2016 - a year of change

Poor_Single_lady

Hi Lulabelle. Good luck with house search and baby making. I tend to read your diary on the way to work. I think we feel a bit the same about work!

I read the other day about your cutting down alcohol ad I thought- i wonder if she will post on the alcohol cutting down thread and then you did! We can help each other.

i think you're similar to me in that occasionally it is the culture and expected but not enforced that you will have a drink at work.
We have them to celebrate exams success, people leaving, people joining, any big success, team bonding. This is all between 9 and 5.

This is in addition to all the social events which people also pressure you to do.
It can get a bit much! Good luck with your plans and especially alcohol cutting down plans and enjoy your hen do and lunch. xxx

lulabelle

Thanks PSL! I think my diary used to be better and more entertaining in past years but thanks for reading!

Def up for helping each other and agree, it's a culture thing. I used to be out all the time (and I think you are quite a bit younger than me hence you are in that phase now) and it was great, but I just can't do it now. I, like you, have had so many blackouts from booze and woken up with fear - it used you be a regular friday night occurrence really. But I have cut down a fair bit now.

Just putting slap on for lunch and then will dry hair. It's harder to dry my hair now it's falling out as I have to be more careful which takes more time.

The 2 houses this morning we both LOVED! The first one was completely done so you could move in and not spend another penny. It has plans passed to extend but only slightly and you would lose some parking. Plus garden v small. Can see us there for next 7-10 years being really happy BUT it is not a forever house.

As it costs SO much to move in stamp duty etc, I am more on the hunt for a forever or potential forever house. The boy thinks differently but think he is coming round to idea after seeing 2nd house today. It was decorated like an old persons place (that said, was immaculate) and the rooms are small BUT is on a MASSIVE plot and if you could get plans passed to extend all across the back then you could make it amazing. It's 50k cheaper than first house we saw today and think they would prob take another 50 off.

It's the first house I've seen (we've now seen 7) that I've been really excited about and the boy too (though he said he wanted to buy the first one we saw today!) so much so that he has come home full of beans (despite his hangover just kicking in from last night - he really annoyed me by coming in steaming at 1am then putting the oven on to eat duck spring rolls and snored all night reeking of booze so so much for my early night of beauty sleep!) and is going hell for leather on the decorating to put our house on before january!!

lulabelle

So, I got hammered yesterday lunchtime - not good. But over it now and probably won't drink until we go to nyc on 17 december.

We have had a re-think (me mostly in my awake state through alcohol at stupid o'clock this morning) about the second house we saw yesterday and have decided it is probably not a good idea. It is in a lovely quiet lane and it is a massive plot and could be a forever house BUT, it would need a huge extension and a whole re-configuration inside and you would probably end up with loads of rooms in the middle of the house with no daylight. Plus would be a building site for a couple of years easily. I think we are wanting to get cracking on the baby making, and even more so than I thought. I had thought the boy wanted to wait until the middle/towards sept of next year. However, we went to his mum's today and saw his niece and nephew and he was holding his niece and dancing with her and it was SO lovely! As we left I said "did you enjoy that?" and he said "yes" and I was like "shall we have one?" and he said "yeah, but I want to get us into the new house first so we don't have that stress hanging over us".

So could be earlier than I thought!!

So, the first house we saw yesterday we both love. So it has been hell for leather today - boy finishing off our room painting wise. Got storage boxes which I have started packing so we are hiring a storage unit to get rid of clutter. Even in my horridly hungover state today I have cleaned the lounge from top to bottom so only thing to do in here now is for the boy to put away his guitar and camera equipment and to paint over 2 small spots on the wall and this room is done.

I've cleaned away all the clutter on top of the bathroom cupboards so it looks much tidier. The boy wants us to arrange to get the agent round to take photos on wednesday. I think this is very ambitious as he has to finish our room, paint bathroom and parts of kitchen/hall as well as get a storage unit sorted and get our stuff into it. I can help a bit but I'm not famed for my painting skills so I will help by cleaning I think, and getting our meals cooked and all our admin/laundry done.

We also picked up a fence panel (though the boy broke the arial putting it on roof of my car!!!) as we lost a panel in recent storms so that needs to be replaced. It's amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it in terms of getting things done!!

I have to not get attached to the new house though as it will probably go before we are in a position to make an offer. Would be gutted if it did as it is so lovely.

lulabelle

Didn't spend anything yesterday! I had cooked a roast on sat night (chicken, roasted sweet pots, parsnips coated in honey and broccoli) so we had salad with leftover chicken for lunch yesterday. Last night was jacket pots, beans and chilli cheese from stores.

