Millionaire Challenge

Karmacat

Sounds great, LL! And I'm sure you're right about cooking from scratch upping your standard of living at less cost - when I look at what's in chilled foods sometimes, they're vile So sorry to hear you're feeling rough with the anniversary coming up - but its very understandable, and as you say, a little private memorial is a lovely thing to do.

My sister "bought" an acre of woodland from the Woodland Trust, and every so often we go and walk there - its nice to think her husband's life contributed to that wood ...

I've already paid the tax I owed, I wasn't happy to go away on holiday not knowing what was going on with the banks and whatnot - so my account's very low right now, but I *did* manage to pay it from cash in there, which was really great considering how awful my income has been! I'm worrying less about the future, even tho my energy levels are so carp, I'll do what I can, follow on with the online income as much as I can, and as for the rest, I'll manage.

I like the sound of Abundance Generation too, I know the official subsidies are due to end, but I can't help thinking its the right thing to do.

lessonlearned

Hi everyone.

karma I love the idea of your sisters woodland. I have been thinking of doing something similar, some land came up for sale near Carsington Water - less than 10 miles or so from me and I did wonder. Something like that would be a wonderful memorial for my husband. I'd never thought of it like that. My husband would be thrilled at the idea.

It would be lovely as a place for our family to use. My sister and I own a piece of land which may or not get planning permission one day and we thought about planting it up as an orchard but of course it would take a few years to mature but I like the idea of our own fruit trees and once established they shouldn't entail too much work.

Our piece is only a small plot though but an acre of so of woodland would be lovely.

Well I nearly weakened today ......

I went to Sainsbugs and had a stroll around their housewares dept. Now I'm a sucker for "pretty little things". Do you remember Ab Fab where Joanna Lumleys character, Patsy, used to talk about "Gorgeous little Things, Dahling" well that's me. When people ask me what I want for my birthday or Christmas I go into Patsy mode and tell them not to bother, just to get me some "Gorgeous Little Things"

Anyway Sainsbugs had loads of Gorgoeus Little Things but remembering my mantra of "delayed gratification" I took them out of the trolly and put them back on the shelves.:rotfl:

Ive promised myself I will wait until I have bought my house first and then I,will flash the cash and buy all the gorgeous little things my heart desires. .

I did a couple of drive bys - spotted a couple of maybes so will book some viewings.

Other than that no news today. No gains for me, but I'm pleased to say my dads net worth has just increased by over £3k this last week.

I took over his financial affairs when mum died because he was in no fit state to deal with it all. I have been battling the DWP, the NHS and mums nursing home on his behalf. They have all finally coughed up what they owe him. He's dead chuffed.....says he wished I'd taken charge years ago.

Bless him he's never been good with money, mum used to do it all and of course when she got sick he just muddled through. I should have realised and taken over before but I didn't want to upset him. I didn't want him to feel patronised or belittled.

I need not have worried, apparently he's just relieved not to have to do it any more.....

Kayalana99

Well I've had the last bit of income from this month come through, the business account is touching £1,000 but I have £400 to pay out to get more stock in shortly I might even do it today (I've been putting it off to get funds up although really it's pointless lol)

On plus note I don't have to touch my £750 savings as long as we are good for this month which will be difficult with all the birthdays but if I can get my OH on board it's def doable but the bad note I am not going to hit my £1,000 target so I will move it onto next month.

Another plus is my credit card will only be £340 this month pending petrol (we have half a tank to get us to the 8th so it's doable) which if we can keep in budget will save us £100 as normally it's about £450...although saying that I am going up to Leeds on Sat so I guess that's not going to play out...#sigh.

OH parents are still sorting things out financially so I am also wanting to make sure I have around £1,000 in bank for when their house sale goes through as they will have a very short period of needing a rent deposit before the house sale is sorted so hopefully it will be a case of it coming back the same week...hopefully. I'm a firm believer in never borrowing anything you can't afford to lose which isn't the case in this situation but as I say hopefully it will be quick and easy...they also owe us £260 between us so I guess if you count that then I have £1,000 saved so it will be a nice bonus when it finally comes back.

My diet has gone a bit down hill as we had a date night on Sat and Sunday followed a buffet round my friends house...also I hate to admit OH talked me into a pizza last night although over all I am doing quite well and during the day I am hardly eating anything just small meals but I think my little extras have stopped me losing any weight this week plus I really need to start exercising if I want to really push it. I have started doing the couch to 5k running but it's so hard to find time!

