thank you very much), selling all unwanted / unused bits around the house on auction sites, utilising my basic engineering skills to re-work or fabricate motorcycle parts for resale, going for own brand supermarket products…. The main thing here is consolidation consolidation consolidation… By pulling enough money together to buy a property where two families cohabit this mantra REALLY begins to show benefits REALLY fast… As Suzie mentioned, bulk buying of food for the extended family, car sharing, having extra adults about to look after the children whilst various moneymaking initiatives are tried & tested… All of the above is the tip of the iceberg…. There are many idea’s going back & forth between the two families to make this project happen… Will they all work? I’m very positive they will yes.

Working in the warehouse environment it is obvious that a company would seek savings in all areas, there is, however the risk of complacency & fear of change… “We have our operation as streamlined as possible… It works…. Why change it?”. Some of you may be aware of LEAN principles, this begins with a full study of a business from the ground up, identifying waste & changing processes to improve efficiency… It has saved the company I work for in excess of 1.5 million pounds so far this year… Why can’t these principles be applied to everyday life?... They can & they will…. Over the next few months I will update this blog as often as I can with these applied initiative so that hopefully other people can benefit.. Mostly common sense but there are always a few surprises to be found when you place your finances under a microscope…

Many thanks for taking the time to read this & with us lot working hard & your help we can make this dream a reality.

Hutch