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

Silver_Queen

Remember, you're absolutely NOT falling back. Not long ago you would have had to scrabble to get the money from borrowing because you didn't have savings to raid. The fact that you even have these savings is a huge, huge step forward.

Spendy_Spenderson

Hi TOPM,


The £460pm you were putting away for the extension was going to cover all the pre-build costs too wasn't it? Like the architect, buildings regs etc. I remember you doing a fairly accurate estimation of all those pre-build costs at the beginning of the year, hence putting this money aside each month so no borrowing would need to happen for this pre-build stage. Therefore can the £750 not come from this pot of money, which I think you mentioned is around the £4k mark? Or is this the pot that is held in premium bonds and so harder to get access to?
Just asking as I know you have been saving for these known costs so even if you've had to borrow it from another pot or business account in the short term for cash flow / access reasons, it should be able to be paid back from the correct Extension pot in the end rather than using next month's overtime to repay it?

Treadingonplaymobil

Spendy_Spenderson wrote: »

Hi TOPM,


The £460pm you were putting away for the extension was going to cover all the pre-build costs too wasn't it? Like the architect, buildings regs etc. I remember you doing a fairly accurate estimation of all those pre-build costs at the beginning of the year, hence putting this money aside each month so no borrowing would need to happen for this pre-build stage. Therefore can the £750 not come from this pot of money, which I think you mentioned is around the £4k mark? Or is this the pot that is held in premium bonds and so harder to get access to?
Just asking as I know you have been saving for these known costs so even if you've had to borrow it from another pot or business account in the short term for cash flow / access reasons, it should be able to be paid back from the correct Extension pot in the end rather than using next month's overtime to repay it?

That pot has been used up - previous arhitect rip off, planning, water board etc - and the £460 sum was taken as a monthly average over the entire pre-build period, but of course the outgoings don't come in a linear fashion, so we'll have a lot this month then virtually none until the build starts, so the pot can build back up again.

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 89: Day 5

Is it nearly a new month yet?! The scrabble to keep everything lined up continues. Was able to pay my business account back when DH got paid yesterday, but when I have to pay building regs application and structural engineer that gain will disappear.

It doesn't help that DH and I have both paid insurances as annual lump sums recently (me - home, DH - car). We'll feel the benefit next year, as the lower monthly average means we can pay those pots back and still save for next year's annual insurances, but it's terrible timing and means our cashflow is awful. But onwards we plough.

My smaller business has been going great guns this month, as I've been able to focus more time on it while not really seeing any clients for my main business, so at least I've had that money coming in to help even things up a bit. It's all a bit skin of the teeth though.

Boring-ish day today - need to take DC3 to a party and stay there, and will have DC2 with me too, while DC1 needs dropping at a playdate before we go. And then I need to tidy and clean and bake for clients tomorrow. Not feeling it.

To do this week
1. Clear all the ironing - have been catching up with laundry after being away at the end of last week, and the clean laundry mountain is ridiculous.
2. Finish contract work for this week.
3. Contract work for next week.
4. Figure out a web hosting issue I'm having.
5. Eat our way through the freezer and only buy fresh fruit and veg and milk. Going well so far.
6. Order stock.
7. Clear and tidy the house for clients on the weekend.

October money goals:
- £58.90/31 October rounding down pot.
- £4,157.49/£5,000 2018 debt repayment goal.
- £160/775 income for November.

Suffolk_lass

I loathe this time of the month too. I get paid on the last working day of the month and am desperately trying to spend nothing more until then.

There is a small positive. If you try to eke out the remaining threads of funds without thinking it has gone to pot, you will look back and think better of your budget management because you will have spent less. I appreciate it is hard but maybe think of these as this month's challenges.

By the way, who are you and what have you done with that woman that started this journey? She challenged every suggestion to change things but here you are, looking forward to saving all year to pay your annual insurances as lump sums instead of monthly payments (presumably with some element of interest). As your self appointed nag I am sitting here, really proud of you. Really well done girl, feel the love, you have come a really long way and the dividends will pay in the end - in fact they already are. Two years ago the car expenses alone could have tipped you over the edge. Feel very proud and cut yourself a little slack.

And have a good weekend, even if there is work in it.

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 90: Day 1

Still not quite a new month! Really feeling the strain of the end of the month and counting down until the new on begins.

Suffolk lass thank you for your kind words. Honestly, I feel exactly the same, have exactly the same desire to acquire beautiful things as I always did, but I've got so used to (mostly) stamping on it these days rather than indulging it that I hardly both to mention it on here. I thought that after a few months doing this I would be one of those super keen ultra frugal types who finds new ways to cut money each month, but I think it's safe to say that's not my path. :rotfl:

Had a lovely day yesterday working on stuff for my website, which is such a joy to work on compared to client facing stuff (as I did on Saturday). I am on a bit of a 6-12 month test with my website to see whether it can start to pay its way or whether I need to think about an alternative, as I can't prop up my income with client facing work that I don't enjoy forever. I don't mind if it's not profitable in six months, but I have decided that I need to see some evidence that it is growing that way, and find a way to reach that by this time next year.

