The Plan

MotiMoo

Hi Bugslet, thanks for popping by :wave:. I don't know about disciplined, up until the end of last year I was just spending willy nilly and looking at my bank statement every month wondering where all my wages went! Luckily for me clothes shopping is just a depressing affair so I don't get tempted!

What brought about the change of heart actually was a decision to do Machu Picchu next year. We didn't think it very sensible to save up for such a trip and blow all the money without having sorted out our respective flats first. So I am having to save pretty darn hard because I have to basically gut my place inside and out. I've had one whole side of the building (an old house converted into 4 flats) stripped back to the stone and re-harled because water was getting in, the chimney sorted and also the driveway done. I have another 3 walls to get re-harled. At the same time I'm planning on ripping out all of the insides one room at a time. Fingers crossed I get it all done in a year!

MotiMoo

Almost an NSD, but I needed some sauce from the supermarket. Lunch was another helping of my brocolli soup with toast. I forgot spread but luckily a place opposite my work does baked potatoes and I asked someone who was going over if I could have the butter portion that comes with it , naughty I know. Dinner was cous cous salad with quorn chicken, one of my fave fast and easy dinners.

All day at work I was just itching to get home to see the bathroom, and when I got back I wasn't disappointed! The new marine plywood has been laid for the floor, all the plasterboarding is taped and skimmed and the shower tray is in! Just having that one peice in gives the room definition and I can see how its going to all peice together. I am just so excited!!!!:j

This will be my first attempt at doing up a house and I am no doubt making lots of mistakes, I just hope that my plumber isn't getting too annoyed with me, he has had to alter the quote three times already!

There is also someone else who will be really glad when the bathroom is done, my cat! He is not enjoying himself on holiday poor thing.

bugslet

MotiMoo wrote: »

I had a check up today at the doctor, and they took my blood pressure. It wasn’t great . I really need to do something about my lack of exercise and poor eating, but the motivation to actually take myself along to the gym and stay away from chocolate is sadly often lacking. What is particularly bad is I have a gym membership to a very nice gym, but I think of great excuses to not go:

• I have meetings very early in the morning (7.15am) and the gym doesn’t open till 6.30am so I can’t go then;
• I work too far away to go in my lunch break;
• I am often doing things in the evening that don’t leave me much time to gym, eat and do the planned activity.

My membership is up for renewal in February and I am seriously considering not taking it back up. Perhaps my best bet would just be to find a cheaper gym and somehow find a system of motivation for myself. Any suggestions on that topic would be most welcome!

!

Had my BP done last year and it was 216/130something, I had dabbled with being veggie, but that sort of inspired me for close to vegan ( not going to be a PITA when I go our or to people's houses. Gave up chocolate just like that - amazing what fear of dying can do for motivation:rotfl:. It's a lot better now.

Do you go running - worth putting an ad in a local newsagent for a running buddy?

MotiMoo wrote: »

Mortgage - £675 (I overpay by about double)
Electric - 83/month
Life Insurance - 11.33/month
Car payment - 275.85/month
Council Tax - 95/month
Cineworld - 15.90/month
Account fee - 2/month
Contents Insurance - 41.07/year
Buildings Insurance - 115.22/year
Car Insurance - I will have to go look this up after work but I pay it in a lump sum and I think it was around the £250 mark.
Christmas - £400/year
Gifts - £100/year
Clothes/shoes - I haven't bought any in about a year
I don't have internet, home phone or a tv and my mobile phone is paid for by my employer.

I take £60 out each Monday and this money buys all of my food shopping for the week for myself, the cat and when he is home my bf. I also buy petrol, toiletries and anything for the house from this.

So adding up my monthly expenditure and the £60 per week that comes to £1398.88. This should leave me £600 per month to save. My electric DD is supposed to be going up to £93 a month but because i am moving mortgages the amount I pay to that will be drasctically reduced.

I am seriously impressed with the £60 pw for all that. I have 5 dogs ( exercise is not a problem for me!) and they seem to cost a fortune, but they're worth it:o. Moved to Astral moisturiser - sooo cheap and really good. Apparently Joanna Lumley uses it and she looks amazing.

I have around 25k left on my mortgage, which I could probably get rid of, but I want to knock out the kitchen this year and whilst my mortgage rate is so low, it doesn't make sense to finish it yet.

MotiMoo wrote: »

We went to see the Railway Man, it was quite harrowing. The 2nd world war in the far east is something I have only recently come to know much about, there is a lot they don't teach you in standard grade history!

Sounds a good film, not sure if I'm in the mood for harrowing at the moment. Oddly don't go to many films, despite, like you, not having TV or broadband at home.

Well done on the NSDs:T and all saving counts, even if you are feeling disappointed this month, next month will be better:)

MotiMoo

Hi Bugslet :hello:

I am trying to be more choosey in my food. I have moved to milk substitutes and don't buy cheese or butter any more. Like you though I am not going to be absolute about it as there are times where life can get in the way. I like your idea about looking for a running buddy I might do that to find a weekend running partner. I discussed earlier in my diary that I was looking to end my gym membership I wasn't using, well I bought a gym pass from my employer for £20 which gives you 10 visits. I am using a gym right next to my work which is really small but I'm just going to work with it. My friend from work goes with me so hopefully she can keep me motivated and accountable. Ask me again in a month :rotfl:!

