The Road to Financial Security

Pushkin

Decorator finished on time yesterday just after lunch and has done an excellent job - at least twice as neat as DH and I would have done - so money well spent in my opinion.

Will go shopping Sunday to have a look at ceiling lights and hopefully order some curtains too for the room.

We have also put the furniture back a little differently and decided to buy a sideboard :eek: Will also possibly buy a replacement book case - current one is a cheap 1k£a one and is about 15 years old, it nearly fell apart when we moved it out.

So few expensive plans coming up but very excited to get the lounge looking good.

Today is the big DD day as it's the 1st - for some odd reason council tax hasn't gone out but I'm sure they'll take it next week.

My FD regular saver (6% interest :T but max of £300 per month paid in) matured yesterday. Transferred it over to a savings account and applied for a new regular saver for this year. Apparently regulations have changed so they had to ask me qualification questions - it took 20 minutes:eek: Asked how much I earned, how long I'd been with the company, our mortgage balance etc. For a savings account??? Don't see what the risk is as if I can't afford to pay in the bank saves money as it won't have to pay me interest.

They accepted my application anyway :j

Happy weekend folks - really summery weather here -I've even taken my socks off!

Pushkin

Wow this weekend I am the anti Mortgage Free Wannabee!

Yesterday we ordered some furniture for the lounge - a sideboard and a bookcase. They are from the same range as a unit we bought last year and we both feel very grown up having matching furniture - have always had a real mish mash up to now.

Went to J0hn L£w1s and they validated the estimate we had done for the curtains we want for the lounge. We are going for made to measure and whats really good is that they do a free service sending someone round to do the measuring properly. This is great as we are spending a reasonable amount of money and these are pretty much the first curtains we've bought (lots of my parents casts offs in our house :eek:). So we booked the measurer who can't come til end of April but would rather wait and having it done right.

So the lounge is really starting to take shape and if I say so myself is looking really good.

Also had to buy DS some clothes - £65! and we were very naughty and went out for lunch - not cheap but no cooking for me tonight :T

Pushkin

ooh the spending continues- just booked our summer holiday! Am chuffed we managed to get it sorted earlier than last year! I say sorted, apartment for a week is booked, need to sort out ferry crossing, take time off work and book hotel each side en route to break up the journey. Excited now!

Also been thinking about the confessional tone of my previous post and have decided I give myself too much of a hard time about spending money - none of this is putting us in debt -we have the savings put aside. I sometimes think I try so hard to minimise spending I then feel guilty and like a failure when I do spend. So I am working on just being pleased and excited about our new stuff!

BookWorm

Hi Pushkin... sounds like you've had a productive weekend. Don't feel bad about spending...as you say you have the money for it. I think it's easy to 'feel guilty' when around MSE but IMO the fact you are careful with money in certain areas/ways is what allows you to spend on the things that you want. Enjoy your new things/experiences

Pushkin

Thanks Bookworm - hope you are feeling better & still enjoying your new car!

cookie9

Don't fell bad about spending money on your house. You are good with money and by watching your spending you can afford to buy things you need. I have just managed to spend £50 in the garden centre and that's with vouchers but the garden really needs some tlc and I wanted a plant for our bedroom.

BookWorm

Getting there I am enjoying the car and when I am fully fit again will be out and about making the most of it again

Pushkin

Busy week at work, having some HR issues with an employee that is not my skill set & I'll admit I'm struggling with it. Also had some very bad news about the health of a colleague who is also a friend and is about to go on long term sick. Difficult to know what to say when all contact is by phone and on a more selfish note feel very sad about their imminent absence as I bounce a lot of stuff off them.

Woke with a start while drifting off to sleep last night and remembered I hadn't taken DS's school blazer to be dry cleaned. Nipped up to do so today and fortunately it will be ready Saturday - it is absolutely covered in stains - not sure I want to know what some of them are :eek:

Had DH drive me up and drive round the block so we avoided the rip off 70p town parking - and they wonder why small towns are struggling to keep shop units open - ridiculous parking charges and high business rates!

No other news, electrician still hasn't turned up to do this new socket in the cupboard which DH tells me will solve our messy cabling problem in the lounge - why this couldn't have been done a year ago when he was doing all the other work I don't know. We have quarrelled about it.

However right now I am thinking about what is important in life and that it is too short for silly arguments.

Pushkin

Fab evening out in London last night. We bought tickets for DS's birthday last month to see Comedy about a Bank Robbery - physical comedy/farce stuff- so right up his street.

Had dinner at Planet Hollywood before hand (meal/theatre deal thingy). I didn't think that one through when I chose the restaurant - food was ok but wow it was so noisy and in your face - I think I sometimes forget how old I am - certainly too old for places like that.

Of course London is never cheap but it's lovely to do once in a while as a treat.

DH is having to work today and has had to drive down to Kent - I need to take advantage of this and do lots of jobs as this house is somewhat of a state and yesterday I did nothing but high quality slobbing out!

Jobs are:

Change bed sheets
Catch up on washing
Hoover through
Pay drama fees
Clean kitchen
Get car cleaned
Ironing

BookWorm

Sounds like a lovely day Glad you had a good time

I really enjoy the theatre but so rarely get to go as don't have anyone who would go with me. Doesn't feel the same by myself