Please help me stop money slipping through my fingers

Quenastoise

You're embarking on a new journey and not feeling comfortable about it at the moment but please remember that it is only by being realistic and taking measures now that you will be able to cope with what's coming ahead. The high maintenance costs are nearly unavoidable when owning an older property. Only you and your family know if you need to sell but it's a different question from "do I want to sell ?" You may find that if you feel more in control of your expenditure and are taking action now to plan for long-term maintenance work, then you'll be feeling more in control and less afraid of the large amount to be invested in the brick and mortar in the years to come.

Remember, baby steps ... good luck

GeorgieFTB

bluephoenix wrote: »

The hardest part is saying "No" to friends and family when they want to go out and do things but I am getting there.

There is no need to become a hermit, just get a little creative. Instead of going out for a meal invite everyone over... if you need to say anything just say you just don't want the hassle of driving...

Start a come dine with me kind of round robin thingy, very of the moment...:D

You can also do things with friends and kids, have a picnic, get everyone to bring a dish, and buy some cheap outdoor toys, if anything gets broken it won't matter, thats the excuse, if they survive (which with mine they wouldn't) they can always be used again...

If you want to check out roughly how much things should be costing you take a look at others SOAs, they should give you ball park figures.

And lastly if you are trying to cut down on your out goings its much more fun if you do it with others, join some of the challenges on here, it really does help.

Welcome
Gx

tangyfog

You might want to think about selling the house. I know it sounds negative. But there a two things that eat money like a money pit.

1) an old luxury house
2) an old luxury car

I sold a really spatious 3 bed house that need load of work and bought a brand new 2 bed house instead.

The big old house was costing a fortune to fix, I spent a lot of my spare cash fixing it up. In the end I sold it to stop the cash from slipping from my finger. You really need to have some building people look at the house and get an honest view as to how much work need to be done to get it in shape. Otherwise it a bit like waiting for the next problem to occured an then paying £3000-£5000 to fix that next one and hoping no more problems will come out.

You may of bought a lemon of a house, I dont know but what I do know you need to be very rich to restore even a modest house.

It also goes for luxury cars, I assume you drive a nice car if that need work then it cost plenty of money to keep well maintaned.

Actually people who dont plan often feel they are the victim of circumstance, but sometimes you just have to move away from the
thing that is a lost making operation.

It like running a bad business, you be broke soon before you know it. Just something to think about.

When i ask why am i so poor. I think it to do with bad planning and not really thinking about what I am doing and getting all caught up in the dream - i.e. the life style of living in a country house and driving a nice car.

Actually just the other day I was dreaming about buying a porsche but then realise it would bleed me dry in cost to maintaine. So unless you have buckets of spare income then I would avoid the life style trap.

I think you really need to think about the living in your means. I am now trying to live on minimum of 90 percent of my income.

the other 10 should go to paying into saving or my debts. Hopefully more.

I would advise not not spending all your income in pursuit of life style trap.

tangyfog

I notice you are missing medical insurance!

CH27

I think keeping a spending diary will be a real eye opener for you.

Culex

tangyfog wrote: »

I notice you are missing medical insurance!

Are you worried about the NHS socialised medicine "death panels"?

g_attrill

bluephoenix wrote: »

Household Maintenance - money set aside for bills eg wasp nest removal (we had 8 last year!)

Were they in the house itself? If you can get to the opening then a liberal spraying of ant powder does the job fine (must have bendiocarb as the active ingredient). If they are in the ground in the garden then an upturned bottle of creosote in the hole was the weapon of choice, but ant powder again will be fine.

Culex

g_attrill wrote: »

Were they in the house itself? If you can get to the opening then a liberal spraying of ant powder does the job fine (must have bendiocarb as the active ingredient). If they are in the ground in the garden then an upturned bottle of creosote in the hole was the weapon of choice, but ant powder again will be fine.

Apart from the obvious difficulties of putting a bottle into a wasp's hole or getting the wasp to stay still for long enough, have you tried to buy creosote lately?

I find that metaldehyde slug pellets work just as well, if rammed into the soil around the nest overnight.

Narc0lepsy

"Gas - I am looking into buying a cheap cooker so I can turn aga off over summer"

Do you have it on all the time? I've got a gas Stanley which is a cheap equivalent of the aga, i.e. a cast iron range. It also runs the central heating. I've slso got a 2-ring halogen electric unit (built into a worktop) and a microwave. My total fuel bill is £77 per month for gas and electricity.

It may be worth thinking how you use it - they stay hot a long time - and plan cooking accordingly, batch baking etc. Granted there are only 2 of us and it's a 4 bedroomed house which although not old (1938) is average I suppose for window size etc. I just wondered, as your bill seemed so huge.

raq

I don't think your spoilt. YOu are honest and straight to the point but overall think your soa is good.

best of luck bluephoenix