£67,031.92 is a frightening number indeed....

Cherryfudge

Oh, that's so discouraging for you! You are still a long way ahead of where you would have been without this past year's work, though.

wishingthemortgaheaway

Rubbish. But, I thought brokers got paid by the mortgage company rather than by you? I know they now have to make their fees transparent, but I still thought it was the mortgage company that paid and not you.

Money_spending_mummy

Brokers such as London & Country don’t charge the customer commission, they get paid by the lender. I’ve used them in the past and had a good service.

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 49: Day 7

Morning!

Re the broker, I went back to the broker we used for our original mortgage, as she got us a mortgage when really our financial situation was fairly terrible and we couldn't get one alone. She is very knowledgeable and competent and works for a small expert independent firm, and was able to get us exactly what she estimated she'd be able to get, so we have huge confidence in her. Admittedly as our financial situation improves we maybe don't need such a specialist/expert, but things will look fairly dire next time too due to the extension, so we'll see!

Still no booking confirmations, although have had yet ANOTHER enquiry. Made a sale on my smaller business yesterday, which inches things up a tiny bit (and I don't feel resentful about now I've put my prices up). I am still clinging onto the hope that I can get March's expenses and salary in place before the end of January, but that's looking less likely - I still have £20 of expenses and £200 of salary to try to achieve. If at least two bookings get confirmed/paid I will, but otherwise it won't be until I do my end of month invoices. Still, it's better than I was a month or two ago, when I barely had the next month ready to go.

My weight is really high for me at the moment, which is bothering me quite a lot and affecting my general motivation/feelgood. Whenever I've needed to lose weight before I always reward myself financially (e.g. an item of clothing for every lb lost). I am really struggling to find a motivation to stick with it that isn't financial - it was the only thing that worked for me after years of trying!

To do today
1. Couple of hours work.
2. Clean make up brushes - have been meaning to do this for ages.
3. Plan packed lunch stuff to make tomorrow.
4. Couple of hours work.
5. 2x children's parties with the DC (luckily I only have to stay at one!).
6. Deep try the tofu DH bought for ramen dinner tonight.

To do this week
1. Sort and tidy our room. Have made a tiny start on this.
2. Plan a workshop I have to deliver in Feb. Have also made a start on this.
3. Plan any handmade gifts for birthdays/Christmas 2018 so I can ensure they are done well in advance.
4. Organise food so the menu plan is stuck to while I’m away on Weds night. Done.

To do in January
1. Review 2017 spending and try to improve 2018 plans by being more prepared - plan big spends like holidays and Christmas now and be realistic about the cost. Done with DH before doing SOA.
2. Redo SOA once the remortgage is through. Done.
3. Make a 2018 business plan that is less frenetic than originally (I think I had too high expectations of myself, leading to much stress in Nov/Dec). Done.

Treadingonplaymobil

I have been contemplating logging everything I spend here for a few weeks. Obviously it’s all logged in YNAB for budgeting purposes, but I’m wondering if a bit of accountability might spot some areas I could cut down a bit. Including business expenses, as I think I something let those slide a bit because it’s ‘for work’. Will think about it.

Treadingonplaymobil

In the interests of beginning to log spending:

- DH spent something in the region of £18 on presents for two children's parties today. I don't think £9 per child is appalling at their age (7), although it could have been a couple of quid less I imagine.
- I spent £8 or £9 in a coffee shop on an impromptu coffee date with two friends while party number two was on.

To do today
1. Couple of hours work. Literally just a couple done, thanks to impromptu coffee date.
2. Clean make up brushes - have been meaning to do this for ages. Done.
3. Plan packed lunch stuff to make tomorrow. Not done.
4. Couple of hours work. Apparently I am so senile now I have written the same thing twice.
5. 2x children's parties with the DC (luckily I only have to stay at one!). Done.
6. Deep try the tofu DH bought for ramen dinner tonight. Not done, DH is doing something with a random bag of pasta he found in the cupboard instead. Noodles tomorrow.

