All change, All change

SmarterNotHarder · 26 February 2017 at 11:10PM

So, some time ago, I got out of debt and set myself a £20,000 house deposit goal. True to life, I got there some years on, only to find that I'm to be made redundant this year, so all thoughts of housebuying went out of the window.

Ok. I have kicked myself for not getting to the goal sooner, as I've frittered away money on life and expensive holidays, but I don't regret that too much. Such is life, indeed it could be a blessing in disguise as now it means I'm not tied to my home area.

(Yes yes, I know, I never was, I could have looked for a job elsewhere anytime I wanted)

So this diary is a bit of a mash up of various things, but in the end I felt it fitted best here (apologies if not, and feel free to move if neccessary).

Of course, the prospect of being out of work, having no debts and no other commitments (live with parents, no kids etc), and having some savings, means that my head has filled it self with exotic travel ideas that simply wouldn't be possible in the parameters of annual leave available from a workplace. I will do *something*, but I intend to plan well for it.

I'm also looking forward to having a few weeks "off". To do nothing. To sleep, to sort the house out properly, as there are loads of jobs that we never get round to as we're all at work and have other priorities at weekends, and spending annual leave sorting it would make me unhappy.

I also live in a UC area, which means I don't think I'm entitled to any benefits when I finish work due to my savings, so I want to find ways of "earning" enough to live on (pay some board to parents even if it's not the same amount and a bit extra for me) without dipping into the savings while I look for a job.

Stuff like temping, ebaying (though I have as yet never sold on there), Cashback sites (I regularly use these to do the parents' insurance, utilies etc - I get to keep the money, they get to save without having to do the legwork, win-win) counts, and I'm sure I'll come up with other things.

I'm also getting on board with being less of a "consumer" and interested in being better to the envioronment, and this fits well with the moneysaving ideals so I may occasionally record achievments and/or failures in that regard here. I need to learn to sew amongst other things.

I also need to get my stuff sorted out, either for travels or for moving for work, so there will be general decluttering, mending etc going on.

So there it is. It's all been going round in my head for a bit, so it's a relief to get it down

Hi there!

savingwannabe · 27 February 2017 at 10:57AM

Welcome. You sound pretty smart to me and you will fit in.

I didn't know anything about selling on ebay but I started about 5 years ago as I had loads of good cds and did ok. Then I did clothes last year. Then make up. Now I don't have anything left to sell. lol. It was quite ok. I didn't make a profit but decluttered with some money.

Happy selling. Tip: wait till there is an offer which says no ebay fees then sell cheaper stuff. When they send you an offer to sell things and only pay £1 in fees etc then sell expensive stuff.

SmarterNotHarder · 27 February 2017 at 7:35PM

Thanks for the selling tips

My mission currently is to stop buying *things*. It's harder than it should be! Saying that, I've had more NSDs this month than in any other month ever, so that's something.

Anyway plans for this evening include making a pack up lunch for work tomorrow to stop me buying, and then having a bit of a pamper session and actually *using* some of the georgeous products I have. Fancy that! I mean, looking at my stash you'd think they were collectables or something, heh.

savingwannabe · 27 February 2017 at 8:00PM

You fit in with us so well. It's frightening. When I joined this thread a really funny lady said we were like rats on a drainpipe with ebay!!!!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

lol.

Maiden_Mum · 27 February 2017 at 8:03PM

Welcome Smarternotharder. Sounds like you have lots going on there. I guess it takes something like a redundancy to make you re-evaluate everything but be careful not to end up blowing all those lovely savings that you have!

Skint_yet_Again · 27 February 2017 at 8:17PM

Hi SmarterNotHarder sorry to hear about the redundancy good luck on your journey

Just to say a friend of mine is looking for work and she is finding employers want to know what she has been doing since leaving her last job - they don't seem to like that she hasn't been doing voluntary work and has been taking time out of the rat race !

snozberry · 27 February 2017 at 9:05PM

Good luck on your journey

SmarterNotHarder · 27 February 2017 at 11:04PM

Maiden_Mum wrote: »

Welcome Smarternotharder. Sounds like you have lots going on there. I guess it takes something like a redundancy to make you re-evaluate everything but be careful not to end up blowing all those lovely savings that you have!

That's a fair point. I plan on blowing some of them to travel, but that will be budgeted for and costed to make sure I get the most for my money. The rest will be put away somewhere I can't get at it too easily.

Skint_yet_Again wrote: »

Hi SmarterNotHarder sorry to hear about the redundancy good luck on your journey

Just to say a friend of mine is looking for work and she is finding employers want to know what she has been doing since leaving her last job - they don't seem to like that she hasn't been doing voluntary work and has been taking time out of the rat race !

Don't be sorry about the redundancy, I'm not. Well not really, I'm going to miss the lovely people I work with, but it's about time something gave me a kick up the you-know-what to get out of there.

I'm only planning to take a few weeks out to do "nothing" then I'll be travelling, more backpacking than 5* holidays, and when I return I'll temp/volunteer etc while I look for a proper job. Hopefully those few weeks won't even be noticed.

Thank you to everyone for your good wishes.

SmarterNotHarder · 17 May 2017 at 11:51PM

I'd actually forgotten I'd started this oops! Redundancy looms ever closer and now is the time to bring the budget to the wire. If I can save as much as possible from every wage between now and then, that should provide a good buffer too.

I've had 3 NSDs this week, but tomorrow I'm getting the car MOT'd and serviced so that's going to be a spendy day :P I'm also in the process of streamling my banking, making sure I'm getting the most I can from the accounts and closing the ones that don't meet my needs any more. This also involves tucking away the money I don't want to touch until I'm ready to put down a house deposit, fingers crossed!

I have the car insurance/tax due in August, which will be paid in full and that will be the car sorted, hopefully that will be that for another year.

Then we have the other stuff. I hope to buy some shoes tomorrow while I'm in town. This really is a need rather than a want, all mine are knackered barring the few pairs I have for "occasions" and I really hate buying shoes so wish me luck! Then I need to get on with the mending pile so I can figuure out what is still usable. I need to get a move on I think.

savingwannabe · 18 May 2017 at 8:59PM

Hello again!!! Well done on NSDs and on banking. Good luck with MOT I hope it is cheap. Happy shoe shopping. I find that a nightmare too. So many shoes so little money etc in my case. lol .

SmarterNotHarder · 21 May 2017 at 1:48PM

Hey! Well the 11 year old car passed the MOT with flying colours. Well nearly. There was an advisory on the fron tyres, so looking to replace them as soon as I can, but it's not urgent and has to be done yesterday, so thats good.

I think I've found one of the types of shoe I was after in M&S, butI'm going to order online as all the ones in the shop in my size were scuffed. Besides I've started a bank account switch to M&S and might as well wait for the gift card!

Also, at the risk of sounding daft, what's a "happiness fund"?

All change, All change

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