Debt, debt go away (and don't come back another day)

System

Hi everyone. Feels like I have been away for AGES!!!! and I have. Got back to work and everything that I put off to cope with the big event was now banging on my door so last week was Manic, with a capital M.

Then there is also the possibility of change afoot, which is exciting me and scaring me in equal measure. So I feel a bit all over the shop.
It's complicated to explain, which is why I haven't talked about it in Dear Diary before now...

Basic synposis - for family reasons, in the "future" we need to / want to move area to be closer to one branch of the family, and hopefully get us to a place we would like to work and stay a while. Long term it will give us the potential for a business which is very close to my DH's heart. What's happened now is a job has come up - doing exactly what I do now - but a slightly more busy / complicated business model - it's an 18 month contract, but I could probably move internally and keep my job.
Challenge 1
To move - we would need to finish our house and rent it out....the max timeframe we would have to achieve this in would be 3 months, so Jan/Feb start. To move also costs ££££.
We'd be able to move into a house approx 1 hr away from new job, which we'd be able to organise through family. Not sure what condition this house would be in, but I think it would be a bit cheaper rent.
The main gamble would be renting out our house - and not having a huge buffer behind us in case it wasn't let or they didn't pay.
We could /can sell, but I don't really want to take that step so early on- and we couldn't afford to buy in the new area so we'd be stepping off the housing ladder...(although it would mean we could clear the debts)
Challenge 2
My current job /team is great - but I am definitely ready for new challenges. I've started this leadership training thing, and had started to get in the mindset of my next job change being a step up (I've yo yo'd up and down the grades in my last few jobs and am currently 2 grades lower than what I have operated at before) as the job & location has been more important......so although I sort of want this move from a location / family situation point of view - there's a part of me that's inwardly sighing and wondering if I should just hang on in case the step-up opportunity magically arrives in the area I want to move to!! Feels like a longshot. I guess after the 18months of this other role, I should definitely be ready for the step-up so if something comes up I would still be able to go for it.
Challenge 3
For reasons I can't go into here, if we move it will cause issues & friction with another part of family. Possibly resulting in people completely not talking to us. Even thinking about telling them about me getting the job / moving area stresses me out a bit.

I think I am largely minded to set the wheels of change in motion, even though it doesn't feel like the "perfect job move" and another sideways step.....but it means we are going to be in for a really pressured, tough time at home. But that would probably be the same whenever it happened. The challenge will be doing it all, without getting any further in debt (a possible challenge given the work we need to do on the house!)

Life. Always full of surprises and challenges. But darn better than being dull and boring. Need to try and keep the end goal in sight.

In other money news - been good-ish on food budget so far, so that's a positive. Have done lots of Christmas shopping with cash i already had saved up.

In bad money news, DH has a work comp at end of Oct. Despite us not having much cash, we booked hotel (non cancelleable premier inn) for us all to go up for it. However have since decided we probably can't afford the fuel, food, and now the time, if we are to do stuff on the house. So £161 'cost' on credit card has to be absorbed. ANNOYED.com really as I did it, and OK'd it to support DH. Lesson learnt - next time I will just say no.

TTFN Ramble x

Poor_Single_lady

Ramble you have got so much on. No wonder we haven't heard much of you. Some big decisions going on. I hope you are not getting too stressed out and you can come to the best decision for you.
And also the complexities of being in a family will never translate on paper, I think most people are in the same boat here.
Whatever you do next I hope you are ok. And please don't worry about the hotel, it is one of those unavoidable things that affect all.of us sometimes. xx

System

Hey PSL, thanks for looking in and for your words of wisdom. You are such a star. There's definitely no accounting for family - I am very grateful my side of things is so straight forward and absolutely determined that my SS and DD will never have anything like this to deal with. It's true that most people have stuff going on - and a good reminder as it's easy to think that it's "always us" that stuff happens to - but in reality it is LIFE and it happens in good and bad measure to us all, at usually the most inconvenient times!
Feeling much more like we have made the decision and we're going to go for it today. Just need to get the job now - EEk. Oh and tell my boss. EEk eek.
Always think internal interviews are bad - too easy to assume people know what you do, and not say it so you mess up at interview. So need to FOCUS.

