Millionaire Challenge

troglodyte

LL as far as I can work out the stuff you write on Bubblews is still 'yours' (in contrast to here where all content is copyright of MSE), so you could test the waters by posting on there, if you get interest you could set up your own site and still use the same things on there, you can link them to get readers in, worth a go I think!

My Dad has been taken ill very suddenly so things are not too good round here at the moment; hope things are OK with everyone else.

lessonlearned

:easter_ba: Happy Easter

Well it's been a funny old week - it football parlance "A Week of Two Halves":rotfl:

The Good News - Prop 1 exteriors complete. They've done a good job and the bonus is the bill is quite a bit less than I had feared, the expensive bit was the scaffolding. Anyway it's all done and dusted so I can breathe now.

The Less Good news - Had a lecture from my physiotherapist re the damage I'd done by bagging up all that plaster. A bit of a wake up call.

Soooo - time to step back and re-evaluate and make a few changes.

To protect my poor old body from further damage and having to keep shelling out £35 a session for physio I have made an "executive decision".

I have decided to engage a day labourer - a strapping young lad who wants to earn some pocket money. £40 a day. No contest really - pay him and save myself aggro and get the job done more quickly.

£200 or so in the grand scheme of things should be a good investment. We are behind schedule on prop 2 and I don't want to continue paying rent for any longer than is absolutely necessary. The sooner I can move into Prop2 the better, save some money and then crack on with the decorating and finishing touches.

I've been pretty good on the spending front - had several No Spend Days this week, have been living off the contents of my overstocked freezer and cupboards.

I did have a little spend on Friday - £25 on shrubs, plants and compost which will be spread between both properties but I consider that an investment rather than normal day to day spending.

I know it sounds a bit odd to start the landscaping so early in the renovation process but this way I can keep costs down by buying small plants and allowing them to grow and mature a little.

Prop 1 did have the makings of a lovely garden but it was hideously overgrown and some of the shrubs and trees do need replacing. That one is not so time sensitive though.

Prop 2 had nothing - just a rather drab looking "back yard" with a patch of gravel although it does have nice old brick walls as boundaries.

I'm removing some of the gravel - it's actually rather nice so will save that for a nice pathway on prop 1. I've also got a pile of bricks from Prop 2 which can be used in Prop 1's garden. Recycling at it's best to make cheaper landscaping. :rotfl:

Prop 2 is the flipper so I started on that garden straight away. By the time we come to market the property the garden should be quite established. I'm going for "urban oasis" - easy maintenance but with some nice lush vegetation and some vertical gardening (very fashionable at the moment:D) to make the most of the space.

I also rescued some large mirrors from the wardrobes we ripped out so am going to get those battened onto the back wall, then grow stuff around the mirrors. Should make the space look larger and give the illusion that there is a further "secret garden" beyond.

So as you can see I'm still keeping a very tight right on the cash flow and trying to shave as much as I can from the renovation budgets but without cutting corners and spoiling the job by going too cheap.

Now that I've made the decision to pay someone to do the stuff I struggle with - i.e. the heavy manual work I'm hoping to free up more time so that I can get back to making some money and also start up cycling some furniture.

Will need to see what I can come up with this week…..

I've looked at Bubblews but I'm not sure how I can make it work for me. I know there is money to be made using the internet etc but I really need to learn more. I know that makes me sound such an old dinosaur but maybe it's just too "abstract" for me.

I think I must be one of those practical "hands-on" kind of people who needs to be able to see or touch something before it becomes "real".

I can design "real" objects because I can "see" the finished article in my mind but I do find it difficult to grasp the whole cyberspace technology thing. Oh well at least I have finally grasped internet banking and shopping so I'm getting there:rotfl::rotfl:

Anyway enough of my prattle. Time to start the day. A nice quiet one pottering and playing catch up.

I might even clean the inside of my car:eek::eek:

Enjoy the rest of the Easter break and have a great week.

YoungBusinessman

Lesson learbed....where do you get your motivation from?! You sound so busy right now!! Iv fallen off savings wagon, not going to dwell on it though, just getting back on!! Will end month on £2,000 savings for this year plus a hell of a lot of extra one off expenses plus 2 holidays need to get £1,250 a month away for remaining months to hit £12,000 target. May - August will be higher savings PCM than this so fingers crossed my target is still withn reach!! Worrying about hitting £12k savings for year seems measly in the grand scheme of things as I post in a millionaire challenge thread!! But saving/investing a million starts with a single penny.

troglodyte

LL, you put us all to shame. I hope I can emulate your progress once I really get going!