DH has been offered a promotion at work, but (a) he's not sure he wants the shift in workload (much more managerial rather than the actual work he trained for and enjoys, (b) the pay rise they have initially offered will mean virtually no more money, as it would be just enough to lose all the child benefit but not actually see much of a net income increase and (c) there would be a greater expectation of working longer hours, making it harder for me to work, which all together might, counter intuitively, actually make us poorer than we are now! He has asked if they can significantly increase the salary offer and wiggle the job description (they seem quite open to both, but no promises yet) and then he'll consider it. He's in the fortunate position of having a particular skillset that they really want to make use of, and of not being super fussed on getting a promotion as it's much easier for me to earn more than him at this stage (because he is a higher rate tax payer so we see less of ever £ he earns). So we'll see what happens there in the coming weeks.

The DC have an inset day, so one more day of half term to limp through! I'm going to take them to the grocer today to try to stock up on sufficient fruit and veg to limp through until November without a proper food shop. Anyone got any good (vegetarian, ideally, for money saving) seasonal recipes? We have loads of store cupboard ingredients, just lack fresh ones. I have a particular excess of tinned chickpeas! We have managed to eat down the freezer a fair way though, which I'm pleased about - it was literally brim full at one point a couple of weeks ago.

My list for this week is quite short as I'm away working tomorrow, during which I will be speaking on camera :eek: (only for a vlogger, not actual TV), and away again on Thursday for life coaching and hopefully doing some Christmas prep with my life coaching buddy while I'm there.

To do this week
1. Contract work for next week.
2. Menu plan for the next fortnight.
3. Book food shopping delivery.
4. Batch cook packed lunch stuff for back to school.
5. Batch cook a couple of easy meals for the weekend so I don't spend the entire time cooking (we have friends visiting).
6. Pack orders for smaller business.
7. Work on website content for new business.
8. Have a look at our SOA/budget and see whether we can shave a bit off my earning requirements.

October money goals:
- £58.90/31 October rounding down pot.
- £4,157.49/£5,000 2018 debt repayment goal.
- £170/775 income for November.

PurpleFairy26

Made this on Saturday to use up a squash

https://www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/healthy/chickpea-and-squash-coconut-curry/

It's lovely, although I'd probably leave out the fresh chilli if it was for small people. Only a few more days until November ......

Verbatim

bottom of the fridge risotto
lentil shepherd's pie with any veg topped with mash and cheese
chickpeas, onion and aubergine plus tin of toms
savoury danish (yeast dough rolled like a swiss roll and spread with any savoury spead plus any chopped cooked veg and cheese). Roll up and cut into slices before baking. Gives loads and left overs would be good fo packed lunches.

DawnW

Pasta with HM tomato sauce? Hummus made with some of your chickpea mountain, with veg batons and flatbreads to dip?


And there are some great recipes on Jack Monroe's website, most of which look child friendly https://cookingonabootstrap.com/

Treadingonplaymobil

Week 90: Day 2

Thanks for all the recipe ideas yesterday, have noted them down! I have managed to reduce the chickpea count by one tin, and the squash count by two, as I diced and roasted the squash I already had yesterday then fried them up with steamed carrots, a tin of chickpeas, a bit of maple syrup and orange zest and juice, and served the resulting mushy-chickpea-deliciousness in freshly made flatbreads. It was absolutely yum, I was most impressed with myself. It was a mini-rip off of a recipe in the River Cottage Veg book, adapted to what I actually had in the house.

Off to do my vlogging bit today, can't wait to send my invoices out tomorrow! Assuming I get paid promptly (I do 99.9% of the time) then I'll have enough to boost October's salary to £600, which will be a significant improvement on the £180 it currently sits at, and will allow October's budget to balance.

Speaking of balancing budgets, I have started using a credit card for some Christmas shopping and to pay for the building regs application, and it's really interesting how YNAB deals with a credit card when you use it as an on-budget account. It knows it's not affecting your overall available balance, but highlights unbudgeted spends on the CC. It's quite effective, and means I can keep track of CC spends rather than having them in an off-budget account, which is useful for keeping track of what I've spent on Christmas so far.

The DC are back to school today, not that I'll feel the benefit as I'm not actually going to be here from 7:30am. Bit worried about DC1 who is having a tricky time at the moment, but hopefully it will all come out ok - he is 10 and I think hormones plus shifts in the social groups in his class have really affected him. So hard to support him in navigating these challenges as an older child, and I constantly worry we are doing it wrong. Might see if I can find some books on parenting tween/teens for DH and I to read - DH is not managing particularly well with suddenly not being able to just say 'well I'm the parent so that's that' and instead having to negotiate with someone who has opinions and ideas.

Anyway, better get on with my day! Need to make a batch of granola before I start prettifying myself.

To do this week
1. Contract work for next week.
2. Menu plan for the next fortnight.
3. Book food shopping delivery.
4. Batch cook packed lunch stuff for back to school.
5. Batch cook a couple of easy meals for the weekend so I don't spend the entire time cooking (we have friends visiting).
6. Pack orders for smaller business.
7. Work on website content for new business.
8. Have a look at our SOA/budget and see whether we can shave a bit off my earning requirements.

October money goals:
- £58.90/31 October rounding down pot.
- £4,157.49/£5,000 2018 debt repayment goal.
- £180/775 income for November.