I don't need another skinny Latte

Skinnylatte

Penniesinmyjar wrote: »

Hi Skinnylatte, I've just joined after reading your diary on the train home last night - total inspiration THANK YOU!
Lots of luck with your new house! x

Thank you pennies, are you starting a diary? x

Skinnylatte

Thank you for al you lovely good wishes for the move. As with all house moves, it was dirty, depressing and exhausting. It would have been nice to move into an empty clean house, however it was dirty, full of DDs stuff along with anything else ex didn't fancy taking :mad:

However....its now clean. DD has sorted ALL of her stuff which was no mean feat. She has been saying ever since she returned from Greece that she had no clothes. So I collected every single item I could find, from the floor, under the beds, shoved in boxes, on beds etc etc, and you should of seen the pile in the living room, it was enormous. Anyway 11 bin bags went to charity or the clothes bank, and she now has significantly less than she used to, but not surprisingly can find something to wear.

DS has gone into DIY mode and ripped up his bedroom floor, and the hall floor, plus all the skirting boards, and there's a 3 tonne pile of gravel in the front garden.

So it's mad and its chaos, but I am loving it. I had forgotten how much I loved the house, even though it's a dump, it's my dump.

The plaster is coming on Thursday to do the living room, and I'm leaving the painting to DS as I'm away on a 10 day work trip from Saturday, which is bad timing but can't be helped.

No progress on DPS, I need to ring them again tomorrow to find out whats happening.

And no go on the insurance claim either, apparently they don't cover that kid of crack (haha), but I do need to get a builder to look at it soon.

I seem to have ceased buying clothes, and am now hemorrhaging money on 'house stuff', and then it will be Christmas......

in_need_of_direction

Dd always decorates while we're on holiday. It can work well.

safehouse

Good to hear you are finally back in your house....great news:T
Funny how bricks and mortar can mean so much more, my house is my little castle, the security and the reason I started my diary and mortgage saving in the first place, ... I had forgotten this somewhere along the line the last month.
Good luck with your fresh start and may you have lots of Happy Happy days in your little castle

Ali-OK

Building the burrow is an investment and no place like home is so true when you love it

:rotfl: at DD and clothes. Though my DS doesn't like wearing them or shopping for them...talk about extremes!

Hope work trip is good and you come back to a lovely welcome from the offspring and decorated rooms

Skinnylatte

The work trip is going well, quite an inspiration. I'm in Vietnam and it is soooooo cheap I can't believe it. This combined with the book I'm reading, 4 hour work week is really food for thought. One could live out here, very well on less than £800 per month including rent, and the standard of living is pretty high, minimum wage is £95 per month :eek:
Meal out can be £1 in the local places, top posh restaurant £15 including drink, and cooking at home would be pence.
I've ordered a pair of made to measure wool/cashmere trousers with lining from a tailors around the corner - £28 :T Perfect for my long gangly legs, if they're good I'll get some more before I come back, it only takes 2 days.
Mind you if you lived here you wouldn't need many clothes, shorts and t-shirt would do all year round.

Back at home sproglets seem to be doing well. DD has had another job interview, that's 3 in the last fortnight and she's been offered all 3 :j The one she's accepted is working for Mencap, is a very small local home for people with learning difficulties. She has been talking lots about going into nursing, and mental health before I left and this is great work experience for her. Still rubbish pay and shifts, but it's fixed hours, unlike the other caring jobs where she's on 0 hours contract. I've probably said this dozens of times in my diary already, but I'm so happy at how she has matured into such a lovely person in the last couple of years, it makes me quite emotional

Renovation work seems to be coming on at home, skirting boards are on, floor is up and first coat of paint going on tonight, I quite like this delegated style of decorating via f@cebook messenger!! :rotfl:

Deposit has been partially repaid, so I've got £430 back, I've offered £40, so that has left £360 in dispute, I'm not sure what happens next.

Payday tomorrow, which includes an extra £1000 courtesy of the Christmas savings club, just in time for DSs birthday driving lessons.

That's most of the update, I'm trying to talk my self out of a 60 minute organic aroma hot stone massage at the spa round the corner .......what the hell it's only £15......or I could have 90 minutes for £18 mmmmmmm

Ali-OK

Hot stone massage sounds fabulous and at that price :T

Could live very well out there...on a western salary

Well done to DD...and more so to you for bringing up and turning her into a lovely young woman. :T

I'm storing this delegated decorating idea, sounds good to me

thriftyandfabulous

Just popped in to say thank you skinny. Your diary is the reason I signed up to the forum - you have really inspired me to take control of my finances

Skinnylatte

Ali-OK wrote: »

Hot stone massage sounds fabulous and at that price :T

Could live very well out there...on a western salary

Well done to DD...and more so to you for bringing up and turning her into a lovely young woman. :T

Thank you Ali

The massage was an experience! I was thinking at one point that if she got any more vigorous she'd be on the table with me, and then she did, and then she's on top of me, and them I'm on top of her all in a couple of funny movements, then I get the giggles. Wow that was some awesome massage!
I have to say the hot stone bit was my favorite so relaxing, some of the rest of it was a bit painful!

Today has been a VERY spendy day as follows....

I loved my made to measure trousers (36" inside leg!) so much that I've ordered 2 more pairs, 1 pair cost a bit more as the material was really scrummy - £68 for both pairs

Then I passed an opticians and popped in to see if they could do me some prescription varifocals, I've been thinking about getting a pair for a while. Of course they could, progressive lenses, anti glare coating and Gucci (:cool:) frames, £38, "they will be ready tomorrow madam"

Michael Korrs bag for DD and Armani wallet and belt for DS £31

Massage £18

Christmas gifts £30

I think that works out at £182 which is certainly a spendy day. I need to keep my purse shut now. I did resist getting the prescription sunglasses for £30 and the evening dress made to measure for £80 :A

Loving my time here, hard work, yesterday we worked 12 hours and no lunch

Very much looking forward to getting home on Wednesday though and spending time with my little family in our new home. This time next week the living room will all be finished and the last of the furniture returning.

I still have not sat down and done my new budget yet, that is on my must do list for next weekend. The meters are being changed at the end of next week too, how people manage on the pre payment meters I don't know. I was that paranoid the kids would run out of gas or electric while I was away I put £40 on each!

Once the budget is done I need a grand master plan for paying off the mortgage in record time, baby steps

Skinnylatte

thriftyandfabulous wrote: »

Just popped in to say thank you skinny. Your diary is the reason I signed up to the forum - you have really inspired me to take control of my finances

How kind of you to say, thank you. Are you starting a diary?
I have to say I'm not a very good example of taking control of my spending at the moment!

It was payday yesterday, and I got my Christmas savings club money, £1000...so I bought some early Christmas pressies for myself!!