5 year plan

kittiej

OK I have decided to jump in and start my own diary of debt, studies, and daydreams for the next 5 years, which sounds scary but will soon fly by I'm sure.

I am hoping this will give me the drive to keep going and even if no-one reads it if I declare my plans to the world then I've got to carry them through haven't I?

So what do I want?

1. To continue with my degree and graduate by December 2015, then hopefully study for a Masters degree but that depends on funds since I am self-funding my courses.

2. To get a better paid job or at least get a job I enjoy.

3. To pay my mortgage off in 5 years (currently 8.5 left)

4. To buy a piece of land to be able to build my dream home and live a more carbon neutral, self-sufficient existence.

So what do I know?

1. I know that to complete my degree I need approx £3000 as I'm under the old fees system with the Open University.

2. I suspect a better paid job will follow the graduation but you never know. I am going to be getting a 2% payrise from 1st Jan 2013 in my current job and we get profit share payments twice a year in June and December so it's not all bad I don't suppose.

3. I currently owe £12300 on my mortgage which is not huge but if I want to pay it off in 5 years then I will need to increase payments to £217.

I am hoping that once my mortgage is paid off I can either re-mortgage to buy some land but I might need to think about that one. I don't really want to sell this house if I can help it, unless I can get a loan for the land. I shall put a TBC next to that one for the minute.

I want to build a home made out of straw bales like this but more of a bungalow;

http://uk.search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A7x9QXiwxtlQukIAC99LBQx.;_ylu=X3oDMTE0b2k5ZTRhBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDNQRjb2xvA2lyZAR2dGlkA1VLQzAwMl83Mg--/SIG=11s9kodf4/EXP=1356478256/**http%3a//www.simondale.net/house/index.htm

Future income?

OK I mentioned I'm getting a payrise and the tax level rising will see me get a bit extra in my pay. My DH works as well, though he likes to spend **rolls eyes*.

Profit share - not massive but a bit extra to add to the coffers each time.

I have savings from work due out in 2014.

I have a compensation payment pending as I had a car accident earlier in the year caused by the other driver

I have a small endowment policy which is set to pay out in July 2017.

There could be other odds and sods which I am owed and don't know about like the endowment above. It's only that I contacted the company on the off chance that I discovered it would pay out still as I'd stopped paying into it ages ago.

On top of this I want to cut back my outgoings - oh how I wish I could be like Frugaldom :money:, try to get DH to give me more money to save as he's not the best at saving and fill my sealed pot with copper which I will donate to a charity who helps the homeless and people in need. They are a small charity and need as much help as possible to feed the hungry, they do a soup run every night and have a drop in centre Mon to Fri.

elantan

Oooo I think I'm goin to love your diary ... Good luck in your journey, have you looked at earthships as well ?

kittiej

Thanks elantan :T, just had a quick look at earthships because I hadn't heard of this and they look really good.

The only problem is that because I get a bit obsessed with stuff I'll be drooling over them now lol.

If anyone has any similar ideas to straw houses etc then please share - who knows maybe we could create a completely new type of build between us :j

I was thinking of having a trial run at some point in the back garden, I'd love a garden room - something else for the list then

I've had a bit of a shufty around and need to make my own lunches because I've become lazy and buy them from work. I need to batch cook because the take-aways and ready meals are grabbing too much money. I need to cut back on the voddies (this will be such a wrench). I need to do a decent shop on a regular basis, thinking every fortnight and I need to have NSDs.

elantan

If you live near Brighton they have an earthships there, there is on in Edinburgh as well and I think there are more being built all the time

With earth ships you can help them build one which would help you learn the process and see if it's something you fancy, although I am sure most sustainable housing projects will be the same

It's something that interests me also

There is an alcohol support group on here for those that want to cut back

kittiej

I'm in Wales but there is the lammas project in West Wales which I am tempted to contact as they do courses in straw buildings.

