Paying the car tax via EBay, and other shenanigans.

mfmaybe

in_need_of_direction wrote: »

I've a friend coming round later with home made shortbread. Don't we love friends like that

We certainly do :beer:

Forgot the biggest news of all that I finally put 3 things on fleabay. 2 were re-lists from my last fit of enthusiasm, one was an inspired de-clutter. That is on a fixed price so really hope it sells soon to help the car tax fund.

Feeling very unmotivated, picked up an injury the other day so can't ride, chores are slow going and not got much enthusiasm to get anything done. I don't mind a but of down time, but always feel I've wasted a weekend if I don't tick a few things off the list.

Going to have a bacon roll soon which might help :rotfl: hope everyone is having a nice weekend.

in_need_of_direction

You've forgotten the golden rule of list making. Item 1, eat chocolate. That way you'll always get something crossed off your list

mfmaybe

in_need_of_direction wrote: »

You've forgotten the golden rule of list making. Item 1, eat chocolate. That way you'll always get something crossed off your list

This is great advice that I will always follow from now on! I did have leftover cake for breakfast so that counts as a success :rotfl:

So good news - the bank interest for the month is £30.06. So why is this huge amount good news? Well, firstly the budget I'd guestimated was £36, so I'm a bit below budget. But better than that, last month the interest was over £44, so it's a huge reduction. There is quite a big time lag on the interest period, and the time it actually takes to hit my account. So it shows that my cost control has been working even several weeks ago, and that moving spends onto the 0% card is having the desired effect. I'm hoping it might even be as low as half that amount next month, with the month after it being 0..... :T

And in other good news the sun is out. The weekend up here was windy and generally overcast or torrential rain. My mood is greatly enhanced.:A

mfmaybe

Goodness it's been over a week since I posted. I have been paid in the interim, so have made the next payment to my family debt, and the overdraft is looking rather a lot healthier. A lot of that though is just because it's switched over to the 0% card, but that was the strategy, and I'm aware I understated my opening position, with all the other [STRIKE]huge[/STRIKE] bits and pieces I had to pay. All being well, the overdraft will technically be gone by next payday, I hope.

Of course, all is not well. The boiler in my rental property is broken again. And the part needed isn't made any more, so I need a new boiler :mad:. This day was always going to come, but of course it's arrived just when I've been making such efforts to pay things off. It's hard not to see this as a slap in the face (I know it's not personal, it just feels that way!). I haven't had a quote yet but my guess is around £1500. I don't have any savings so that will just mean increasing my overdraft again, I could wail....

So trying to focus on good news, sold a couple of wee things on fleabay for about £8 profit towards the car tax fund. And will have about another £12 in fuel expenses to claim. That leaves me about £20 short of the current one, with 3 weeks to find it, so better get fleabaying. I did find a couple more things I could sell, albeit I will probably need to spend that on things for the horse. I really need to think laterally, I say this all the time but because my debt wasn't caused by buying "stuff" I don't have tons of clutter to get rid of. Unless you count Mr Maybe's stuff of course :rotfl:

On a positive note, the long weekend was glorious up here the whole time and I had a brilliant time without spending excessive amounts of money. Today it's thick fog and rainy but somehow that's ok after the bank holiday!

Hope everyone else had a good time, off to go and see if there are any other ways to make £1500 in a short space of time :eek:

roxy7699

Hi Mrs Maybe,

Long time no read.

mfmaybe wrote: »

I'm confused (easily done!). How come you are worse off without sport??

Having read all the way back to where I left off, I have no idea how I am worse off but as the sky man on the phone said you clearly are very good at getting offers as you have several on your account.

I love, love, love your HOTD section - keep it up, however small it is definitely humbling.

mfmaybe wrote: »

I've been reading other diaries that include "things I'm grateful for". I think I need something similar. The other day I was doing one of my horsey chores, it was hard work and unrewarding. I commented that it wasn't the highlight of my day. So I'm going to record The Highlight of My Day on here :beer:

Yesterday the HOMD was a great fun hack in the sunshine on my horse :j

Despite your unfortunate one offs that keep cropping up, you've done so well. As has been said if you hadn't achieved what you have in cost reduction buying a new boiler may not even have been an option. I look at it as though these things happen for a reason, today's reason is to make you realise what you have achieved. A really horrible way to do it but needs must. You've done good!

I also like your new idea of three things before and after work as my house is currently resembling a jumble sale.

Have a good evening.

x

mfmaybe

Hi Roxy, lovely to hear from you. Thanks for the reminders re my good intentions, which I've let slip! HOMD was the very cute cuddles all my ponies gave me this evening!

So my first boiler quote came in. £3,400 plus vat. Unbelievable. For a tiny 1-bed flat that has an electric shower so needs hardly any hot water and has 4 small radiators. I feel sick.

in_need_of_direction

Are there any grants available for more energy efficient boilers?

mfmaybe

in_need_of_direction wrote: »

Are there any grants available for more energy efficient boilers?

I don't think so, because it's actually a combi already ; just old. The quote is about £1500 more than we recently paid for our new boiler in our house, which is bigger, much better quality, and LPG.

I'll get alternate quotes then see where we are. Sigh.

mfmaybe

So today is another day. I spent half the night worrying about where I'd find £4k for a boiler. Today I've taken steps by finding 2 more people to give quotes, and one in particular could work out well. I'll say no more yet, but I'm hoping to see that required outlay come down a lot. However I've still been in a slump all day. Even though it was beautiful I didn't ride my horse. Sometimes when things are going badly (and if course that's a relative term) I punish myself by not allowing myself to do the nicer things . I don't know why, but I know I do it. What's even weirder is I catch myself doing it, yet still let events run that way. Another thing I'm guilty of is drifting. I achieved very little work, my hair needed washed, the house was looking rather uncared for; I knew if I just got up and did stuff I'd feel so much better (because I ALWAYS do) yet I didn't do it. Eventually, I went outside in the beautiful evening, had a lovely half hour with my horses, then came back and Did Stuff. Showered, hoovered, emptied bins, dishwasher on, weeded a little bit that needed done. Oh hey look, I feel better

All is not lost, bumped up one poll to nearly £23 (but it's so slooooow!), didn't spend any money, took the above steps to addressing the boiler issue, arranged for my fields to get their post-winter treatment next week, and I have lovely clean hair :rotfl: however also was reminded I'm going out for dinner tomorrow so will have to spend money, boo.

HOMD was definitely a "moment" I had with the horses this evening, such a beautiful evening and they were being too cute for words. And I did my 3 things thanks to Roxy :T

in_need_of_direction

that's the great thing about pets. no matter how much you cant be bothered, you can't penalise them and you always feel better for having done something