VelvetFreak is saving up to buy a house!

VelvetFreak

I just had some friends over for dinner, so that was nice I had a hectic day at work so am glad to be relaxing now and am so glad that tomorrow is Friday.

I opened a share trading account today and am waiting for it to finish processing so that I can buy some shares I think I will put $500 into some Australian shares, just for the hell of it while the markets are low. That will have to come out of this fortnight's savings but I figured that now is a good time It will be a while before I will spend money on renovations seeing as everything is shut down at the moment so I figured why not?

I am ridiculously over budget in my spending for the fortnight, but oh well. Not much I can do about that as it was all things that I needed.

I have just cashed out $13.10 from surveys, so I will put that in my investing app once it comes through to my bank account

VelvetFreak

Good morning and happy Sunday

I am feeling a bit flat despite having a good day yesterday I am annoyed that this stupid virus has decided to happen right when my life started to feel good. I've always struggled with socialising and I'd finally found a good friend and had plans most weekends and was feeling really happy and now we're not allowed to go anywhere and everything is cancelled. I'm just having a selfish whinge here but I'm already starting to feel isolated and this whole thing hasn't even hit Australia in full force yet

I'm trying to think of the positive things. I can still go to work, I will have lots of time for renovations and painting, I will do some arts and craft type things, I will spend less money, etc.

Yesterday my friend and I went for a drive and her Dad gave us some free potatoes, onions and pumpkin (he works at a potato farm/factory ). I plan to make some pumpkin soup but I might have to make my own bread to have with it as I don't think there's any left at the shops to buy Speaking of which, I have to grocery shopping today and I really hope I don't get tackled over a block of chocolate

Anyway, despite not being in the mood to do anything, I must keep moving and get some things done. 

To do list:

• wash sheets & remake bed 
• wash towels 
• clean the bathroom
• wash clothes 
• change water in fish tank
• clean out pantry (to make room for potatoes )
• vacuum & mop
• do another coat of paint on the doors 

Cherryfudge

Can you keep in touch with your friend even if you can't meet up? Isolation is going to be one of the big things while this pandemic lasts but I'm having some lovely conversations via social media now I can't socialise in person. Video calls are getting very popular but even a text can change the mood. 

Here in the UK we're also finding everyone is buying DIY supplies: we are going to be a house-proud nation with stunningly beautiful gardens by the summer! So get in there early while the white gloss holds out.  

Also perhaps drop a note to neighbours if you feel you might be able to get shopping should they have to self-isolate. It's nice to know there are people willing to help (a new neighbour of ours has put notes through the doors with a contact number in case people need supplies and can't get out, A really thoughtful gesture).

VelvetFreak

Thanks Cherry, I will definitely keep in touch with my friend/s even though we can't go anywhere. I've already got my DIY supplies so will be painting like a mad woman. I will also do some (artistic) painting and some cross stitch with supplies that I already have.

I just went grocery shopping and was able to get everything I needed. It was surprisingly quiet.  A lot of things were sold out but I was able to get everything I needed so hopefully won't need to go back for at least a week unless I run out of chocolate  

VelvetFreak

Readers, I regret to inform you that tonight I have discovered my dishwasher leaking and it has damaged part of the kitchen cabinet. I want to cry. So many water related issues in this place It is definitely haunted.

VelvetFreak

Random thoughts re. the current situation: I am going into Total Frugal Mode until this corona virus nonsense sorts itself out. I'm not spending anything unless absolutely necessary ie. food, petrol and bills. It seems that tomorrow the government will make an announcement about which businesses need to close etc. I am worried about job security as even though I could work from home and my boss does need me (now more than ever, I work in financial planning, we have more customer enquiries than we can handle), let's not forget the fact what my boss is like and there's a fair chance he'll do something moronic
I think I'm best to prepare for the worst, just in case it does actually happen. 

So I will be saving like a mad woman until further notice. I was going to put $500 into shares but I've decided not to at this stage as everything is far too uncertain. I will just keep on saving as much money as I can. 

Now for the crazier part:
I have pretty much decided that I will get a new kitchen (obviously after all this craziness has blown over/if I even have any money left/I will save up for it). Maybe I will have changed my mind in the morning, but the damage caused by the haunted leaking dishwasher has just peeved me right off. I'm stick of living in this stupid flat where everything is always breaking, leaking or otherwise cr@pping itself. Everything is a combination of new and falling apart and I am just over it. I know this all sounds a bit spoiled and it will cost a lot of money, but I'm sick of working my @ss off every day and not having anything nice to show for it (well that's a lie - I do have nice things and am very grateful, but you know what I mean). I didn't scrimp/save/plan/sacrifice for years just to live in a place that's rubbish. I just want to enjoy living here and not resent it so much and not have things exploding all the time. 

I figure I will need an electrician/plumber for the laundry anyway so I might as well do the kitchen at the same time so that all of the cabinets/bench tops/splashbacks match. I might even do some cabinetry/shelves around the tv so it also matches. I know I'm overcapitalising on a one bedroom unit but I'm already in a position where I definitely won't be selling/moving any time soon, so why the heck not? And it's not like I'm adding to the mortgage and there are worse things to spend money on. And if I ever rent this place out it would then rent at a pretty decent amount.

In previous years when I'd considered doing the kitchen I'd play around with the kitchen planners and it would always come out so expensive and I never thought I'd actually be able to do it, but I've just used a planner again and it looks like I'll be able to do the kitchen and the laundry for about $10,000, which is realistic considering I just spent $10k on single bathroom

Anyway, that's my thoughts for the night. I seem to always be thinking about spending money, even during a pandemic

 

South_coast

Hi VF, I'm in a one-bed flat as well and I intend going mad with a top-spec glitzy upgrade. It's my home at the end of the day, so I want it how I want it and if people think I'm crazy spending that much then I really don't care! 

killerpeaty

I am with SC, you should enjoy your home and if the kitchen makes you unhappy then change it. I think people are too obsessed with the idea of a home being an investment, it's also a project and a hobby and a nightmare and most importantly your home where you want to enjoy being.

I think we are all very nervous about our job securities, so I can also sympathise there.

Hope you're safe and you get to speak to your friends soon.

Cherryfudge

You don't do things by halves, do you?  
Sleep on it before you make the booking and remember as this situation progresses you may prefer or be advised (or even forbidden) to have people in your home apart from essential services.
However, a new kitchen sounds really, really nice.

VelvetFreak

Thanks for your support everyone. I have woken up this morning and decided that I do still want a new kitchen I will of course wait until the virus situation is sorted, and I will spend the time until then making sure I plan it all properly and thinking about it.

I aways have so much guilt around spending money on anything *extravagant*. What seems like a rash decision about a new kitchen is actually years of me telling myself "no way/that's too much/you don't deserve that/etc" and then all of a sudden it becomes a realistic idea and I change my silly way of thinking. Another thing that helps is I now have a friend who is a builder so I can get things done cheaper than I could a year ago

Anyway, I will not spend any more time justifying my new kitchen I'm just going to say that if I have the money for it then I will do it when the time is appropriate.