Extending our house without extending ourselves beyond our means

PurpleFairy26

Ok, progress made on the food front:
Sister didn't have book, so placed a hold on it at the library, cost 20p to hold it but hope that I can recover that back in something from the book :rotfl:
Have made an list of everything in freezer :eek: apart from bread products
I've then meal planned from list - so far have about 22 meals that just require veg/ staples to go with them
Found two chutney recipes to make wth frozen fruit. Will put some in present box
I've found some recipes for some lunch box/snack staples
I made a banana, date, honey and walnut loaf with a couple of manky bananas :A

Food costs this month so far are under control, hoping the above will help further.

Interest from annual saver due 27th. Need to make a decision tomorrow about sharesave at work, don't know whether to stick, twist or split the difference :rotfl:

Got stuck in a survey as I didn't have flash player and couldn't download. Will see if it's still available on a different device tomorrow.

I've got vaguely organised and ordered smalls name tags for when they start school, hopefully little or no uniform required - but will need naming. Already splashed out on a 2nd hand dress from school shop for £1 :A will need shoes though.

Also treated DH to some trainers, will come from present pot as they'll be for his birthday. Both purchases I went through £co

crazy_cat_lady

Hope that you're feeling better soon PF - I had food poisoning about 20 years ago and still remember it vividly...

PurpleFairy26

What a long week that was.... Glad it's Friday, even if it does mean a busy weekend - however, it means no work so :j:j

Trainers have arrived for DH and they're lovely, hope he likes them too. Dropped card at DF ready for Sunday. We were going to see FIL but they tell us they are going away, so his card will have to wait. Restricted both to a very small gift from present pot. And said no to going halves on a big present with sibling :A
Tonight's tea is last nights that we didn't get round to eating. So far having a list of what's in there is working, am crossing off as I go. DH and I also talked about not having a full blown 'meal' every night and sometimes having a light meal - this also reduces costs (and waistline )
Used a variety of bread ends to make a bread pudding. Over half went back, cut up in portions in the freezer :A this never happens :rotfl:
Will plan what we are actually going to eat from the list for the next week and see if I need to get anything
£4 spent in market on 3 types of soft fruit and some cherry toms
4 x £6 off £30 spend through from a supermarket - might be worth a gander at 20% discount
One week to payday and things looks ok (ssshhhh) managed a few TT this week :A
The weekend is meant to be nice so can see a BBQ or two coming on (my smalls would live on chicken and sausage given half a chance) - enjoy the sunshine peeps.
Builder coming tonight - fingers crossed it's a good'en

PurpleFairy26

Builder came and we like him very much. Seemed normal and asked some good questions and gave us some food for thought, also gave us the name of someone for plans :T I feel progress happening.

Sunshine is so good for the soul. Lovely having windows and doors open to let fresh air circulate. DH did some gardening yesterday, I'll do some more today whilst he takes eldest to a party. Then we'll go,out for a family picnic. Will make tomorrow's packed lunch whilst I do the picnic

Washing will be up to date by end of the day. Was hoping for a run but think even the gym maybe too warm today. May try a sneaky bike ride later when it's cool.

Going to do some number crunching tonight to see what we can achieve with some overpayments and also what our mortgage will look like in a year when it's up for renewal and what we can do to reduce term whilst borrowing the final bit for the extension. I've also a weeks holiday in a couple of weeks and want to plan what I can realistically achieve so it's not wasted.

PurpleFairy26

Didn't go out in the end, just too hot. Enjoyed a lovely day round the house and garden instead, had a picnic at home. Managed to get the last of my plants in, probably left some a few days too long but given them a good watering and we'll see.

Took a dead bush out of the front garden, looks lots better. Makes me want to finish it off though. Really want a fence, good news is it won't cost much as it's not a big length we need as it's only across the front. Need to take out two more bushes to do it though. Also figure out how best to put in the fence posts. Feel a YouTube watch coming on :rotfl:
Think will have some money in 'home' pot in August unless there is anything left from money set aside for wardrobes.

If I can get wardrobes next weekend I'll put them up when I'm off which would be good use of my time. Will then be able to strip rest of our room and the spare room once I've sold 2 chest of drawers and 2 bedside tables. If nothing else I'll paint the hall and landing whilst I'm off.

Looked at some numbers, will continue to grow the LPDF as much a possible, with a stash for house stuff too. Will keep in high interest rate whilst I can as long as it's higher than the mortgage rate. Mortgage should be below next key milestone at remortgage but will go the other way when we borrow for the extension. Need to save as much as possible to keep borrowing to minimum. Focusing on the small things to make big things happen.

