The march to financial freedom

Ali-OK

Morning SS - you were up early again, hope things are ok with you.

Was the same and up at 4.45am :eek: - woke in a bad dream and couldn't get back to sleep. (Opened the front door to DS arriving home from school with a bloody face and he then collapsed :eek:). Definitely my worries of him using the walkway between parks rather than the longer path along the road to home from minibus coming to the fore there.

Stil, been productive, stripped bed, washed that and hung out. Did the ironing from the clothes washing, sat and fiddled with spreadsheets and re-arranged the freezer :rotfl:

Thanks for the idea on the old grass, that's a great idea, but unfortunately mine is half mud from the dogs playing and chasing and half weed - bit misleading of me to call it grass really :rotfl:. Really lucky that I can get a skip free to use and the cutter will quickly lift an even level for the gravel and stabiliser to go into.

This stabilising interlocking grid stuff is mega expensive though at close on £20 a square meter.:eek: Better check my square metre measurements again!

supersaver1000

Ooh. That's unsettling. I have similar worries and I get so unsettled when DD goes on a jog :eek: my sleep not so disturbed at the moment but early mornings are the norm right now. I am coping better though, following some tips from MSEers. And feeling a bit more positive. Trying to see this as a fork in the road. The Uni course may not have come about without this.

Grass recycling - Ah, I did wonder and felt sure you would have thought of that suggestion, but I prefer to say something just in case. That stabiliser is expensive but if it does the job should be worth it. Can you return it if you don't use it all, I know some of it comes in snap together units.

Ali-OK

I hadn't thought of advertising the grass if it had been good enough to, is a great idea. Things often happen for a reason and something good often comes from it and other things tend to fall into place on the back of it. It'll come together.

I've found some interlocking stuff at half the price on Amaz0n, so have ordered that - it's still close on £200 :eek: for 20sqm but, it will save problems and maintenance too (such as movement from rain, the dogs skidding in it and less raking). It is the snap together squares and can be cut to fit the curves (very few straight lines in my garden!). Am hoping there will be enough left over to sit the corner shed on - it's good enough to take the weight and better for drainage than going straight on the deck and will need some more for the raised area as well. Most likely I'll have to order more when that time comes.

Can't decide on gravel colour - not totally sure on the contemporary coloured (red, black, grey, white) as the path is more a mix of pastel cobbles (grey, pink, yellow, natural) and the house bricks are a pinky shade of yellow. Plus getting reclaimed old oak sleepers which will be dark and rustic, not new and modern, so perhaps a cream or yellow buff would be better, as when Phase II happens, I'll get some more of the gravel to go between paving on the raised bit which will be under the moved pergola, so it's got to suit all areas.

Having trouble finding the same small cobbles or setts as the path though. Online it's either used reclaimed or buy new in huge packs - going to try the local builders merchants who sell Marshalls small blocks as hoping they will sell them singularly or in smaller amounts - need 27 of them to edge the 3 planted areas which will butt up against gravel in 2 areas and aritificial grass in the third. I've one online company that looks promising for smaller packs, but depends on pack size.

Financials then:
- bank account checked
- freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints checked - finishing on 32 for the week
- Nectar card value - up at £116.93
- Inbox Pounds - up at £15.71
- Qmee - 33p still in the pot

I've driven up the dual carriageway today and no sign of panic problems (without taking BBs first). :j

That's all the news so far today. Done nothing else apart from have an afternoon nap after being up way too early this morning!

supersaver1000

Thanks Ali

Gravel colour, I quite like a light colour as it seems to darken over time and I think it makes the garden brighter. I would say make sure you get the large lumps in case of cats wanting to use it as a toilet, but with the dogs there you shouldn't have that problem. Mind you when we had our old garden gravelled we did have a problem anyway at one point - I had to get some of the pointy stuff for the fence and I put down lots of dried chilli's. Not nice though.

Hope you find the blocks, I'm sure you will somewhere, but hope its not too much trouble. It sounds so well organised, it will be a joy to use.

SS x

Ali-OK

Still procrastinating on gravel colour :rotfl: I've gone from thinking buff will be bright and go with everything, but too plain to the mixed pinks, but that might be dark, to a complete contrast (speckled sparkly bluey black white anyone :rotfl:) and back to the contemporary mix again.

I did get the edging stones today though - not quite the same as the path ones, but nearest I think am going to find sold individually and at £19 for 30, not too costly. They're a natural colour, so I've got to narrow down the gravel to something that will go with that now - it's not made it any easier though!