Got home and carried on packing storage boxes. We are finally back in our bedroom and it looks amazing!!! We now have a load of stuff piled up in the hall to go in storage so the boy is supposed to be sorting a unit today and might be able to move stuff tonight.

I have to prepare the bathroom for him to paint. We then only have a few touch ups to do in the hall and to sort kitchen. However, paint for kitchen won't arrive until thurs/fri and the estate agents are coming to tae photos on thursday so we will just have to ask them not to get the bad bits in.

We are away at the boy's dad's this weekend but get back about 5 on sunday so should be able to finish kitchen then. I am going to clean everywhere which isn't clean tomorrow night ready for viewings.

I keep going online to check that house hasn't gone under offer - I MUST stop as it might take us months to sell this.

Won't be a no spend day today as am going to get some fresh flowers for the house for the photos. Though lunch and dinner from stores - lunch is a salad with roasted butternut squash and tea is beef stroganoff and broccoli

I have one more day's leave to take this year. Wondering whether to take it thurs so can clean before estate agents come but then think that's a waste as I should get it done tomorrow night and maybe it would be better to carry it over for next year in case we do move.

The boy has taken friday morning off to try and finish touching up before viewings before we head to his dads in the afternoon but we are also seeing 2 more houses fri morning - I am in love with the other house but it is not massive and I just need to see we would be getting a good deal.

This weekend will probably be spendy - we are at his dads so probably out and about one afternoon and lunch out and dinner out one night - we will probably pay for the dinner out. Hoping we stay in and just go for cheap walks!!!

Seasidegal58

Well done on sprucing up the house! You won't want to move at this rate!:D.

lulabelle

So, Tuesday. Spent a little bit though not much. Dropped a really lovely blanket off at the dry cleaners - it used to go on the sofa but someone (probably me!) dropped chocolate on it, so it's just been shoved behind sofa for ages. But will look nice on the photos so picking it up tomorrow. That was £10.99. Then, boy picked me up after work. He has sorted a storage unit though it is £65 a month! He had been home and loaded all the stuff up so I helped him put that in the unit, then we needed bulbs (£4) and then decided to get pizza and smilies for tea, plus some other things so that was £12.66.

So not a NSD!!!!

Today wasn't much better. I wanted fresh flowers for the house (as didn't get them all on tues) and then cos we were going to be cleaning etc we got easy stuff for tea! So spent about £15!!!

Anyway, only have a half day tomorrow then loads of cleaning/tidying to do!

MuffinTops

Good luck with getting your house sorted for the photos. It's all moving in the right direction. Hopefully you'll also find a job role you love soon too.

Dandytf

21016
Year of change indeed.

Easter time -full bathroom emergancy-sorted by going through Factors Insurance+eSure Home Emergancy Insurance -Can't thank both company's enough for arranging the required plumber+joiner+ required work complete.

Oct' Bosh washer dryer fails to power up -sorted eventually local repair company with a replacement console board.(avoiding a 500-600 cc purchase of a new machine)

Approx 2 weeks ago finally got my easter purchased shower installed as this wasn't included with bathroom emergancy.

Financially challenging year, I've both improved my mid DMP crediting rating by you guessed it using more credit and paying at least min payments often more on time every time.

(+ financial point are road tax refunds for existing and previous cars (I have PIP -MS)

Sold my main MacBook equipment +Bose wifi speaker etc (650 total approx)-opting to surf via IPad Air or 199 Asus basic win10 laptop)

IPhone 6 contract complete after past 2 yrs -since swapped to 10GB Data-unlimited calls/texts -£18 per month saving +30 as this I Phone is in mint condition .

Looking ahead to 2017-2019 -think these years are not going to be easy as I 'curb' my cc spending without any near future balance transfer deals being available.

2016 did remind me being a single home owner emergancys can occur (when you least except them)

lulabelle

gosh dandy - what a year! Hopefully 2017 will be better! 2014 was my worst year ever but the last 2 have been better - things never stay the same! x

lulabelle

Been up since 630 cleaning and tidying. Now about to go to work for a half day then will get home about 1 and have to speedy gonzalez round to finish off the cleaning etc before the estate agents get here at 230!!!

Then hoping to nip into town to take some clothes back and pick myself up some dinner as the boy is out tonight.

Tomorrow I am up early for the dentist (injections - arghhhh!). Thankfully, most of it should be covered by denplan. Then seeing 2 houses before heading off to the boy's dad's for the weekend.

Just really hope this place goes under offer quickly so we can move!!!!