Forever Home Fund

katep23

Ha ha, just re-read my diary over the last five months and the theme seems to be that "it's been an expensive month"!


Also noticed that I said in June we had bought 6 months of duck food but had to go out last weekend and buy more so that was an over-estimation!

Habibiboo

katep23 wrote: »

Ha ha, just re-read my diary over the last five months and the theme seems to be that "it's been an expensive month"!


Also noticed that I said in June we had bought 6 months of duck food but had to go out last weekend and buy more so that was an over-estimation!

:wave:

I do exactly this with mealworms for the chooks ... buy a mega load and think it will last forever, then end up being too generous with them (encouraged by the girls who love them like sweeties)!

How's the house quest going? x

amycool

I keep saying, "Next month will be cheaper" but it never is! Best to get used to this state of affairs as once you find that dream house it will eat far more than you ever imagined!

Our freezer is so small that an inventory would be laughable. I'm a bit jealous of all your freezer space.

v1ckyt

I've been saying next month will be cheaper, ever since I can remember. Hang in there, you are doing well. x

katep23

Ooh visitors!


Hbbb, the ducks are not only greedy but devious too. They know when they hear the front gate that it's usually one of us returning home from work and that they will be getting fed - doesn't matter if it is 10.00 in the morning or if they have been fed half an hour ago, they start up with the demands for food!


House searching is progressing, it was never going to be a quick process as we are looking for something so specific but hopefully there may be news shortly...


Amy, I love having the freezer space but the flip side is I have slight issues around stocking too much food and looking through the chest freezer this weekend has shown me how much stuff I have forgotten about as it has fallen to the bottom of the freezer. Will be lots of meals involving chicken drumsticks and part-baked bread!!


Thanks v1ckyt, I think I just need to be more realistic about what I actually spend!


We now have a new (to us) American fridge freezer in the garage awaiting a space in our new home (won't fit in the kitchen here!) OH's aunt is moving into rental this Friday and putting stuff into storage but thinks wherever they end up buying is likely to be too small so has passed it on to us. Went over with the trailer and picked it up this afternoon.


We were supposed to be having roast lamb but by the time we got back it was too late to do all the trimmings so we had the lasagne which was going to be tomorrow night's dinner instead and will have the lamb tomorrow. OH is working from home so he can peel the spuds etc.


Loaf of bread in the machine which means the usual 11.30pm hunger pangs when the smell of cooking bread wafts up the stairs. I just find using the timer on the bread machine doesn't result in a good loaf so needs must.


Am sooo tired, sitting here in PJs drinking my chocolate Horlicks then I'll be off to bed shortly.

katep23

The perils of multi tasking; was on the phone to my folks whilst cooking dinner. When I went to serve my chorizo and chickpea stew I discovered I had forgotten to add chickpeas. Fail!


Have used the last of some basmati and wild rice which OH won't eat.


Had to buy toilet rolls from supermarket for the first time in years - always get them from Costco but not been on offer for months. New leaflet in today... still no toilet roll offer.


Having a glass of wine to celebrate a small victory today - got 5 words of praise in response to a proposal I sent to my MD. My previous best was 3 words!


OH friend coming to stay tomorrow so need to make house presentable.


Lovely parents have given me some money from scrapping their 4x4 to say thank you for giving them our 4x4.

katep23

So payday yesterday :j. Have moved some money around and plugged all the numbers into my spreadsheet.

Have had the £23.52 back from insurance company and got £22.90 in expenses. Have totalled up my fixed outgoings for the month and I have £160 for the rest of the month.

My aims in November are:

• Make sure spending comes in less than £160
• Try and increase my income this month so that I can add to savings

We underspent in the joint account by around £200 last month so that is good.

Got cat insurance yesterday through Quidco and it has tracked so that will be £30. Plus ordered a couple of bits from M&S to get the £20 cashback as I haven't shopped through Quidco for a while. That hasn't tracked yet but I will get £12 after what I spent and last time I did this it paid out really quickly.

Also realised Quidco had upgraded my account and charged me £5 so have complained and they have confirmed I will get the £5 back .

katep23

£20 on the next payment run from Quidc0

Realised I haven't actually returned the two packs of laminate so will do that tomorrow which is another £28 in. Now up to £208 for the month :T

Neighbour gave us a bale of wood shavings as he doesn't use them any more

Shepherds pie with left over roast lamb and falafel top then catch up on The Apprentice before an early night.

katep23

Okay, have been holding off posting this but we have found a house! Have felt almost superstitious that if I posted on here about it something would go wrong!


We have had the mortgage offer through now and are working our way through the legal process. The thing most likely to delay the process is the searches which take up to 8 weeks in Wiltshire but our vendors are chain free as are we so we are hoping we might be able to move before Christmas!


The house needs a lot of work doing to it, some of it immediate and some longer term, which we will have to save up and pay for as we go. So there is unlikely to be a lot of OPing going on in the first few years (although I plan to round up my mortgage payments a little!) but I will need this diary to keep me on the straight and narrow whilst saving.


The upside is we have gone for an offset so although we may not overpay, all savings will help to reduce the term.


As we could potentially be moving in 6 weeks (eek!) we have a lot to do - sorting out the rental house to ensure it is in a good condition when we hand it back, sort out the garden where we grew veggies, try and rationalise our "stuff", run down food stocks, oh my I feel shattered already and that's before we start packing!


So there may be some random posts asking for inspiration on using up random food.


Over the next few weeks I'll be eBaying and Freegling and taking stuff to the charity shop. And NOT SPENDING any more than is essential - the first few months are likely to be expensive and we don't have as much of an emergency fund as we had planned on.


Very excited and nervous!

katep23

Yesterday was not a productive day here but am up bright and early and will make sure I log off soon to get on with the day. Just sat enjoying the first cuppa of the day - bliss!


Have got a load of washing on the line and another in the machine. Two more to do so not sure it will all dry but anything is better than it all going in the TD.


Made wine from my dad's grape vine which is now ready to bottle and this evening we need to do a drastic water change in the fish tank.


OH's parents and brother are coming over for Sunday dinner this afternoon; lamb is in the slow cooker and I need to make a leek and cheese quiche for veggie brother, prep all veg and make an apple crumble. Will use a pastry mix and crumble mix out the larder and leeks and cheese out the freezer.


Was very strong last night, OH suggested a takeaway (which costs £11.40) as what I had got out for dinner hadn't defrosted in time but in the end we had some lamb shanks (boil in the bag - not as hideous as they sound!), carrot and coriander falafels and wholewheat couscous, all out of the larder! OH keeps telling me we will need food when we move but I don't want to move all this stuff if we don't need to!


Plan is to start prioritising jobs around here - for instance, we laid laminate flooring which needs the edging finishing. We have put up mirrors and curtain rails which will need to be taken down and holes filled in, then repainted.


So it will all go in the spreadsheet and we will work out what we can do now and what needs to wait until nearer the time.


I love organising, it's the actual work I'm not so keen on!!