Finally I have a mortgage I can start to pay off!

themadvix

Thanks for popping in DND!

DH's boss didn't seem to think there'd be a problem with us moving, but I went to contact estate agent and the property is now Sold STC So we won't be booking a viewing. I've saved the property and will keep an eye on it - if it becomes available again we'll book a viewing. It really was (seemingly) perfect.

atypicalblonde

I am so sorry you have a non-payer to contend with. DH has been self-employed for 6 years now, and we have had 3 occasions of non-payment, most recent of which was November last year. It very nearly sent him under. We issued court proceedings online, and got the money immediately. Not sure if you can do this with it being an overseas entity, but take a look at money claim online and Martin's article on here xx

Glad kitty is on the mend. I actually disagree, I think looking on RM is fantastic, and if it's meant to be it's meant to be xx

try_harder

So pleased to hear that the cat is much better ,thats great news .Sorry though to hear that your perfect house has sold ,thats very disappointing for you .Keep up the good work though .

themadvix

Hi ATB, thanks for popping in. I don't think the client won't pay, I think they're just dragging their heels. As they're one of my major clients I don't want to go down the litigation route just yet - they've been pretty good to me over the years. I've had a couple of non-payers in the past, both outside the EU and there's no recourse then. Potentially there might be in the US, I guess... I've never had to look into it yet.

We're avid readers of the property section of our local paper, but we know we're dreaming when we see the houses we like in there - all upwards of half a million. I look on RM every now and then to know that what we want, where we want it will be within reach. However, I never normally find anything that ticks every box (and there are quite a few and they're quite specific) - that was what was so frustrating. I think this might be the kick up the bum we need to get the rest of the decorating done in our house pronto, so that we're actually in a position to move should something come up again. Especially now DH has had the proper go-ahead from his boss.

Onwards and upwards as they say... and mortgage downwards!

themadvix

Famous last words... client still hasn't paid and I'm beginning to think there's more to it than an administrative issue. I won't be doing any more work for them until I'm paid and I've made this clear both to the accounts lady and to the project manager I work with most of the time - I'm hoping this might nudge them into action. I've investigated the US small claims courts, but it seems like you either have to pay an attorney to represent you or you have to be there in person - if not, you default. As the amount owed would be severely depleted if I had to buy an air fare from it, this isn't an option just yet. :mad:

I've paid myself for the month now and I don't even have enough to cover the household bills (let alone my cc bill - thank goodness DH is paying that!). I mean, I *do* have enough, because being self-employed I've always had a healthy 'buffer fund' (and there's plenty of other savings too), but I can't remember the last time I didn't have enough coming in to cover basic costs. It's very depressing

At the moment I've just not paid the bills account - there's more than enough to cover what might be taken in the next couple of days and I'm ever hopeful the money will arrive. I've got £440-odd of OP fund money sitting in an account too - I really want to OP this (along with another £726 to put us on target for the year), but I'd better not at the moment.

In better news, invoicing for January's work suggests I'll have an acceptable amount coming in, excluding the non-payer, so that's not as bad as I thought it might have been. Various projects are trickling in too, so February is looking up. I definitely need some new clients though.

DH and I enjoyed our JL freebie last night - cost £2.10 for an extra drink. It was like a mini date night. Then we came home and worked on the hall floor - it's beginning to look almost finished! This weekend hopefully (although we've got to cut some doors down, which is a job I hate).

Still pootling on with surveys etc. I find it definitely pays to check on some of them regularly throughout the day - not just 1P, but YSP and VB.

Dinner tonight will be fancy - prawn and pea risotto. We had a supermarket delivery yesterday, so actually have ingredients for meals in the house! Will be off out for proper date night tomorrow, but in current financial climate this will involve Cafe Rouge, 50% off and Leisure Vouchers earned from S&S, so no cash needed.