I did complete week 2 day 1 yesterday and I'm hoping to do day 2 today so it's something...and OH wants to go bike riding on Sunday again so fingers crossed. I will have to put off watching the next episode till next week at the earliest though..

It's good of you to do that, I'm sure I know loads of people who wouldn't feel patronised if you've never done something you hardly want to start learning when you're 70+ (well depends what it is I guess!) I always worry if anything happened to my Dad how his wife would cope but I guess that's what 'we're' here for .... feel sometimes money and business management is the only thing I am good for lol!

Oh and also I *think* I've got my first paid photography job...pending a deposit being paid in August although it's not actually until November!

lessonlearned

Kay - great news for the photography gig......keep fingers crossed. And well done on what you have achieved this month with your outgoings and savings.

steady as she goes........

I have ordered a cross trainer/exercise bike combo today - at just under£80 it will be much cheaper than gym membership. Ive also bought a new Swiss ball and some hand weights. That's all Ive got room for at the moment until,I get my own place.

I hate gyms but I'm quite happy to have my own little home gym. Imhad one in our Old house and used it every day. I really miss it' so I thought I would just get a couple of bits for now.

Going to view a contender next Monday...

Kayalana99

Well things aren't looking great on the business front, I've had a massive drop in sales and it got me looking into the competition which I've not done in a while and seems the market is getting over run with people doing what I'm doing... and all for a slightly cheaper price. My own bloody supplier is selling them at £1.99 compared to my £2.29...

For now I've put them back to £1.99 till they pick up again (I realise it's only 2 days but think seeing everyone else under cutting me I must be losing a lot of business by not doing) although I know my quality will be better...

I think it's a dying business, yes I've only gone up and up and my sales have doubled since last year and I will most likely continue to get sales but I reckon it's only a matter of time. I can't really keep my prices at £1.99 as it's pence profit but I will leave it for a bit to get my sales higher (I mean my own supplier probably gets them a hell of a lot cheaper then I do)

lessonlearned

Sorry to hear that Kay. I guess you can only cut your margins so much and then it becomes unworkable and not really worth all your input. There's not a lot of point in just scraping by, ok for a short while to keep things Ticking over, but no basis for a long term business.

Builders here this morning, so doubt I'll achieve much. Got a banging headache already, I need to take some paracetamol and maybe get out into the gardenl away from the noise and dust.

Anyone who thinks property developing is money for old rope obviously hasn't tried it........this one had better show a good profit......

Just had my cc bill, this morning , it's just over £100. I don't think it's ever been that low......This new frugality is really paying dividends. Ive been such a good girl perhaps I should reward myself with that fabulous dress I saw in TkMax yesterday. . Lord knows when I will "need" a petrol blue floor length lace and sequinned evening gown.But it was so beautiful it was a real work of art. Nice with my white hair. Maybe for that cruise I keep promising myself.....

I ummed and Ahhed for ages, held it up against me, did a twirl - perfect and on the sale rail too. And yes I put it back......:rotfl:

Am I taking my new found frugality too far!!!

I know my husband would have egged me on to buy it. I do miss him, I loved going shopping with him, he was such fun, flirting with all the shop assistants, helping me choose clothes. He was better than any personal shopper, always encouraging me to be more adventurous. I make him sound gay.......lol. But he just had a great eye for design.

Then of course he usually took me for a slap up meal afterwards and then a trip to the casino to win back what we had spent.....naughty but fun.

I'll wait a few days, who knows maybe they might reduce "my" dress a bit more or maybe it will be gone.

As my Granny used to say - "If it's for you, it won't go by you".

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Karmacat

Kay, sorry to hear the market's changed underneath you ... nothing is a sure business any longer from the sound of it, especially online I hope it's temporary, but I'm really glad for you that you already have a new business venture in the offing.

LL! What can I say :rotfl: there are many, many beautiful things in this world, and we can't own them all! I avoided the consumer society successfully till my early 40s by thinking like that, but I got sucked in You know what, if you can't think of a place and/or time when you can wear your lovely dress, you maybe shouldn't buy it - sorry hun! I know you want to. If you want to enough, go for it, by all means ...

