New life. Here we go.....

Elephantchunks

I've been purchasing a few more bits to make my homeware. I've mostly purchased one of each thing so I can make one full prototype (hopefully by the end of the week). Then I can take more advantage of multibuys when I am satisfied with the quality and how it all works when made. £70 spent so far, I am itching to get the bulk wood cut but I need to see a final piece first. It's been quite fun coming home to these parcels because I really don't purchase much these days other than food, drink, clothes from charity shops and DIY stuff.

Work was better today, just in constant fear and panic of what someone might find next to rat on me for, not that I've done anything wrong but I hadn't before when they ratted on me. I'm not used to confrontation, why can't everyone just be nice?
Well my staff are lovely and I've enjoyed working with someone new this afternoon and the social interaction that bought which I've been missing from not seeing friends & family. I am truly lucky to still be able to work and socialise a little.

17/19 NTAD Go us!

Elephantchunks

No deliveries today

Received £80 refund from the broken kettle, this has been added to this months budget as we had underestimated.

Won £10 on the pclotto so that's gone in the sealed pot which is intended to go towards a nice treat for us both at the end of our 5 year reno plan. The same month in November, just under 2x years time I will have been with my husband half of my life which is actually all of my adult life so he doesn't know it yet but we will be doing something nice to celebrate both occasions
We currently put all our change into this sealed pot (Brown money goes in another pot).We also put £1 in for every 3x eggs we use from the chickens and the lodger puts a £1 in every time he has 2x of our sausages. Elephant nibbles. 

savingholmes

Well done on the sealed pot. Glad you got some social. Hope your business idea takes off

caeler

Well done for sorting the broken kettle @Elephantchunks So many people wouldn't as we're all a bit rubbish at our consumer rights.  Better money in your pocket! 

Elephantchunks

Thanks Holmes and caeler. Lucky we bought the kettle online so we had proof of purchase and JL didn't have any in stock so had to refund the money, we don't tend to keep receipts otherwise. £80 is a lot for a kettle to last less than 6 months. 

Wasn't going to post today as I haven't done anything money saving but I have
Worked 9-5 (as normal)
Eaten batch cooked chilli which was yum and no effort today
Watched rich hous poor house and made notes of tips from successful people. 

So today's thunks to think about -
At 5am this couple gets up and exercise's - not going to happen but could do more after work. 
They write their Aims, Gratitude and Visualise

Mindset - clear your lounge of clutter, live in a nice tidy clutter free clean environment for a positive mindset
Positive quotes or visuals? I don't dig quotes and how do you get an image of security and success but I'll think on this.
Do your nails? This always makes me feel polished but I do them once a year at Christmas usually. 

Still thinking of a dress I've seen, it's casual but would look super stylish with some boots, it's only £20 from charity which is more than I spend on dresses but it's Masii & probably £80 new. Just visualising myself going to the posh homewares shops round here trying to get them to sell my homeware in my new dress but do I really need it? 

savingholmes

I bought some million pound notes and put one on my fridge. The rest are locked away. Available on Am ****

caeler

Oh I think I saw that episode @Elephantchunks and I did roll my eyes at the visualise the day stuff.  Maybe that's what I'm doing wrong! A quote I came across yesterday which I will share as I did quite like it was "You can do anything, but you can't do everything".  That sums things up nicely for me right now. 
PS.  Totally agree with doing your nails, a bit of self-care for an hour really helps me.   

Elephantchunks

That's a good idea Holmes, I may have to raid the Monop0ly Box
It was an old episode caeler, I only watch things on catchup or netfl!x as I don't pay a TV license. You're correct with that quote. I like that I am thinking of many ideas but am trying to give most of my focus to one activity for the time being & the moment something feels like homework (ie. writing gratitudes x amount of times a week) and not fun I risk ditching everything.

It's Friday Financials Time....
Groceries £174.5/£200. £36.50 Just some top up shops this week and I've moved 3x take aways to contingency/fun pot
Smokes £92.96/£80 hmm remember £11 of this is bulk rizla for the next 5 months
Petrol £103/£120 Looking ok
Contingency £96.29/£100 I've moved 3x take aways to here & added £80 refund from kettle minus £32.50 for a new kettle & tbf wood (which is really a bill) is £65 of this
We've also paid £120 to get the drain cleared again which is a reno bill, the drains need more of a slope and we can't afford to get it done yet. May phone insurance tomorrow & see if they can do anything, never used them before so I'm unsure how I feel about it.
19/22 NTAD & I didn't buy the dress 1) I already own dresses 2) it will be spring by the time I am selling my wares and 3) I have a lovely Mas@i spring dress already.

Elephantchunks

Received our yearly mortgage statement today.
My spreadsheet was out by £635 so I've had to uncolour our last house square! Eek so we wont get to the £42000 like we'd planned by March. Not a problem though.
So, we have £40388 in equity. But, we believe that when we have finished the reno the house will be worth £250,000 at least, we purchased for £178,000 and will have spent around £30,000 when finished. A house sold down the road for £250,000 this month and doesn't have the gardens and outbuildings that we do. So after 3 years we're starting to see that this long cold messy dusty journey could be well worth it & a nice tidy profit could come in the end.
We have been planning to take £20,000 equity out to finish the reno. We must pay off our loan first which we plan to do in March. The loan was taken out for half the reno but half went on life & paying the loan back whilst DH was made redundant and was off work for 6x months. The plan now is when the loan is paid off & DH isn't part time furlough we will apply to release the reno money from the mortgage,
Now for the juicy bit...
We've calculated that when finished we may be able to
a) Release more equity and invest in a cheap BTL. -(as lower rate tax payers it could be worth it for the right prices).
b) Sell up & do it all again (i'm not ready to contemplate this)
c) Sell up & buy a shop with a flat above (not too sure I want to live in town after living in the country but I would love a  shop if it was a viable business)
d) Sell up, rent and start a business with all the equity (would need a pretty certain business idea for us to do this!)
Well anyway, we have time and we don't even have heating yet but it's satisfying to think that one day we may have options and choices but for now we are very happy with where we are.

Elephantchunks

I need to do a business course or marketing or accounts.
I want to do business with a bit of marketing
Off to look now.....