Things I'm grateful for:
* poorly cat is still doing well
* cats met niece yesterday, that was entertaining
* some tiny tiny bits of blue sky - at least it feels like there's daylight today, more than yesterday!
* wherever our pond was leaking, it seems to have stopped :rotfl:
* risotto tonight - yum!

themadvix

In all my 'woe is me', I forgot to mention that I rang up about our broadband and phone yesterday, after seeing the Plusnet offer in the email last week. The guy I spoke to at S*y was really helpful and we managed to get the bill down to the equivalent of £18/month (£1 more than Pnet, but a reduction on the £21.40 I'd negotiated it down to last year - I'll take that). He also talked about a new router at the beginning of the conversation - we'd both forgotten about it after the hard negotiations (!), but he remembered and rang me back up - new router en route for free I was very impressed with the customer service. (And the saving money ) Just got to convince both my Dad and FIL that they should ring up and negotiate - both have TV packages and neither have ever haggled!!

Have heard back from client - fingers crossed they pay on Thursday. Can't say I'm terribly convinced though.

atypicalblonde

I'll keep everything crossed for you. I know that feeling only too well of refreshing online banking in the hope they pay (and I used to check it in the night too!) x

themadvix

Thanks ATB

themadvix

Feeling more positive this morning. The client does seem to think I'll be paid today, so we'll see. I think I was also struggling a bit with the thought of going back to plan A yesterday after the whole dream house saga. I wouldn't say I'd let my imagination run away with me, because I do think it would have been perfect, but we're not looking and aren't really in a position to move, so it was all a bit of a pipe dream. (I'm still going to keep an eye on the listing, mind you.)

We got most of the floor down in the hall last night - can't do the last bit until the weekend as we need to take the kitchen door off and cut it down. And with greedy cats, access to the kitchen is not helpful!

Today consists of work, housework (I gave the bathroom a good scrub yesterday and it's spurred me on to properly clean some of the other rooms, I'm lazy when it comes to housework beyond the basics!), and date night tonight

I also aim to cash out a £5 Am voucher on SBs. Then I'll be due a 55 swag-up and the new month bonuses, which will start me on the way to the next one. Whether I start that immediately or leave it until I get bored again remains to be seen :rotfl: Sis didn't seem keen on SBs when I reminded her about it the other day - she seems to think I have a vested interest in her doing it, moi?! :A

Lovely veg box arrived this morning - we're really well stocked for food now and doubt we'll need a box next week. :T

Things to be grateful for today:

* Ginger cat cuddles as I type (rather stopping me using both hands!)
* Brighter weather today - no sun, but I might go for a walk later
* Date night tonight
* Lots of birds flying around, enjoying the wind
* Having floor, not bare concrete in hall has made house much warmer, who'd have thunk it?!

themadvix

Wahoo, the money has arrived!!!:T:T:T:j:j:j I hadn't heard anything from the client and when I checked last night there wasn't anything in the bank account, but when I looked this afternoon, it was sitting there, waiting for me!

Naturally, I've paid myself and settled the 'debt' to the joint a/c. I now have enough money to make a decent OP (~£800 I think). Will also scrape the joint a/c at the weekend, as I pay (worked out this morning) ~£50/month more than I need to into there.

Misery with clients led me to take some further action against the non-payers in Ukraine - I've found a debt collection agency that actually responds to my emails.:T So there's hope that a portion of the money owed there will arrive at some point ($1500). I've also investigated a professional accreditation which I should apply for - I've avoided doing this before because the issuing organisation aren't quite in the same field as me and therefore it's more complicated than it could be, but it might be a way to get some new, good-quality clients to fill the gaps. I'm feeling a bit more inspired this afternoon! And it's lovely to be able to do the work for the company again - I enjoy it and the staff I deal with are all lovely, so I don't want to be on bad terms with them.

In other, smaller MS news:
* £5 Am voucher claimed from SBs yesterday
* 75 points of YG surveys done today
* Cr0wdology survey done - just 40p off of payout
* Didn't win FPL
* 1P up to £36.60... aim to get this to payout this month
* Sold an item on the Bay for £2 (less a 2nd class stamp, already bought) - every little helps!

Things I'm grateful for today:
* being paid, obviously!
* SUNSHINE!! It's been lovely here today
* It's been warm enough I've not needed the heating on
* the help of Internet strangers (unusually for me, not on MSE!)
* It's Friday!! :j