2016 - a year of change

lulabelle

Poor_Single_lady wrote: »

Good news on the bonus. Your post this morning made me smile too. I read your posts on the way to work or sometimes at my desk if early start.

To be devils advocate he is unlikely to ask you in the middle of a house move! And he might be waiting till you have moved or maybe he is waiting for a special moment. But either way you sound like you have a lot of love on your house and that totally comes through in your posts (if you don't mind me saying).

It's interesting that you have come out the other side and still get concerns over money. I hope to be the same. xx

Awww thanks PSL, that's really nice to hear! Yes, I know what you mean about what else we have going on. Guess I thought (and his mum said this too) that he was a bit of a traditionalist and that he'd want us to be married before kids. Not that I'm really that bothered as a child is more important to me, particularly given my age, but it would be nice to all have the same surname!

I will be interested to hear if you do too - I think it just gets built into you that you don't want to get in that situation again. I've probably only been debt free for around the last 8-9 years so it wasn't that long ago. There was one point (2004) where I was in an almighty mess - I already had loads of debt, had just bought a house on a 100% mortgage, had signed on dotted line for a new kitchen and then lost my job! The kitchen people ripped me off and a tiny !!!! kitchen ended up costing me 10k which I had to put on my credit card. It was just awful the whole thing. Took me a long time to get out of that mess cos even though I had income protection cover, what you often don't realise until you need it, is that it doesn't kick in for quite a while!

System

Woohoo on the bonus, better than nothing and a bit helpful at a time like this I assume! I agree with PSL, it seems like you have a strong and loving relationship in amongst the stress of your job and house move. That’s worth keeping, for sure!

lulabelle

Thanks Sauce, v kind of you to say that also!

So, I had got ready and walked to car (10 mins away as we don't have parking at this house - can't wait for new house which does have it!) and damn car wouldn't start!! This is a pretty regular occurrence and apparently a common fault with this make of car. Means couldn't get to the vets for the cat's food or to pick up the boys val's presents which are at post office, or to supermarket or to get to get the boy's other val's presents!!!

Also means we can't do big shop tonight because can't get it started. Going to have to wait for boy's brother in law to jump start it in morning so can drive around to charge it up again! Really annoyed as only bought it (2nd hand) 18 months or so ago. Tempted to swap it for something else but can't really afford it given the house purchase! Hopefully when we move (and I thus have to drive in each day) it will be ok as will be getting used more.

So, we were going to have cod and chips tonight but can't have that now as need car to get there! so think it will be take out for tea (unless we go out but really can't be arsed)

Went to local shop as no food in house so got bread £1.59 - what a rip off! Though cheaper than their manky looking sandwiches! skips £0.39 (small pack on offer), some whiskas biscuit food for cat as now can't get his food until tomorrow £1, and 2 x curly wurly's - one for me, one for the boy £0.45 each. Had 2 eggs at home so just had egg and toast for lunch.

Can't believe the price of eggs and bread these days though - outrageous. I do wonder how people survive.

Boy has gone out for lunch - lucky him!!

Was going to work on my book but really can't be bothered so think I'll read a new book which arrived today. I want to try to read a book a month in 2017 but am behind as not even started yet!

My lease extension completed today - 48k later (with all fees/stamp duty etc). A LOT of money (we could have done with) and a lot of worry/hassle but done now. So at least that property will hold its value and as it's in tooting, if cross rail goes through there it should increase in value so I need to look at short term pain for long term gain though it is bad timing.

lulabelle

spoke to soon! seems the freeholder's solicitor (who is rude and useless in my opinion) forgot to add on surveyor's fees and ground rent so I owe another £900! She was trying to exercise a lien over the papers until it was paid but my lawyer kicked off and said she couldn't do that as she had confirmed completion earlier and threatened to report her to the SRA. So she has now apparently sent completion papers. But it has caused me stress all afternoon and resulted in me reading my work emails (as that is how they were corresponding with me). So there goes my bonus, basically.

I hope the freeholder is happy. I've offered to send her a vial of my blood and pound of flesh also!!!

The boy is going for a pint after work now. And hopefully picking up pizzas and chocolate on way home as I am really hungry. Wish I could go for a pint/drink but it just affects me so much, even 1, that I am just trying to lay off it. Also, not working on a friday is rubbish for meaning you don't get to go out after work. Hoping he's not too late as I'm really hungry and all we have in the house is bread!

Sat here really stressing about money because of the £900. We're also having to pay a booking fee of £749 to get our rate which we hadn't factored in, plus the early repayment fee we thought we'd avoid. Everything going out at the moment and nothing coming in! Have tried to hoof off my ski gear as hate skiing - got £30 for my goggles and have advertised 2 pairs saolpettes at £30 each but no takers!

lulabelle

monday - yucky!!!!

Boy didn't go out for a pint in end on friday - but couldn't be bothered to walk down for the pizzas (is quite a long walk and they don't deliver) so we got thai - £21.25/2 as we had a starter each but shared a main and a rice. Not too bad.