PurpleFairy26

Eldest small did about saving water at school today and bought a card hard where she could pledge to do certain things to save water very :money: went online (from the card) and ordered a timer for the shower, leak detection tablets, fat trapper and a couple of other things. All free :T

An unexpected cheque arrived in the post for the grand total of £2.32. From when we left BG 2 years ago :rotfl: they wouldn't cash the last one for some reason, I carried it round for ages, lost it, found it and then they wouldn't cash it. Better luck with this one I hope :rotfl:

Tea was use up in a chicken Caesar - very yummy too :T need to plan childcare to cover the first two weeks smallest starts school. Bit of juggling to say the least.

Really would like a greenhouse. Had a thought today that in the short term we could loose the (past it's best) shed albeit that it would face out on the road but think I can live with that. Having said that, I'd need to move it when we knocked down for the extension but it would give me longer time to plan where it could go in the back garden. Not sure if it's more trouble than it's worth or just have it in its final resting place from the start. More food for thought.

Food spends are joyously low this month, must make sure I don't blow it next week when I've been paid

brizzledfw

Love it PF - you're sounding so chipper, especially after food poisoning :eek: Never nice.

You're so right - sunshine is so good for the soul..ditto use ups (left overs!) Taking them to work for lunch again tomorrow...so easy to assemble a box of yummy things after the huge cook fest at the weekend

Hope builder and plans come through..sounding hopeful for sure.

X

PurpleFairy26

So good news, its payday tomorrow :T even better news we managed to give ourselves the smallest budget in years for food and other disposable spends this month, which included a weeks school holiday :eek: we survived :A I've TT the remaining monies in both accounts, some to savings, some to LPDF :A ok, so it helped that DH got paid from job 2 but, even so food spends are at an all time low and we are eating big time from freezer. We haven't done a big shop all month

Veggies are growing well, tomatoes and potatoes looking very healthy. Will be nice when we can finally eat them.

Made a list of some additional things I need to do, including calling about a policy that matures for my god daughter when she turns 18 in 4 weeks. They have however, said I need to send the original policy document :eek: I have no idea where that is and have moved several times since then and safe to say 18 years ago when I opened said policy, I was not anywhere near as organised as now. Just hope there is some way round it.

Spent £11 at the market on lots of lovely fruit and veg today spent a voucher that had been in my purse for ages on a card for a friend, half price box of chocolates for DH as a treat and a present for my pressie box

No exercise though, need to get back on that. Plus baked brownies tonight and some oat cookies (although apparently they are 'healthy ') combination is good in taste but not for the waist :rotfl:

brizzledfw

Yay to that food budget..thats impressive. Can I ask how low you managed to go? As you know, its always the thing we overspend on.

Am sure the policy thing can be sorted, even if you have to sign a statutory declaration. if you need me to, I can ask a friend who is an estates/probate solicitor of cheapest/easiest way to prove it needs to be paid. Must happen all the time.

Brizz xxx

PS. 'challenge' you to two exercise sessions this weekend..it'll help me not give up!! So, you on for it:rotfl:???

PurpleFairy26

brizzledfw wrote: »

Yay to that food budget..thats impressive. Can I ask how low you managed to go? As you know, its always the thing we overspend on.

Am sure the policy thing can be sorted, even if you have to sign a statutory declaration. if you need me to, I can ask a friend who is an estates/probate solicitor of cheapest/easiest way to prove it needs to be paid. Must happen all the time.

Brizz xxx

PS. 'challenge' you to two exercise sessions this weekend..it'll help me not give up!! So, you on for it:rotfl:???

Deal - you're on I did 2 laps by home on my bike when I got home, which after a long week was better than nothing. I so wanted to just get on the settee and watch the cricket :A I felt better for doing it - one down, one to go.


Thanks for the offer for the friend, I'll call them on Monday when I've got some time and let you know if an issue if that's ok?

Food spends at £259, which I know to some will still be extortionate - but for us is very good. Food is very much our thing I hoping the same for next month too. One of the things that has helped, has just not going to the shop (I know that sounds obvious!) we have just done 1 shop at Ald1 for the month and then small top ups at Mr s rather than big weekly shops (when we still end up with the small top up shops)

Sold another fleabay item that has been listed 100 (well nearly ) times - need to back and cashed out £21.55 on pr0lific, had to sign up to something called circle but seemed straightforward (and free )

It's payday, so done the big money shuffle. All good and one debt paid off in the process :T