Starbucks, Trainers and Cottages - Ohhh My!

VeronicaMars

Hello all!

We are in NZ!!! Awoohooo. Two days in and loving it!

Currently adjusting to the money and how almost everything is more expensive (£5 for a very VERY VERY small "punnet" o strawberries or £3 for 6 free range eggs) or seems more expensive but its is actually not.

Currently (rather quickly) decided that we might try and buy a house rather than rent. MUCHO cheaper and we MIGHT be able to pull a deposit together and sacrifice our car savings for the deposit and get a half decent car on finance.

Already found a home that is for sale that I LOVE, fixed price. Hopefully it is still available and Mr Mars and I will go and check it out on Monday. I don't want to get attached already - I do that. Then we go on monday and find out it is gone. That, my friends, is the story of my life.

That is all so far - to do list:

Get a phone sim card
Get a car
Get a bank account
Get a social security number
Get a house (buy/rent)
Transfer money from UK to bank account (once get a bank acc here)

All I can think of at the minute!!!

xoxo

supersaver1000

Oh wow Veronica, glad to hear you are feeling so up, it was obviously the right thing to do. It all sounds exciting - a new home of your own.

I can buy 30 free range eggs here for £3, so I went slightly :eek: however you are right, it's all relative isn't it.

Have a great time and I look forward to hearing more. Don't lose heart if the property is gone on Monday. It means there are properties there you are going to love. ( fingers crossed for Monday though). SS

VeronicaMars

Hello all!!!

Well where to begin? Sorry these posts will not be fun - more me brain dumping on where we are and what we still have to do!!! Saaaarrrrry.

We decided not to buy the house it was not great quality. We can afford any of the houses we want so are going to rent for a while and then try and buy in the future - I am happy with this decision.

We view a house tomorrow to rent - rental market is V. competitive (due to earthquakes and limited housing) so will need to get in fast if we want it!!

Thankfully Mr Mars Bro and his missus are putting us up and has reminded us we are not desperate and can stay with them as long as we want - we cannot thank them enough. As the only thing that could make finding accommodation worse, would be living in either a hostel or super expensive serviced apartments.

Got a bank account - very different market from the UK, I need to research the credit cards though. There is only five banks or something over here so should not be that bad!!! Got one for the moment and waiting on our money from the UK coming.

Mr Mars starts work tomorrow - after about 2 months off! We are going to polish his shoes, steam his suit, iron his shirt and he is going to shave tonight. Then I will make him stand outside in front of the tree and get a picture like he is five again - hehe

We bought a car. A small SUV type that is 4 wheel drive for out doors and ski fields etc. It is my first "proper" time buying a car coming from a history of hand me down or budget cars so it is safe to say Mr Mars and I are in love with it - we even take our coffee cups and water bottles OUT OF THE CAR when we are leaving it. Amazing. :beer:

So basically once we have a house and I have some form of a job brining in money we are officially sorted. Mr Mars first goal is to get us a house (FINE BY ME) so he wants me to focus on that before job hunting. One...two...three...HOORAY TO THAT!!! :j

BUT - if we realistically want to buy I need to get back onto the employment wagon and get us a some dosh! :money:

I (in an ideal world) would love a job where I did not have to work Fridays or finished early on a Friday. I would love to use this day to do washings, cook soups etc or plan for Mr Mars and I going away for the weekend. I want to work - but honestly we really struggle to balance everything. Just both exhausted from or jobs. I think a 4 day week will be the answer. Or alternatively hire a cleaner, cook, laundry lady and erm...gardener. :eek: As this is not how I want to continue living - the 9-6pm merri-go-round. Exhausted going to work, house a mess and exhausted going away the weekends. I WANT TO ACTUALLY LIVE. Run, go away, but still have a nice clean home and eat good fresh made food.

So, er, basically, I want it all. And then some. :rotfl:

So new to do list:

1) Find accommodation
2) Find a job
3) Phone UK banks and get reward accounts downgraded to normal accounts (i.e Santander account and nationwide account).