Am doing a free mindfulness course at the moment and it's really great - a bit of meditation twice a day, and some weekly studying for 6 weeks. Which reminds me, I should get on with this now!

I've paid the hotel off the CC with money that was in our EF - and I feel better about it - leaving it on the CC was stressing me out, and in reality the EF is there to pay it, so now it's gone. Can't wait until I get my bigger pay packet on the 25th! It's already the 11th - not too long to go. Got a big expense claim to put in too.

System

Lovely weekend. Have decided to apply for the job - application part done - just need to do the covering letter and then it is going in. Deadline is Thurs, so plenty of time.

We had a spendy day yesterday - but all essentials - mostly paint, paint brushes etc so we can crack on with house DIY. We basically bought a wreck in Mar 2014, did loads initially as it needed everything....but then DD came along and we literally stopped. So now we need to get it all finished...especially if I get new job as we'll have to rent it out and move.

Today we did tip runs, and finished painting the outside of the house...for about a year it has been half blue, half cream....Looked terrible! Now it's all cream and gorgeous. Oh and we weeded and cleared the front garden.

Loads more to do tho.
waiting for payday - 9 days - first big pay packet as I'm back full-time. bring it on.

Poor_Single_lady

Wow this is positive Ramble. You have been so busy. Imagine your house looks amazing.
Wishing you well for your application. and also everything else too. xx

hannahroberts1985

Exciting times ahead for you then. Good Luck for the job. Sounds like a very productive weekend. Well Done xx

louby40

All sounds very exciting! Good luck

System

Job application in. Have been having a bit of an emotional wobble in that I think I am scared about all the changes we may be bringing our way...I'm feeling really tired so perhaps that why. Anyway it's in now - and whatever happens with it, at least we are now trying to finish the house - we definitely both work better with a deadline!

What is scary is how much we may need to spend to finish the house.
There's a asbestos shed which we will have to dispose of - and in it's place we'll need to reinstate a shed / log store as we think we will let the house with all the fuel provided (it's all fuelled by wood)
Estimates £500?

There's a back porch with french doors which just don't work properly anymore, so that needs sorting. We have wombled a set of doors so it's more about ripping it out and starting again, but will need materials.
No idea on costs. Not too much.

We've got 2 blown double glazing windows - to get the inner glass panels replaced, we've been quoted £450!!!

That's the worst of it - so with bits and bobs and more paint etc, probably £1500 will do it....but no idea where this will come from.

We also need to pay a £1.8K tax bill at the end of Jan. I think i will manage to pay £500 off of this this month, as I've saved up some childcare vouchers and can use those and put nursery money into that.
I think I am also just going to pay the minimum payment for my DMP for next 2/3 months to try and help out, that will mean we can probably chuck 300/400 a month at tax bill.

I've got an EF of £1K, but really want to try and hang onto that so will have to magic up renovation money. Or sell things!

Thanks for all checking in ladies xx

Poor_Single_lady

You are so practical and resourceful. The house stuff will be worth it, I know its a big spend tho. Hope you are not too exhausted. It sounds like a whirlwind of activity but all positive. xx

System

Yep definitely tired. work is full on too. I've got 3 days off at the end of next week so that will be good.

We were having a chat about the house last night and were discussing whether to sell or not - or rent - ideally I'd like to rent as I don't want to get off the housing ladder - but who knows what the market might be like in XX months or years when we come to sell. With Brexit, I feel there's a real risk everything may go backwards a bit, and it might be harder to sell - where as if we sold now, there's still plenty people buying and we'd get a price we're happy with.....(or it could go the other way and keep going up - who knows!!)

something to think about anyway. Must dust off my crystal ball and start reading the future!