I'm so impressed with the people on here who have managed to reduce their mortgages and actually pay them off. My parents were not money savvy and took the entire term to pay off the mortgage because they thought thats just what you did.

I agree with your kitchen plan, not least because it matches my house overhaul plan .

Thanks for the compliments over my budget, I have even surprised myself that I can keep to that spending limit!

MotiMoo

An NSD again! I even had my purse with me! Had gym this morning with my friend, then into work. Got that out of the way then came home, fed the cat and went out gaming . So a relatively busy day. I finished the last of the brocolli soup today, but I will be attending a conference tomorrow so lunch is provided :money:. Dinner was another portion of cous cous salad, when I am on my own all fancy cooking goes out the window lol.

I went round to my flat to see the bathroom, the PVC ceiling is up and the door frame is on. The plasterboard has had a coat of paint and the room is really pulling together. The shower walling should be going in tomorrow.

bugslet

£2.00 a gym visit, that's a good deal.

I bought my house ages ago, so my mortgage is small and I have really benefitted from the low interest rates; I can remember my first mortgage and the 15% rates, so it's swings and roundabouts.

Love it when I go somewhere and they provide free food:o - that's soooo sad.

Looking forward to seeing the before and after pics of your bathroom. I'm having mine titivated ( love that word ) shortly, but it won't be as good as beautiful new one.

MotiMoo

Hi bugslet,

Oh my goodness...I think I have just found my favourite new word...titivate. I'm going to have to work that into a sentance soon.

15% interest rate :eek:. Good if you only had savings though . I guess I had a bit of luck on when I bought my place, interest rates had just gone down to 0.5% and the banks were just inching out mortgages again.

I love free food too, however some of the fare on offer was a little suspicious .

*Diary Update*
The conference I was at today was a little dry in parts but I managed to mostly pay attention, as I feel bad for the people who spend time creating presentations only for everyone to not listen and sit on their phones.
Lunch was a bit hit and miss really, it was buffet of some of the most random foods like haggis, fish kebabs and quiche :think:.
We got finished a little earlier than planned and I went and picked up my mum so that we could go and look at some vinyl for my bathroom. I had previously bought vinyl but had to cancel it because they were having problems with the manufacturer. I saw three I liked and have taken some samples to make a decision.
I dropped my mum off and came home to make dinner. I was very naughty and went to the supermarket because I didn't fancy cooking, so deffinitely not an NSD. They were doing 2 for 3 on quorn products so I bought some quorn ham and cherry tomatoes and I had a salad sandwich for dinner. Next week I will be back at home so it will be easier to cook and be more organised.

*Bathroom Update*
The showerwall is up in the bathroom now and all of the plasterboard has had a lick of paint. There are a couple of little things I have noticed, just little gaps and things, if they are still there when it is finished I will speak to my plumber.

bugslet

Depending on what you do for a living, working titivate in, could be challenging!

Have a good weekend:)

MotiMoo

Thanks bugslet, you have a nice weekend too!

Today was one of those days where I did a bunch of stuff and then felt like I got very little done. I had a salad sandwich which I took in for lunch, and then I went back home to see my plumber as he wanted to discuss the placement of my bathroom cabinets. He is also installing the glass for the shower, it's all coming together really well!

I went back to OH's flat right after work, the cat has been getting a bit of cabin fever so I like to keep him company. I had a pizza for dinner that OH had in his freezer, he needs them eaten because he is off dairy now and although I am going that way too I don't have such a need to NOT eat it and its a shame to waste it . That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

I found out that my wage was a little more this month than it should have been because they accidently forgot to take out my student loan :mad:. So instead they are going to take it out next month so that wage will be short, what if I had spent that money and didn't have enough to then cover next month's shortfall, who is accountable then? (apart from the obvious lack of budgeting on my part obviously).

My credit card payment comes out on Monday, I paid for all the items I bought for the bathroom on the card so that I had protection. I should also be paying the plumber on Saturday once I am happy with the finish of the bathroom. Goodbye savings, I'm going to miss you, I really liked seeing you in my bank account aquiring all that lovely interest .

MotiMoo

D-Day!!! Or should it be B-Day?.....wait that sounds bad...but also apt!

The bathroom has been installed :j. I spent most of today just hovering waiting to go round to my house to see the end result. I wasn't disappointed .

The shower has been fully installed, along with all of the furniture and sanitaryware. The PVC ceiling cladding is up and finished and the door is back on. The electrician installed the fan, lights and mirror (it has lights and a demister), as well as replaced all my electrical boxes and installed a hardwired fire alarm.

I just did a basic tot up of how much everthing all came to and I think it is just over £6000. The mirror was an add on to my previous total, and although maybe expensive it is everything I wanted. The electrician was also slightly more than anticipated so those two things make up the extra.

It's really crazy how much a bathroom can cost and I tried very hard to source things at reasonable prices from reputable busineses. The plumber I arranged for may have been a bit more expensive but I knew that he did very good work and would do everything as I wanted.

If I was to do it all over again I might save myself the headache and give the entire project to someone, and I think I would also not install the PVC ceiling again as although practical isn't the most wonderful looking.

Money aside, I am so very very pleased with it and I cannot wait to have it finished off. The vinyl has to be laid, I have to paint the walls and the tiler has to put up the tiles. Once that is done I will take pictures and you can see what I frittered all my savings away on .