DEBT UPDATE:

And lastly...why we are here...the debt. We currently have £5,900 on a credit card. Most of which we SHOULD get back from Mr Mars work. So hopefully that should sort itself out.

xoxo

VeronicaMars

Hey fellow MSEs,

So if you have not got whiplash from my last two posts you are doing well. Incase anyone hadn't notice when I am presented with things I panic and start TRYING to make panic decisions.

This is going to be another long post as I have nae mates, or a job, my phone isnt working and I'm sitting with a good cup of tea :coffee:

From thinking about buying a house as soon as we arrived to working 4 days a week when I don't even own a fish. What the hell would I do with my time?!?! I'm in a new country, I don't know anyone and I don't know where anything is, and I have shoe boxes bigger than the flat we are renting - SERIOUSLY WHAT WAS I GOING TO DO WITH MY TIME. I'd defo need to buy a fish anyway, that is for sure

Anyway things have calmed and I THINK i am a sound state of mind.

1 ) So incase you had not guessed. I'll be going full time and I won't be working 3/4 days a week (unless i DO get a fish). That was stupid.

What we are considering is getting a cleaner (:money: for ONE hour ever two weeks), we have bought a washer/dryer (the drying of clothes and the damp/mould issue) and I'll do online shopping. All only when I get a job. As those were the things Mr Mars and I hated and drained us. I know I am not alone but I HATED coming home from working all day to going to a supermarket to then going home to clean and hang out washing . Mr Mars and I used to go to the supermarket together. Always. As we both hated going by ourselves. It was a complete waste of time as someone could be cleaning but misery loves company. Then we would spend the weekends cleaning or mid week incase someone came by and we were mortified that the house was not clean.

We know of a cleaner who is cheap but she only really does the floors and counters - I've never had a cleaner but are you allowed to ask for them to wipe the skirting boards, dust and do windows etc?

Sometimes in life you just need to pay for things to give you a better quality of life and a tumble dryer, a cleaner and online shop are those things for us. I will literally sacrifice other things for these. :money:

2 ) We have found accommodation, it is small and by small I actually mean tiny, teeny, were will I put my fish? kind of small.

So once our stuff is off the container I will be decluterring - again. Probably best as i wasn't so great at decluttering the first time around. Ever watch hoarders where the people have meltdowns when someone asks them to throw stuff out? That was me. :rotfl:

3 ) We are very fortunate that we have been away a couple of weekends and without sounding like a TOTAL grump and not being grateful for the fun weekends and for family letting us stay in their cottage last weekend - which I completely and totally appreciate and am thankful for...

BUT with these gatherings everyone has to club in for one mass shop and
A) It is pretty EXPENSIVE (last two weekends away - even when divided by everyone - has cost £150 and £96 for TWO days of food and drink)
They are not very vegetarian friendly (I feel like I'm a bit of an after-thought)

It took me along time to be a healthy veggie...and by that I mean not living off cheese and chips! I need to make sure I am staying healthy and not missing out. AND one of the few perks of being veggie (aside from sleeping better and I don't mean because of my conscience or anything I mean I LITERALLY sleep better) is that it is a helps with the food bills. Lentils and chickpeas tend to be cheaper than beef and chicken. HIGH FIVE ME. I can buy more shoes... :beer:

Anyway, how I am going to drop into the convo that I eat more than cheese and bread? I need more than cheese and bread to keep this big ghetto booty of mine grooving :dance: :EasterBun

xoxo

alioops78

Everything takes time to adjust to so don't expect it to fall into place straight away.

Your plans seem reasonable and if you need to do those things to keep your sanity then go for it. I would love to have a cleaner but DH says what's the point and to just pay him for doing it :rotfl:.

With regards to the family I would suggest that you speak to them now and tell them you will have to sort out your own food on the next trip away. Just explain that even though you're grateful for them taking care of the food you need to stick to your own diet.

Good luck with sorting out your stuff when it arrives and hope that you're able to find a job that suits you.

VeronicaMars

Hey Alioops!!! So good to hear from you!!!!