To do this week
1. Sort and tidy our room. Have made a tiny start on this.
2. Plan a workshop I have to deliver in Feb. Have also made a start on this.
3. Plan any handmade gifts for birthdays/Christmas 2018 so I can ensure they are done well in advance.
4. Organise food so the menu plan is stuck to while I’m away on Weds night. Done.

To do in January
1. Review 2017 spending and try to improve 2018 plans by being more prepared - plan big spends like holidays and Christmas now and be realistic about the cost. Done with DH before doing SOA.
2. Redo SOA once the remortgage is through. Done.
3. Make a 2018 business plan that is less frenetic than originally (I think I had too high expectations of myself, leading to much stress in Nov/Dec). Done.

Cherryfudge

Treadingonplaymobil wrote: »

To do today
1. Couple of hours work. Literally just a couple done, thanks to impromptu coffee date.
2. Clean make up brushes - have been meaning to do this for ages. Done.
3. Plan packed lunch stuff to make tomorrow. Not done.
4. Couple of hours work. Apparently I am so senile now I have written the same thing twice.

And we are so far gone we didn't notice .

That was an expensive coffee unless you were treating your friends! Nice tohave a sit down and some time to relax, though, and hard to see that one coming and plan to avoid it.

enthusiasticsaver

Does the £18 come out of the £60 monthly birthdays pot and the £9 coffee from your £25 kitty on your soa?

I agree expensive coffee. Our local coffee shop is around £3 a cup although more for cake too obviously. We always split the cost though when I go with friends so maybe you picked up the bill for all of you.

ellen_vannin

I find last minute buys for birthday presents always dear.

Better to establish a box of bargain buys when you see bargains in the sales.

Same goes for birthday cards, have a few in stock to avoid costly visits to the shops at the last minute.

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 50(!): Day 1

Yes, logging spending is definitely the way forwards for a few weeks - makes me think a little!

The reason we end up buying presents short term rather than having a store is I hate giving generic gifts - the two children whose parties were yesterday had totally different tastes (we got one a book on crazy inventions, the other one a little electronic kit). Also I have found that when we have a present 'store' we still end up buying as none feel quite right in the moment, so it's just money tied up. Will try to be a little more organised as certainly one of those could have been bought in the supermarket more cheaply a week ago, even if the other couldn't. I do stock up on birthday cards and wrapping paper cheaply though, so I'm not a total disaster area.

The £9 coffee was because I treated two other people - one of them bought a second round of coffees (we had 2.5 hours to kill), it evens out in the end with those friends I find.

Ooh, one of my many enquiries finally turned into a paid booking, so March's expenses are fully covered and I have £45 towards my £200 minimum salary. Inching my way there!

Spends:
- £4.50 on renting a film last night on Apple TV. Nothing good on Netflix and DH and I haven't sat down to watch TV or gone for a drink or anything together for literally months, so I have zero guilt about that.

To do today
1. Work work work.
2. Plan next week.
3. Make some packed lunch stuff (or get DH to do it).
4. Laundry.
5. Clear the ironing.
6. Do yesterday's ramen dish, including deep frying the tofu.
7. Some decluttering with the DCs. and DH.
8. Juggle the menu plan as I'll be away for one evening meal so it needs to be a quick one for DH or my mum to whip up.
9. Birthday cards for a couple of friends' birthdays coming up this week.

To do this week
1. Mega decluttering - stuff needs to leave the house, as it's at the stage it's hard to get tidy.
2. Start brainstorming ideas for the architect - I want to be really clear what we want by the time he next comes in March, as each revision once the initial drawings are done after that will cost about £300.
3. Plan any handmade gifts for birthdays/Christmas 2018 so I can ensure they are done well in advance.

To do in January
1. Review 2017 spending and try to improve 2018 plans by being more prepared - plan big spends like holidays and Christmas now and be realistic about the cost. Done with DH before doing SOA.
2. Redo SOA once the remortgage is through. Done.
3. Make a 2018 business plan that is less frenetic than originally (I think I had too high expectations of myself, leading to much stress in Nov/Dec). Done.