2017 - moving life forwards

coastalchick

got the paperwork today for the registered lease extension. So one battle down. Charge still there but the date of the document was 11 May so it may have been removed since. Forwarded it to the other firm dealing with the charge part so fingers crossed in a couple of weeks it should all be done!

BD found out his bonus and payrise here and isn't happy. Won't post what he got on here but it's about half what he was expecting and bearing in mind all the hours he put in this year. But because the company had to prepare for a visit from regulators, they were down on profit so everyone got less. He's having his massage at the moment so hopefully he's relaxed!

Didn't spend today (other than BD ordered some stand things for the chimneas but that came out of house stuff account). Walked to work and back (so saved petrol money and got exercise), had lunch from stores and now going to have salmon, couscous and veg from stores.

Tomorrow is lunch out with a friend but they have a great set menu so should be no more than £12.50. Tomorrow night is dinner from freezer (from batch cooking stuff) as BD has band practice so don't want to cook a proper meal.

System

Disheartened to hear that the payrise/bonus wasn’t as expected as I know it caused a bit of stress for you guys that he had to work so much! Never an easy pill to swallow!

So pleased to hear about Marley’s vet bills! Fab news, insurers just rest on the knowledge most people won’t argue a claim but I’m like you and would have done. Glad he’s got the all clear and sounds like he has some space to roam in now!

Well done for going to the trainer, I need to do the same as I’ve gained some weight. You’ve inspired me to book a taster session.

coastalchick

Thanks Sauce and glad you're inspired! Agree re insurers, totally chuffed with that even though it took 2 months of arguing!

Walked to work and back today (MSE plus healthy). Lunch out with friend was £17 as we had coffees and ordered a side to share plus tip. Still good value though and great to see a true friend after yet more !!!!!iness and high school behaviour from the couple of girls in that group I'm in who have taken a dislike to me.

Dinner is from freezer, leftover body coach chicken pie (healthy) and left over home made lasagne (not healthy!). BD has band practice tonight and is still very annoyed re his bonus - apparently he didn't speak to anyone at work today and left early! He will get over it though and normal service will resume soon!

Need to get some tie backs for curtains in kitchen/lounge. Just looked online but not really anything there so will try locally maybe friday/saturday.

Last day in office for me tomorrow then 11 days off - woo hoo! Have a fair bit to finish though! Tomorrow will be lunch from stores but then have to pick up eggs and maltesers and milk on way home as making a cake to take to a friends on friday. Had got the ingredients in weekly shop but BD and I demolished the maltesers and I managed to screw up and crack eggs for something else, only to realise wrong size and had to chuck down drain!!

We have managed to cancel the dinner for sat night and am SO relieved. So should be a v quiet weekend for us doing stuff to house/garden.

coastalchick

woo hoo! Finished work for 11 days! Walking home felt SO good!

MSE wise a mixed day - walked to and from work so saved petrol money and increased fitness. Took sandwich lunch in and avoided town. But on way home messaged BD to say I had to go to shop to get maltesers and milk and did he want anything else. Crisps were requested. Then I decided I didn't want what we had for tea (healthy of course) and wanted something else. Of course BD jumped at chance. So 23.03 in WR later (!). Got the milk and maltesers but got a huge £3 box of maltesers. This was because it was cheaper per 100g to buy the big box and I thought we'll eat them! Crisps 93p for big bag so not bad. Milk = ok as needed. Then wine - £6.71. Just because it's a lovely sunny day and I've finished work for 11 days and BD only got tomorrow in office then is off for 10 days. Then 3 for £10 on naughty meals. But one tonight and 2 for freezer so not too bad.

Tonight have to make cake (waiting for butter to bloody soften). BD finishing off decking. Cat not happy at being kept in though he's had all day to play out. Then tomorrow is trainer 830am (£32.50 so not very MSE), friends for coffee (taking cake but will likely bring leftovers back) then will work on book.

Tomorrow night probe big shop and either easy dinner or take away and free film.

