Balancing not just the budget

moneyonmymindsam

How are you Rosa?
Anything from the friend? 
Thinking of you and wishing you well.
Well done on the mini win of £40.
Sam.

doingitanyway

You've not posted for a while and I've missed your posts. I hope all is well. 

RosaBernicia

Thanks @moneyonmymindsam and @doingitanyway, things got busy in RL and the money situation has been just ticking along so haven't been on in a while.  Will go catch up with your diaries shortly

The money lent to a friend has been repaid, and with sincere thanks and apology.  So that's a huge relief and has gone a long way to putting the friendship back on track.  I had to mention the email in a phone call when I got no reply for a week but apparently it was genuinely missed not being ignored.  It's also meant I was able to buy myself a 'reward' for a significant achievement without feeling I was cheating my budget so that helps. 

Otherwise I have spent a lot of time house hunting and trying to understand the current housing market madness.  I already lowered my budget as I expected the 90% LTV mortgages to disappear and that is exactly the advice a mortgage advisor gave me yesterday, but apparently people are paying mad inflated prices after lockdown and properties are not going to closing date as they should up here.  I found a house I really liked, despite it needing masses of work, had registered my interest and the solicitor called them to put a bid in yesterday - only to find that while he was on hold (presumably they thought they had hit the mute button), the agents used the call to wind up another potential bidder to way over value and told my solicitor the house had sold before we could even state what my offer would be!  I know it's silly to get attached to places but I am genuinely upset and sad about that one - if I had lost out on the closing date it would at least feel fair, but it feels sneaky and unfair that I didn't get to bid despite them waiting on the solicitor's call and using my interest to push up the price with the other bidder.  I am trying to be positive and believe that this helps me narrow down what I want ready for the right house to come up, and not wish too terrible a pox on the agent.  I may well need to move again in four years, so I really can't justify paying over value for a house and especially not when prices may sink drastically in the recession.  I have already seen houses coming back on the market and I just don't see how prices can continue to go up when so many people are losing work 

So my plan for now is to keep looking, keep on adding to my deposit money, and to take some stuff back to the storage locker so that the spare room might actually become usable.  I have got this place better sorted and am finding more places to go and explore - which is necessary because all the well known lovely places here are overwhelmed with tourists including irresponsible dirty campers.  The Western Isles communities have got so fed up that the ferry booking system will now ask people to ensure they have a campsite booking - I have no idea what this would mean for taking mine, as I was hoping to go and stay with friends in the autumn which would be parking at theirs and I wanted to take the van so that we could have shelter and coffee at the beach... but who knows what will happen by then so I am not going to worry about it for now.  My poor van is not having much of a life, I so hope things will be better from the autumn! 

I finally got on with some 3bay selling so that has cleared a few things and made a little cash. There's more to do and I will look to sell the rest of the summer stuff soon then the winter stuff in a few weeks time.  The rest of my tidying is pretty much done except for all the stuff I will rediscover from the storage unit... but there's naff all I can do about that til I have a house, so again it will just have to wait. 

Patience is not one of my natural virtues but it looks like I am having to learn!

I hope everyone out there is doing ok - it's such strange times. 

Rosa xx

moneyonmymindsam

Think the same as you and you are right at the moment its madness. Keep looking, I've everything crossed the right thing will come up for you.

Well done on the 3bay! with RL so busy for everyone that's a massive achievement.

Look after you and the rest will fall into place over time. I am like you on the Patience thing lol.

Sam x

doingitanyway

Sorry you were disappointed with the potential house. I agree, with so many people about to become employed the prices of houses can't continue to climb. That said where I am prices have never dramatically dropped in my lifetime despite recessions. Who knows?  Like you say, keep adding to your deposit and keep looking. The right house will present itself in due course

bellevie

Glad to hear the money issue with your friend has been sorted Rosa.
Pants about the house though!! We saw what appears to be a jump in house prices round this end - so we have ended up going for a house that does need quite a bit of work to keep our purchasing price as low as we can. 
I know what you mean about getting attached its hard not to isnt it!! I hope the right place is just around the corner for you

xx

RosaBernicia

Thanks all

Meh to house prices, it doesn't seem to be a consistent picture as things are taking ages to sell where I used to live and yet some other areas are going up.  Anyway I had a wander round the village I like today so am a bit clearer on which streets I would want and will just keep looking. 

I am annoyingly over budget even taking account of the clothes returns that need to happen, as my expenses have yet again not been paid (this is claims I put in in March, which they have said are correct).  I made a complaint and will be chasing it up yet again.  I should also finally get a pay uplift from next month but will have to check that's been put in place.  Plus I have bought more running clothes - only stuff on sale, but decided I wanted enough available that I don't have to worry about doing more loads of washing.  It's still cheaper than a gym membership, though I will also do that next month when the pools reopen.  Stocked up on gf basics today too so that hopefully gets me back in sync for a bit more healthy eating.  It's ridiculous to still not feel fully back in the black but I don't want to empty my YNAB holiday category to cover it so will just leave it and hopefully have it all sorted next month. 

Nothing else very exciting going on here, moving chunks of money into Premium Bonds but not yet had a win - keep feeling a bit disappointed as I know someone who does really well with them, but have to keep reminding myself that she has a lot more invested there and also she is the same person who I once saw pick six tombola tickets and win five prizes (she was really embarrassed, even though it was pure coincidence!).  Paying silly money for Virgin broadband as I don't want to have the disruption of new cables here - even if that could happen any time soon - and also don't want to sign a new contract if moving soon.  I said that when I moved here a year ago...    .  Utilities are all caught up and I think there is enough money in the car and van pots for what they need.  I can't think of anything else that needs reviewing so it's just plodding and keeping an even keel. 

I did find myself buying at least a small thing in each of the shops I visited in the village today, felt a bit obliged when they can only have limited customers but never quite sure if it's really necessary as I also know some business owners who have said 'well I was given enough to cover my summer season income so it's fine'.  Can't afford to do it every time so will need to find some walks around the woods and beaches! 

Stay well all

RB xx

moneyonmymindsam

Glad you've had some little treats and bits and bobs from the shops it's always good therapy and maybe good karma for a place to come up in the village you like(?)
Agree with you on running bits, cheaper than gym and always good to have spares!
Happy Bank Holiday hope you are off and resting. 
🤞😀

RosaBernicia

September seems to be vehicle month. 

I think I got passable though not great deals on the insurance for both car and van, didn't manage to check in time to put both with the same insurer but will think about doing it next year.  I went with a club approved insurance for the van as I feel it gives an extra level of fallback if any issues but was actually happy with the previous insurer so may go back to them next year.  Took a club approved breakdown package too but managed to save some money by extending the van cover to personal cover, since nobody else drives my car and I can only drive one or the other!  So that was about £40 back in the pot.  Car is off to its MOT tomorrow, hopefully without anything major - glad I booked it as just saw the MSE email warning about a rush.  Van will be later in the month and I know it has a minor thing needs fixing but crossing fingers not much else.  The local garage have good feedback so I really hope they turn out to be trustworthy, very disappointed about the last one.  I suddenly really want my van available for weekend trips now that we can go out and hopefully the holiday crowds will calm down. 

In other MSE news not much... just checked through YNAB for the new month, may look at claiming tax for WFH as there's a few things I should get a rebate on for last year.  Not much but every bit into the deposit fund!

RB xx

moneyonmymindsam

Yes do the tax claim thing although it's a PITA at the time always nice to have the cheque drop on the mat. Deal is still a deal so all very MSE 😀👍
Hope MOT goes smoothly for you. 
Sam x