I'm plugging on with the blogs, their layout and their content - and today, I'm plugging on with the cleaning, which is moneymaking because I have clients in the house again tomorrow

gallygirl

LL wish you were out in Spain with me - we've dealt with a number of estate agents in the past few weeks - NO after visit contact at all :eek:. Considering the charge around double the commission and then some of UK agents it's appalling :mad:. Mind you, seeing one tomorrow who has a sense of humour - if the rearranging of teddies into a rude position on a photo is anything to go by :rotfl:.

Kay - maybe the universe is trying to tell you it's time to move on your other ideas?

lessonlearned

Hi Gally - sorry you need to refresh my memory. Are you selling or buying. Are they english or Spanish EA's.

In the end it was my English neighbours who sold my property for me.
The EAs were not exactly pro active.

One neighbour had the key and another one saw someone standing outside my property looking at it and jotting down the realtors number.

She dashed out and collared them, got the key from the other neighbours showed the people round and then negotiated the deal for me. She left them to hAve a mooch and dashed back to her house to phone me to ask me what price I wanted and what my bottom line was and just ran with it. I gave her some figures and left her to use her discretion.

She was a lovely lady and she just saw a chance and seized the day.....she then gave me their details and contact numbers and then I did all the rest. She then just let them in for second viewings and measurements etc and helped iron out any kinks during the sale process. My Spanish neighbours also chipped in too, translating and helping guide the buyers through the system.

Saved me a fortune in EA fees.....and of course everything went through really quickly and without any hitches. The local Spanish EAs were pleasant and efficient in a Mediterranean Kind of way, but the mañana mentality really drove me nuts......:rotfl: the local English EA's were the same - all rather too laid back.

I don't know what the market is like now but back then it was at the beginning of the crash and you had to really work to get your sale.

Anyway good luck for tomorrow. Like the bit about the naughty teddies....my boys do this with the miniature santas that go on the Christmas cake. :rotfl:

Just having a lazy five minutes. Just finished painting the kitchen so need to put it back to rights in a bit when ive had a rest. Builder here yesterday so all dirty jobs now finally finished.

A day off tomorrow to go shopping for DS1s birthday present then we start painting the lounge on Tuesday.

Busy, busy, busy and not a penny to show for it. :rotfl:Hopefully all the effort will pay off when we sell.

Kayalana99

Sorry I just wanted to update I feel like an idiot but it's the school holidays !!! I took a closer look at competition today and turns out they are all in the same boat, no one is hardly selling anything then it hit me everyone is on holiday or busy with kids now they are off...amazing how much something as the kids being off school affects you!

That said I think to many people are doing the same thing still but perhaps it may keep going longer then I thought lol... -.-

It has really really got my cogs turning though, I have blasted through this house head to toe de cluttering - I still need to go round and actually clean up more but I've sorted out two main rooms I've been putting off (one being my 'office' as I never enter their any more other then to get stock and it was no short of a tip.)

On top of this my brains been whirling on what I can do to expand or go into something else. I'm going to sit down and make a list of all my business ideas and start doing something about it.

Given my photography is my passion I still want to pursue this area but I think it's a slow progress, I have a job I am doing in 13 days for free that should be a really good portfolio builder and after that I could start advertising for paid jobs (Unf I have not yet heard back from the Nov client, they seemed 100% on booking and then just na-da, I won't start calling myself a photographer until I am getting paid lol!)

Just want to provide a better life for my kids whilst not sacrificing their child hood to work so step 1 is to get on top of the house and step 2 is as above to write down all my business ideas and try and find some passive income ideas.

I'm actually hoping this dry spell keeps up until the holidays are over as it would be nice to have a break but knowing everyones in the same boat if that makes sense it's not a worrying dry spell, and I know full well xmas is going to be busy...not looking forward to it but same time I am £££.


I would of brought it LL but saying that I never really do treat myself clothes wise so if I find something I like I buy it (which is a rarity to even go shopping let alone find something I like!)

I need to get rid of this stigma of charity shops, I have to be honest I don't want to sound like a snob but I've never shopped in one. I don't know what it is I just don't like the idea of people seeing me in them which is stupid but it's built in thought if that makes sense? I certainly wouldn't think less of anyone if I saw them in their so why I think others would of me ...well it's strange how the mind works.

I'm going to keep my prices at £1.99 for now anyway as I don't want to drop out the listings with lack of sales but I worked out that I make just 34p per item compared to 60p at my normal price but if I sell 2 I make £1.60...which is a decent profit so I suppose I must live for the multiple sales rather then the singles...

Anyway enough random rabbiting I am supposed to be working.