BD still not happy re bonus but he'll get over it

coastalchick

Yesterday was lovely. Walked to trainer, worked out (£32.50) then walked back. So lots of exercise and it was just lovely walking back hearing all the birds tweeting and the water flowing and seeing all the lovely trees.

Took cake to friend's and caught up with her - was so nice to see her as been too long so we are putting more plans in the diary. Her husband has never met BD (they keep themselves to themselves) but she thinks they will massively get on so we are organising something.

Then the money damage started! Realised in taking cake to friend's I have no tub in which to transport round cakes safely (brought half cake back and it suffered injury!) so bought a new cake dome thing. £7.99 (all expenses halved as BD and I share costs). Then got a 24 pack diet coke and some document folders as we want to sort out all our paperwork now we are off and store it away. £14.50.

Did big shop and as we didn't manage to get everything will have to get a few more things today but will be over budget. Partially because we bought 6 bottles of (nice) wine (if you buy 6 you get an extra 5% off) but we got stuff for a BBQ and had that rather than a take away last night, so had we had take away that would probably have been £25-30 and reckon we might be over shop budget by about that so broken even really. Plus, because am off am batch cooking a normal lasagne, a leek and pancetta lasagne and a lamb, butternut and tamarind tagine, all of which will have portions frozen out of them so will do more than this week's meals.

Today we are going to buy a blanket box (but this is out of house fund budget) for landing to store all the bedding in so that we can start getting organised. And I will (hopefully!) weed driveway and make a lasagne. Think (if weather ok) we might have another BBQ tonight. Was so nice last night, BD and I sat out on the (newly renovated) decking with our chimneas lit drinking red wine and chatting. Just nice to enjoy the house and garden for a while instead of rushing to fix things!

coastalchick

Spending continued yesterday. Blanket box purchased in sale, still expensive but solid beautiful wood so will last and came from house fund. Now on landing and sorted all bedding (nightmare). Bought an outside storage box (again from house fund) and got £10 off with voucher so that is down side of house to put all outside cr*p in and BD happy with that. Did rest of shopping which wasn't cheap but overall think we are about even if we had got take out fri night. We have also decided not to go out this weekend (when we would normally on BH) so saving there. No booze yesterday after and watched reasonable doubt on netflix which was quite good.

Rest of yesterday BD did whole garden which now looks lovely again and I sorted out my boxes and boxes of paperwork which went back to 2004! Everything was pretty much mixed in together and all over the place. Had loads of stuff didn't need so now have a massive box of shredding to do, was able to recycle all non-confidentials and now everything sorted into separate (cardboard to save room and cost) folders by year and all in one big box to go in storage cupboard.

It actually really scared me reading back through some of it and the debt I was in. Getting consolidating loans at 7.1% for 25k and constantly owing interest on credit card statements. I was useless with money, I really was and it does make me realise why I am so paranoid about going that way again. Hoping I wont as a lot better now and though I do have 3 credit cards, I only use 2 (thinking may as well get rid of the other one actually) and it is only for points. These days I put my "spending money" into a separate (interest earning, albeit low) account and whenever I spend on my card, I transfer the amount straight into another bank account (also low interest earning) so that come the end of the month I have the money available to pay off the card. Also works quite well for us as I keep a tally of joint expenses so that BD can then transfer me his share. Plus means I get a (few pence!) interest a month and points meaning get money off flights or vouchers for amazon etc.

BD has just pulled a load of stuff out of shed we are going to eBay for a few pennies which can then go in house fund.

Stressing a lot about money at the moment, buying and furnishing a house is expensive even when you already have a lot of furniture. That said, I know I'm lucky to be able to afford a house

coastalchick

Not the best weekend! Calculated we've spent over £200 on food and drink this week. Much more than normal though we've not been out. Food is a major thing for both of us and we do like to eat well and cook from scratch when we have time. Yesterday I made a lamb, butternut squash and tamarind tagine from the food we'd bought. Had it for tea and 3 portions frozen so will do another meal plus one of us when we're home alone. Also made the bolognase for the lasagne am going to make - again, all from scratch. BD had a taste and said it's the best I've ever made and it did look pretty rich and awesome. So will finish that off today (cream sauce from scratch then layer pasta, mozzarella and parmesan) and we can have lasagne for tea then freeze rest - hoping will be around 4 portions left over (as BD does normally eat a lot I can never guarantee if something to feed 6 will actually stretch that far) so should do 2 more meals.