I am hoping to study Energy and sustainability in Oct and am also considering Environmental management as well. The OU is also going to be doing some free courses so will have to look out for what they have available.

http://www3.open.ac.uk/media/fullstory.aspx?id=24794

They might have something else to do with sustainability.

Glad there are some like-minded people elantan.

PS yes I need to do something about the vodka lol

elantan

As far as I can see the alcohol thread do similar challenges they have afd days ( alcohol free days) I think ( although don't quote me) they decide how many they want to do in a week/ month etc then treat it as a challenge kinda like the nsd

kittiej

Thanks for the info elantan, I will take a look - after the new year of course :beer:

That could be worth £800 per year (yikes :eek:)

kittiej

OK so today I have been considering how I am going to achieve my goals, you know the little things which will help me get to where I want to be.

List is looking like this so far;

1. Keep up with £4k challenge (budgets to be set, ty Frugaldom)

2. Start a 2nd purse as per Mothership's idea (ty Mothership)

3. Keep an eye on the shopping thread and check the offers for the main sm's on a regular basis.

4. Set myself some no spend day challenges (these are the personal spends and not stuff like school dinners)

5. Turn lights and appliances off to save money.

6. Batch cook and dissuade DH from ordering take aways. We bought the take away book for the kindle last year and I haven't made a single thing out of it so I must try harder.

7. Poundworld, Home Bargains and the local pound shops will be my friend as will everyday value and smart price lol

8. I will try harder to grow my own veg (though I live in slugsville and the little blighters are everywhere :eek:)

9. Once I have compiled my budgets for 2013 I will put things like petrol money and food money into their own tins/ envelopes so I will always know these essentials are taken care of and I won't need to be spending on my debit card. (must learn to ignore my card)

10. I really must make a big effort to cut back on the drinking. I don't really get much enjoyment from it and use it as a way to get rid of the week I've endured in work. I need to switch to something else instead and was thinking camomile tea which I really like and it's much cheaper than vodka.

I think that's enough for me to be going on with for the minute. I'm thinking about coming out of the lottery in work as well as we had £15 back after a £52 spend so not a very good return really.

OK off to look at my budgets.

kittiej

OK so today I have been experimenting with taking my own food to work instead of buying something from the canteen.

I had stuffing sarnies - yum they were as well so will repeat this again, and crisps which I had in the house already. It was going OK until a colleague sat next to me with a plate full of curry and I LOVE curry day. I will have to avoid the canteen tomorrow as they have curry leftovers and I don't want to give in to temptation!

I currently spend £2 a day in the canteen but I shall slash this in half if I take my own breakfast and lunch. Just realised I could join in the £365 in 365 days club.

I'll be taking cheese and tomato tomorrow, yummy.

kittiej

Had the cheese and tomato sarnies today and they were yummy - even more so because it meant I didn't spend a single penny in the canteen. I did however go to the canteen to eat my lunch and had to endure the same colleague eating curry again! Why oh why does she always sit next to me with her plate of lovely curry *sobs*.
Never mind this war won't be won in one day or even one year but it will be a long and enduring battle but I will be the victor.

I have totted up my potential savings and earning for this year and I am aiming for £5000. I think I will have to fix some number 5's around the house and my car and especially on my purse to keep me focussed.

Just need to countdown to D Day otherwise known as New Year's Day and also the birthday of my youngest son who says he wants to go to the pub which is all well and good except he will be 7!

kittiej

Hi

Having a busy and productive day today. I've started the take your lunch to work thread and have some lovely peeps wanting to join in so I'm hoping we can all bolster each other in order to reach our goals. nb must look for some new lunch ideas.

I have also been looking into this earthship stuff as mentioned by elantan and some of these houses look great. I posted on the motoring board and some kind members on there have helped to point me in the right direction as well.

I will have to contact the planning department at some point to get their take on unconventional house-builds but I've got ages to do this.

I would like to build a tyre wall to try this tyre-ramming stuff and then I would love to have a garden room so I shall make plans for this.

Good good.