The ultimate incentive proposed! Buying a house, a wedding, and staying debt free.

Dinah93

CINNY - Please can you delete your post on birthday ideas! There are some great ones there I want to steal!!!

clearmydebts

My baby is going to be born and live in rented accommodation! I really don't see a problem with this at all. We are hoping to rent a house or a really nice 2 bedroom flat. I think once the baby is fed and has enough love it doesn't matter where they spend their first few years. We could afford to buy in the area we are moving to but I'm not rushing just so I can say I own it when the baby arrives.

We do own a flat, just not where we are going to be living. Personally I would rather rent with my OH than live with my parents as it feels more independent, but each to their own!

AQA - If you sign up to Twitter they will update you on the jobs. We (as employees) don't get updates on vacancies so the Twitter option will keep you updated. If you work hard at it, you could make about 5k a year (before tax)

Babysitting - I would say word of mouth is the best way to get jobs. If you have lived in the area a long time then I'm sure you will know a lot of people and also through the church you could pass it on. As a mother to be I definitely wouldn'ty consider getting a babysitter from a flyer through the door. Noticeboards would be another good way though I think.

I also think you should give your painting a go. It is something you enjoy and if you can earn money from it, then it seems like a great idea.

NIM's birthday - cut loose on the purse strings and buy the poor chap something nice. He seems like a very decent, hard working fella & he deserves a nice present.

tinkerbel

babysitting dinah maybe flyers in schools or at brownie/childminding places?

Dinah93

clearmydebts wrote: »

My baby is going to be born and live in rented accommodation! I really don't see a problem with this at all. We are hoping to rent a house or a really nice 2 bedroom flat. I think once the baby is fed and has enough love it doesn't matter where they spend their first few years. We could afford to buy in the area we are moving to but I'm not rushing just so I can say I own it when the baby arrives.

I have to presume you've been in the flat a while and the landlord is decent? I have lived in 3 rented properties. Property one got an ant infestation the landlord said was the councils problem, council said it was his, had to move out for 2 months. They were all over the kitchen and bedroom, woke up with them on your face etc, it was vile. Property 2 fine except the landlord neglected to pay the mortgage and we were told to leave. Luckily we had been planning to go anyway as I had a new job, but still, not stable for a baby. Property 3 I had no hot water for over 3 months, the roof leaked and mould grew on the kitchen walls. None of these are places I consider suitable to raise a child, and I know there are decent landlords out there, but its just too big a risk for me to wilingly take.

We do own a flat, just not where we are going to be living. Personally I would rather rent with my OH than live with my parents as it feels more independent, but each to their own!

I'd rather live with my parents than rent, landlords wandering in and out of my house feels intrusive and then all the problems listed above.... I wouldn't have children while at home though. Plus NIM comes from a country where renting is not really seen as an option. Given how expensive rent is I don't get how anyone can save for a house while in rented accomodation!

AQA - If you sign up to Twitter they will update you on the jobs. We (as employees) don't get updates on vacancies so the Twitter option will keep you updated. If you work hard at it, you could make about 5k a year (before tax)

Babysitting - I would say word of mouth is the best way to get jobs. If you have lived in the area a long time then I'm sure you will know a lot of people and also through the church you could pass it on. As a mother to be I definitely wouldn'ty consider getting a babysitter from a flyer through the door. Noticeboards would be another good way though I think.

I've had people via fliers before, but I do always state who they can contact for references and in small villages often they know those people so don't feel the need to call, they just trust that its there.

I also think you should give your painting a go. It is something you enjoy and if you can earn money from it, then it seems like a great idea.

It seems so indulgent though, and I personally don't think I can earn money.

NIM's birthday - cut loose on the purse strings and buy the poor chap something nice. He seems like a very decent, hard working fella & he deserves a nice present.

Problem is I think he'd give me grief if he knew I'd spent £100 or something, and he'd go on about how much extra pressure that puts us under to pay it back. He's also worse than me on the whole 'deserves thing' He'll frequently say no one deserves anything, if you can afford it then sure treat yourself but if you can't end of story.

zigmeister

I'd go down the babysitting route too Dinah. I plan on doing this and am going to ask my Dad to put the word about. They already know me from when I was small and it should help that I have a CRB check from working in schools.

If you are planning on putting notices up etc I think a CRB check is something you'll need. But I shouldn't think you'll need it from jobs you get by word of mouth.

I'm not sure how much to charge though! I was thinking £10 for a couple of hours. My thinking is that they don't think I'm out to take all their money, they might feel generous and give me a bit more. Plus, you get more work if you're cheaper than the rest!

While you're babysitting could you get on with other money-making stuff like DooYoo etc? I plan on doing uni work

Cinny91

Dinah93 wrote: »

CINNY - Please can you delete your post on birthday ideas! There are some great ones there I want to steal!!!

Deleted it! Seriously, I am pretty good aren't I?

Tink - Where did you get 20% off Uggs? I'm wanting a pair so bad!
Sorry to hear about all the billz ect, hope it isn't too bad!

Dinah93

Love you Cinny, and aye, you're great :-D

Tete_en_l'Air

Cinny91 wrote: »

Then in cheeky MSE style sign up to lovefilm free trial (or something of the like)

Are Blockbuster still doing £7.50 CB on Quidco for a month's free trial?

clearmydebts wrote: »

My baby is going to be born and live in rented accommodation! I really don't see a problem with this at all. We are hoping to rent a house or a really nice 2 bedroom flat. I think once the baby is fed and has enough love it doesn't matter where they spend their first few years. We could afford to buy in the area we are moving to but I'm not rushing just so I can say I own it when the baby arrives.

I think CMD has a point. You're going to make yourself ill trying to achieve an extra £12k ON TOP of everything extra you already make, especially with all the commitments you both have. You're not going to be able to even see each other and it'll put a strain on the relationship. I think you need to have a look at how much money you can REALISTICALLY make over a set period of time then look at your priorities. I know you want to be married to start a family and before living together so that has to be number one. But is it REALLY necessary to own a home before having children, given your health issues ... is having children something you could put off whilst you save for a house? Or would you rather have children sooner at your parents or in a rented place, and worry about buying later?

You're a bit of a tricky customer because you have everything so set in your mind as to how you want it to be, and you want it all within the next year. If you want to stick to your strict wedding > house > babies plan in that timeframe then you may have to reassess how much you want to spend on a wedding and how much of a deposit you want to save. I know a big deposit means lower payments but it might be easier to spread the cost (even until 5 years' time when you can - I think - rejig your mortgage arrangements anyway).

Well there's my two'pennuth Back to work...

Dinah93

Only looking at a 10% deposit anyway. Think I'm just going to have to hope for wedding presents! I don't want a baby immediately when married, but realistically we can't and don't want to leave it too long. Some of that money can come after the wedding, I accept that, but people told me I couldn't clear my debt in under 4 years and look what happened there. Something will come right, I just don't know what yet.

zigmeister

Dinah93 wrote: »

Only looking at a 10% deposit anyway.

Going by your signature, does that mean you're still going for £30,000?

I think that all you can do for the time being is carry on as you are, saving hard, and everything will work itself out. That sounds all too easy but I think sometimes you (as in 'people') can worry too much about how it is all going to come together. Obviously you'll know nearer the time how it is panning out and can adjust things. But you never know, you could fall pregnant without meaning to and all your plans would be chaos!