My 5 year plan

LegBeforeWicket

fatrab wrote: »

2017, it would appear, was a year of far more bad decisions than I gave myself credit for.

Maybe so, but 2018 is a year of excellent decisions and that's the thing to remember.

It sounds to me like you are doing the right thing with this car. I've never been much of a car person but I understand the importance a lot of people put on them, but as long as it's reliable, comfortable, and is economical to run then I think it will bring you greater happiness in the long run.

fatrab

Thanks WM & LBW.

Yeah I think I just need to bite the bullet and change my mind-set regarding what car I drive. I spend too much time in my car not to enjoy driving it though.

The dealership have a slightly older version of the same model for sale, mine is a late 2014 model and the older one is a 2011, it's a diesel but still has 4wd so will be just as competent on the roads up north. My car will retail at £21500, the cheaper one is £7995. That takes a chunk out of my debt mountain and reduces my monthly payment considerably, it's cheaper tax and far better economy.

I'm going in to see them on Saturday. On paper it makes absolute sense, but I need to think this over and be sure not to make another mistake. And then see what deal they can offer me.......

fatrab

Morning!

I made another little tweak this morning.

I paid an additional £88.95 off my credit card, so that the remaining balance is exactly 34 x £110 which means that the card will be completely clear at the end of the 0% term. This means I can forget about that debt for now.

I've got a few quid left this month. I must be spending less than I budgeted for, as even after all the DDs and the overpayment to the finance company I've still got way more than I expected. Plus my expenses are due in tomorrow. I think I'll add a wee bit to the savings instead of paying it to anything just incase I've mis-budgeted.

Looking forward to my visit to the dealership on Saturday, I'm still not 100% sure that the car he has for sale is exactly what I want but if the figures work out ok I'll need to be prepared to compromise. I have been looking at alternatives and I'm really struggling to find something that I like, so perhaps it's "fate" that he has this car available - it's extremely rare to find one with the diesel engine and this one is top of the range with all the toys.

And we'll need to check that the pram fits in the boot!

Hope you all have a nice day

fatrab

A little evening update from me which I don't do very often!

Just been for a long walk out to Chanonry Point and back along the beach. Been out for about an hour and a half and I feel pretty good. Might need to invest in some better walking shoes tho!

I also realised while I was out, I've paid more than half of my house off! This months payment took me past the halfway mark. I'm quite chuffed about that too, just hope the rest of my plan falls into place and it's paid in 5 years time.

Hope it's nice weather for the weekend, get out and get the garden started!

Cheers

supersaver1000

Great news about the house - do you own the upstairs or the downstairs, or maybe split right down the middle - must be a really nice feeling.

The car is a difficult one, my oh chopped and changed his car so much - keeping them 6 months to a year max cos he wasn't 'happy' and he was almost addicted to the purchase. His attitude has changed now - his vehicle is for work and he's happy to save his money. Took a while though.

fatrab

supersaver1000 wrote: »

Great news about the house - do you own the upstairs or the downstairs, or maybe split right down the middle - must be a really nice feeling.

The car is a difficult one, my oh chopped and changed his car so much - keeping them 6 months to a year max cos he wasn't 'happy' and he was almost addicted to the purchase. His attitude has changed now - his vehicle is for work and he's happy to save his money. Took a while though.

I have to admit, I do enjoy looking at cars. When you decide that you want a change and you start looking at what's out there, then you pick a few to go and look at, it's all fun and games until you land on the forecourt. I don't like dealing with sales staff. They tell you how immaculate the car is on the phone but when you get there to find an absolute shed, it's laughable sometimes! Annoying when you've travelled a long way to see it though.

I remember once travelling up to Aberdeen to see a car which looked ok in the photos and the seller (a specialist high-performance garage) assured me it was tidy. I literally got out of my car, walked over to the one I'd come to see, walked round it once, got back in my car and drove away. Every single panel had damage of some sort! I think the photos on the website must have been taken about 5 years earlier!

Yeah, my attitude needs to change in exactly the same way as your husband's. I need to find a car that I'm content with. We'll see what happens tomorrow.....

fatrab

Anyone got that Friday feeling??

No?? Me neither.

I think it's because I know I'm in for a few quiet weekends, in fact, a few quiet months! By quiet I mean not going out. No meals, no drinking, let's be honest - no spending. That's the whole point of this journey for me. "Free" days out will be the highlight of the next few months, weather permitting of course.

I need to crack on with the decorating in the hall. The garden needs work if the weather is ok. The big car will need cleaned before I go the dealership tomorrow. It's going to be one of those weekends, I can feel it. I'll be glad to get back to work on Monday for a rest!

Fingers crossed everything works out ok tomorrow. This could have a huge effect on my timeline, potentially shaving a whole year off my HP & unsecured debt repayments.

I'll let you know how it goes

supersaver1000

Good luck tomorrow fatrab. I want to say 'no pain, no gain' but I'm a fine one to talk :rotfl:

fatrab

Mixed news from today's visit to the dealership.

My car is officially for sale, they're going to retail it. It's going up on Thursday to have its photos taken then it'll be "live" from Friday.

But the deal on the other car isn't going to happen. It's not big enough and to be honest it's not as tidy as I hoped it would be. One of the downsides to having tinkered with cars all my adult life is that I have quite high expectations and can spot a car that hasn't been cared for from a mile away.

So I'll see how long it takes them to sell my car then I'll line up something else later. I'm using the small car over the summer anyway so no rush. I've seen another few options that, although they don't tick all the boxes, would be adequate for what I need them for. And they're actually cheaper than the car I looked at today!

Fingers crossed my car sells soon

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Storm89

That's disappointing about the new car but hoping yours sells soon. Good luck on decorating the hall - I've put ours off !