Extending our house without extending ourselves beyond our means

PurpleFairy26

Lovely day out yesterday, all paid for as a treat by others. Something I had wanted to do for a looong time. Was very special I spent £5.50 on two drinks, but given that travel, food, drinks and entertainment were paid for it was a small price to pay

Managed to strip 2 walls of wallpaper today in bedroom :T DH had also started in the hall when I got back yesterday, I didn't think the wallpaper made too much difference, but wow - it's brighter already Am WFH on Tuesday and Thursday and I might do an hour each day on whats left, which should break the back of what's left. We're just going to paint the hall, so no need to have that plastered. But will look much fresher.

Food spends still under control and freezer still surprisingly full No exercise managed this weekend, although did manage to activate my tracker 6 of the 7 days last week due to the amount of walking I have been doing. I would like 2 runs this week. Pay day Friday, so am keeping things tight until then and anything left will be swept to LPDF.

Need to work out how best to stash clothes that are in big chest of drawers to get space back in bedroom. Maybe see how many plastic boxes I have left after local nearly new childrens sale this weekend - which reminds me, I must label for that this week :eek: Will have to make it in the loft tomorrow.

PurpleFairy26

Is it only Monday :rotfl:

Managed to get in loft though, albeit I've not labelled anything, just piled it up in the lounge. Baby steps

Did manage a £3 survey with free sample and it'll be another £3 for follow up. Will likely find a couple of things to list on fleabay whilst doing the stuff for the sale.

Could be worse for a Monday.

crazy_cat_lady

PF - I am in awe of how much you always have going on but you're always getting on with it. I'm trying to decide whether or not to get new windows and doors but don't know if I could manage the disruption.
Pleased you had a good weekend.

PurpleFairy26

crazy_cat_lady wrote: »

PF - I am in awe of how much you always have going on but you're always getting on with it. I'm trying to decide whether or not to get new windows and doors but don't know if I could manage the disruption.
Pleased you had a good weekend.

Hey cat thanks for popping by. TBH when we had some of our windows replaced last year it was a breeze. We didn't even have to take the blinds or curtains down :rotfl: they were in and out in no time. If your house needs them and budget stretches, I would definitely go for it. We're just waiting for a final quote for a porch and then we'll decide whether we have the rest of the Windows done or a new porch. They will both need doing at some point, so hope porch quote is favourable so we can stretch to both this year as our dining room window is definitely drafty

PurpleFairy26

Lack of sleep due to wind, it's blowing a gale out there, so I've got some coffee and done some meditation

I've made the last payment in this years budget. (May seem odd but I work in financial periods, as that how I get paid) so it makes sense for my budget to align with my work cycle so it starts again when I get paid in the first period, which is Friday just need to double check the budget for coming year, it will obviously be tweaked along the way but we have set some ambitious targets around saving and debt repayment and I want to double check my sums, particulate as I've taken out a 3rd share save at work which has reduced my income slightly (but increased my savings and possible return on investment :money:)

Inspired again by Brizzle I'm going to track my savings % per month and see how we get on

Not much else to report, been pulling bits of paper off the hall wall every time I go past - didn't get any time to do some yesterday as I had so much work on, I'm slightly more hopeful for tomorrow, shame that doing it now would wake people :rotfl:

PurpleFairy26

Productive day considering the early start work is fairly pants to be honest, not helped by lack of sleep. Would like to tell them to do one, but that's just not in the life plan. How many incompetent people do I have to chase/ explain how to do it correctly/ wonder how they ever got a job, let alone get out the house daily :rotfl:

Manage to label pretty much everything apart from some stuff that needs hangers for sale. Need to hunt in loft tomorrow for some. So that's positive, plus stash to one side for friends LO. Let's hope a chunk sells which will be good for the coffers and reduce the amount going back in the loft.

PurpleFairy26

So sale was good, found a bag of toys night before which manage to label too :T sold my buggy at last too. Went to a lovely couple which made the parting slightly easier

Got rid of loads and sorted out what I've bought back. Also spent the day on my feet so easily managed 12.000 steps :T got lunch and drinks provided so spent £1 on cake (for charity so that's allowed :rotfl:) and a few bits from sale, but nothing ridiculous, some for present box too.