Financials then:
- bank account checked
- freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints - new week, 12 available and done
- Nectar Canvass - not done one of those, but a 100 pointer Brand Match survey that came by email invite
- Nectar card value - still £116.93
- Inbox Pounds - moved a tad up to £15.78
- Qmee - still on 33p
- P!necone - redeemed points and £3 on it's way to PayPal

Spends today were the £40 for Osteo appointment. Given all the back twinging, pain and grinding going on, she said it's all in pretty good shape. Sounds like good news doesn't it? However, it's not - it means the problems are highly likely to be inflammation which is a nerve issue and she's said to wait until after the MRI before deciding to see her again. And lower back is pinching again tonight. Keeping up the ibruprofen to help it.

I used a BB today and drove both a dc and fast road (30 mile round trip) - all was fine except my vision. It's hard to describe it as it's not blurry, yet it's not right either. Ooh spent £5 on 2 storage boxes from Ikea to go in the office unit. Dangerous going there, but was very restrained.

We've had a dinner from the freezer tonight, there's meat defrosting for tomorrow night and a rough meal plan in place - anything that uses up the fridge contents before the weekly shop.

I've taken down the latest gas and elec readings and put those into my spreadsheet. Gas is still lovely and low, though not had a bill in the 6 months since I moved to the new supplier :eek:. Electricity hasn't come down as much as I'd hoped since DS went back to school - going to have to revisit that one, though lights are on at 6am and again by 7pm, will be able to start comparing with last year when we get to early November, see if the LED bulb investment is paying for itself. Failing that, it's candles again

Hope everyone is having a good start to the week.

Ali-OK

I think I've found my gravel Flamingo - a mix of grey, white and a peachey/pinky colour.

Light, pastel, will go with everything. Can add a small bag of another colour if it needs it too.

Downside - in typical me fashion, it's one of the most expensive ones I've come across at £165 delivered (cheapest I can find online at the moment).

Will sleep on it! :rotfl:

Ali-OK

Evening Diary,

A long work day and all good there. Filled the 2 storage boxes I bought yesterday and office is all tidy again.

Spends today - the gravel is now ordered and everything is organised for Phase I to be done early next week. Very excited :j I'm taking a couple of days off work - to supervise More like I'll make tea and keep the workers supplied with home made muffins.

Financials then:
- bank account checked and monthly use and pay off CC has rolled over, so full payment set up for 16th Oct.
- freepostcodelottery checked
- Nectar adpoints checked - no advance on 12 pts
- Nectar Canvass - done an 80 pointer (review of product I tested)
- Nectar Search - will start again tomorrow
- Nectar card - value still at £116.93
- Inbox Pounds - £15.81
- Qmee - still at 33p
- P!necone - £3 in Paypal, will move that and the Qmee amount

Change bucket has yielded £1 in 2p's and £5 in 10p's so will get those banked on Friday.

October mortgage capital payment of £860 goes out tomorrow too.

CC statement is due in on the 8th and £260 budgeted for that.

Forgot I took the coat back on Sunday too, so £26.25 refunded back for that. Will update Clothes Challenge thread shortly as well.

Ali-OK

I've just totalled up the September food spend and it came to £134.06. I thought it would be quite a bit higher with 2 weekends of extras, but missing the last food shop of the month (today) as pushed that into October (which will now be a 5 week instead of 4). Is that cheating? Still, way over the £100 budget anyway.

On my To Do List is:

- Inventory of both freezers and complete/print off the sheet that Moomin posted last autumn. Works really well with crossing off each item as it's taken out and makes meal planning much easier.

- Go through Christmas gifts and write list of what is still needed. October is the month of family card buying, getting up the loft and getting copious amounts of leftover cards and paper down.

- Baking - no getting out of this one, the garden DIYers will stop work if I don't have a supply of promised triple choc chunk muffins . So check cupboard for ingredients, buy anything needed for them and make a double batch on Sunday.

- Colour hair - one in the drawer to use up (and hair cut Saturday)

- Sort October birthdays - have the cards, just need to write and post off 2nd class.

- Admin - go through pile of papers on windowsill and check if anything needs actioning.

Not too much for a change!

AlexLK

It's not even Advent yet, Ali.

Ali-OK

AlexLK wrote: »

It's not even Advent yet, Ali.

Advent is for enjoying the festivities, pre-advent is for the stressful time of ensuring all gifts have been bought, wrapped, labelled, ready for delivery and the 2015 calendar ready.