June 2010, 80 payments to go............

tootallulah

Dear Patanne, thank-you for your comment and I cant quite believe that you went through all of my drivelling. I do understand what you are saying re tax and you are right I would pay less tax if I moved my mortgage to the flat however as I am over extended in mortgages I would not be able to move my house mortgage at present so I need to do a re-jig once I have got my house mortgage below £100k at that point I can move it over to the flat. I am still able to claim the fees etc even though the mortgage is paid off.

Off to London today for a meeting and to see some friends. I am trying not to get roped into cocktails and dinner - no London salary to pay for them!

Goldiegirl

Have a nice day in London.

I agree with you about London cocktail prices.

I still haven't got over my experience in the Casino at Westfields Stratford.

It was a couple of years ago. Mr Goldie's cousin did the walk over the O2 roof for his 60th birthday. We joined him, with a group of other relations and friends.( it was a great experience)

We then went to Westfields for lunch, which was great, as everybody paid their own way.

Then somebody suggested going into the Casino. Somebody else decided they'd pay for a round of cocktails for everyone. It was about £12 per cocktail..... And there were about 10 people in our party. An expensive round!

We accepted our drink with gratitude, but left after that, just in case we felt compelled to get a round in!

Watty1

GoldieGirl you are brilliant
Its Mr Watty's birthday next month and I've been mulling over what to do as it is one with a 0 on the end. I know he'd like something memorable and I was racking my brains for something and had even wondered about a balloon ride - but then I read your last post - and - the walk over the O2 roof would be fabulous for him.


I am sure he would love it! Am going to buy him a ticket. And then we can have lunch out somewhere.

tootallulah

I managed to swerve the dinner and cocktails route in London which is good as I actually have very little money I am not at all sorted out for self employment.

For me the envelopes seem to be working well and I have kept within that budget quite easily (and I have been paying my fares to work out of the £10 a day). I have enough money put aside to pay my bills and do the £10 a day envelopes for next month but if my invoice isn't paid at some point in November I will have to use my savings. It will just take me a while to get used to it I suppose can you other free-lancers give me any advice?

I am finding it really hard not to buy what I want when I want it - how very shallow - I am not naturally frugal, mind anyone who reads this diary knows that. I am hoping I will calm down a bit once my invoice is paid.

Tahlullah

Hello Toots, haven't been around for a while, finances have gone haywire since I bought my BTL flat in August. Still not stable and so hemorrhaging money. Hopefully, everything will settle down after Christmas so I can begin to post as a MFW!

Great to see that things are going your way, except for the damp and possible movement. You have a new job and possibly the sale of a property without having to pay estate agent fees, if that's the way you choose to go. All very positive.

I will keep reading; loving the daily envelopes! Just wish I could go a week without having to attack the Visa card... I could see that working for me in the future.

Tx

Habibiboo

tootallulah wrote: »

I managed to swerve the dinner and cocktails route in London which is good as I actually have very little money I am not at all sorted out for self employment.

For me the envelopes seem to be working well and I have kept within that budget quite easily (and I have been paying my fares to work out of the £10 a day). I have enough money put aside to pay my bills and do the £10 a day envelopes for next month but if my invoice isn't paid at some point in November I will have to use my savings. It will just take me a while to get used to it I suppose can you other free-lancers give me any advice?

I am finding it really hard not to buy what I want when I want it - how very shallow - I am not naturally frugal, mind anyone who reads this diary knows that. I am hoping I will calm down a bit once my invoice is paid.

:wave:

Hi Toots, the only advice I can offer from my freelance foray is that I got myself to the position of working a month in hand, the same as when employed. Then as clients pay across the month I'd put everything aside until it reaches my target figure (which is the total of all budgeted expenses, bills, direct debits, food, savings for tax etc for the following month IYSWIM).

Once that's covered, I count anything else that comes in as extra and use it accordingly eg: for making MOPs, saving for something coming up, eg a major family birthday, outing or such, or to treat Mr. Hbbb to a date night etc. I'm not talking mega bucks here, as you know from my thread it's sometimes just £20 or so as a MOP but I like getting to the point in the month where the money's mine (mwa ha ha). It's also a good motivational tool work-wise!

My golden rules for freelancing are good budgeting (so nothing's forgotten) and putting a %age by for tax, etc if your earnings take you over the tax threshold. Even if you don't expect them to (mine usually don't) I still put the sum by as a habit as it means I've got an unexpected pot for MOPs, house repairs etc once my tax return's gone in and been approved.

The odd planned stooze with a 0% credit card can also be useful where you can work it properly, but I haven't found this to be exceptionally easy (or fruitful enough) so I won't be doing this again.

Hope this helps.

Glad you had a good time in London, you're doing amazingly well in the mind / spend shift you've made and you don't sound shallow at all, just realistic ... we all have those moments when it would be lovely to just get X now and to hell with it. The fact you're questioning it and thinking twice shows that although you're "not naturally frugal" you're working very hard to make every penny count towards your financial freedom and you've come soooooo far since the beginning of your diary, it really is inspirational.

:T Here's to you! Happy weekend too!

tootallulah

Thanks HBBBO that is simple and clear, I will save 40% for tax in the off set and hopefully bit by bit I will manage to get a month ahead. My original job owes me 20 days holiday if that arrived it would be the buffer that I need. Memo to self ring them up and chase.

I have been laid low for two days with a bug and have done nothing, extra sympathies to Mt HBBBO now I have suffered myself! Hopefully I will feel more lively tomorrow when I am back at work.

tootallulah

Work seems to think they only owe me six days leave which is rather annoying, however they also pointed out they owe me three days for having worked in October - jolly good on that front and I will get it all paid on 1 November so that is enough to cover all my bills for November. Then rent will cover tax and some spending money until I get my freelance money on 26 November. It is a very good job that I have done my Christmas shopping already as I think December will be my lowest pay month. By January I should be back on track with enough of a buffer to feel more secure. I didn't appreciate that monthly pay check enough, although I must admit I am not missing the job, just the pay. And today I am starting EBaying - I really am.

tootallulah

EBaying is the work of the boredom devil, but 50 items listed. Now need gin, but sadly will have to settle for a cup of tea.

Goldiegirl

Watty1 wrote: »

GoldieGirl you are brilliant
.

Thank you, that's the nicest thing anyone's said to me all month! :rotfl:


The O2 walk was fab. We were all kitted out in a jumpsuit and safety harness, as we had to be attached to a wire, just in case.


It was brilliant to see the view from the top. We were a group aged between 40 - 70, so anybody who is reasonably fit can do it:)


Toots, hope you are feeling better - I think just about everyone has had the bug that's going round


50 eBay items listed? You deserve a medal. I start to feel punch drunk after the first 10!