Currently got a chicken carcass from roast in sc with a poorly leek, 2 bendy carrots and frozen broccoli stalk :T risotto for tea tomorrow :T

Did big payday shuffle last Friday, including the start of my new budget year spreadsheet. Pots all looking healthy and DH and I please with repayment level on loan, much higher than planned, let's hope that continues.

Must contact $ky as deal ends this month and I don't want to get stung with increase, need to swap energy supplier too as Ours have turned out to go from great to useless. Got a free DVD with $ky (thanks cathT) for the tip off :money:

Also got letter about btl, mortgage doesn't end of ages but need to think about plan for that, would like to go part and part on mortgage, may call on Tuesday when WFH to see what that might look like.

PurpleFairy26

So called $ky, deal ran out today but you pay in advance so higher amount already gone out. Hmm. Anyway negotiated decent deal, will save £8 a month from previous deal price, so happy with that. I know some would say we shouldn't have it, but we have a very good deal on it. V long story, that we wouldn't get elsewhere so as it's a main source of entertainment (don't have sitters etc so can't go out in evening) so it's definitely our entertainment

I also placed order worth about £50 to me in profit for small biz :T

Done a utilities check, not sure any are worth swapping to as cost of current is apparently competitive. So may have to stick. Hmm.

Lovely risotto with chicken stock, meaning I didn't have to play freezer Tetris today :rotfl:

Made hummus with last of frozen chickpeas, need to soak an freeze some more and add tahini to shopping list

Updated my admin book tonight and drew (in the loosest sense of the word :rotfl:) plan of both gardens and what I want to take out and move to where (and buy - will go on my Christmas wishlist though) just need last of conifer mountain to go in next round of brown bin collections so I can then fill it up with other stuff

PurpleFairy26

Productive week, despite work been a nightmare, I needed to keep going otherwise I would have just slept today, which wouldn't have been good. So I've stripped the wallpaper of the rest of our room (just behind big mamouth chest of drawers to do) and the stairs (all apart from the very high bit ) Used left over stripper from the rest of bedroom I made about two weeks ago :money:

Tomorrow I'm planning on being outside as it's going to be nice and I want to do as much as I can in the garden to hopefully get it ready for winter if you know what I mean. I'll need to do some more tidying and leaf picking and sweeping as autumn goes on but if I can do a fair bit tomorrow that'll be good.

If I get done, I may be tempted to take all the clothes from the mammouth drawers, list them on fleabay and then strip behind it. I'm also tempted to pull the skirtings out. The spare room also needs tidying though which would be good to do then I could start stripping the walls in there - oh, there is so many options

Friday, I also made cake, I had yogurt to use up, so made a sherry, raisin and almond cake I found. was lovely, turned out we had unexpected visitors, so it didn't last, so I made a second after they had gone as I lazily hadn't thrown the sherry away I'd soaked the raisins in, so used it a second time :money:

Saved some lemon zests today and will use in a maderia I'll bake later in the week when the other cake is gone.

Made over £100 on the sale I did last week, very pleased with that. Plus so many items less to go back in the loft. I do have numerous boxes for fleabay, next charity sale, charity bag etc.. though that I need to label some I think so I know what is where. All in the right direction though, particularly if I can get some stuff listed on fleabay in the next week or so.

brizzledfw

Echo the comments above, You're on fire!! Well done and all that saving too. Its brilliant to hear.

I also have let the exercise falter...loads of steps but just too much to juggle. I am also letting things slide re food as well. Even the SC is a struggle at 6:30 in the morning so I am not killing myself any longer. Will meal plan though so we know what we are doing. DD1 likes using the Hello Fresh boxes which as we make them stretch to 5 people are a good compromise and the food always tastes good which helps her culinary confidence. So she will cook three meals next week(thank gawd) making the next working week bearable

I may suggest jacket potatoes and tuna pasta bake for the other days. Like the sound of that sherry cake - always love using almonds too. Can you share the recipe?

Over and out.

xx