Couldn't do big shop fri night due to car not starting so borrowed a good battery pack (ours is rubbish and only really suitable for a small car - we have a stupidly big (and old) RAV) sat morning and did everything then. Cat food collected, has gone up so was £32.19/2. Shopping wasn't too bad - spent about £75 as got meat from butchers. Then we decided to go out for lunch - always a downfall with us - £30/2 as we just had a main each and soft drinks plus tip.

Sat night we stayed in and boy cooked. Yesterday was boy's mums for lunch then I cooked.

Today is left overs from last night and dinner from stores.

This week spending will be - card for sister in law today (her birthday at weekend) plus stamp, card for boy for tomorrow plus box to put his lindt balls (which he loves) in and maybe a t-shirt or jumper as he has bought me a kitchenaid!!! Tomorrow I have lunch out with a friend so possibly £15. Then nothing until weekend and probably staying in so just big shop on fri night/sat morning.

Hoping to save around £300 from this month's budget (we get paid monday so will be a whole new month's budget) which will go towards my half of the booking fee for the mortgage (already paid but "owe" another account)

lulabelle

today was ok. No silly emails from line manager and just got on with all the rubbishy admin tasks I had to do today (there are still some admin tasks with my role as there are with all - and that's fine). Thinking may have turned a corner in this job and actually not sitting there hating it today, or thinking "I don't want to go in tomorrow".

Spent £5.07 on cards and a stamp. Didn't manage to get boy a t-shirt or jumper as they had nothing suitable so will just have to get him a decent pressies for his birthday to make up for fact he has gone all out with my pressie!

Tonight is salmon and veg from stores. Rang the by to see if I should get some waffles on way home but he said no, lets use the potatoes out the fridge - good call mse wise!!!!

Freeholder's lawyers messed up and it's more like another £1300 I have to pay. Not really happy about it but not sure what else I can do.

lulabelle

today has been mixed. had lunch with a good friend which was a lovely lunch and lovely to catch up. £16 including coffee and tip so not too bad in the grand scheme.

mortgage approval being held up as bank want a copy of last years tax return re income from my flat in london - I don't think I kept a copy so am going to have to try to phone tax office for a copy tomorrow.

Boy was trying to move our completion forward to 30 march and our sellers would have agreed but the sellers of the house they are buying saying no - 13 april. So stuck with that. Not so bad though, 8 weeks thursday.

Tonight is boy making pancetta and parsnip pasta then shop bought (at weekend so already paid for) cheesecake. No booze. On day 12 now though not really actually feeling a whole lot better for it!!

System

Have you considered a formal complaint regarding the behaviour of your freeholders solicitor? Are they a big firm? I work with conveyancing solicitors most days, would be happy to let you know some things you can do. Though also realise you're under a lot of stress so maybe something to consider when things have died down. xxx

lulabelle

Hi Sauce. Yes, I have already sent them an email saying I am disappointed at the fact that (a) she got it wrong in the first place, (b) was then attempting to exercise a lien when it was her error and (c) has got it incorrect yet again (they have now calculated ground rent at 50 per annum when for first 33 years of lease it was at 25, so makes a difference of over £200). I have told them I will be writing further and yes, I will make a complaint first to the firm (it's a small firm and person dealing was actually senior partner believe it or not!) and then possibly the SRA. But do pm me if you have any tips!!!!

Thing is: she actually knew that I was a fragile flower as I had said to a letter in freeholder that I had returned to a reduced role after several months off due to ill health. She hasn't responded to the email I refer to above. I've said that I am not paying another penny until she sends me the correct figures (I have pointed out her error) and that she is to let her client know the reason for the delay is her fault, not mine. Got a bounce back saying she was on holiday this week. But it is outrageous - it's not like its actually hard!

So, today, free lunch as have a meeting over lunchtime. Hoping to hear about finance today though they seem to be asking for a lot of paperwork! Our purchasers have finally got their offer letter and are picking up the conditions of sale today to sign so hoping that we will have this place sorted this week and can then focus on purchase.

Tonight is salmon from stores with veg/home made wedges so should be a NSD really!

Now done 12 days without booze. Proud of self.

lulabelle

arghhhhhh, one of the most annoying days of the year so far!

Bank keep asking for more and more paperwork and it is driving me mad!! Hoping I now finally have what they need.

Problem with the boundary on the new house we are buying so got a meeting tomorrow to talk through that and hoping the vendors will rectify it at their cost because the previous lawyers messed up.

My leasehold extension still not finalised as the person is away. But my lawyer told me that freeholder can only claim ground rent going back 10 years (she's never demanded it and I've owned it 13 years) but I checked the law myself and it's only 6 - statute of limitations on a contract. Yet I am paying for this service. Shocking.

Hoping it gets sorted by the end of the week.

Bonus was free lunch and NSD today