The impossible dream

savingholmes

Hi Tahlullah - I think it must have done similar to me - as yesterday I changed my footer as it had lost last month's update. I thought I must have just forgotten to update it. 

It's heading in the right direction for you anyway. How is the garden office come along?

Tahlullah.H

@savingholmes, it's good to know it wasn't us!!  Shame no-one has issued a notification of the restoration to an old version of the site, it would stop some of us questioning our sanity.

The garden office is coming along ok thanks.  I have finished painting the inside and tiled the floor over the weekend.  I will need to do some cuts for part tiles at the edges and grouting, but considering it was the first time I have tiled in my life, I am happy with it.  Certainly wouldn't want to do it in a prominent or highly visible and critical location, but very happy for a small floor in an outside room!

I changed my mind regarding heating via underfloor heating and instead, I am going for an Infrared panel.  It is an alternative form of heating that is gaining momentum, cheaper and quieter than an air source heat pump.  I will give it a go in the office and if it works well, I will look at this as a permanent change of gas when we are no longer allowed to heat the home with a gas boiler.

Moneysaving is going ok, with plenty on NSD's, collecting wood and monitoring energy use and budgeting appropriately, so I am not excessively worried about the increases for heating the house come October.  However, diesel costs are astronomical.  I had to fill the car last week and the pump cut off at maximum £99 fill before the tank was filled.  That was the first time ever.  I checked and my total diesel spend in May was £446.49.  I am assuming it will be higher in June.

It's sad to say, but I am extremely happy that I have learnt to live and have been living within my means and know how to save money and not spend it on incidentals, so allowing me to have the money available to meet my diesel needs.  I really can imagine how people are saying that they cannot afford to go to work.  Just because I have been lucky and am able to cope, I really do not wish to continue living like this long term.  All my spare money is being taken up in fuel costs.  Not an enjoyable life.  But, the alternative is I reduce payments to my mortgage and compromise on my mortgage free day.  I am not ready to do that yet.

savingholmes

Glad garden office is going well

Luckily I am still mainly WFH so my costs still low

Tahlullah.H

Ah, that diesel cost is working from home, and being in the office 1 day a week.

savingholmes

Wow - that's a long commute presumably then...

Tahlullah.H

Back home after spending the week down south.  Had the joy of going to London for a f2f meeting, and came back with a cold.    Have done a covid test and it is definitely a cold.  Haven't had one for over 2 years, so quite a shock to the system.

Diesel remains the big expense at the moment.  Not sure about electric.  BG coming tomorrow to do something about the meter, which is supposed to give automatic reads and does not.  Everything else on track, but general spending money really tight at the moment.  Have cut down on the overpayment on the car loan, so free up some extra pocket money.

Food costs are still reasonable despite the spike in prices.  The freezer still contains a lot of food, so a full shop is not required as yet.  

Things to do include getting paperwork ready for the accountant.  In the house, still have to - 

• move the washing machine into the bathroom
• fit a cupboard into the space left in the kitchen
• build the cupboard in the bathroom to house the washing machine
• stain and attach the wood to the staircase
• grout the garden office floor

So many small things to be done as well as the big things, but there is no rush.  None of it particularly MSE, but still high on my agenda.  We have had no summer to speak of so far - except last week, so just doing things as and when I have the time - energy and money is all that is needed.

Work is still ok, although I have lost my mojo a bit.  Just need to sit and concentrate.  Short deadline coming up.

All good on the mortgage free front.  Still aiming for paying it off by August 2024 or earlier, a year before I am 60.  Still the dream!

savingholmes

Good luck with your MFW plans. Given the work you've had done it sounds like your mortgage is still reasonably on track. 

Are you still planning to rent out a room?

Hope you feel better soon.

Tahlullah.H

Plans to rent out the room are still on hold as I have not finished decorating.  Plan is there, execution is another thing entirely.

MSE - managed to make another £14 on Prolific today.  Really annoyed with this website for losing info from our footers - so I have given up on my running total of £2022 in 2022.  I was never going to get to that level, but I was consistently making £100 a month.  So, I will just have to assume that I am at £600 - probably more, and only note my ongoing earnings on my posts, rather than rely on the footers.  Almost makes the footers redundant.

Anyway, trying to give stuff away on Freecycle, and even that is causing problems because people are not reliable and don't come for stuff.  No wonder we have a problem with landfill.  So, I tried selling on ebay, tried gumtree and tried freecycle.  All stuff fully working and great condition, just no longer needed and can be shown working or inspected before collection.

No worries, I will fill my car and take a very long trip one day to my favourite charity shop which takes very large items and they can have fun with the stuff.  Hopefully, someone will get some use, although it won't be someone local.

Financially, I am doing ok, probably not as well as I would like, but ok nonetheless.  I need to go shopping to get some staples, but other than that, I don't need much.  All the bills are under control, with the exception of my diesel costs.  Not a lot I can do about this as I don't use the car frivolously.  It just costs what it costs.

I was looking at maybe going towards an electric car, but I cannot afford the cost of a new to me electric car, so I will stick to my current car which serves me well until I have finished paying off the car loan in about 3 years time.  To be fair, I only have to make 2 years, and when the mortgage is paid off, it will leave me a bit more disposable income to make a choice about the next car - would electric still be a good idea then, or would I opt for another diesel, dependent on the cost of diesel against the cost of buying an electric car.  Hopefully, the prices will have dropped significantly in 2 years time.

Bought myself a new pair of boots - I bought my last pair of boots a year ago, so I think 1 pair of boots a year is not extravagant.

The garden office is done and functioning well.  Really happy with it.  Just a shame we have not had great weather here to sit and work with the doors open, enjoying the view whilst working.  The great weather has been down south.  Here, it's been intermittent and its forecasting more rain.

The neighbours house is still on the market, but they have not had one viewing.  Clearly overpriced, as there are other properties for sale in the village that are cheaper and have more land, better aspects, better laid out etc.  Oh well, they will be able to reduce the price in a couple of months and make out that the buyer is getting a bargain, when really, they will be paying what it is worth.

My list of things to do remains long.  Managed to grout the office floor.  Today, I might stain the doors for the new bathroom cupboard that will house the washing machine.  Small steps.  Nothing is ever fast and furious.  If the doors are stained, then I am closer to the cupboard being built, which brings it closer to the washing machine being moved...  Small steps.  But today, shopping is the order of the day!

savingholmes

Sounds busy as ever. Good luck with your projects. Have a lovely weekend.

Just a thought if you really want the BnB type income may be worth paying for help to get it up and running quicker

TallGirl

Sounds good glad the project is moving forward garden office sounds great