Got up this morning with good intentions of weeding driveway - started and got around a box and a half of weeds done and then stupidly pulled hard at this massive weed and did my back in! So cannot help any further and currently sat at kitchen table feeling very sorry for self as can barely walk, whilst BD is having to do even more in the garden/drive. Feel so bad I can't help but he's told me to sit here (and I don't have much choice as can't walk) and work on my book which is what going to do in a mo. Have loads of freeze spray on my back and am sure I have a spare tramadol floating around somewhere from when I get my nerve thing so might take that for my back.

So our plans for today (of getting house sorted) are pretty much out and not sure what else I'll be ale to do over next couple of days. We go to Madrid on hols on thursday so BD wants to make sure I am better for that as won't be much fun if I can't walk. Might try to eBay some of the stuff we have to get rid of to help out

coastalchick

Lasagne been finished off and is now cooking in the oven - yum! BD went out and got more wine(!) (not that we've got through all the stuff we've already bought but we had one last night we really liked so he got another bottle of that and a different one of same make (£14.51 total). Then he got a small table and chairs from b&q (£55) plus some gravel for driveway (£not sure!). Cash just flying out at the moment and will be no change tomorrow. Have to get 2 x keys cut - 1 for BD's cousin who is feeding cat whilst away and 1 for BD's mum who will pop in to see the cat whilst away. And we need currency for Madrid (but that will come from holiday fund).

Still no plans to go out which is good. BD's mum might pop round with the kids tomorrow but is on a diet so at least don't need to make/buy a cake. Still have a couple of chocolate bunnies left from easter so the kids can have those and squash. Tomorrow night am planning to make a leek and pancetta lasagne which have never made before so hoping it comes out ok. Know BD prefers the meat one but am all for trying new stuff.

Just realised how annoying it is to type BD all the time - am going to change his name to just B!

Still panicking about cash all the time. It is literally flying out at the moment and I know that is the case when you buy a house but it still scares me. Does sometimes make me think I should go back to being a proper lawyer again or go 5 days a week but then I remember what it was like and it makes me shudder. Did anyone watch that trial programme, murder in the family on C4? Watching that kind of made me want to go back again, not least because even the QC defending (who is clearly amazing) said he still gets nervous before a trial - makes me think it's not just me! But they are so good, and I'm just not so really I think it is right thing not to go back.

coastalchick

Back is !!!!!!ed and really worried that am not going to be ok walking round Madrid. Going to make a docs appointment to at least get some strong painkillers and get some more freeze spray to take.

Going to get ready in a mo and head into town. Need 2 x keys cut then some small travel pot things so don't have to take whole bottle of moisturiser. Also need some freeze spray and milk. Lunch from stores then B's family coming around for a bit. Tile man supposed to be coming today and blinds man as those need fixing - more cash and house fund is slowly depleting!

Seen the sofa we want - it's a Harris Green Tweed and is a ridiculous price but will go beautifully with room and also less likely to get marked (compared to what we have now which is light grey!) but will have to save for that I think

coastalchick

B has gone to get more gravel for drive - more £££.

I have a manicure and pedicure at 11 given my toes will be on display in Madrid! That will be £80. Not good.

Then b**ts as didn't go yesterday to get things needed for hols. Need to pack also.

Though Madrid spending is coming out of holiday fund, it still worries me. I just worry about not having enough in old age or when (IF) we have kids. That is kind of on hold right now. B is a little overwhelmed with house move I think so on hold. But in some ways good as if have one before may 2018 I don't qualify for paid leave anyway. Plus we have Madrid then France to get through. But I turn 39 in September and really think we should be cracking on. But is a joint decision so can't force it.