YB you need to treat yourself every now and then otherwise it all becomes an unbearable chore. You're still heading in the right direction!

lessonlearned

Good morning All

Just done my usual money sort out ready for the month end.

YB - Trog is right you do need to enjoy the journey - all work and no play etc…..

£12K savings a year is awesome!!! If you can have a couple of holidays and still save that kind of amount then you've nothing really to worry about.

You are young - have some fun!!! Well you should have fun at any age…...

Re motivation. I don't find it difficult to stay motivated - I just keep my eye on the prize and in the meantime try to enjoy the journey. Each step forward is a step nearer to my goal.

I actually spotted a nice house on Rightmove the other day. Can't afford it yet but it's a goal to work towards.

Of course I have the odd wobble here and there and I get a bit fed up now and then. I'm only human.

Today is such a day. The weather is cold and miserable, didn't sleep too well and so feeling a bit under par this morning. So I'll just take it easy today.

Unless of course I get a sudden surge of energy…..:rotfl:

Just stick with the programme…..

GreatBigBookcase

Hello All, haven't had time to even read your posts over the last month or so, but had a quick skim through now....seems I've missed *a lot*!

Tinktay, so sorry to hear about your current situation. Glad to read that the business is safe though. I'm sure from reading your posts on here that you'll be back on your feet in no time and heading towards that million, but do be kind to yourself and give yourself time to grieve the loss of your relationship, home, etc. All the best wishes for getting through it. x

EvilQueen, what a scare you've had! Hope you're getting stronger each day. Good luck keeping the stress levels down.

Kayalana, you'll be missed around here if you're posting less...you have such drive and focus.

LL, always lovely to read your updates. Shame the selling lady didn't work out, but now you're getting someone else to do the heavy grafting on the properties, you'll have more time for that side of things yourself.

Who mentioned bubblews first? Thanks for the tip, I'm going to look into it...

Hi to everyone else...still enjoy reading your updates, even if I'm not posting much!

My renovations are still draining me financially. Stuff just keeps happening...I honestly won't be at all surprised if the candid camera team jump out from a wardrobe any day now. It feels like a psychological test of how far can I be pushed before I have a complete meltdown. It's been tough. We've moved in, but the painter's still here, the brickie's been doing the patio, the plumber is in and out when time allows to remedy some of the mess the original builder left. There's hardly a day goes by that I don't notice something else that doesn't work/isn't done properly/looks a bloody mess/etc./etc. Two days ago I discovered that I can't use the toaster when the plinth heater in the kitchen is on! I thought my toaster had broken actually, but then realised the kettle wasn't working either. Down to the cellar to see that a switch had tripped... A couple of days before that, I put the underfloor heating on in the bathroom (I really wanted it throughout the house, but couldn't afford it, so had one of those electric mats fitted under the tiled floor in the bathroom as a little treat for myself). Had tested it briefly before, but not needed to leave it on for any length of time. Well, I now know that it's positioned in such a way, that if I stand in front of the sink or stand where you get out of the shower, i.e. the places where you do stand and might want a warm floor, there is no heat whatsoever. Grrrrr. And now it's raining, I've discovered my drains are blocked since the brickie's done the patio. Grrrrrrrrr again. That's just stuff from the last 5 days or so, but every 5 days or so are like that. I'm so angry about stuff and very angry with myself too. I know I'll get over it, but I am for now very sad about it all too...this is not how it was supposed to be...too much time has been spent on chasing work men up and trying to sort stuff out which is taking time away from enjoying my new home with my son...

Money-wise, I'm still relying on matched betting for an income. I've raided those accounts (which were really my savings accounts) to pay for house stuff...still more to go out (stairs carpet, a bit of joinery, and the remedial work the plumber's been doing). I'm desperate for it all to be paid for so that I can finally work out exactly what I've got left. Very little will be the answer! But at that point I can make a real plan and budget and try and rebuild some savings.

