Extending our house without extending ourselves beyond our means

PurpleFairy26 · 17 September 2016 at 6:50AM

It's the weekend :j but I'm already awake

just trying 5 minutes quiet before the rest of the house wakes (although can already hear two small upstairs chatting, but they seem to be entertaining themselves) I'm sure it won't be long before they find me

Yesterday was payday :j so the big money shuffle done and various pots topped up and master sheet updated

Progress:
50% of EF target reached
Net savings position better than last month despite using savings for some renovations
Had new door frame and door fitted
Had downstairs radiators replaced and unsightly pipes moved
Sold a load at a baby sale and made £68
Sold several items on fleabay
Have 4 bags ready for charity shop
Other savings pot at 32.82% which is really good as we extended the target by £400 during the month - without that it would be at 63%
Managed a couple of runs

Quote due for porch on Monday
Replaced a nice piece of furniture in lounge with a really good quality piece in the sale and sold old piece

All in all not a bad 4 weeks. Need to keep up the momentum on selling stuff as made about £250 since last pay day.

In other news, our local shop has stopped selling the skirting we were using, so we will likely have to get online and pay delivery costs. Boo. Only silver living is that at the same time we could order the item we need for the kitchen that they want to charge us £10 delivery for. We have storage so we could potentially buy all the skirting we need in one go. Would need to raid savings pot.

Meal planning going well and know it is reducing food costs/waste, need to continue with this. Still have loads of meat in freezer from meat box, so just fresh fruit, veg and bread needed.

Have logged my gas/electric and less used this month than last so that's good.

PurpleFairy26 · 17 September 2016 at 6:54AM

Bobarella wrote: »

Hiya
Have to recommend Dreams beds. We bought 3 (1 left at flat for tenant) 2 for our house, between 2007 & 2009. Not cheap at £1,000 a pop but they are so comfortable and all still going strong. Cost per year of use becomes pretty cheap.
Bob

Thanks Bob. That's one of the places we went to. good to know they're recommended, we did find one we liked in there, but unsurprisingly not the cheapest but not sure that is necessarily the aim in these situations. Our current bed is 12 years old, so cost per sleep is about 10.5p each. Which in my view is a bargain

Bobarella · 18 September 2016 at 12:05AM

Definitely! When you think of how much time we spend in bed especially.

PurpleFairy26 · 20 September 2016 at 10:44PM

Evening dairyland

Paid another £270 into savings from various sources, toy/clothing sale I did and upping regular (non high interest) savings. Only as current ones are maxed out. Must fix this - puts on to do list

Ordered skirting required for lounge and dining room meaning we can now get man to do it, just a little more painting required beforehand, hopefully hubby will finish this off this week so he can then come whenever and fit :j downside is they still wanted to charge me £10 for what they consider to be a large item that only costs £22 so I have complained, will see what they say. I complained using the resolver tool on here the other day and my £2.26 was promptly refunded. It's not really like me but I despise it when companies take the mick. If I don't get a satisfactory response I will use the tool again as it worked well it's about principle rather than the cost in most cases.

Managed to get loads of washing dry outside today which is really good despite it not been the best day. I've also managed 2 X 5k runs already this week, hoping for another on Friday

made me feel loads better already.

Bank account looks bleak, it's only due to lag between our two pay days so it's not reallŷ an issue as my spreadsheet tells me all is good but I don't like making pads until it looks rosier

Meal out tomrrow night, new restaurant opening so 50% off. One of our favourites too so we're very excited

Been out volunteering tonight, must head off to bed as I won't want to get up in the morning despite my head working overtime just now

Bobarella · 20 September 2016 at 10:51PM

What do you volunteer with PF? Know the feeling of head whizzing...keep finding myself up late even when I get the chance to sleep as everything slows down at night and time is my own. Sleep well.

PurpleFairy26 · 23 September 2016 at 2:12PM

Bobarella wrote: »

What do you volunteer with PF? Know the feeling of head whizzing...keep finding myself up late even when I get the chance to sleep as everything slows down at night and time is my own. Sleep well.

Thanks Bob. I volunteer with the local National Childbirth Trust - mainly helping publicise all the activities we have on offer during the first 1000 days of a little one's life. But i can turn my hand to lots of things if they need

supersavvymummyof2 · 23 September 2016 at 4:23PM

Just a quick tip- you can buy a really nice preloved/used kitchen on a budget on usedkitchenexchange, we done it and are so happy! our kitchen was originally £80K+ and we bought it for next to nothing through this company = Happy me :money: :T

Bobarella · 23 September 2016 at 10:42PM

PurpleFairy26 wrote: »

Thanks Bob. I volunteer with the local National Childbirth Trust - mainly helping publicise all the activities we have on offer during the first 1000 days of a little one's life. But i can turn my hand to lots of things if they need

Awwww a very worthwhile cause. I used to be a teahost back when I was first a mum. It was lovely feeling you were helping others.

brizzledfw · 25 September 2016 at 12:52PM

Like the term' bleak' re the current account..I know how you feel! Its one of the reasons I do TTs to round it down to the nearest £10 pretty much every day. It makes it all more positive even if you can't yet do the bigger transfers.

Just spent £9.50 in the F&V shop and £8 in the Co-op (am loving their new membership scheme) and thats it for meals this week I hope. Rest is already in fridge, freezer or cupboards. Need to bring down the grocery bill quite a bit I think. I would say we need to cut down going out for meals to say once a month..but if I had a 50% off I'd be sorely tempted to go anyway

Best of luck with all the skirting board shopping

PurpleFairy26 · 25 September 2016 at 8:16PM

Skirting being delivered tomorrow it's all rock and roll here :rotfl:

I made these yesterday

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/blueberry-bakewell-muffins

Minus the jam. They didn't last long

they taste like expensive coffee shop ones and will definitely make them again. Choose them as I'm trying to use up stuff in freezer and have a big bag of frozen blueberries and had some OOD yogurt. DH has asked for them daily :rotfl:

Rest if the weekend to plan. Spent £15 at a charity thing today, was our only spend of the day and included 3 ice creams and for a good cause.

About 80% of massive joint left for other meals to go in freezer once portioned and half of our crumble (that's a first

)

Meal plan done for week and should need very little to make it all, will continue to use freezer items for lunch - courgette and pesto soup tomorrow

Still want to get a cc for spending with some reward attached, DH has applied for a m and s one as you get £5 voucher for opening and another £25 if spend in first month. Well then cancel one card that is at zero. These new cards would just be for Card protection and/or reward points so would be paid in full each month. May do a little research on that, plus need to research landlord insurance as that's due in about a month. money stashed to pay, obviously

Extending our house without extending ourselves beyond our means

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