Mr Mars has categorically told me we are not getting cleaner for this flat. But then he won't do it. :eek:

So for the sake of our marriage I am considering getting one in in SECRET. Mwhahaha. :A Mr Mars won't know any better - seriously - as long as he has dinner on the table and can go for his coffee and cake every day he doesn't check the bank accounts. I deal with all the finances. To the point that I get angry as if something happens to me he will be CLUELESS.

I completely understand if you are not veggie how you can "forget" about us - It took me 2 years to become a "healthy" vegetarian and by that I mean making sure I include beans and pulses and nuts etc into my diet almost every day.

I mentioned this the last time they were buying the shop and they bought baked beans (not what I meant when I needed more beans in my diet - but BLESS they tried:p) and cashew nuts...which they started getting ate as a snack :rotfl:

Cost is a factor. But I also don't think the meat eaters should chip in for the lentils that they will not eat or the fancy tofu that i know the hardcore carnivores will NEVER eat! I guess I feel more guilty asking for that to be added to the shop than others might, say some chicken - as 12 out of the 14 will actually eat the chicken. Ken what I mean?

Anyway...the dilemas of a veggie surrounded by carnivores. That should be a new blog title.

For the record I aint no normal vegetarian. I can gut a fish I was a daddy's girl and daddy was a hunter. Get that one round your noggins - the vegetarian who gets asked to gut the fish :rotfl:

My brother in particular gets all excited when he tells me he has ate something vegetarian - i get pictures and everything - he was delighted when he told me he ordered a hummus and pitta platter once :rotfl:

xoxo

VeronicaMars

So back to the MONEY front!

Mr Mars got a bonus from work. He got 3.5k!!!! Whhhhaaaat!!!!! :j:T:money: So that has been put straight to the credit cards. :money:

After travels and setting up for new home here (we had to buy washer dry and a new fridge along with storage costs and customs charges) we WILL have 3k left on a CC and £700 on another. :eek:

We have about £500 to pay off on a Macbook - so there is £500 left in an account for that.

Mr Mars recons he has around £1,800 tax refund he is due! Awoohoo!! So we will need to transfer roughly around £2,000 between now and january (when 0% on credit card runs out) to cover the short falls!).

Mr Mars wants that done ASAP so we are only worrying about over here and not two countrie - and I agree!

Anyway off for some brekkie! x

VeronicaMars

In a twist of events I have been the one preparing the dinners lately. Mwhahahahahaha. The carnivores have taken me preparing their food very well. Not ONE grump - I feel VERY bad for saying that I felt like an after thought.

They got quorn spaghetti bolognese (which everyone ate and my bro in law said he could not even tell the difference) with some grated italian hard cheese (had I been more organised I would have made garlic bread).

Last night was homemade 5 bean chilli with homemade salsa, homemade guacamole with sour cream, cheese and nachos (all not home made, obvs). It was flippin AWESOME if I do say so myself, and so did all the others. And i was getting my BEANs into my diet. Enough leftover for my lunch today

Tonight is baked potatoes with burgers for the meat eaters and salad. With leftover cheese, salsa, guacamole and sour cream. And some baked beans - as you have to have baked beans with a baked potato?

Tomorrow night is Tofu stir fry. Egg noodles with firm tofu fried until crispy with a recipe from Annabel Langbein (free range in the city). I'll chuck in some cashews for extra goodness. I flipping LOVE her recipes - nothing is too absurd.

And food aside - I might have mentioned this... but Mr Mars and I got out £800 deposit fully returned from our landlord - HOORAY!!! AND a refund that I had COMPLETELY forgot about. I thought I had allocated them to credit cards and they were gone but nope £920 sitting in our bank account.