Some thoughts I've had for money-making: offering homestay accommodation for English students over the summer, and renting out storage space. I don't really like sharing houses with anyone! But if it's short term and I view it as a cultural exchange type thing, I reckon it'll be good. I did a lot of foreign exchanges as a kid and we hosted a lot of people too and I got a lot out of them...it's kind of the same thing, right? The storage thing I heard on Radio 4 the other day. There's a website where you can advertise space in your house for other people to store things in. I have a big cellar and a huge attic which is partly floor boarded. Again, I have my reservations, who knows what people might want to store(?!) but needs must at this point. Neither will make me a millionaire but they both might help pay the daily bills.

My boy turns 1 a week from today (already?!) I'm having a birthday party for him, combined with a house warming, this Saturday. Lots of family are coming and some baby friends. My cousin, who's a Baptist minister/hospital chaplain is going to do a house blessing for us. I'm not religious, but joked about needing a Shaman or similar in to 'cleanse' my house of all the negative energy workmen's presence So, my cousin is doing a non-Religious blessing for us

Right, enough rambling. This is why I should post more often. I'm incapable of telling the short version of the story so really need to post regular little updates otherwise you get it all in one long go!

droopsnoot

RayKay wrote: »

The storage thing I heard on Radio 4 the other day. There's a website where you can advertise space in your house for other people to store things in. I have a big cellar and a huge attic which is partly floor boarded. Again, I have my reservations, who knows what people might want to store(?!) but needs must at this point.

I saw something like that on a BBC2 programme about how self-storage companies have boomed in the UK. I think there was a note about how you get to make rules about what can be stored - no flammable stuff, no firearms, that kind of thing. Presumably whoever stores the stuff will want to place it in the storage space, not just hand it over at the door.

troglodyte

RayKay you are having a tough time, hope things improve soon! It was me who mentioned Bubblews, I can send you a referral link if you like. It's rather like here in that you 'meet' certain people you like to keep up with, but you can write about anything you like.

The storage thing sounds interesting, I guess you have to be careful not to invalidate your home insurance if they store anything like petrol, but spare furniture shouldn't be a problem!

We had foreign language students a couple of years ago, just for 4 weeks in the summer. I liked having them around (although it was a bit of a bind having to have dinner on the table about 5:30 when we don't normally eat until about 8 - but I'm sure every school has its own timetable), and my daughter (then 5) loved it too. Other friends have been hosting older students year-round for 8 years and have used it to save up the deposits for two buy-to-lets so that is their retirement plan!

lessonlearned

Hi Everyone

Good to hear from you RayKay - sorry you are having such hassle with your renovations. Very frustrating for you - not to mention the extra expense in having to put things right.

Our renovations are costing more than I had hoped but then again I did expect that. The golden rule is they always take longer and cost more than you budget for. What is sickening though is when people mess it up or do such a poor job that you have to redo half of it.

So although we have spent more than I would have liked at least the work has been to a very high standard and I would definitely use the same people again on future projects.

BTW - my little labourer is going great guns. He's only about 5ft tall but works like the clappers. He's done more in one day than I could do in a fortnight. Worth every penny:D I will definitely put more work his way.

I watched the storage programme too - fascinating. In fact I've recorded the whole series - its all about Booming Businesses and it's really interesting stuff.

Ray - I think both of your ideas i.e. the summer students and hiring out storage space are winners, with all the usual provisos re your safety etc. OK they won't make that £1m but there is relatively little outlay or work involved.

I did have a lodger at one point. She was supposed to stay for 6 weeks but liked it so much she ended up living with us for 18 months. She was lovely and it was at a time when the extra bit of income was extremely welcome.

It was during this time my youngest son came back to live with us because he had graduated from uni and couldn't get a job. It was our lodger who got him his interview for where he now works. Without this leg up he could have languished in the ranks of the unemployed for a long time.

Good karma……;).

Have a mass of paperwork to sort out for Dad for tomorrow. We have meetings with social services and the nursing home so that's tomorrow more or less written off.

Still not started on my parent's cottage yet:eek:

tinktay84

Hi Everyone, Well yesterday was my 30th Birthday.
As far as birthdays go it wasn't my worst but that would take some beating.
I had planned to hide under the duvet all day as after everything I couldn't face it but ended up making myself get up and do something. Went for a meal with my mum and her husband and the kids so had a nice evening