Renovations and Repayments.

AlexLK

March Targets:

OSPREYS - CHECK. Will have a double check tomorrow. By the time we got back tonight it was too late.
Total Grocery Spend: £260/>£450.
Surplus Money: £750/£750.
Going to bed at a reasonable time: 21/31.
Meditation: 23/31. Going to do this when I go to bed.
One new recipe per week: 3/4.
Read three books: 1/3.
3 Things for Monday: 1. Three things to smile about, 2. Get all jobs I meant to do today done, 3. Go to bed at a reasonable time.


3 Things for Sunday: 1. Check this in the morning, :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: Did not happen, hardly had time to do anything today!2. Find three things to smile about, 1. Glorious weather, 2. Lighter evenings, 3. Successful Mother's Day.3. Do at least the one minute meditation exercise. Going to do an extended one before I go to bed this evening.

No MSE activities done today. My wife and I are going to talk about the time scale of getting the bathroom done tomorrow. She is keen to get on with the work and potentially a little interest-free borrowing. I think we've waited all this time so we can wait a little longer.

AlexLK

Went to bed at 11pm last night. Mrs K was still awake so I put a 30 minute guided meditation for sleep on. 6 1/2 hours uninterrupted sleep, woke with no muscle pain (tension) and getting up was not too difficult. No idea why it worked so well, it just did. Actually feel like facing the day for once which must be a good thing. Going to do a ten minute wake up one now which apparently helps you to have a positive and productive day. I need to be more productive which should hopefully in turn help me to make a little more money for the work on the house to be completed.

Managed to play two duets with my son and he's practising piano independently before school.

Finally checked this also ... so after the meditation I will send the invoices for the week (one job from yesterday) rather than trying to forget about life before 8.35am.

kelpie35

So pleased you have had a well deserved sleep.

Hope your day continues to be productive.

Take care

AlexLK

Generally, a rather productive day, thanks kelpie.

Did the 10 minute wake up meditation. Son wondered what on earth I was doing - went into the study and told him not to disturb me. It does feel a bit silly but seems to be working well for me. A little while ago I did a 5 minute one for energy; was and am feeling very tired. It hasn't worked but has stopped some negative thoughts. I'm really tired so am not surprised. Often the days I have a good sleep I am very tired during the late afternoon of the next day.

Some meditations trigger some dark and negative thoughts momentarily as quite a few invite you to be positive about yourself, your surroundings and your past. One today said something along the lines of "you're exactly where you need to be at the moment", previously it mentioned your past actions put you exactly where you need to be. I find that especially difficult to deal with but any negative thoughts are very fleeting.

Not managed to do anything towards making some extra money towards the bathroom project but I have been working all day and got the last food shop done before April - well under budget for March. Thinking about knocking it down to £400 for April and the £100 saving from the amount we anticipate to spend being put towards the upcoming project.

Got the conversation about whether to save or borrow to get the project done tonight. I've no wish to borrow any money even if via the company or a 0% credit card - this is all Mrs. K.'s idea, can't say I'm happy about it. I want to get the work done but we've lived with it as it is for a long time and it's still functional. Don't even want to owe myself money if I'm honest but my wife thinks this is irrational.

Kittenkirst

Hi Alex, I tend to think along the lines of your wife. We recently got wardrobes and sofas on interest free credit. We had the funds available but chose to stash them & gain interest, then pay the monthly bill from our monthly wages (safe in the knowledge we can pay back in full if we had too! )

But if you have enough for the outlay, then I see the validity in your viewpoint too

AlexLK

March Targets:

OSPREYS - CHECK.
Total Grocery Spend: £305/>£450. :j:j:j:T:T:T:beer:
Surplus Money: £750/£750.
Going to bed at a reasonable time: 22/31.
Meditation: 24/31. Lots of meditation done today, will be having my sleep meditation on tonight again, too.
One new recipe per week: 4/4. Delia goulash planned, thanks Maman.
Read three books: 1/3. :rotfl: That went well ...
3 Things for Tuesday: 1. Three things to smile about, 2. Be on time for things, 3. Do the meditations including the wake up one but try to do that earlier.

3 Things for Monday: 1. Three things to smile about, 1. Meditation mastered ... , 2. Talked about a difficult subject with my wife (bathroom project and paying for it) in a calm and measured way. We both listened to one another's point of view and whilst not reached any conclusion, we've agreed to discuss again tomorrow. 3. Getting through the day in a positive manner and moving on from the one minute meditation as and when needed to a more formal guided meditation.2. Get all jobs I meant to do today done, DONE! Without fuss or issue (even the ones I didn't want to do).3. Go to bed at a reasonable time. Done and will be doing again today.

Kittenkirst wrote: »

Hi Alex, I tend to think along the lines of your wife. We recently got wardrobes and sofas on interest free credit. We had the funds available but chose to stash them & gain interest, then pay the monthly bill from our monthly wages (safe in the knowledge we can pay back in full if we had too! )

But if you have enough for the outlay, then I see the validity in your viewpoint too

I understand why she wants us to do it now - before I start my course in September. Currently we don't have the money spare to complete the job. To see the project through to completion before September (when we should have the money), we would need to either borrow money from the company I'm a director of which means dealing with my parents (they are also directors and it's their money, really ) or my wife gets a 0% credit card and we pay it back as if we were saving for the project, so would be clear in around September / October time.