I was concerned as I had spilled a cup of coffee onto the carpet and it had left a stain (not noticeable - but there) - was certain our landlord was going to charge us for carpet cleaning (which would not have been unreasonable), but considering we left the place IMMACULATE (not how we got it) and tidied the garden and we were very good tenants (which he told me - we could stay as long as we liked) prob because my mum and dad helped out with fixing things that needed sorted like they came over and fixed the radiator etc and my mum fixed the washing machine and shower - god I am going to miss my mum and dad over here! So Im glad he remembered all of this and did not charge us a carpet cleaner )

Anyway that cleared one credit card and the other is now reduced to £2,300 I think. So getting there!!! Hopefully with the tax refund and some birthday money and the odd bit we will basically have the credit card cleared!!! And I will be PROPERLY DEBT FREE for the first time in around 7 years!!! Lets hope it lasts more than one month like it did the last time!!!

xoxox

VeronicaMars

Move into our new place tomorrow...awooohooo.

I am in DIRE need of my own space - I'm not a flat share type of personality you see.

Going to make a couple of purchases to help with the organisation and lack of space - SHOCK HORROR. But needs must, mistakes I made previously when living in tiny places or renting rooms is not just forking out for the items that would help us out. Not making that mistake twice guys and gals.

That is it for the moment! Hopefully once I have a job and our own place I can truly get back on the MSE wagon and start looking towards a house deposit - one can dream!

xoxo

VeronicaMars

Hey all.

Apparently It has been over 2 weeks since I last visited. It could be two months I have no concept of time...

However the clouds have shifted and I am starting to feel like my old self. Some of you may not have noticed, but I wasn't my usual, positive, some sarcasm or a joke will solve anything, self. However as I am as deep as a puddle, all it took was some home furnishings, our own flat (although tiny) and some wifi seem to be the magic cure for making me feel like myself.

On the plus side of our teeny tiny flat we basically never have to heat it or cool it (as it is spring over here at the minute). Mr Mars also pointed out that what we have, for where we are living, is a very good deal - around £500 a month in a place were the average rent is £700-£800 for less desirable property than ours (we lucked out with a supermarket advertisement).

The landlord just fitted some lined curtains and the house will also keep us pretty warm in winter I think. Only the landlords pay council tax. So from our previous rent and council tax we think we are saving around £400 a month compared to how we were living before. However, as we are both on lower salaries and now need to pay for commuting (something we never had to do before, we both walked to work) and have had to buy two cars, these things are all counter active. So we end up about the same - possibly worse off.

But we are set up. So now comes the saving. In a moment of madness I wanted to buy a property when we first arrived, but now, having been here for 2 months I do not see myself living here. Mr Mars gave me a telling off for not being positive but as it stands, I could not live here permanently. Maybe once I have a job and my own social circle again things will change, but for now, we are going to continue to rent and save for a deposit.

We have HALVED our monthly pocket money. No more senseless shopping. We do not have the space or the money. Also I plan to return to UK next August (1 year after I left) and Mr Mars thinks I should wait 2 years. So I might need to save for that trip on my own

The cleaner is out the window but the tumble dryer, dish washer and online shops are sticking - they just make life so much easier. Although now that I am on a mission to get a deposit saved for a house in the UK on our return, then I shall forgo some tumble drying for free air drying! especially as we are coming into summer!

I am down to the final two in a job I really do not want. My reasons are three fold. I feel bad that some people are really struggling for employment and IF i get the job I will reject it but i've been in this situation before where I took a job when everything about it felt wrong and it turned out to be the worst 10 months of my life - I won't be doing that again. I would rather waitress or work in a bar or a coffee shop and go for something that feels right. However going through the process has been good experience which is why I have taken it this far (sorry), but I've not interview for a job for many years and just as well as I found out everyone does verbal and mathematical testing over here!

So as it is 9am here, I am going to go for a cuppa and then watch some tv (GOD I LOVE TV, I DO NOT CARE WHO JUDGES ME) and then do some practice mathematical tests. Yesterday there was fractions and finding out what 4W equaled. Think I'll be fine with the maths...English, not so much

Then going to go through some shoes for the charity shops and I'm getting a pair of my wedding shoes dyed! Navy - should look awesome and will allow the shoes a new lease of life! Perhaps going to keep them for when I am a bridesmaid as the dresses are navy.

Erm that is it. Mr Mars tax rebate still not came through so we are still in DEBT!!! Arggg!!! I want it GONE!!! xx