A lot of the reason I do not wish to borrow money is due to the reason I ended up on MSE in the first place; I was in a very bad place with debt problems and resolved to clear the debt and not to let it happen again. My wife thinks I'm being irrational about this as she thinks it in no way means the beginning of the end to our current solvency. I suppose she's right about that as we projected when and how we'd pay the debt before the end of this year rather than it being a problem for another day. However, I cannot help but think any debt (other than our mortgage which I see as a debt from the past we are yet to clear) isn't a good thing. All that said if it were anyone else I'd probably tell them that if they'd projected how and by when they'd pay it back, they'd be crazy not to take an interest free loan (can always be making a little from your own capital whilst paying the loan and end up better off).

maman

Hope you enjoy the goulash Alex. Another very simple recipe I did last week was chicken breast, stuffed with cream cheese and garlic then wrapped in parma ham (although I used bacon as I wanted to use it up).

On the bathroom issue, I think you're responsible enough to have learned not to abuse the credit card. I think this would be a massively better idea than borrowing from your parents.

Hope you get another decent night's sleep.

AlexLK

maman wrote: »

Hope you enjoy the goulash Alex. Another very simple recipe I did last week was chicken breast, stuffed with cream cheese and garlic then wrapped in parma ham (although I used bacon as I wanted to use it up).

On the bathroom issue, I think you're responsible enough to have learned not to abuse the credit card. I think this would be a massively better idea than borrowing from your parents.

Hope you get another decent night's sleep.

Last night wasn't as good nor did the meditation seem quite as effective. Not bad and didn't wake in any pain, though I got up twice in the night. Overall more hours in bed but I think less sleep (didn't keep checking the clock or ipad though).

Not having the goulash until later in the week but I'm sure we'll enjoy it. The chicken dish also sounds very nice. May do that next week with some new potatoes, carrots, peas and perhaps another vegetable too.

I know doing the bathroom project in September / October will make things a little more difficult but I think it would be better for me to wait until then. Don't really want to speak to my parents about (personal) money nor do I want my wife and I to be in debt again. Last year's savings were completely wiped out by the roof being replaced; we've hardly been irresponsible with the money we've saved. Suppose the idea of getting into debt again makes me feel quite ashamed that we can't just pay for things despite making an effort with our finances.

Debsnewbudget

Have you got a price for the bathroom ?
It would be better to get it done before you start the course as I think you need to spend all your energy on the studying. Also if you are at college would there be anyone in The house to deal with any builders ?
We are having the bathroom done and have factored in the amount we can save between now and the actual work in June so have said go ahead as it focuses our minds on needing to save. Its going to be close but I think we can manage it and then replenish the savings after.

AlexLK

March Targets:

OSPREYS - CHECK.
Total Grocery Spend: £305/>£450. Also, NSD today.
Surplus Money: £750/£750.
Going to bed at a reasonable time: 23/31.
Meditation: 25/31.
One new recipe per week: 4/4.
Read three books: 1/3. That went well ...
3 Things for Wednesday: 1. Three things to smile about, 2. Be on time for things, 3. Do the meditations.

3 Things for Tuesday: 1. Three things to smile about, 1. Managed to get a lot of work done, 2. Really enjoyed cooking with my son today, 3. Not felt negative (probably due to occupying my mind all day).2. Be on time for things, Didn't really work, will try again tomorrow.3. Do the meditations including the wake up one but try to do that earlierDid the wake up meditation as I woke, it worked well and set me up for the day. .

Debsnewbudget wrote: »

Have you got a price for the bathroom ?
It would be better to get it done before you start the course as I think you need to spend all your energy on the studying. Also if you are at college would there be anyone in The house to deal with any builders ?
We are having the bathroom done and have factored in the amount we can save between now and the actual work in June so have said go ahead as it focuses our minds on needing to save. Its going to be close but I think we can manage it and then replenish the savings after.

We're budgeting £8,000.

I'm not worried about studying. I did a second MA recently and thoroughly enjoyed it. Didn't find it a chore or difficult. The studying side I will be fine with, I'm very interested in pedagogy and the academic discipline. It's the work element of it I'm somewhat apprehensive about. I will be spending hardly any time at the university and the vast majority of days in a school working (don't know where yet). You're right about me not being at home of a daytime from September. I was thinking they could just come and go as they please; we shouldn't have tradesmen here for too many days as my wife and I will do at least some of the work ourselves.

We won't be able to save that amount before September / October time. Doing it then involves selling our Triumph saloon (not a big deal, we want to sell anyway, not too concerned about replacing it and it's not worth much), saving £750 per month every month and postponing the holiday we wanted to go on until next year. My wife wants to put c. £6,000 on a 0% card, sell the Triumph anyway and still go to France. To my mind we cannot afford to complete the bathroom project and go on holiday this year.